 | Rob Miller
owns and operates Goebel Liquor, family owned since 1971, located at the corner of Maple and West Streets. Rob's World of Beers selection, offers over 450 microbrews and imports. Rob has worked hard to make his beer selection the best available, short of taking a drive to Dallas or Denver. When not on the road prospecting new products for the store to introduce to Wichita, you can usually find Rob at a sporting event, or any activity involving one of his five children. You can contact Rob at Goebel Liquor, e-mail: stoutsman@aol.com, or by phone at (316) 943-2911. |
Beer, Wine & Spirits
2003-09-01 10:08:00
What is a microbrewed beer?
: What exactly defines a "micro brewed" beer? Why have they become so popular?
Rob Miller
Question: What exactly defines a "micro brewed" beer? Why have they become so popular? Answer: The craft brewing industry was once a way of life for brew masters and saloon owners. Prohibition in the 1920s, wiped the industry out, and it did not emerge again until the early 1980s. A group of entrepreneurial beer lovers with a taste for beer and a head for business began opening small, commercial beer making enterprises known as microbreweries. The microbrewery brought much of the old-style tradition of beer making full circle. Micro brewed beers are generally made with all natural ingredients: malt, hops, and yeast. These beers are produced in small, handcrafted batches according to recipes that are far too costly and time-intensive for huge commercial breweries. As craft brewing re-emerged, the Pacific Northwest was at the forefront of the movement. Brewpubs and microbreweries began sprouting up throughout the region laying the foundation of microbreweries that remains unmatched in the United States today. A friend once said, "Some people collect post cards when they travel, I collect microbrews!" Recent results of The 2003 United States Summer Beer Tasting Competition (USBTC) may just make you change your fall vacation plans with a visit to the Pacific Northwest. Rogue Brewery, located on the Oregon Coast, has been awarded another Grand Champion. Honey Cream Ale, which repeated as Northwest/Pacific champ in the Kolsch/Golden Ale category, then went on to repeat as the USBTC Grand Champ. The judges also decided to award the Rogue Oregon Golden Ale an honorable mention in that category since the voting was so close. Every beer Rogue entered for the summer tasting, 11 total, finished first or second in the regional voting! All in all, this was the most impressive performance to date by Rogue Brewery in the USBTC. Judges awarded Rogue with three more Pacific Northwest Champions: Yellow Snow Ale, Northwest/Pacific champ in the Pale Ale category for the first time after many near misses in recent years, American Amber Ale, awarded the Northwest/Pacific champ in Amber/Red Ale for the fourth consecutive year, and Half-e-Weizen repeated as North-west/Pacific champ in the Belgian/French Specialty Ale category. This makes seven USBTC Grand Champion Designations; more Grand Champ awards over the last three years than any other brewer in the country, by a sizable margin. Three brewers: Mad River Brewing Company (located in the small town of Blue Lake, CA, just east of Humboldt County's largest city of Eureka), Pizza Port Brewing (Carlsbad, CA), and New Glarus Brewing Company (a quaint little brewery nestled on the outskirts of New Glarus, Wisconsin) tied for second honors, with 4 Grand Champs each.
