Organic beers seem to be all the rage as of late. Either that or my "rage sensors" are a bit slow on the uptake. Either way, more and more I'm seeing the words "organic" on labels and hearing people talk about organic alcohols.When it comes to organic food, people often speak of benefits to taste or their health. However, after speaking with representatives from a number of organic breweries, many of them pointed out most craft brews use a higher quality of ingredients to begin with, leaving less room for true organic beers to separate from the pack. One of the biggest distinctions, it turns out, is the use of organic cleansers when cleaning the brewing equipment, which (pardon my skepticism) I find hard to believe will translate into any major jump in product quality or add to my longevity.
Still, organic products do benefit the environment and support organic farmers, so if you're the type who loves to look out for our planet (and I guess we should, huh?) drink all the organic beers you like. My point though, when it comes to rating organic beers on taste, don't expect them to receive any special considerations.
So imagine my surprise when one of the best beers at this year's NY Brewfest turned out to be a certified "USDA organic" serving. With an almost too strong grassy, herbaceous nose, Wildfire Extra Pale Ale by Four+ Brewing fulfilled my desires for taste bud-blowing hoppiness with a dry, bitter finish that was out of this world. This product is probably a love it or hate it beer based on your affinity for hops, but if you're a hop-head, here's an extremely quaffable opportunity to be environmentally friendly.
Bonus points to the brewery for succeeding against the odds: Four+ (who is directly affiliated with the Uinta Brewing Company) is located in the not so beer friendly city of Salt Lake City, Utah, proving once again that you can't leave Utah out of the craft beer conversation.
[Photo Credit: fourplusbrewing.com]
