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Beer Styles
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English & American Ales
Amber Ale
Many North American brewers are now producing ales that are identified by the term "Amber Ale." This is a more modern, non-traditional style, and many of these beers borrow heavily from the characteristics associated with more classical styles such as "Pale Ales" or "Bitters." Amber ales are light to medium bodied and can be anywhere from light copper to light brown in hue. Flavour-wise they can vary from generic and quaffable to serious craft brewed styles with extravagant hoppy aromas and full malt character. Typically amber ales are quite malty but not heavily caramelized in flavour. For our purposes amber ales will also include ales commonly identified as "Red Ales," and "American Ales" as, from the consumers viewpoint, the dividing line between these styles can often be a more a marketing concern than a consistently observed brewing convention.
Barley Wine
Despite its name, Barley Wine is indeed an ale (beer). Barley Wine is a very intense and complex beverage with alcohol content equal to most wines. It is not for the faint of heart. It has a hearty, sweet malt flavour which is offset by a strong and bitter flavouring from the hops for balance. Because of the preserving qualities of alcohol, this is the best beer for storing over a long period of time. The colour ranges from copper to medium brown. The strong scent of malt, hops, and even the alcohol are evident. You can even feel the warmth of the alcohol as you swallow. The bitterness ranges from medium to the highest of all beer types.
Bitter
Bitter is an English specialty, and very much an English term, generally denoting the standard ale - the "session" beer - in a English brewers range. They are characterized by a fruitiness, light to medium body and an accent on hop aromas more than hop bitters. Colours range from golden to copper. Despite the name they are not particularly bitter. Indeed, British brewed "bitters" will often be less bitter than US craft brewed amber ales. A fuller bodied bitter is labelled as "Extra Special Bitter" (ESB). These weightier versions of bitter often stand up better to the rigors of travel overseas than the lower gravity standard versions. An important element of faithful bitters are English yeast cultures used in fermentation. These impart a fruity, mildly estery character that should be noted in examples of the style. Bitters are now widely emulated in North America, sometimes with domestically grown hops imparting a rather more assertive character than seen in traditional English bitters.
Brown Ale
The precise definition of English Brown Ale would depend on where you are in England. It is nowadays much more closely associated with Northern England, specifically Tadcaster and Newcastle, home to Newcastle Brown Ale. These medium-bodied reddish-brown beers are malt accented with a nutty character, a gentle fruitiness, and low bitterness. Alcohol is moderate, a maximum of 5%ABV. The much less prevalent Southern English style, not seen abroad, is much darker in colour, sweeter on the palate, and made in a lighter style. English style brown ales of the former type have become very popular with US brewers, no doubt for the same reason as they took hold in England. Namely they offer great drinkability.
Golden Ale
These brews are golden to light copper in colour with a more subtle overall character and lighter body than typical Pale Ales. English ale fruitiness will probably not be observed. However, the most important qualification is that they are brewed domestically and will have less body and hop and malt character than a pale ale from the same brewery.
India Pale Ale
India Pale Ales are deep gold to amber in colour, and are usually characterized by floral hop aromas and a distinctive hop bitterness on the finish. India Pale Ales were originally brewed by British brewers in the 19th Century, when British troops and colonizers depended upon supplies of beer shipped from England. Standard ales did not survive the journey, hence brewers developed high gravity, highly hopped ales that survived shipment in casks to their largest market, India. This style, probably not anywhere near as bitter as it was when destined for India, continues to be brewed in a toned down manner in the UK and is undergoing a mini-revival at present. However, US craft brewers have claimed the style as their own, and often brew them with assertive Pacific North-western hop varieties that give such examples a hugely aromatic hop accent.
Irish Ale
Irish ales are characterized by their reddish colour, malt accents, slightly sweet palate, and low hopping. They are not generally bitter if true to style and in this they reflect the historical fact that the Irish have never taken to huge amounts of hops in their traditional beers. In their native land they have long played second fiddle to stout, and prior to that porter. Lacking a truly indigenous character, many versions being revived in the USA owe more to Celtic marketing than to a distinct character, although the colour and high drinkability are the usual reference point.
