American craft beers to celebrate Independence Day

As America gears up to celebrate its Independence Day on the 4th of July, the Brewers Association’s American Craft Beer Ambassador for Europe, Lotte Peplow, has exclusively shared her favourite American craft beers, the majority of which are available to purchase here in the UK.

Lotte is a certified Cicerone®, Beer Sommelier, beer judge, beer writer, homebrewer and beer & food pairer. She is one of eight award-winning authors, influencers and experts who have used their expertise to compile World’s Greatest Beers, featuring 250 of the best beers from around the world.

World’s Greatest Beers, set to be published on 1 August, is a collection of personally selected beers from across the globe that will excite, interest, and intrigue you – most of which are available here in the UK.

Writing in the book, Lotte says: “There has never been a better time to be a beer drinker and we are spoilt by the plethora of amazing beers currently available.”

A selection from her recommendations in the book include:

• Athletic Brewing Co’s Free Wave (0.5% ABV) – “If I hadn’t read the ‘non-alcoholic’ description on the can I would be 100% convinced award-winning Free Wave IPA was a tropical, hop-forward American IPA with an ABV of around 5–6%.”
• Cigar City Brewing’s Jai Alai (7.5% ABV) – “Full-bodied with a mouth-wateringly juicy mouthfeel awash with piney, resin notes, Jai Alai is bold but approachable, and with an ABV of 7.5% and 65 IBUs, will reward any hop-lover with its intense flavour and powerful aroma.”
• Firestone Walker’s Double Barrel Parabola (15.5% ABV) – “Pouring an ominous pitch black, Double Barrel Parabola has lashings of dried fruit, prune, chocolate and vanilla aromatics with incredible complexity of flavour and an oh, so luscious, smooth, rich mouthfeel. It drinks like liquid silk with a boozy warmth that lasts long into the finish, and perfectly exemplifies the extreme impact barrels can make on the character and flavour of a beer.”
• Fremont’s Rusty Nail (12.3% ABV) – “For a big, booming aroma and powerful, punchy flavours look no further than Fremont’s Rusty Nail Bourbon Barrel Aged Imperial Stout with Licorice and Cinnamon Bark. This is a beer to warm the cockles of your heart and share with your best friends and favourite family members.”
• Rogue Ale’s Dead Guy Ale (6.8% ABV) – “Crack open a can and you’ll be rewarded with a blast of sweet caramel, nutty, bread crust aroma that’s perfectly balanced by a spicy, floral hop character from Perle and Sterling hops.”
• Oskar Blues Dale’s Pale Ale (6.5% ABV) – “Take a sip and you’ll be rewarded with an up-front hoppy bitterness, full body and a smooth mouthfeel. The interplay between malt and hops gives perfect balance and lip-smacking crispness to this well-crafted beer which leaves with a long, dry finish.”
• Sierra Nevada Pale Ale (5.6% ABV) – “The marriage of citrusy Cascade hops and subtle caramelised malt in a very well-balanced, eminently drinkable beer has almost universal appeal and has proven to be a winning combination throughout the years.”

For the chance to sample rare American cask beer, beer lovers should also pencil the Great British Beer Festival into their diaries, taking place from 2-6 August at Olympia London. This year’s event will feature the biggest show of American cask beer thanks to a cask exchange set up with the New England Real Ale Exchange (NEREX).

To find out more, make sure to pre-order the title from the CAMRA shop for just £15.99 – visit: https://shop1.camra.org.uk/product/worlds-greatest-beers/

Notes to editors:

If you would be interested in a review copy & samples from the book, please contact press@camra.org.uk

Please stay tuned each week for updates beer recommendations from each of the eight authors.

If you would like to speak to Lotte Peplow or find out more recommendations, please contact the press team.