A nationwide celebration hosted by the independent craft brewers shaping America’s exceptional beer scene into what it is today, American Craft Beer Week (ACBW) takes place for the 12th year in a row from May 15 – 21, 2017. Brewers across all 50 states host exclusive events spotlighting the incredible ingenuity happening within America’s rich beer culture. At ThirstyBear Organic Brewery in San Francisco, Founding Brewmaster Ron Silberstein and Brewmaster Brenden Dobel pay tribute to the golden era of mid-19th Century California with an innovative 2017 twist with the release of three new draught beers brewed with the San Francisco indigenous yeast strain “California Common.”

Throughout American Craft Beer Week 2017, ThirstyBear offers a special tasting flight of CALIFORNIA COMMON (AMBER LAGER), THE 49’ER (GOLDEN LAGER), and CABLE CAR IPC (INDIA PALE COMMON). The flight will be available all day (three specialty beers, 5 oz. pours, $8) from May 15 – 21.

In partnership with the California Historical Society, ThirstyBear will launch a social media contest for three lucky winners who have the chance to win a free tasting flight of the “California Common” beers for themselves and two additional friends. The contest begins on Thursday, May 4 on facebook.com/ThirstyBearOrganicBrewery and facebook.com/californiahistoricalsociety, and winners will need to correctly answer three questions pertaining to San Francisco’s famed brewing history.

Along with the tasting flight, ThirstyBear celebrates ACBW with San Francisco’s exclusive premiere of Blood, Sweat, and Beer — a documentary film about the explosive growth of the craft beer industry and the dramatic journeys of two start-up breweries. The film screening of Blood, Sweat, and Beer takes place at ThirstyBear on Saturday, May 20 at 8pm ($10: admission + one draft beer). Tickets can be purchased on Eventbrite.

California Common and the Origination of Steam Beer

California Common is one of five beer styles considered to be of American origin along with Cream Ale, Pre-Prohibition Lager, American Light Lager and the “Imperialized” craft brews. A specialty yeast strain fermented at higher temperatures as opposed to the typically cool fermentation of lagers, California Common is a bit like the K?lsch from Cologne or Alt from Dusseldorf in that they feature unique “ambidextrous” yeast strains. California Common beers have the cleanness of a lager with the complexity of an ale.

California Common developed in San Francisco along with the Gold Rush in 1849 with German immigrant brewers bringing their cherished lager yeast strains to sell beer to the massed gold diggers. Without the Bavarian Alps with plentiful ice and caves to store the lager, they improvised and fermented in shallow coolships allowing heat from the boiled wort to rapidly dissipate. The hot wort was pumped up to the coolships located on the roof where the cool Maritime fog caused billows of steam to rise from the breweries. Once the wort was cool enough, yeast was added to start fermentation.

The original lager yeast used by the German brewers eventually adapted to their un-lager like working conditions and higher temperatures, producing a beer with a good amount of ale-like esters, but with the dry finish of a lager (which is now considered part of the style). Although steam beer originally was brewed by multiple San Francisco breweries, by the 20th century, only one brewery remained brewing the style — Anchor Brewing Company. Shortly after Fritz Maytag acquired the brewery, Anchor trademarked the term “Steam Beer.” If a brewery now brings a steam beer style to market, it must be labeled “California Common.”

ThirstyBear Organic Brewery’s Craft Beers Brewed with San Francisco Indigenous Yeast Strain “California Common”

Read more at source Brew Bound