Mild Ale
Mild ale is a traditional style of English ale that is characterized by darker colours, sweetish malt flavours, subtle hopping levels all within a lower alcohol frame (typically 3.5%). Their purpose is to allow the drinker to get a full quotient of flavour in a "session" beer--a trick to which English ale brewing lends itself readily. In the 1940's Mild was more popular than bitter in English pubs, though it is less common now. US craft brewers occasionally pay homage to this style.
Pale Ale
Pale ales tend to be fuller-bodied with a more assertive character on the palate the standard bitter in a English brewers portfolio. In England it is generally a bottled, as opposed to being sold on draft. Despite the name, pale ales are not pale but, in fact, more of an amber hue. The original designation was in reference to this style of beer being paler than the brown and black beers which were more popular at the time of the styles inception. In the US pale ale styles have become one of the benchmarks by which craft brewers are judged. The US version of pale ale is crisper and generally much more hoppy. Indeed this style is well suited to assertive domestic Pacific North-western hop varieties that give the US examples inimitable character. A good US example should be available on tap in any bar worth frequenting for its beer selection.
Scottish Ale
Scottish ales are typically full-bodied and malty, with some of the classic examples being dark brown in colour. They are more lowly hopped than the English counterparts and often have a slightly viscous and sweet caramel malt character due to incomplete fermentation. Scottish style ales can be found in far flung corners of the world where faithful versions are brewed, this being a legacy of its popularity in the British Empire. In the US many craft brewers produce a Scottish style ale. The "Export" versions produced by Scottish brewers, the type mostly encountered in the US, are considerably stronger and more malty than the standard versions made available to Scottish beer drinkers.
Lagers
Amber Lager
Amber lagers are a vaguely defined style of lager much favoured by US lager brewers. They are darker in colour, anywhere from amber to copper hued, and generally more fully flavoured than a standard pale lager. Caramel malt flavours are typical and hopping levels vary considerably from one brewery to the next, though they are frequently hoppier than the true Vienna lager styles on which they are loosely based.
American Lager
This is basically the main style of beer in America. It is a mass produced, inexpensive product that's aimed at the broadest possible demographic. Since it is very watery and has little flavour characteristics, it is the least likely to offend a large number of consumers. In the health craze of the 70's brewers started offering Light Beer. Light Beer is simply an American Lager with an even lower gravity. American Lagers achieve a low gravity by adding corn or rice syrup which is highly fermentable. This means that a higher percentage of sugars ferment into alcohol leaving behind less flavour.
Bock
Originating in Germany, Bock beer is a hearty beer with high alcohol content. Contrary to the rumour, bock beer is not what's cleaned out of the bottom of the vats at the end of the year! Bocks are a specific type of strong lager historically associated with Germany and specifically the town of Einbeck. These beers range in colour from pale to deep amber tones, and feature a decided sweetness on the palate. Bock styles are an exposition of malty sweetness that is classically associated with the character and flavour of Bavarian malt. Alcohol levels are quite potent, typically 5-6% ABV. Hop aromas are generally low though hop bitterness can serve as a balancing factor against the malt sweetness. Many of these beers' names or labels feature some reference to a goat. This is a play on words in that the word bock also refers to a male goat in the German language. Many brewers choose to craft these beers for consumption in the spring (often called Maibock) or winter, when their warmth can be fully appreciated.
Dark Lager / Dunkel
Dunkel is the original style of lager, serving as the forerunner to the pale lagers of today. They originated in and around Bavaria, and are widely brewed both there and around the world. This is often what the average consumer is referring to when they think of dark beer. At their best these beers combine the dryish chocolate or liquorice notes associated with the use of dark roasted malts and the roundness and crisp character of a lager. Examples brewed in and around Munich tend to be a little fuller-bodied and sometimes have a hint of bready sweetness to the palate, a characteristic of the typical Bavarian malts used.
