There is clear evidence that brewing of ale dates back 7,000 years in ancient Egypt, China, Mesopotamia and Sumeria. In Neolithic Europe, most of the beer production was done in the home. By 700 AD, European monks got a piece of the action. Today, beer is produced on an industrial scale, with more than 130 billion liters being sold to contribute approximately 300 billion to the global economy. The Tampa brewing industry has joined the beer fraternity, making its own contribution to the local economy. The St Petersburg/Tampa area has a lively trade in brewpubs, breweries, shops, festivals and other special events.
For a long time, beers brewed in North America were so boring and homogeneous that the only way the drinker could tell one brand from another was by their different advertising campaigns. In the past two decades, however, the brewing industry has undergone a major face lift with the introduction of artisanal craft beers. This trend, visible in Tampa brewing, has been somewhat inspired by what has been taking place in the United Kingdom, where traditional cask ale is the national beverage.
Britain distinguishes two fundamentally different approaches to brewing. One is cask-conditioning and the other is brewery-conditioned or keg beer. Cask ale is a living product, with the yeast continuing to ferment sugars derived from the main ingredient, malted barley, into alcohol and carbon dioxide. This gives the beer a natural, gentle fizziness. Cask ale is served from either firkins, which hold nine gallons of liquid, or kildekins, which hold 18 gallons.
Keg beer, on the other hand, is pasteurized. This kills the yeast, so the effervescence the drinker craves has to be artificially induced by the introduction of carbon dioxide under pressure. But, the lack of pasteurization makes the product somewhat vulnerable to bacterial or fungal contamination. It also loses its conditioning at temperatures above 54 to 59 degrees Fahrenheit. This means that in order to be financially viable, turnover needs to be high enough to empty a cask within a few days.
In the 1960s, trouble began brewing for the British beer drinker. Having cottoned on to the fact that by killing the yeast (pasteurization) and stuffing the beer artificially with carbon dioxide, they could produce something that at least looked like beer. It was cheap and easy to produce and required a lot less commitment and attention from the cellar staff of a pub. Keg beer was fast phasing cask ale, the British national drink, out of the pub.
Since producing and keeping cask ale requires a certain amount of commitment, keg beer was easier for everybody, apart from the customer. Cask ale was in danger of being phased out altogether. The British beer was not pleased, and this gave birth to what is now the largest and most successful consumer organization in Europe, the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) in 1972.
Twenty or thirty years ago, even in Real Ale Britain, beer selection was limited to a few, high-quality but very similar looking and tasting brews. These were the coppery colored bitters with a taste spectrum from 'malty' to 'hoppy'. Thanks in part to the efforts of CAMRA to stimulate the market, these past decades have seen a dramatic increase in the range of colors and tastes and types of beers for the connoisseur to sample. Like so many other great British trends, America has followed suit and has launched a new craft style of brew.
The St Petersburg/Tampa Bay has fortunately not been spared the wave of influence and Tampa brewing is truly on the nation's brewing map. The area boasts a lively population of breweries, restaurants, brew pubs, festivals, brewery tours and tastings. There is plenty to keep both the new and experienced beer drinker very happy.
For a long time, beers brewed in North America were so boring and homogeneous that the only way the drinker could tell one brand from another was by their different advertising campaigns. In the past two decades, however, the brewing industry has undergone a major face lift with the introduction of artisanal craft beers. This trend, visible in Tampa brewing, has been somewhat inspired by what has been taking place in the United Kingdom, where traditional cask ale is the national beverage.
Britain distinguishes two fundamentally different approaches to brewing. One is cask-conditioning and the other is brewery-conditioned or keg beer. Cask ale is a living product, with the yeast continuing to ferment sugars derived from the main ingredient, malted barley, into alcohol and carbon dioxide. This gives the beer a natural, gentle fizziness. Cask ale is served from either firkins, which hold nine gallons of liquid, or kildekins, which hold 18 gallons.
Keg beer, on the other hand, is pasteurized. This kills the yeast, so the effervescence the drinker craves has to be artificially induced by the introduction of carbon dioxide under pressure. But, the lack of pasteurization makes the product somewhat vulnerable to bacterial or fungal contamination. It also loses its conditioning at temperatures above 54 to 59 degrees Fahrenheit. This means that in order to be financially viable, turnover needs to be high enough to empty a cask within a few days.
In the 1960s, trouble began brewing for the British beer drinker. Having cottoned on to the fact that by killing the yeast (pasteurization) and stuffing the beer artificially with carbon dioxide, they could produce something that at least looked like beer. It was cheap and easy to produce and required a lot less commitment and attention from the cellar staff of a pub. Keg beer was fast phasing cask ale, the British national drink, out of the pub.
Since producing and keeping cask ale requires a certain amount of commitment, keg beer was easier for everybody, apart from the customer. Cask ale was in danger of being phased out altogether. The British beer was not pleased, and this gave birth to what is now the largest and most successful consumer organization in Europe, the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) in 1972.
Twenty or thirty years ago, even in Real Ale Britain, beer selection was limited to a few, high-quality but very similar looking and tasting brews. These were the coppery colored bitters with a taste spectrum from 'malty' to 'hoppy'. Thanks in part to the efforts of CAMRA to stimulate the market, these past decades have seen a dramatic increase in the range of colors and tastes and types of beers for the connoisseur to sample. Like so many other great British trends, America has followed suit and has launched a new craft style of brew.
The St Petersburg/Tampa Bay has fortunately not been spared the wave of influence and Tampa brewing is truly on the nation's brewing map. The area boasts a lively population of breweries, restaurants, brew pubs, festivals, brewery tours and tastings. There is plenty to keep both the new and experienced beer drinker very happy.
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