Are Beer Classification Styles Darwinian or Linnaean

08 July 2011 - comments

Beer styles were laid down by the respected late Michael Jackson.

These styles may well have been true to type about 20 years ago but with the explosion of Microbreweries here and in the States, I believe this has changed the playing field.

There has been a blurring of beer styles with the Micros experimenting with traditional styles and blending and blurring the demarcation lines between them. In other words beer styles are evolving (Darwinian) and not static (Linnaean)

Who could have dreamt of a black IPA 20 years ago, it breaks all the rules of an IPA, i.e. light in colour is one of its defining points, India Pale Ale says it all really.

The proliferation of the new world Aroma Hop Varieties being used in traditional beer styles is changing the Market forever and I believe Pandora is out of the box and we need to rethink or stance on so called Beer Styles