Doppelbock
This is a sub-category of the bock style. Doppelbocks are extra strong, rich and weighty lagers characterized by an intense malty sweetness with a note of hop bitterness to balance the sweetness. Colour can vary from full amber to dark brown and alcohol levels are potently high, typically 7-8%ABV. Doppelbocks were first brewed by the Paulaner monks in Munich. At the time, it was intended to be consumed as "liquid bread" during Lent. Most Bavarian examples end in the suffix -ator, in deference to the first commercial example which was named Salvator (saviour) by the Paulaner brewers.
Dortmunder Export
Well balanced, smooth, and refreshing, Dortmunders tend to be stronger and fuller than other pale lagers or Munich Helles styles. They may also be a shade darker and a touch hoppier. The style originates from the city of Dortmund in northern Germany. Dortmunder Export came about during the industrial revolution, when Dortmund was the centre of the coal and steel industries, and the swelling population needed a hearty and sustaining brew. The "export" appendage refers to the fact that Dortmunder beers were "exported" to surrounding regions. Today the term Dortmunder now widely refers to stronger lagers brewed for export, though not necessarily from Dortmund.
Eisbock
This is the strongest type of bock. It is made by chilling a doppelbock until ice is formed. At this point, the ice is removed, leaving behind a brew with a higher concentration of alcohol. This also serves to concentrate the flavours, and the resultant beer is rich and powerful, with a pronounced malt sweetness and a warm alcoholic finish. Alcohol levels run to at least 8%abv.
Light and Reduced Calorie Lagers
These are the recently popular brews which are popular in a figure-conscious society. Essentially these are pale lager styled beers with fewer calories. Like all other "diet products," the objective is to maintain flavour while minimizing calories. This achieved quite successfully by some brands, despite the implausibility of the proposition.
Maibock/Pale Bock
Maibocks are medium to full-bodied lagers whose alcohol content can vary widely though is typically between 5-6%ABV. The colour of pale bocks can vary from light bronze to deep amber and they are characterized by a sweet malty palate and subtle hop character. As its name would suggest this is a bock style that traditionally makes a spring appearance in May as a celebration of a new brewing season. In a Germanic brewers portfolio it is should conventionally have a less assertive character than other bock offerings later in the year.
Munich Helles
Munich helles is a style of lager originating from Munich which is very soft and round on the palate with a pale to golden hue. These beers traditionally tend to be quite malt accented with subtle hop character. They are generally weightier than standard pale lagers though less substantial than Dortmunder Export styles. All the finest examples still come from the brewing centre of Munich and are relatively easy to find in major US markets.
Pale Lagers
Pale lagers are the standard international beer style as personified by products from Miller to Heineken. This style is the generic spin-off of the pilsner style. Pale lagers are generally light to medium-bodied with a light to medium hop impression and a clean, crisp malt character. Quality, from a flavour point of view, is very variable within this style and many cheaper examples use a proportion of non-malt additives such as rice or corn to reduce the production costs. Alcohol content is typically between 3.5-5% ABV, with the upper end of the range being preferable if one is to get a true lager mouth feel.
Pilsner
Pilsner styles of beer originate from Bohemia in the Czech Republic. They are medium to medium-full bodied and are characterized by high carbonation and tangy Czech varieties of hops that impart floral aromas and a crisp, bitter finish. The hallmark of a fresh pilsner is the dense, white head. The alcohol levels must be such as to give a rounded mouth feel, typically around 5% ABV. Classic pilsners are thoroughly refreshing, but they are delicate and must be fresh to show their best. Few beers are as disappointing to the beer lover as a stale pilsner. German pilsner styles are similar, though often slightly lighter in body and colour. Great pilsners are technically difficult to make and relatively expensive to produce.
Vienna Style Lagers
The classic amber to red lager which was originally brewed in Austria in the 19th century has come to be known as the Vienna style. These are reddish-amber with a very malty toasted character and a hint of sweetness. This style of beer was adapted by the Munich brewers and in their hands has a noted malty sweetness and toasted flavour with a touch more richness.
