Some of my colleagues have mused of late about the decline in the creation of so-called “extreme” beers, possibly at the expense of rising interest in session beers. Don’t believe ‘em for a minute!
The fact is, “extreme” not only sells – look at the run of Sam Adams Utopias when it was released in November, or the excitement about Ola Dubh 40 Year Old I documented over here – it also gets press like crazy. Not because we, the media, are fascinated with the outer edges of brewing style, but because it’s news, plain and simple.
And so long as it stays news, brewing to “extremes” is here to stay, people.
Hi Steve–Christmas greetings and a quick note to tell you how much I enjoyed your Celebrator column about Bruges, one of my favorite beer cities. I tell people if you have only enough time to visit one place in Belgium, make it Bruges. One of my favorite Podge quotes is, “You cannot spend too much time in Bruges.” Another is, “Westmalle (tripel), voted the best beer after 1 a.m.”
Also want to let you know about the “Belgianfest” in Seattle Jan. 23. There is a link from my site with details. I hope this time of year finds you surrounded by good friends, food and beer!
–Stu Stuart
Belgian Beer Me! Beer Tours