If you want to understand what the beer situation used to be like in this country, let me point you to the 1977 classic Burt Reynolds film “Smokey and the Bandit.”
The plot of that film involved Burt Reynolds and his trucker buddy smuggling 400 cases of Coors from Texarkana to Georgia — because, believe it or not, back then you couldn’t get Coors east of the Mississippi.
Coors...
Today, every town in America with more than two red lights has a craft brewery making all manner of IPAs, pilsners, stouts and whatnot. It can be baffling to figure out what you like — much less how that beer got to be that way. Well, Tom Acitelli is here to help.
Acitelli, who grew up in Charlotte, has a new book called “The Golden Age of Beer.” In the book, he covers 52 beer styles — one for every week of the year — describing where they came from, how they’re made, what they taste like and where to get the best versions. It’s a handy guide to making your way through the thicket of craft brews.
Acitelli and I talked about the American craft beer boom, his favorite Southern beers, how he developed his expertise, and what beer he’d buy if the only store in town was a 7-Eleven. When we were done, I was craving a cold one.