Oktoberfest (Marzen)
Marz, the German word for March, is when the last batch of beer was brewed before the warm summer months (before refrigeration). This beer was stored in Alpine caves to keep cool and consumed throughout the summer. At harvest time and the beginning of the new brewing season (around October), the remaining beer in storage was taken from the caves and consumed during a celebration. This celebration still takes place in Munich for 16 days and ends on the first Sunday in October. This beer is amber in colour and is slightly heavy. It is malty sweet as typical with beer from southern Germany and Austria. There is low to medium bitterness but enough to offset the sweet. This is a favourite of many home brewers because it's fairly easy to make.
Belgian & Continental Ales
Abbey Ales (Dubbel, Tripel, Singel)
Monastic or abbey ales are an ancient tradition in Belgium in much the same manner as wine production was once closely associated with monastic life in ancient France. Currently, very few working monasteries brew beer within the order, but many have licensed the production of beers bearing their abbey name to large commercial brewers. These "abbey ales" can vary enormously in specific character, but most are quite strong in alcoholic content ranging between 6% alcohol by volume to as high as 10%. Generally abbey ales are labelled as either Dubbel or Tripel, though this is not a convention that is slavishly adhered to. The former conventionally denotes a relatively less alcoholic and often darker beer, while the latter can often be lighter or blond in colour and have a syrupy, alcoholic mouth feel that invites sipping, not rapid drinking. The lowest gravity abbey ale in a Belgian brewer's range will conventionally be referred to as a Singel, though it is rarely labelled as such.
Alt
Put simply an Altbier has the smoothness of a classic lager with the flavours of an ale. A more rigorous definition must take account of history. Ale brewing in Germany predates the now predominant lager production. As the lager process spread from Bohemia, some brewers retained the top fermenting ale process but adopted the cold maturation associated with lager. Hence the name 'Old Beer' (Alt means old in German). Altbier is associated with Dusseldorf, Munster, and Hanover. This style of ale is light to medium-bodied, less fruity, less yeasty, and has lower acidity than a traditional English ale. In the US some amber ales are actually in the alt style.
Belgian Style Golden Ale
Belgian golden ales are pale to golden in colour with a lightish body for their deceptive alcoholic punch, as much as 9% alcohol by volume. The benchmark example, Duvel (Devil) from Belgium, is quite heavily hopped to give a floral nose and a tangy, fruity finish. Typically such brews undergo three fermentations, the final one being in the bottle, resulting in fine champagne-like carbonation, and a huge rocky white head when they are poured. Often such beers can be cellared for six months to a year to gain roundness. These beers are probably best served chilled to minimize the alcoholic mouth feel.
Belgian Style Strong Ale
Beers listed in this category will generally pack a considerable alcohol punch and should be approached much like one would a Barley Wine. Indeed, some of them could be considered Belgian style barley wines, such as those beers from Brasserie Dubuisson. Expect a fruity Belgian yeast character and a degree of sweetness coupled with a viscous mouth feel.
Belgian Style Red Ale
These are also known as 'soured beers' and their defining character classically comes from having been aged for some years in well-used large wooden tuns, to allow bacterial action in the beer and thus impart the sharp 'sour' character. Hops do not play much role in the flavour profile of these beers, but whole cherries can be macerated with the young beer to produce a cherry flavoured Belgian Red Ale. These styles are almost exclusively linked to one producer in northern Belgium, Rodenbach. These ales are among the most distinctive and refreshing to be found anywhere.
Belgian Style Amber Ale
This is a not a classic style but nonetheless encapsulates various beers of a similar Belgian theme that do not fit into the more classic mould. Expect amber hued, fruity and moderately strong ales (6%ABV) with a yeasty character. Typical examples of the style would be Flemish beers such as De Koninck and Straffe Hendrik.
Belgian Style Blonde Ale
This is not a classic style of Belgian ale, but covers the more commercially minded Belgian ales that are lighter in colour and moderate in body and alcoholic strength. Fruity Belgian yeast character and mild hopping should be expected.
Biere de Garde
Biere de Garde is a Flemish and northern French specialty ale generally packaged distinctively in 750ml bottles with a cork. Historically, the style was brewed as a farmhouse specialty in February and March, to be consumed in the summer months when the warmer weather didn't permit brewing. Typically produced with a malt accent, this is a strong (often over 6%), yet delicate bottle conditioned beer. These brews tend to be profoundly aromatic and are an excellent companion to hearty foods.
