Pub Shocker! U.S. Craft Beers Invade

By Joanne Camas, Epicurious.com

American craft brews are infiltrating the British beer scene, reports The Observer. Yes, British brewers are no doubt quaking: "American 'craft' brews are revealed as the UK's fastest growing beer trend," according to the newspaper.

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Gone are the days when it was cool to drink Budweiser in Britain: Now Blue Moon, Goose Island, Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, and Brooklyn are grabbing the attention of British beer drinkers.

Ian Lowe, of the real ale organization CAMRA, told The Observer: "The popularity of American craft lagers is very much down to how they offer similar traits associated with the British brewing scene of older years...They are more heavily hopped and are higher-alcohol-content brews."

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In other brewing news... Researchers say they've found a wild yeast in South America that hopped a sailboat from Europe to the New World hundreds of years ago. Science News reports that a lager-brewing yeast is the missing link that explains how lager can be brewed at low temperatures. Previously scientists had only identified Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the yeast used in bread, beer, and ale. The newly identified strain of yeast was found in Patagonia.

All this beer news making you thirsty? Try our Best Summer Beer recommendations for a refreshing quencher.