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Beer Terroir

Place, Beer, and Taste in the Rocky Mountain Region

Braden Neihart [+–]
Independent Scholar
Braden Neihart received his M.A. in history from Colorado State University in 2019. His thesis, “Frontier Beer: A Spatial Analysis of Denver Breweries, 1859-1876,” examined how Denver breweries acquired resources and situated themselves in local and national networks in order to compete. He is interested in how beer helps understand racial, cultural, economic, and environmental patterns. His research focuses on beer in Pre-Prohibition Rocky Mountain West.

Beer Terroir seeks to understand how the application of the concept of terroir–a term typically applied to wines–to beer can help us further our understanding not only of the beverage but also of the humans that occupy regions. It covers the main aspects of terroir–ingredients, soils, landscapes, history, culture, etc– and shows that approaching beer history conceptually rather than strictly stylistically, by brand, or by region opens up new avenues of research and illumination.

The book focuses on a fairly large region – The Rocky Mountains – and takes a deep and wide dive into its history. It explores a number of questions: how did the human, organic, geographical, and economic landscape of the Rocky Mountains impact beer production and flavor; and, in what ways is there a shared sense of terroir between disparate parts of the Rockies, or is the terroir hyper focused on localities and not transalpine? Is there a unified sense of beer terroir, or do different regions believe their beer to vary from other mountainous regions? What evidence is there that the beer brewed in this region is indeed palpably different from other places in the US?

Terroir comprises multiple elements, and each chapter looks at a particular aspect of beer terroir in the Rocky Mountain Region. The book covers the emergence of terroir during the Pre-Prohibition period which saw the emergence of a beer drinking culture in the region, as American Indians in this region were indisposed to fermented beverages. Pre-Prohibition many brewers had to use local ingredients and ensure they had a supply for their customers. Many breweries were small, local, and imported only ingredients, particularly hops, that they could not grow.

The book is aimed at those interested in the history of beer and brewing and in The Rocky Mountains as a region, as well as in the culture and history of foodways.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1

Introduction [+–]
Here, we will introduce the Rocky Mountain region and its geography. The landscapes are crucial to understanding terroir, and so ample coverage of the physical makeup and boundaries of this region are crucial. I will also discuss the concept of terroir and how its application to wine can be useful to understanding beer, and by extension a study of the confluence of historical, geographical, environmental, and cultural factors in the Rocky Mountains.

Chapter 2

Water [+–]
Comprising 95% plus of beer, water greatly impacts the flavor and quality of beer. Mineral content, purity, contaminants, and other aspects of water quality have major ramifications for the end product. This chapter will survey the tribulations and triumphs of Rocky Mountain breweries: did they bemoan the poor water quality and contamination from ranchers and miners? Did they praise the high quality and purity of their beer due to fresh snowmelt? In what ways did the regional water impact local breweries and how, in turn, did they surmount or manipulate their water.

Chapter 3

Grain [+–]
Next in importance for brewing, grains and malt bestow color, aroma, flavoring, and alcohol content. Where did brewers get their grain, and how did the difficulties of establishing an agricultural hinterland limit, or enhance, the sense of terroir? What kinds of grains did the mountain states grow and how did that influence the flavoring and styles of beer?

Chapter 4

Hops [+–]
Hops grow best in moderate climates with a great deal of moisture. As such, in the US they are typically grown in the Paciffic Northwest, New England, or other northern Midwestern, humid states. The Rockies are not conducive to this plant in many ways, yet growers did plant and train these vines for brewers. The soil and climate certainly impacted hops, and how did these mountainous varieties differ from coastal counterparts? Did brewers latch onto these hops as a local product and value the contribution to their beers, or did they wrestle with these options and desire hops from further afield?

Chapter 5

Yeast [+–]
Necessary for fermentation, yeast is a microscopic fungus that surrounds us and grows on all matter of organic material. They float through the air and facilitate fermentation. Saison and farmhouse ales are the most notable styles that rely on yeast terroir; they are open fermented and let local yeasts that clings to walls of the brewers to fall in. This is many ways where we will see terroir the most as yeast is a local product. It can be cultured and imported, but quickly takes on new characteristics.

Chapter 6

Local Flavor [+–]
Here we will explore local recipes and varieties. In particular, we will examine spruce beer which was a common beverage through the Rocky Mountains. In part, this was because of the ubiquity of spruce trees, but it certainly was not the only style born and brewed in the Rockies. This chapter will focus on the micro level of brewing and examine the brewing cottage industry. In many ways brewing was highly localized, and it is inevitable given isolation and difficulty in obtaining pertinent ingredients that local substitutes were found and applied.

Chapter 7

History [+–]
History is a crucial part of terroir, the longevity of the production matters as much as the product itself. In France, for example, long family histories are intertwined completely with the grape vines. This chapter will take the analysis out of the pre-prohibition era and focus on the relatively modern craft beer boom. Many brewers today in the Rocky Mountain region use their shared history of ranching, mining, and brewing to help name, promote, and connect their beers to a regional brewing tradition. This will bring the analysis up to a fairly modern date and will help contextualize many brewers in the Rockies as well as across the US.

Chapter 8

Conclusion [+–]
This chapter considers the beer terroir of the Rocky Mountains and looks at how connected and interlaced this region is or is not. I also want to project this framework onto other parts of the US and consider how they might be useful heuristics to understand regions in terms of their beer terroir, and how certain geographies can unite or divide regions along foodway lines.

ISBN-13 (Hardback)
9781000000000
Price (Hardback)
£75.00 / $100.00
ISBN-13 (Paperback)
9781000000000
Price (Paperback)
£24.95 / $32.00
ISBN (eBook)
9781000000000
Price (eBook)
Individual
£24.95 / $32.00
Institutional
£75.00 / $100.00
Publication
01/10/2024
Pages
224
Size
234 x 156mm
Readership
general readers
Illustration
illustrations

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