In preparation to writing a short blog piece (for my work which is going to host a beer event) on the relationships between water chemistry and the origins of many beer styles, I looking for your thoughts as to whether this relationship is unique among things we eat or drink?
In other words: I’m aware of the concept of terrior (aka taste of place)- certain agricultural products like wine, coffee, & tea carry with them variation in flavor/aroma/etc associated with where they are grown. Beer ingredients are similar, but I think beer is unique in that the chemistry of water itself shaped beer styles.
Thoughts/comments?
I agree with your hypothesis. I just getting into the water element of brewing but how i see it things are in reverse. We now try to create a water profile to match a particular style for Ph and taste reasons while when those styles were created the recipe was created to work with the water. It probably came down to what tasted best when brewed in that area/water source. For example the “Burton” water profile naturally is well suited for a clean hop bitterness-bitter/pale ale. Dublin water is naturally well suited for dark malty beers- guiness. Etc…
I think it’s the most scientifically documented, but maybe not unique. There are folks who swear nobody can make a decent New York pizza just because of the water. Bread people are particularly nutty and superstitious, though, so maybe that’s the exception that proves the point.
Yes prior to the ability to understand or alter water chemistry, beer styles definitely developed based on the local water qualities and the raw ingredients available for brewing. You can find a bit more on this at the Water Knowledge page of the Bru’n Water website.