Flemish Style Brown Ale
These are complex dark beers most closely associated with the town of Oudenaarde in Flanders. The authentic examples are medium to full bodied beers that are influenced by a number of factors: high bicarbonate in the brewing water to give a frothy texture; a complex mix of yeasts and malts; blending of aged beers; and aging in bottle before release. In the best examples, the flavour profile is reminiscent of olives, raisins, and brown spices and could be described as 'sweet and sour.' These beers are not hop-accented and are of low bitterness.
Kolsch
Kolsch is an ale style emanating from Cologne in Germany. In Germany (and the European Community) the term is strictly legally limited to the beers from within the city environs of Cologne. Simply put Kolsch has the colour of a pilsner with some of the fruity character of an ale. This is achieved with the use of top fermenting yeasts and pale pilsner malts. The hops are accented on the finish, which classically is dry and herbal. It is a medium to light bodied beer and delicate in style. Most examples one will encounter in the US are brewpub draft interpretations produced during the summer months, though some commercial brewers produce a summer ale in the kolsch style.
Saison
Saison beers are distinctive specialty beers from the Belgian province of Hainuat. These beers were originally brewed in the early spring for summer consumption, though contemporary Belgian saisons are brewed all year round with pale malts and well dosed with English and Belgian hop varieties. Lively carbonation ensues from a secondary fermentation in the bottle. The colour is classically golden orange and the flavours are refreshing with citrus and fruity hop notes. Sadly, these beers are under appreciated in their home country and their production is limited to a small number of artisanal producers who keep this style alive. With a typically hoppy character, Saisons are an extremely esoteric style of beer that should appeal to any devotees of US craft beers, if you can track them down. Occasionally, US brewpubs will attempt a version.
Trappist Ale
According to EC law, trappist ale may only come from six abbeys of the trappist order that still brew beer on their premises. Five are in Belgium and one, La Trappe comes from Holland. Although the styles may differ widely between them, they all share a common trait of being top fermented, strong, bottle conditioned, complex, and fully flavoured brews. At most, each abbey produces three different varieties of increasing gravity. These can often improve with some years of cellaring. In all there are 15 different trappist beers from the six monasteries. The ales from trappist abbeys are: Chimay, Rochefort, Orval, Westmalle, Westvleteren, and La Trappe. Chimay and Orval are currently well distributed in the major US markets, but the others might prove very hard to find on a consistent basis. Trappist ales are among the most complex and old fashioned of beers that one can find--little wonder that many connoisseurs treat them as the holy grail of beer drinking.
Stouts & Porters
Dry Stout
Dry stout is closely associated with Ireland in general, and Guinness in particular. These brews tend to be rich and dark with a definitive bitter note and a drying palate feel. They are classically paired with oysters, although any Irish Stout drinker will tell you that a pint it is a meal in itself. Draught (draft) Irish Stout is nitrogen-flushed to give it that tell-tale white creamy head that has made Guinness so recognizable. This process is also effected in cans and bottles with a nitrogen "widget." The style is widely emulated throughout the world and is particularly popular with US microbrewers and brewpubs, often as a more full bodied and dryer interpretation.
Flavoured Porter
Flavouring traditional beer styles is a particular feature of the ever creative US craft brewing scene. Flavourings used in porters are typically dark berry fruits and coffee, and when skilfully done the effect can be greater than the sum of its parts.
Flavoured Stout
Flavoured stouts are stouts, be they sweeter or drier, which have been flavoured in some way. Dark fruits, coffee and chocolate are particularly popular, and the marriage of flavours should at best be greater than the sum of its parts.
Imperial Stout
Imperial Stout is an extra strong version of stout which was originally brewed by the British to withstand the rigors of export to Russia and the Baltic states. This style is dense, opaque black and strong in alcohol (6-7%), with a note of sweetness. Burnt cocoa and dried fruit flavours are typical. Russian Imperial Stouts originate from recipes that British brewers tailored to the tastes of the Imperial Russian court. Imperial stout was almost extinct until recreated by the British brewer Samuel Smiths in the early 1980s. The style has now been embraced by US craft brewers as a winter specialty.
