Crosby's Kitchen & CocktailThe English Major ESB

The English Major is our take on a classic British style ale. That ale is the Extra Special Bitter. ‘The English Major’ seemed an appropriate name for the beer, as it’s not only an English style, but many of us on staff were English majors in college at one time or another. Cole and Tyler, who brewed the ESB, studied English. So did Maggie. So did Ross (but for only a couple semesters). ESBs, or Extra Special Bitters, are similar to the ever-so-popular American Pale Ales. Our brewer Cole says, “You might even consider the APA to be a descendant of the ESB.” But what differentiates the ESB from the Pales Ale, primarily, is a difference in maltiness and color. ESBs tend to be a touch darker than Pales (although the English Major is only 1 Standard Reference Method point more than our Rope Tow Pale Ale); and tasting a Pale Ale and ESB side by side, you will notice much more malt flavor in the ESB. The name, ‘Extra Special Bitter,’ can be misleading. Compared to your average American IPA, the Extra Special Bitter isn’t that bitter. The English Major ESB registers 40 International Bittering Units–a moderate level of hop bitterness, but it’s nowhere near as hoppy as our Cloudcroft IPA, which clocks in at 76 IBUs. Rather than being too bitter, as its name misleadingly suggests, the English Major ESB is in fact quite balanced. The beer’s malt character, which our brewer Cole describes as biscuity, isn’t overpowered by its floral hop aroma, courtesy of British hops like Golding. The special British yeast strain we use in this beer–and our Nut Brown Ale and our Porter–also provides, through its esters, a stone fruit quality, too. These elements combine into a refreshing, authentic tasting British beer that is, yes, nice and balanced. The English Major is a staff favorite, and we are excited to release it in the heart of American Craft Beer Week, which will continue until Sunday, May 21st. American Craft Beer Week is in its twelfth year, and we are joining with many, many craft breweries and establishments across the USA, to celebrate and promote small, independent craft brewers. So, today, you can hoist your glass of English Major ESB to the hard work, ingenuity, and culture behind American craft beer. It’s a great time to be a beer drinker in the United States, and that is cause for celebration.