One liter of Augustiner, Munich. Photo ©2008 Charlie Papazian
A German journalist once interviewed me for a German beer story. She prefaced her questions:
“Back in Germany, I find that many Germans know nothing about the US-beer culture and the creative brews there. When hearing about it, the first thing Germans claim is: "But they do not follow the Reinheitsgebot (purity law)."
Here is her first question to me:What is a perfect beer? How would you define it? And what makes good quality in beer? Is the purity rule of any importance to Americans at all? (Or what ever you would hold against Germans who claim the purity law?) . [Note: The German purity law of 1514 has been adapted to 2008 conditions. It essentially states that in order for German brewers to call their product “beer” and sell it in Germany it must be made with only water, malt, yeast and hops.]
Ultimately, the perfect beer is a beer that beer drinkers will enjoy no matter how it is brewed. For a brewer the perfect beer is one that creates value to the beer drinker; a beer that beer drinkers will embrace, enjoy, value the cultural and traditions which is woven into the breweries philosophy and personality. The perfect beer is not ONE perfect beer for ALL beer drinkers. There is no such thing. A perfect beer can not represent ALL values for all beer drinkers. Today's consumers of food and beverage are seeking personality, uniqueness, creativity, and respect for tradition and at the same time appreciation for innovation.
This all being said, yes of course the purity rule is important for some breweries here in the United States. They are successful if and only if they have conveyed the message that they offer a choice from other beers; that the purity law is unique; that the brewery builds itself around the personality of the purity law. But for most craft breweries in the USA the purity law is ONE choice among many in determining how to be unique and capture the beer drinker’s emotional attachment to their beer and their company. Sameness is boring. Sameness is a formula for declining sales.
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A few words about the beers of Elysian: Mainstays: The Immortal IPA, The Wise ESB, Dragonstooth Stout and Avatar Jasmine IPA. A few small-batch specialty beers from Elysian’s three breweries: Arboreal Chestnut Brown Ale, Saison Poivre, and Yuzu’s Golden Ale, as well as the ever-changing array of pumpkin beers for its annual Great Pumpkin Festival.
There are some IPA’s I avoid completely and are some of my least favorite beers, while others are wonderfully balanced between hop aroma, flavor and bitterness – then matched with an appropriate drinkable refreshing medium body and just the perfect suggestion of malt sweetness. For me, hop bitterness in IPA for the sake of pure bitterness is an assault on my palate I don’t enjoy. Of all the beer types out there, IPA may have some of the most variation. The bottom line is that IPA is NOT just all about hops.
Light is not a beer’s best friend either. Light striking beer initiates a photochemical reaction turning hop compounds into stink compounds, commonly referred to as skunky or more politely, “light-struck.” The reaction happens more quickly in green and clear bottled beers. 
In New Mexico we organized another tasting at the Rio Grand Brewery. It was another blind tasting among the 40 homebrewers and their invited friends. Grolsch Lager tied with Grand Desert Pils, Sam Adams Boston Lager had twice as many votes as Heineken and in-house brewed Cabezon Stout garnered more than twice as many votes as Guinness Stout. There was a bit of shock among more than just a few avid beer enthusiasts who thought they knew their brands, but had voted against their everyday choices.
Brewery, Dogfish Head Craft Brewery, Flying Dog Brewery, Great Divide Brewing Co., Kona Brewing Co., Left Hand Brewing Co., Pyramid Brewing Co., Rogue Ales Brewery, Stone Brewing Co., TommyKnocker Brewing Co. and Widmer Brewing Co