Oatmeal Stout
This brew is a variation of sweet stout which has a small proportion of oats used in place of roasted malt, which has the effect of enhancing body and mouth feel. They were originally brewed by the British in the earlier part of this century, when stouts were thought of as a nutritious part of an everyday diet. After having fallen from favour, the style was revived by the Yorkshire brewer, Samuel Smith, in 1980. They tend to be highly flavourful with a velvety texture and sometimes a hint of sweetness. Oatmeal stouts are now a very popular staple of the US craft brewing scene.
Porter
Porters are red-brown to black in colour, medium to medium-full bodied, and characterized by a flavour profile that can vary from very subtle dark malts to fully roasted, smoky flavours. Being a centuries old style, there are differences of opinion with regard to what a "true" porter was actually like and there can be wide variations from one brewer's interpretation to the next. Roasted malt should provide the flavouring character, rather than roasted barley as is used with stouts. Stronger, darker versions and lighter more delicate versions are equally valid manifestations of the style. The influence of hops can often be notable in the richer craft brewed examples of the style. Although Porter was the drink of the masses of the 1700s London, it is not a significant factor in the British market today, despite the production of a few outstanding English examples. In the US it is enjoying new found popularity among US craft brewers and many fine US examples are produced.
Sweet Stout
Sweet stouts are largely a British specialty. These stouts have a distinctive sweetness to the palate and often show chocolate and caramel flavours, They are sometimes known as milk or cream stouts. These beers obtain their characters by using chocolate malts and lactic (milk) sugars in the brewing process.
Wheat Beers
Dunkel/Dark Weizen
These dark wheat beers derive their character from the use of darker malts in the non-wheat ingredients, so that a richer, darker coloured beer can be achieved, along with fuller malt flavours. Dunkel weizens still display the floral, estery qualities of a pale weizen. Dark weizens are produced with or without a secondary fermentation in the bottle, with the corollary that these styles can be yeast sedimented or unsedimented depending upon the preference of the brewer.
Flavoured Wheat Ales
Turning wheat beer into a cocktail has precedent in Europe where alcoholic cordials or fruit syrups can be used to help beer slide down more easily. Flavoured wheat ales are an increasingly popular specialty category covering a number of flavouring options that brewers have adopted, particularly in the USA, the home of "throw-the-rule-book-away" hybrid beer styles. The two most significant additives are fruit and honey, usually employed separately. Raspberry is a common choice of fruit to flavour these styles and the best examples have faithful fruit essence and avoid any sweet cloying character. Honey can add richness to the palate and give a hint of sweetness. Herbs and spices are also encountered, but the possibilities are endless. Chocolate dunkel raspberry weisse anyone?
Hefe Weizen
Weizen bier is a top fermenting beer style that originates from southern Germany, particularly Bavaria, and is brewed with at least 50% wheat in the mash. Hefe weizens are refreshing, highly carbonated beers ideal for quenching summer thirsts. They undergo secondary fermentation, often in the bottle, and the yeast strains used for this purpose impart a spicy, clove-like flavour. Hefe (the German word for yeast) on the label denotes that the bottle contains yeast sediment. Alcohol content is typically 5-5.5% ABV, giving these beers a medium to medium-full body. Hop flavours play a very insignificant role in the flavour profile. The best examples to be found are still authentic Bavarian imports, although some good domestic examples are produced and are often available as a draft option.
Kristall Weizen
A Kristal weizen is a non-hazy weizen ale. Kristall on the label of a weizen specifically denotes that a weizen has been filtered prior to bottling to remove the protein haze and yeast often suspended in such beers. Kristall weizens lack the yeasty and spicy complexity often associated with hefe weizen beers, and have a cleaner and more delicate flavour. Floral, fruity aromas are often noted in classic examples of this style, though healthy alcohol content of 5-5.5% will give a medium to medium-full bodied character.
