The Real American Beer, American Amber
Before there was “America Beer,” there was Rogue American Amber Ale.
212 years after The United States of America came to be, American Amber Ale was introduced on the patio of the Rogue Ales Brew Pub in Ashland, Oregon.
Alongside its brother, Golden Ale, what we then called Ashland Amber was served for the first time on July 4th, 1988 and has been brewed ever since by Brewmaster John Maier.
In those early days, we called it Ashland Amber as a nod to Rogue’s original home. And even after we moved headquarters to Newport, Oregon, the name stuck. Until March of 1995 when the beer came into its own as American Amber Ale.
It was re-named “American” because it represents more than the town in which it was brewed. American Amber reflects Rogue’s commitment to brewing complex ales of distinction and Rogue’s philosophy of placing no restraints on style or amount of ingredients in its quest to revolutionize beer in America.
The name change came with a facelift that included red, white and blue packaging, a 22oz bottle and a 4-pack. But the 8-ingredient ale remained consistent and delicious. In fact, the Malt Advocate’s Spring 1995 Buyers Guide called it: “What an Amber Ale should taste like — great character and flavor — exploding with hops.”
The following year, American Amber Ale earned its first Gold Medal at the World Beer Championships. This was not the beer’s first award though and it certainly would not be its last.
In the years that followed, American Amber Ale remained a constant at Rogue Ales & Spirits, earning eight gold medals at the World Beer Championships. The ale has taken home a grand total of 51 medals from beer competitions worldwide.
We’ll raise this American Beer on its 28th birthday, July 4th in a toast to the country that gives us the freedom to craft World Class Ales & Lagers like this one.
