One thing to take note is that
the entire world is now looking to our movement in craft beer. When we began
our craft beer movement at the beginning of the 1970s, it was truly a handful
of pioneers with exceptional willpower that made it all happen. Men like Fitz
Maytag who rekindled the old Anchor Brewing Company and would launch a movement
that would influence the world 40 years later, or Jack McAuliffe, who would be an
influential persona that would be imitated for his engineering and passion. Of
course, Ken Grossman, creator of Sierra Nevada, who would put the US on the
world beer map as perhaps the father of hoppy American beer. But more locally
and very much the global kick starter is Charlie Papazian.
Charlie Papazian moved to Boulder
in 1981 and would bring the entire show into one ring, the Great American Beer
Festival. All these men and many more have created a beer industry and culture
that has never before been seen in world beer history. This influence is now
being imitated around the world. As Italy, with all its history dating back as
far as 900 BC, adds a new chapter in 1996 with beer. Or Germany, whose long
standing brewing laws is now being scrutinized to keep up with craft beer. The
American craft beer culture has brought longtime and legendary breweries from Belgium
from the brink. Now they too are enjoying the resurgence of their beer as many
craft American brewers have imitated their styles. But new beer cultures like
Italy are emerging. Japan imports so many beers from around the world that they
are now a big part of the movement. Brazil, Mexi-Cali, Peru, Argentina and Spain
all have begun their craft beer movements.
So it’s no surprise that during
this great celebration of American craft beer there will be a panel of
diplomats from around the world discussing their craft beer scenes here in
Denver. Some of the attendants from 3 pm
to 5 pm, October 2nd at Jazz@Jack’s, located at the at the Denver Pavilions
on the 16th Street Mall, will be government representatives
including top ambassadors/diplomats from Belgian, Cananda, Japan and Mexico.
Representing Italy will be locals Bryan Jansing and Paul Vismara who wrote the
first book about the Italian craft beer movement, Italy: Beer Country. The event will be moderated by Ed Sealover,
writer for the Denver Business Journal and author of Mountain Brew: A Guide to Colorado Breweries.
It’s certainly beer week in
Colorado, but it’s a week being participated and watched by the entire world.
I’ll toast to that.