Weizen Bock
Weizen bocks are essentially winter wheat beers, originally brewed in Bavaria. The colour can be pale gold to brown. They are of higher alcoholic strength, as high as 7% ABV, showing a warming personality, though they should still have a significant 'rocky head when poured. These beers combine the character of hefeweizens and doppelbocks and as such are rich and malty with estery, yeasty qualities and show a note of wheaty crispness through the finish.
Wheat Ale
As the name would suggest these are ales that use a proportion of wheat in the mash to add a protein haze. Wheat ales, inspired by the German weizen tradition were popular before prohibition in the US and are enjoying a resurgence in popularity. This generic category encapsulates the diverse interpretation of the classic German Weizen styles brewed in America and elsewhere. A host of variables ranging from the wheat/malt ratio, hopping and filtration/non filtration all contribute to wide variations on the theme. Generally US examples feature a more marked hop accent than classic German weizen styles and are often dryer.
White/Wit Beer
Wit beer is a style of flavoured wheat. It is distinctly Belgian in origin and is still very closely associated with this low land country. Wits employ a proportion of unmalted wheat in the mash but also have flavour added in the form of curaçao, orange peel and coriander, among other ingredients. Their appearance is marked by a hazy white precipitate and these beers generally have some sedimentation. Typically these are very refreshing summer thirst quenchers. They are not widely produced in the US but some notable examples can be found.
Lambics, Specialty Beers & Ciders
Draft Cider
Cider is made from fermented apple juice. As with wine, the character and quality of the resulting product will bear heavily on the variety and quality of the fruit used. The cooler climate of Vermont is well suited to high quality apple production, and produces a sizeable amount of quality sparkling hard cider. The finest ciders in North America may well emanate from the province of Quebec in Canada, which has an established artisanal cider industry with historical ties to Normandy cider. These Quebecois ciders are slowly starting to appear on the US market.
Herb-spiced and fruit beers
These are lagers or ales to which herbs, fruits, or spices have been added in order to impart flavour or colour. Depending on whether or not the seasonings have been used in the fermentation or as an addition of juice or extract, the beer will have more or less of the desired character. These beers are highly individualistic, and allow the brewers great creativity in their formulations. They will range from mild aromatic overtones to intense and pungently flavoured concoctions.
Lambics, Geueze, Fruit Lambic, Faro
Lambic beers are perhaps the most individualistic style of beer in the world. Lambics are produced in tiny quantities immediately south of the Belgian capital, Brussels. Lambic brewers use native wild yeasts in the open-air fermentation process to produce these specialties. This unusual fermentation, in conjunction with extended aging in ancient oak barrels, imparts a unique vinous character with a refreshing sourness and astonishing complexity. Lambics labelled as Gueuze are a blend of young and old beers. Such blending results in a sharp champagne-like effervescence and tart, toasty flavours. Those labelled as Faro have had sugar, caramel, or molasses added in order to impart a note of sweetness. Lambic beers, however, are more often seen in the US when they have been flavoured with fruits. Kriek (cherry) and Framboise (raspberry) are the most popular and traditional fruits employed. Other exotic fruits are widely used in juice form in the more commercial examples of lambic beer, much to the consternation of purist connoisseurs.
Rauchbier
The origins of Rauchbier lies with breweries in the region of Franconia in northern Bavaria which traditionally dried the barley over fires fuelled by beech trees from local forests. The resulting pungent malt imparted an assertively smoky aroma and flavour to the beer from which it was made. These smoked lagers generally feature a very malty framework on which the intensely smoky character will not become overbearing. Rauchbiers are still brewed in the traditional manner by many of the breweries cantered around the town of Bamberg, though enterprising brewers in other parts of the world have begun to make similarly styled beers.
Smoked Beer
One of the more unusual beers is the smoked beer. In Bamberg Germany this style is very popular and referred to as Rauchbier. In this style, a brewer will fires his malt over a wood fire and lets the smoke absorb into the grains. This imbues a smoky character in the taste of the brew. Many homebrew recipes call for duplicating this smoky taste with liquid smoke. A Porter is a good beer for making a smoked beer because of its high malt, low hop ratio.
