Why bother importing your buzz?
I’ve made a personal choice and I encourage anyone else who reads this (that includes both of you) to purchase and consume alcohol that originates only from these United States. From this point on, I will strive to garner all of my buzzes; be it from wine, beer, whiskey, even gin, from the honest labors of American industry.
Prohibition disassembled our once proud alcohol industry to the dipsomaniac equivalent of the dark ages. The result of this misguided puritan crusade forced American consumers with discerning palates to look across the Atlantic to satisfy their desires for rich wines, bold beers, and intriguing spirits. But no more.
The craftsmanship and ingenuity of the American brewer, winemaker, and distiller have redefined the definitions for quality set by our predecessors across the pond. I am not trying to take away anything from those Europeans that for centuries developed an excellent product. But as American, why wait for an ocean freighter to bring me something that is no better then something I can get from a domestic producer.
Today, there are so many reasons to chose American over something foreign derived. The receding dollar makes American products far more economically favorable than their foreign counter parts. But economics can only trick the taste buds so long and ultimately something that satisfies the mind and spirit will win out. The ‘extreme beer’ revolution cultivated by bold American brewers and embraced by patriotic consumers has set a new bar for flavor expression that would make Belgium monks blush and Bohemian brewers scratch their heads. Wineries in varying regions across this Republic; from the long established New England vineyards, to the ocean swept valleys of California, and even western slopes of Colorado, have proven that one does not need 400 year old vines and snobbish accents to make a satisfying wine. Large to small distillers are putting new twists to convention and making spirits that invigorate the soul and challenge the norm.
I am no xenophobe and think America can learn a lot from the rest of the world, but when it comes to alcohol, it is time the rest of the world learns from us. Cheers,Airek Publius
