In the long, long ago days of April 2007, when I started homebrewing, it was in part because of the challenge of finding “exotic” beers. But what were those beers, really? As crazy as it sounds today, I’m talking about the far-flung, intense flavors of Baltic porter and rauchbier; the subtle genius and nuance of English mild and schwarzbier; the esoteric and creative aromas of saison and Belgian pale ale.
Yes, I was seeking the classics, which were so hard to find in American bars that they were not just unusual, but practically fugitives. The tide was turning, though. Before long, the craft-beer explosion brought us a wondrous assortment of those classics, fresh and bright instead of dull and flat from weeks in shipment. It was, in a word, marvelous.
But then a funny thing happened on the way to the brewhouse: All of those exotic, rare classics became too “boring” for the American beer scene. They came, they were popular, and then they largely went. Don’t get me wrong: They’re obviously not gone, but they’re certainly being squeezed out by tap lists besotted with hazy IPAs and barrel-aged bruisers.