Handcrafted, Internationally Inspired Cask Beers
Posted by Fergus | International Beers | Posted on September 30th, 2009
Finding inspiration for the bespoke cask beers isn’t hard as everyone does beer slightly differently.
Germany wrote the book on brewing and updates it constantly as technology and understanding advances, or when they think they might be in danger of breaking their own rules.
Britain thought that having just 1 set of rules that they had to change at a later date was going to mean a lot of paperwork. They decided instead to have 3 different sets of rules to cover all eventualities and anyone needing anymore than this was being unreasonable.
Ireland thought that writing a whole book of rules sounded like a lot of effort, however they knew someone with 3 different sets so they borrowed 1 and haven’t quite gotten round to sending it back yet.
Belgium also thought that writing a whole rulebook was a bit of a chore and a bit too formal so they just wrote the 1 rule, which is more of a guide. ‘Beer’, they said, ‘should basically be wet’.
America, having joined a bit late, looked at what everyone else had done and decided to do them all, but just a bit bigger.
Being Irish I feel I can comment on Ireland without any basis in fact, I have lived in Britain now for 12 years and we have gotten to know each other well enough that they won’t take offence. I have met a number of Germans over the past few years and contrary to popular myths, they have a good sense of humour. America won’t really care which just leaves the Belgians and they haven’t apologised for Jean Claude Van Damme so I don’t see why I should be first.
Fergus Fitzgerald