Articles
Topic: Beer Styles
Fauxlera Barrel Blends
Solera aging requires multiple barrels, with the ones on the bottom being drawn off occasionally and then topped up with beer from the barrels above and new beer being added to the mix at the top. It creates a multi-vintage blend from various batches. Since most hobbyists don’t have multiple barrels to dedicate for such a purpose, one homebrewer offers his is own approach — a fauxlera, if you will.
Old Ale
Old ale is a style that is difficult to define given how many variations there are. Gordon Strong does his best to offer some guidelines around what it is and how to brew an old ale worthy of aging.
The Bitter Truth
British bitter is broken into three distinct styles in the Beer Judge Certification Program style guide, largely based on strength. However, there are other variations of bitter that don’t fit any of these categories. Get to better know the Yorkshire and Manchester bitters and then give brewing one — or both — a try.
The Special Altbiers of Düsseldorf
Each fall, four of the five remaining classic altbier breweries in Düsseldorf, Germany, have annual special beer releases. They are bigger versions of the delicious altbier that they brew and serve every day. Jamil Zainasheff made a trip so he could attend the release
of three of them in 2023 and returned home with information on how homebrewers can recreate these beers themselves.
Sweet Stout
With origins in the United Kingdom, the sweet (or milk) stout has found a following in the U.S. craft beer scene. Gordon Strong digs into its history and provides pointers to brew a classic example of the original lactose-infused beer.
Gruit
While it is true that it is an unhopped beer that uses other herbs to add character, traditional gruit is a very narrowly defined and specific beverage that was highly regulated by various governments in the Middle Ages in northwestern Europe. Learn more about this concoction of lore.
Irish Red Ale
A style that has been twisted and misshapen when big, multi-national breweries started to popularize their brands, Irish red ales had for some time lost their way. Gordon Strong wants to take this style back to its Irish roots.
Rice Lager
If you are looking for a beer with a clean and crisp character with very low bitterness, you’ve come to the right place. Gordon Strong takes us on a journey through the mechanics to brew Japanese rice lagers or simply rice lagers.
West Coast IPA
Clear, crisp, and packing a punch, the modern West Coast IPA offers drinkers plenty of hop character. Take a journey to Southern California where this style was born and has since been exported around the world.
Weizenbock
While our understanding and categorization of the German wheat beer family has evolved over the years, the acknowledgement of a strong wheat beer called weizenbock has been relatively static. Maybe that is because the prototypical weizenbock, Schneider Aventinus, is truly a world-class beer that is widely available and is well-known.
American Pale Ale
The American pale ale will always hold a special place in the heart of any craft beer fan that lived through the 80s and 90s in the U.S. Gordon Strong takes us on a journey to explore its history and why it still remains relevant today.
The Cool New Style: Cold IPA
Cold IPA is the latest IPA sub-style sweeping the nation (and beyond). It features a grain bill that includes adjuncts to dry out the finish and is often fermented warm with a lager yeast, making cold IPA the perfect style to showcase hops. A couple of pros, including the brewer who invented the style, share their advice and clone recipes.
