What Is Steam Beer And How Is It Connected To The Gold Rush?
Most people know about ales, lagers, and stout brews. However, not many people have heard of steam beer before. Steam beer is a special kind of beer that comes from California during the time of the Gold Rush. This beer tastes like a cross between a lager and an ale and is brewed at higher temperatures than your average brew. On top of that, steam beer tends to use more yeast, meaning it has more bubbles and a higher pressure than your average blend. Thanks to the extra bubbles, drinkers coined the name 'steam beer' for the brew since the bubbles resembled steam on top of the brew.
Steam beer is generally a low-ABV brew, with only about 5% alcohol content. It also has a light, fruity flavor making it great for easy drinking on a hot day, which is probably one reason people enjoyed drinking it under the hot California sun back in the day.
The history of steam beer
Steam beer's origins date back to the mid-1800s when people first discovered gold in California, which led to the Gold Rush — a flock of people heading west to strike it rich by panning for gold.
As with many other businesses that cropped up on the west coast in response to the influx of prospectors, breweries out west began selling the brew we now know as 'steam beer.' Brewing this beer was cheaper, making it highly popular among financially-struggling prospectors. Pretty soon, the beer was a major hit!
One brewery in particular, Anchor Brewing, opened in 1896, became well-known for producing the infamous steam beer. By 1980, the company had trademarked the term, leading steam beer to become known as California common beer to avoid breaking any copyright laws. So, if you're looking for steam beer on the shelves of your local supermarket today, it's California common beer you'll want to watch out for.
Other American beer styles
Although steam beer is one of the more unique American beer styles , it's far from the only one. Another type of beer invented in the United States is the cream ale. Cream ales were developed, like steam beer, during the mid-1800s. Similarly to steam beer, cream ales are light like lagers with a fruit aftertaste. However, they tend to taste more malty than your standard lager.
Another American beer style is the American pale ale. The British pale ale inspires this beer style but has a slightly different flavor profile. The reason for this is that APAs, unlike English pale ales, use hops that are native to the United States. These American hops have notes of pine and citrus, whereas British hops tend to be floral. The result is that APAs have unique tasting notes, although they're otherwise the same as a British pale ale.
Of course, these are just a few American beer styles you can explore today. So, whether it's steam beer or a different type of brew, there's plenty of rich history and unique flavors to explore in the world of American beer.