Guess I'll have to move to the USA

[Andres]

O tempora! O mores! How could this have happened?

Belgian brewers pipped at post by Americans.

American breweries have picked up the most medals at this weekend’s Brussels Beer Challenge. US brewers picked up a total on 43 medals, including 13 golds. This is one more than the 42 medals won by Belgian brewers. The Brussels Beer Challenge is part of "Brussels, Gastronomic Capital in 2012" that is organising a series of events to promote our capital city's image as place where it's good to eat and drink. A jury of 40 tasters has spent the last three days tasting dozens of beers “impartially and objectively”.
Despite being pipped to the post by the Americans, Belgian brewers did well, picking up 11 gold medals.

Congratulations

[Fragony]

Home brewing is apparantly all hot at the moment

[Martok]

You're correct Fragony; it is quite popular these days. Most of the action seems to be in the Pacific Northwest and here in the Upper Midwest.

That being said, however, I'm still astonished they won more medals than the Belgians! Surely I'm hallucinating this story...

[Ibrahim]

O tempora! O mores! How could this have happened?

Belgian brewers pipped at post by Americans.



Congratulations

I'll remember to tell Sven To mention that amusing factoid...doubtless he'll put it to good use in the future.

(Sven is the name of a professor I know. Oddly, He's not Swedish, but German. Don't ask).

[rajpoot]

Beer counts as liquor right? Isn't brewing moonshine at home illegal?
What am I missing?

[Fragony]

You're correct Fragony; it is quite popular these days. Most of the action seems to be in the Pacific Northwest and here in the Upper Midwest.

That being said, however, I'm still astonished they won more medals than the Belgians! Surely I'm hallucinating this story...

No surprise when blinfolded they absolutely adore Heineken. Which in their defence is a pretty descent pils.

[drone]

Beer counts as liquor right? Isn't brewing moonshine at home illegal?
What am I missing?

In the US, brewing beer and making wine/cider/mead at home is allowed (in limited quantities and for personal use), these are fermentation processes. Distillation is not allowed without a license.

Home brewing of beer was not allowed in the US until 1978, when the Prohibition-era restrictions were removed at the federal level. Making wine at home had been allowed for some reason, even during Prohibition. Home brewing really picked up in the late 80's, and micro-breweries took off as a result. Sort of a yeast-powered renaissance, freeing us from the shackles of the mega-corp swill.

[lars573]

And the only way that the micro-brews can compete with the mega-corp brews is on quality and flavour variety. Not that I really enjoy beer. I'm a premixed vodka man.

[caravel]

Sort of a yeast-powered renaissance, freeing us from the shackles of the mega-corp swill.

Personally I think Belgian beer has lost some of it's world wide prestige... unless you happen to be in Belgium and can drink some of the real stuff like Kwak or Chimay...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anheuser-Busch_InBev

It's understandable of course, when you have beers which proudly proclaim their history of being brewed by monks since medieval times, that are now being brewed by said global "mega-corps" under licence in several countries...