Commercially available "California Common?"

[wmelton]

Anyone know of a commercially available Steam/CA. Common beer other than Anchor Steam? Thanks much.

[hopjack13]

i didn't know steam was a style of beer? or am i misunderstanding the ??? im in ca, let me know what your looking for and i can scope it out for you.

[steveh]

Steam beer isn't necessarily a style as much as it's a nick-name derived from a process. Steam beer, or as Fritz Maytag has made beer lovers and home brewers rename it, California Common, is lager beer - brewed with lager yeast, fermented at ale temperatures.

I don't have my reference books near by, so don't quote me on dates, but when lager style beers were sweeping the U.S. in the 1800s - everyone wanted it, even those in places not very condusive to brewing lager (no elecrticity, no refrigeration). And, as in California, no cold winters or deep, dark, cold lagering caves. So brewers made their beer the same way they always had, only with the different yeast.

The term "steam" was coined from the big froth cap of kreusen that would develop on the top of the fermenting beer - most always in wide, open fermenters in California. The brewers thought the froth looked steamy.

I'm pretty sure that there's at least one other micro making a steam beer, calling it a California Common because Fritz has trademarked the term "Steam Beer" exclusively for the Anchor Brewing Company - that's right, it's the Anchor Brewing Company, not the Anchor Steam Brewing Company (I love when someone tells me they just tried the "Anchor Steam Porter.") - but I can't recall which brewer(s) makes the CC.

S.

[hopjack13]

intresting, you learn something new everyday..well thats why im here;) thnx steveh

[Richard English]

There is (or was) a brewery in Perth (Western Australia) that brewed steam beer. Along with Coopers it was one of the only two brewers who brewed anything drinkable.

The beer situation in Australia is much as was the situation in the USA in the 1970s when Anchor were just about the only major brewer producing anything worh drinking.

[steveh]

Originally posted by Richard English
when Anchor were just about the only major brewer producing anything worh drinking.

And so as not to mistake my (light) disdain for Fritz's odd legal moves with my opinion of his product, Anchor always makes damn good beer.

I just find it funny that a brew-pub (no large bottling and distribution process) in LIBERTYville, Illinois is served notice that they can not legally call one of their beers Liberty anything, because it infringes on Fritz's trademark - and may take his business away - shee. :/

S.

[Redbird Fan]

in LIBERTYville, Illinois is served notice that they can not legally call one of their beers Liberty anything, because it infringes on Fritz's trademark


I believe I recently read an article (in All About Beer??) about this same issue only it involved Moosehead Beer - (I think) - although I can't quite remember the outcome, but I don't think it came out in favor of Moosehead - at least not across the board.

anyone else see this article?

[steveh]

I believe there was a thread or article here at Real beer.com as well - I think the consternation from Moosehead was directed toward Moose Drool in some form or another.

S.