Photo from flickr user Steven Depolo
Craft beer has recently boomed in popularity across the United States with unique ingredients taking main stage. Often a brewery utilizes local ingredients and easily recognizable regional favorites for flavoring. Terroir, a term generally reserved for wines and cheese in the past, refers to the idea of tasting the flavors of a locality, and is becoming a main focus in the craft brewery world.
But what is the ‘taste of place’? What about a specific beer sets it apart from other craft breweries? Many of the descriptions of beer are reminiscent of perfume, with elements such as smoke, imported chocolate, roasted coffee, flaked oats, and fresh raspberries. Clichés of the brewery locale often also play into the ingredients used. Exotic elements from oysters to Rocky Mountain oysters -- as well as tamer ingredients such as bananas, sorghum, and millet -- are just a few examples of the array of ingredients used in the beers popularized by craft breweries. Cave aging in oak barrels or slowly fermented in painstaking steps distinguish craft beer from its mass-produced alternatives; the emphasis on process and uniqueness of ingredients prepares the taster for a truly local experience. To explore a city’s beer scene, just as you may explore the food scene, provides insight into what makes any city a distinct city.
In a recently released list of top cities to visit for beer-lovers, Grand Rapids was listed third, highlighting the nationally recognized Founder’s Brewing Company. Founder’s produces year round staples like their Dirty Bastard and seasonal specialty favorites like their Breakfast Stout and their Curmudgeon Old Ale, which are sure to please the weariest traveler. Beer lovers can tour the brewery, enjoy samples, and relax in the taproom with some delicious specialty dishes paired with the brew house’s signature beers.
Grand Rapids is at the forefront of cities whose craft brew niche is growing in popularity among visitors and locals alike. Spend some time drinking like a local and visit us for our national conference in Grand Rapids September 29 – October 1 and check out some other local favorite breweries while you are there: Schmohz Brewing Co., Grand Rapids Brewing Co.,and Brewery Vivant .
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Valerie Lightner is a CEOs for Cities Summer Success Fellow. Valerie is a Junior at Kenyon College in central Ohio, majoring in Anthropology with a minor in History and a concentration in Women’s and Gender Studies. She was raised on the east side of Cleveland and is, of course, very passionate about her Cleveland teams. She also loves blues music, animals, and city exploration adventures. This upcoming school year she is excited to embark on her first international adventure, studying abroad in Denmark and England. Valerie hopes to continue her work in non-profits after graduation, potentially moving in the direction of social activism in urban centers.