A Case for Weaker Beer
Revolution Brewing's "Workingman Mild," 3.5%abv
A growing fondness for strong beers has accompanied the craft brewing revolution, and most breweries now produce at least one beer exceeding 8% alcohol by volume. Without a doubt, beers with high alcohol content or high IBUs are some of the most intriguing, complex, and exciting beverages out there. Still, the strongest beers receive a disproportionate amount of attention and respect, and there is a case to be made for the beers at the other end of strength spectrum.
The obsession with extreme beers has hit fever pitch over the past couple months. Just last week, Beer Universe composed a list of the
top 10 "Strongest Beers in the Universe". Only one is less than 20% alcohol by volume, and the top spot has been claimed twice since November. The highest abv achieved by fermentation alone is Sam Adams Utopias (27%). Others have achieved ratings as high as 40% through the process of "freeze distillation" in which the beer is frozen and a portion of the ice is removed (because alcohol has a much lower freezing point than water, the alcohol stays in the liquid beer). I can understand the fascination with a beer as strong as Jack Daniels, but I can't see how that should be the holy grail of brewing. To be honest, I'm a bit tired of all the fuss over these ridiculously strong, unbelievably expensive brews.
This is part of the reason that I was excited to see that Chicago's newest brewpub,
Revolution Brewing, is going to feature a mild ale as one of their regular taps. The Workingman Mild, as it's called, weighs in at a meager 3.5% abv. Once very popular in Britain, the mild ale is a style that hasn't gained a whole lot of traction in the United States. This is primarily because mild ales typically lack the two things that Americans seem to love most in their beer: high alcohol content and pronounced hop characteristics. There are few traditional mild ales easily available on the U.S. market, and my exposure to the style has been fairly limited. Goose Island's
Mild Winter and Three Floyd's
Pride and Joy Mild Ale are Americanized interpretations (each with more alcohol and hops), but Goose Island occasionally produces a
more traditional mild that is available on tap at the brewpub.
Though many of my favorite beers are very strong and/or hoppy, I wish that there was more focus on creating flavorful, well-balanced, low alcohol beers. Historically, lower alcohol beers have served an important role as thirst quenchers or as "session beers," beers that can be consumed in quantity. For people who really love the flavors and aromas of a well-crafted beer, there are plenty of occasions where a 3% beer is preferable to a 9% or even 7% beer. Wouldn't it be nice to be able to enjoy a flavorful beer with lunch on a Saturday afternoon without feeling drowsy the rest of the day? As it is, few American beers fit the bill. With all of the amazing things that our brewers can do today, I, for one, would like to see them shift some of their focus and creativity toward more modest offerings. Hopefully Revolution is on to something.
3 Comments
brien said:
Very much agree with you. How many 9% beers can you have (or rather, how many can you actually enjoy?)
However, the problem is with pricing. $10 for six pack of a 6% ABV IPA, or $10 foe a six pack of a 3% mild. I am pretty sure most consumers would reach for the IPA.
A brew-pub (who doesn't have to deal with the high cost of bottling/packaging) might be able to pass more of the savings on, but I am pretty sure they are more often trying to play marketing games with consumers with respect to the price of their beers than actually reflecting the cost of making that beer.
Maris Callahan said:
So true. I went to college in a small town in PA where there wasn't all that much going on, nightlife wise. One of the most popular places to eat was a brew pub and their beers were SO STRONG. In college, this wasn't so much a problem for most people but it doesn't leave a lot of options/choices.
dude said:
I had a six pack of Totally Naked Beer last summer and enjoyed it.
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