Winter Break Craft Beer Essentials

Many Syracuse University students have permanent homes in the Northeast. But just because students are leaving Syracuse doesn’t mean they have to miss out on great beer.  Student can find many microbrews while at home with relative ease and low cost. A common misconception is that microbreweries that distribute regionally or even nationally hold a larger market share than other breweries. While that is partly true, microbreweries in the United States only hold 5 percent of the entire domestic beer market share, with the rest going to InBev (Anheuser-Busch), MillerCoors and breweries they own around the world, such as Blue Moon, Stella Artois, Labatt and Keystone, among others. But the following brews show there is hope for those who support smaller breweries.

Yuengling Traditional Lager

Yuengling Brewery, Pottsville, Pa., and Tampa, Fla.

Style: American Amber Lager

ABV: 4.4 percent

Rating: 4/5

Available throughout the Northeast, this light American lager trumps all others in the category. It actually looks, smells and tastes like real beer. The smell is extremely mild, but corn and malt can be picked out with a good nose. It tastes light, crisp and smooth. With its low price, you can buy a lot without throwing too much money down. Plus, it gets the job done without making you feel like you drank water.

White Ale

Samuel Adams (Boston Beer Co.), Boston, Mass.

Style: Witbier (Wheat beer)

ABV: 5.2 percent

Rating: 4.5/5

If you like Blue Moon but want to try something new, White Ale tops it by far. With a lovely aroma of citrusy lemon zest and mild wheat, this beer pours an orange color. On first taste, the drinker gets more citrus with some sweetness on the finish. The beer’s medium-high carbonation sets this apart from other winter brews. Give it a try if you are bored with your other mass-produced wheat beers.

Vanilla Stout

Saranac (Matt Brewing Co.), Utica, N.Y.

ABV: 4.8 percent

Rating: 3/5

A lower alcohol stout for the entry-level heavy beer drinkers, Vanilla Stout pours an intimidating dark brown or black color. The stout smells of dark chocolate, espresso and mild vanilla with a burnt nuttiness. The medium-bodied, medium-high carbonation stout boasts a prominent nutty taste. The vanilla is more subtle than expected, and the flavor profile changes a little too drastically from start to finish. Overall, this is a more tame stout with a lower alcohol percentage and will do the style justice for those just getting into winter beers.

— Compiled by Lucas Sacks, staff writer, ldsacks@syr.edu

 

Published on December 8, 2010 at 12:00 pm