Despite the rampant commercialisation of beer in the USA, the Americas as a whole have some amazing beers on offer. Although the Anheuser Busch and Budweiser might dominate the world market, there is far more to American beer. Although without a distinguished history of brewing compared to Europe, North and South America do have some really interesting brews on offer. If you look past the commercial products then you can find the best that these continents have to offer.
Beer in the USA
Virtually everyone in the world is familiar with American beer. The world’s largest brewer is Anheuser Busch, which produces the world-famous Budweiser. Other massive beers in USA include Coors and Miller. Despite the easy-drinking quality of these beers, it is widely accepted that they lack character, and have little flavour. If you enjoy good European beer then these beers will probably fall short of your expectations. Despite this, there are some really great beers throughout the whole of the USA, with a history dating back around 450 years. Apart from the well-known brands, there are a number of other great American lager beers such as Samuel Adams in Boston and Anchor Steam beer from San Francisco. Samuel Adams is smooth and satisfying with a lovely malt finish, whereas Anchor Steam is a refreshing lager beer with a crisp, fresh finish.
However, it is the smaller and less well-known breweries that really produce the finest beers in the USA. Perhaps the most highly acclaimed beer in all of the USA is Firestone Walker Pale Ale. Produced in Pasa Robles, California, Firestone is a Brit-inspired pale ale. It has a subtle hoppy flavour combine with a nice, biting finish thanks to the beer being aged through wood. If you are after something completely different from a bottle of Bud then you should think about trying Avery Mephistopheles Stout. This stout is devilishly strong at 15.1%, and is one of the richest, darkest beers in the world. It is great as an after dinner drink, and tastes of coffee and rum soaked fruit. But beware, even one bottle of this beer will leave you feeling a little light-headed, even if it’s smoothness makes it extremely easy to drink.
Beers in Canada
The roots of Canadian beer go back to the 17th century when European found the climate to be perfect for brewing, especially before refrigerators were invented. Just like the USA, large commercial breweries dominate Canada’s beer market – in this case it’s Labatt and Molson. Again, these beers are easy to drink but in terms of flavour aren’t much to write home about. Instead, you should seek out some of the independent brewery beers to really get a feel for Canadian beer. One of the best beers in Canada is Alexander Keith’s IPA. Brewed in Nova Scotia since 1820, it is a smooth and bitter finished English-type pale ale. It is quite popular throughout Canada, and makes a definite change from the light lagers of Labatt and Molson.
South and Central America
With the recent popularity of Mexico’s Corona in the USA, beers from South America have been under the spotlight. Although not having the massive exposure of North American beer or the depth of European beer, there are still some decent Latin American beers to be found. Apart from the light and refreshing Corona, other Mexican beers like Dos Equis and Modelo are extremely good. Both of these beers are available in light or dark variety, and have a refreshing yet bitter taste. Although these beers are all good when served with lime, this is something done less in Mexico itself. Apart from Mexico, the best beers in the Central and South America can be found in Brazil. The most popular beers in Brazil are Brahma, Skol and Bohemia, which are all typically light and bitter lager beers. However, the best brews in Brazil can be found in the numerous brewpubs. Other notable South American beers include Quilmes in Argentina, and Parba in Suriname.
