Cheers, Mates -- and other local reviews

By popular request (and for those of you who may prefer beer to wine), we bring you the great, local American beers we have discovered while on our bus tour.

(That’s us posing with some microbrews.)

But first, a few facts environmental facts on beer:

• In many countries, intense wet weather (potentially connected to climate change) is causing a decline in barley production. In the UK, for example, barley production decreased from 69% to 22% in 20 years. This has contributed to the decline of the skylark (down by 58% since 1981) through removal of nesting and feeding sites.
• Imported beers come with "food miles" --CO2 emissions associated with the transport of foodstuff. More CO2=more climate change!
  
• Climate change's hot temperatures may also be threatening hop production, thereby driving up the price of ales.

What to do, what to do? Obviously the solution is to drink more local beer (and save habitats, slow down climate change, and bring down the price of beer!)

In case you need guidance, here is some good stuff we found on the road:

• From Boulder, Colorado: Walnut Brewery's Old Elk Brown Ale (as Bret Muter lovingly describes, "it's like being in a meadow with Elk grazing all around me")
• And one from Denver: Wynkoop's Chile Ale ("Ai-Chiuaua!" exclaims Jen Baldwin)
• Missoula's Moose Drool Ale, from Big Sky Brewing Company ("fiesty," says Bob; "don't stop believing," comments Martina)
• Grand Teton Brewing Company's Brown Ale ("like K.C. and the Sunshine Band threw away the keyboard and picked up the Banjo," reveals Jenny. Joel, our bus driver, agrees with the recommendation, at least)
  
• Grand Teton Brewing Company's Bitch Creek ("it's bitchin' good!" nods Martina)
• A Gruit Kolsch from Roots Brewing Company in Portland, Oregon ("comfortingly intoxicating," reminisces Julie; Savanna agrees)
• Another from Roots: The Exxcaliber Stout (observes Crystal, "dark and stormy")
• And yet another from Roots: The Woody IPA ("arousing!" giggles Bob)
  
• Seattle's Mac and Jacks ("brawny with a hint of fruit," according to Kayanna)
  
• Chicago's Goose Island wheat beer ("the best friend a pizza ever had," states Bret Strogen)
• DC's Capitol City Brewing Company's Hefeweizen (I think it shouts, "summertime is here! Yay!")
  

(And don't worry; if you're not a beer drinker, try Wynkoop's Root Beer. As Eli describes, "it's got a well rooted flavor that lingers longer than a Rocky Mountain high.")

Oh, you may also want to stay away from the following:

• Root's Skarkbite ("I would rather be bitten by a shark," comments Bret Muter. Joel and I agree wholeheartedly)
• Yuengling (aka "vomitling" for Bob)
• Cask-conditioned Victoria (I don't think I can even repeat Martina's review without blushing...)
  
• Grand Teton Brewing Company's Yellowstone ale (VERY disappointing. Crystal and I had the wax seal break on our bottles, leaving nothing left but flat bubbles)
  

(Again, for the non-beerites: avoid Yellowstone's ginger ale. "It was ailing," laments Eli.)

Cheers, mates!

By: Sapna Thottathil