Live Oak Brewing Co. | Schwarzer Rauch

Austin, TX’s Live Oak Brewing Co. is known for its commitment to tradition in brewing European-style beers. Launched in 1997, they have been brewing old-world lagers and ales with more than just a nod to tradition for 25 years. Schwarzer Rauch (Black Smoke), a smoked black lager, is brewed in the tradition still carried on by breweries in Bamberg, Germany, who still smoke the malt for their beers.

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Analyzing the Influx of European Brewers Canning Their Beers to Better Compete in the U.S.

The craft beer scene in the U.S. has been around for a relatively short period of time. Part of its rapid growth and success can be attributed to the industry’s willingness to evolve and contort itself to appeal to the ever-changing whims of today’s curious consumer. While hard seltzers and fruit-puree sours might be nothing more than a passing trend, one recent market shift seems to be here for the long haul: craft beer in cans. The benefits of cans are clear: they’re more transportable, better for the environment, and boast longer shelf life than their glass counterparts. A huge signal that the can trend is more of a foundational than fleeting trend in the U.S. is that century’s old European brewers are also augmenting their typically rigid perceptions of packaging to appeal to the American market. 

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Omnipollo | Quadruple Dry-Hopped Fatamorgana

Omnipollo is a based out of Sweden, and references itself not as a brewery, but as a creative camp. The name originates from the words omnipotence and the Spanish word for chicken, pollo. The definition of omnipotence is the quality of having unlimited, or great power. When combined with the awkward and uncoordinated “pollo,” you get the creative and chaotic (yet powerful) product that is Omnipollo.

Omnipollo was founded by brewer Henok Fentie and artist Karl Grandin in 2011 with the hope of changing the known perception of beer and what it could be. Anybody who is familiar with Omnipollo knows how crazy some of their beers are, both the recipe and the artwork. In addition, the beers that Omnipollo releases are always collaborative efforts with breweries all over the world. This keeps a constantly curious and tuned-in approach to everything they do.

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