No beer style is more identified with a single country than are dry stouts with Ireland. So synonymous are they that the style name often includes the word “Irish.” Though not originally from Ireland, dry stouts were nurtured and defined there, and the style owes much to Ireland’s independent and devout disposition. The deepest colored... View Article
Stouts, be they conventional or imperial, and porters are the most common of the so-called black beers. But only one brew uses the designation “black” in its formal stylistic name. These are the schwarzbiers of Germany, literally translated as “black beers.” Schwarzbiers are perhaps the “Lucy” of all Germanic beers, with their old-style rusticity and... View Article
Light gold in hue and laid-back in character, helles (German for “light”) is Bavaria’s answer to a session beer. The humble helles is Bavaria’s most popular brew and is considered by many to be the refined zenith of south German brewing with its underlying maltiness, soft hop bitterness, and superb drinkability.
Old ales bring with them a curious moniker. Are they called “old” because of an extended aging period, a nod to venerability, or because of an old method or style? In the keynote representatives of the style, it is all three.
Scotland is a land of legend. Its people are hearty; its terrain can be craggy and daunting, or softly pacifying. It is mysterious, magical and formidable because of the cool and often harsh weather. Although Scotland is famous for its namesake whiskey, by far the most frequently consumed social beverage is ale, the stronger versions... View Article
The French word for season, saison, has become a stylistic designation to distinguish a group of beers from Wallonia, the French-speaking region of Belgium. Today, these historically seasonal ales are brewed year-round. Saisons present a complex character that is both aggressive and subtle. Unmistakably Belgian and unequivocally rustic, they beckon exploration.
Of the many events that have blazed the path of beer history, arguably none holds more sway than the creation of pilsner. The introduction, in 1842, of the clear golden lager in Plzen, Bohemia, was so revolutionary that it left breweries scrambling for years to produce a similar product to compete. All golden lagers are... View Article
England’s individual beer styles are a result of the golden age of English brewing, the 18th and 19th centuries. Brown ales sit right in the middle. They are unassuming, working-class brews. Imminently drinkable, rich with classic English character, and midway between pale ales and porters, brown ales are ready and able to slake any thirst.
Most beer styles are, in one way or another, connected to their past. Collectively, the roots are ancient; stylistically, more modern. Even today’s nouveau styles are based on traditional beers. Only two reference their antiquity in their name, the British old ale, and the German ale known as altbier. Altbier, meaning old beer, is so... View Article
