How will the USA beerscene present itself in another double decennium? Strange question, maybe, for a Belgian who has enough to worry about the home front. But the reason I'm asking myself, and now your auguste selves, is that today, I got into a fit about something I had to read on a Flemish beerforum.

Everything goes faster in the land of hope and glory, we know. Five years ago, I predicted that USA brewers would need another 25 years at least before they could make real lambic, now I think a couple more years will suffice. If that much… Other countries, in old Europe, needed centuries and countless generations to build up a brewing tradition; in the States they regard Sierra Nevada, Stone, Sam Adams and such as long-established houses. Not to mention Anchor Steam.

And exactly that makes me worry, today. You see, here in beery Europe, we witness a very strange phenomenon. The more tradition a country has in making (good) beer, the more complacent, the more self-centered the punters become. CAMRA, the British beer consumers' organisation and the very first and most important beermovement in the world, might have many foreign members amongst its 90.000 adherents, might have festivals were foreign beers abound, yet, if one listens carefully to what is said in AGM's and written in What's Brewing, one cannot deny that there is a hardcore of members that swears by the cask British ale only, and will regard anything not conforming to that as useless stuff.

Germany, regarded by many as the beernation par excellence, has a decay of traditional, family-owned breweries as nowhere else, in the present day. They even have a word for it: "Brauereistirben". No need for a translation, I'd say. Still, if one asked the average German visitor of the "Gaststube", he'd be looking askance at you, were you to tell him German traditional beer is in very grave danger. There can't be any danger as long as the sacrosanct "Reinheitsgebot" is observed, isn't it? Never mind that all the "larger" German breweries (large in German terms, which doesn't mean a lot, not even on a European scale) are virtually in the hands of non-German brewing concerns.

And the same is true for ol' Belgium. The average Belgian punter, drinker of diminishing volumes of Jupiler, Stella Artois and Primus, and in apoplectic veneration of monuments of brewing greatness as Leffe, Tongerlo and Hoegaarden wit, will never admit that some foreign beers, as some American one's I won't name here this time, will match the best of Belgium glass for glass. Not to mention some Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, Canadian, Japanese, Italian, French and more exotic microbrews. Belgium is the worlds' N°1, and the rest is just swill for the pigs.

In fact, the same as is thought by the German drinker, the Czech one probably, and the CAMRA cask-aficionado. The post that made me go ballistic, was written by a beerpub owner, and his view on foreign beer was styled by… Brahma (brewed in Leuven!), Labatt Ice and… Bush. By which last he meant Bud, one supposes - hopes. So the bill was readily made: Belgian beer is best! I was immediately put down as arrogant, because I told him to shut up and speak about things he understood.

Now, back to our American chickens. The scene in Gods' own country is pretty different, isn't it? Few countries will import such quantities of prime foreign microbrews, from whatever origin, as the USA. Quite true! But - as I said - everything goes faster over the pond. Every American is convinced about "his great nation" (in fact, if the film "Green Card" has it right, you're practically obliged by Court, to think as such, if you want to immigrate…), and indeed the punters will need little persuasion to think nothing equals American beer in the end. Looking at the Ratebeer best is one way of proving my thesis.

Given that in not too long a time, American drinkers will regard the brewing scene that started actually at the end of the seventies of last century, as an acquired, long-standing tradition. And will haul up their collective noses at all those quixotic, expensive imports. Seen the raising costs of transportation, the awakening consciousness about "local is beautiful - and better environmentally", I predict a diminishing, even quasi-abolishing of beerimports in the not-so-distant future. Mind you, I'm the last to gainsay the quality of many American craftbrews, but the full folding upon oneself, and the closure for other products and views, can never be a good thing.

Oh, I know - most of you will say they will ALWAYS try new things - and certainly if they hail from little Belgium. And I have no doubts about your sincerity. But in order to keep buying the stuff, it must be available.

And that's where I've got my doubts, for that imminent future.

Joris on Friday the Thirteenth.

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