BEER STORY
In British colonial days, beer was part of a soldiers ration and pay while
in the service of the Crown. A logistical problem was shipping
beer all the way around the Horn of Africa and across the Indian
Ocean before it spoiled. British brewers found that by adding hops
to the beer, it not only acted as a preservative, but also
imparted a unique and pleasant flavour to the beer. This style of
beer became known as India Pale Ale. In

America

beer was generally
brewed and consumed locally.

With the invention of the ice railcar in the 1870's it became
possible to brew in a central location and ship beer all over the
country. This drove many small breweries out of business and beer
became rather pedestrian in flavour as the big brewers
consolidated markets.

In the late 1970's beer aficionados having sampled quality beers
in Europe began to experiment and brew better quality beers than
were commercially available, thus spawning the micro-brewing
movement that led to a sea change in the publics expectations of
quality, taste and what was possible. Many styles of beer
including the India Pale Ale were revived and refined by smaller
breweries and local homebrewers and homebrew clubs. With this in
mind we celebrate the return of quality, locally brewed beer and
the return of land to the public and its conversion promoting
healthier lifestyles and safer cycling that should be duly
rewarded with a quality, handcrafted beer.

In this year, the year of 2007, Hogtown Brewers together with the
Alachua County Bicycle Alliance, Gainesville Cycling Club, and
Market Street Pub are delighted to announce a brew befitting these
auspicious milestones:

10-year anniversary of the Gainesville-Hawthorne Trail;
20-year anniversary of rail trails and the Rails to Trails
Conservancy; and,
13,500 miles of trails built from recycled railroad corridors.

Rail Trail Pale Ale

A beer that is as racy as a carbon road bike, while being as laid
back as the most comfortable recumbent.

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ANNOUNCEMENT
The Hogtown Brewers are brewing small batches of pale ales. Market
Street Pub is hosting a beer tasting in support of the Hogtown
Brewers locally brewed beer and in celebration of rail trails.
This event is being held in collaboration with the Gainesville
Cycling Club and the Alachua County Bicycle Alliance, and in
coordination with the Gainesville Cycling Fest on October 22nd.