American Craft Brewers Experiment with Taste

美国酿酒商追求“不走寻常路”

 

Beer makers are called brewers. They have long experimented with different flavors. Many hundreds of years ago, for example, Belgians put sour fruit into their beer.

 

酿酒商也称啤酒制造商。长期以来，酿酒商会用不同的口味做实验。比如，几百年甚至更久之前，比利时人就曾把酸味的水果放进酿酒流程中。

 

But today’s American brewers have taken experimentation to a new level. They do this hoping to stand out in a market where everyone is trying to be different.

 

不过，如今，美国的酿酒商们将酿酒实验提升到了新高度：他们这样做是希望能够在市场中脱颖而出，毕竟市场本身就是竞争者追求独具一格的地方。

 

The U.S. craft brewing market has grown quickly. Last year, there were 7,346 craft brewers, up 93% from 2014. Craft beer sales rose 7% to $27.6 billion last year, about one-fourth of the total U.S. beer market.

 

美国精酿啤酒的市场发展十分迅速。去年，市场上有7346家精酿啤酒商，比2014年增加了93%。精酿啤酒销量去年增长了7%，销售额达276亿美元，占美国总啤酒市场近1/4的份额。

 

Those numbers come from the Brewers Association, an industry trade group.

 

这一数据是美国酿酒协会提供的，该协会是业内的一家贸易集团。

 

Jon Brandt is a beer lover who works for Washington-based distributor Madidus Importers.

 

乔恩·勃兰特是啤酒爱好者，他在华盛顿的一家啤酒经销商工作，这家经销商名作Madidus进口商。

 

People are looking for ways to differentiate themselves and be the next big thing, he said. A lot of it is just about trying to get noticed.

 

大家都在想办法让自己与众不同，成为未来的行业巨头，他如是说道。很多酿酒商做了很多工作，都是为了让自己显眼。

 

Some beer lovers criticize the movement toward unusual beers.

 

有一些啤酒爱好者谴责这种为了独特而独特的做法。

 

The level of experimentation is what makes craft beer so special. It might be great, but even if it is not, it might lead to a beer that is a big hit.

 

酿酒实验的风靡是精酿啤酒的独特之处。新的酒类可能很好喝，但即便不好喝，也有可能十分畅销。

 

There are really only so many flavors you can create with water, malt, barley and hops. At the end of the day, if the brewer is having fun trying new things, then I’m probably having fun trying their beer.

 

有很多口味可以酿造，这些口味可以通过水、麦芽、大麦、啤酒花来实现。总而言之，只要酿酒商乐于酿造新酒，我就乐于尝试。

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