Cape Ann Brewing Company - Fisherman's Ale

Gold Medal winner at the 2007 Great International Beer Festival. There are a lot of US beers popping up with the word “Kölsch” slapped on the label. Strictly speaking, only beers brewed in Cologne, Germany can truly be called Kölsch. It’s a very specific style and a regionally protected designation. Many of the domestic interpretations of the style blend “American” characteristics like high hopping rates with a light, easy-drinking ale. Traditional Kölsch is a sort of hybrid beer blending ale- and lager-like qualities. It should have a light character, with hints of fruit (like an ale), often similar to green grapes, and an overall cleanliness in the finish (similar to a pale lager). Cape Ann’s Fisherman’s Ale fits into what we’d call “American-style Kölsch.” Look for soft malty notes, honey, and a touch of apple on the nose with some lemony hop notes. On the palate, expect a rye-like spice note with a sturdier bitterness than is typical of the style. Note a faint, German-style mustiness evocative of a Bavarian Pilsner. There’s a nice balance of malt and hops, with sweet caramel and bitter-citrus hop notes. A fine and truly refreshing session ale. Try with wedges of Manchego cheese melted over thin slices of sourdough bread.

The Cape Ann Brewing Company got its start quite literally as a detour. Founder Jeremy Goldberg had been working as a bond broker on Wall Street, but after witnessing the tragic events of 9/11, he began to rethink where his life was headed, concluding that life was too short. So, what to do to experience life to the fullest? Why, join his friends making a documentary about craft beer in the United States, what else? The film, American Beer, chronicles the adventures and the many beers of America experienced by the team as they “road trip” their way from New York City out across the nation, visiting 38 breweries in 40 days.* Not surprisingly, after an adventure like that—what with interviewing American brewing entrepreneurs and experiencing some of the world’s best beers at the source—Jeremy knew that his future lay in beer. Within six months of the trip, along with his brother-in-law Michael Beaton and father Michael Goldberg, plans for the Cape Ann Brewing Company were being hatched. Founded in Gloucester, Massachusetts, home of America’s oldest seaport, their beer lineup pays homage to the town’s entrenched fishing heritage. In May of 2004, Cape Ann Brewing Company released their flagship beer, Fisherman’s Brew, an American Amber Lager. Kudos to them for launching a craft brewery with a lager—not a traditional move, given the extra refrigeration and storage costs association with making lager beer. These days they have three year-round beers and a fresh catch of seasonal goodies, with a portion of sales donated to the Northeast Seafood Coalition, a non-profit organization dedicated to working with government regulation and environmental concerns to preserve the long-term health of the fishery resources, fishing communities and the fishing industry. For more information about Cape Ann Brewing Company, call 866-BEER-MEN or check out their web site at www.CapeAnnBrewing.com. Or drop anchor and hang with ‘em at their brand new brewhouse located at 27 Commercial Street in Gloucester, MA. *To check out a trailer for American Beer (definitely entertaining for beer lovers), or to order yourself a copy, visit: http://www.sixhundred.com/films/american_beer/