by Dave L » Tue Mar 25, 2008 6:59 pm
I think it's worth it to point out that Louisville, from a beer perspective, has a history that a twenty-something from somewhere else may not know about. Personally, I'm not yet 40 and I can recall the openings of all the brew-pubs, (modern) breweries, and we-don't-serve-lite-beer bars. Louisville did not have the choices in the 80's as we enjoy now. I can only imagine what it was like trying to get decent beer in the 70's!
In the 90's brew-pubs were the fastest growing segment of the restaurant industry, and we luckily had a few. Those of us who liked good beer supported them, along with retailers who carried good beer, and of course we brewed our own. The C-J supported that movement with articles and reviews. Our beers got better, our breweries won awards, and eventually outside-of-Louisville acclaim.
The people who supported this movement were often military types who had been stationed in Germany and discovered what beer can be, or simply transplants who lived on one of the coasts, where the 'beer revolution' came sooner. Or, in my case, I read an article in a magazine about homebrewing, likely written by a twenty-something, and found the way. Collectively we strayed away from beers like Budweiser and it's ilk and sought beer with flavor, the flavor of malt and hops. What we enjoy now is not a fad, not cyclical like fashion or music, but an absolute interest in good beer. Similar absolutes exist in our appreciation of good cheese, wine, and bread. We enjoy these foodstuffs as they were made for a long time in places like Europe, and here in the United States, by Artisans dedicated to a craft. It was a long time coming for these foodstuffs in Louisville and that is why we are a little 'obsessed' about it. We have never been, nor will ever be, snobs.
