Oktoberfest, the annual German beer bash celebrated everywhere, is a perfect excuse to try a better brew. And that doesn’t mean ordering a Heineken instead of your usual brand; instead, grab an American craft beer. It’s the trend—so much so that the industry saw a 22-percent growth in sales last year—and the libations now outsell Budweiser.
Cool, but exactly what is craft beer? Technically, it’s defined as a traditional (largely malt-based) or innovative brew created by a small, independently owned company. And sensually speaking? Mmmm. Craft beer has a rich, full taste, usually heavy on hops (a bitter cousin of cannabis) with other unique flavors.
“The beer that was around when I became of drinking age was the Wonder Bread version, this bland, fizzy liquid,” says Garrett Oliver, brewmaster at New York City’s Brooklyn Brewery. “People are now discovering that beer is the most diverse, delicious beverage in the world.”
Read more in the October 2015 issue of EBONY Magazine.
