BEER

The American beer renaissance happened on the backs of pale ales. As the country’s new crops of brewers were founded, they turned away from the bland light lagers that had long ruled the shelves, taps and minds of beer drinkers across the country.

The brewers found their salvation in hops, an essential ingredient in beer, but one that was used sparingly by larger brewers because of the bitterness it lent to recipes. Craft brewers leaned into hops and began adding more and more to the recipes.

Pale ales are typically 6% alcohol or less and are generally on the lower end of the bitterness scale. While many