The time is gone when standard, big-name beers were all that people drank. Beer drinkers have seen a micro-brew revolution in the past decade.
Craft brewers are obsessive about the ingredients they use, finding the best hops, highest quality malt barley, and their own signature ingredient for flavor. Craft breweries are also small, and owners are known to care for their workers and the environment in a way larger breweries are often unable to do.
The Beers
Great Lakes Brewing’s Sharpshooter Session Wheat IPA
The Beer: Sharpshooter Session is a refreshing summer IPA flavored with orange peel and loaded with Jarrylo hops for an effervescent taste. It also makes a great dessert.
The Brewery: Sharpshooter is from Great Lakes Brewing Co, a microbrewery in Cleveland, OH, that embraces its rustbelt roots. Great Lakes hosts the Great Lakes Burning River Fest, named after the infamous burning of the Cuyahoga River in 1969, which provides beer and music and donates proceeds to local non-profit organizations protecting freshwater resources.
Peak Organic Brewery Fresh Cut
The Beer: Fresh Cut is a dry IPA perfect for hot summer days, featuring notes of citrus, grass and spice taken from local and artisan suppliers. The first sip makes quite the impression while the aftertaste leaves off with a crisp Pilsner taste.
The Brewery: Peak Organic began as a home brewery in the 1990s, and owner Jon Cadoux still keeps its Portland hometown roots by purchasing ingredients from local organic farmers.
Bison Brewery’s Organic Chocolate Stout
The Beer: Bison’s Organic Chocolate Stout is smooth and rich like the dark chocolate and espresso flavors in this beer, Peruvian cocoa adds a unique twist to an old favorite. This beer has stood the test of time as a staple in Bison Brewery’s 100% Organic lineup since their founding in 1989.
The Brewery: Bison is the first brewery in the world to earn a B Corp certification, meaning it meets the most rigorous standards of social and environmental performance and accountability possible.