The Beer That Launched a Thousand Breweries

By Iron Chef Leftovers

The title is not really an exaggeration or inaccurate.

Have you ever heard of New Albion Brewing? Chances are you have not, considering the company has been out of business for the last 30 years. New Albion is generally considered to be the first micro-brewery in the U.S. and it, along with Anchor Brewing in San Francisco, are the two breweries that really got the entire craft brewing industry going.
Why is this important? Well, thanks to Jim Koch at Sam Adams, he worked with Jim McAuliffe, founder of New Albion to try to recreate New Albion’s original pale ale recipe. The beer is being released and should be in stores soon.

So next time you are in your local bottle shop, pick up a New Albion Pale Ale and taste the beer that made it possible for you to be drinking just about all of the beers you are currently drinking on a regular basis (and the one that made it possible for me to review something other than Bud, Coors or Miller).