American Blonde Ale: For many people, their first craft beer
Sometime in 1999, I visited a new national chain brewpub that opened at a nearby mall. I was newsletter editor for my local homebrew club at the time, and I wanted to include a review. The bartender greeted me with, “hello, what color of beer would you like?” (gold, red, and dark were the choices). Uh, oh. “We serve lager-like ales.” Hmm, strike two. “Our beer is the coldest in town” — true, it literally had ice chips floating in it. OK, that’s it. Not a place for me.
A few years earlier I was in Southern California on business and had gone to a few Los Angeles and Orange County brewpubs to check out their offerings. Every one of them had a blonde ale, and each of them had t-shirts for sale with some kind of buxom blonde woman on it to promote the beer. I guess this wasn’t long after macro brewers were using ads featuring the Swedish bikini team. Guys, do better.
Despite these disappointing early experiences with blonde ale, I came to appreciate it more for the kind of beer it was rather than the role it was trying to play in introducing people to craft beer. Calling it a training wheels beer, an entry-level beer, or even a lawnmower beer does it an injustice. Creating a drinkable, interesting beer that appeals to people who don’t prefer the palate-assaulting range of some styles can be seen as a challenge.
Kind of like a chef who is eager to create a vegetarian plate equal to the quality of their finest fare without resorting to just sending a salad.
Blonde ale is style 18A in the 2015 and 2021 Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP) Style Guidelines, within the Pale American Ale category along with American pale ale. Some think of blonde ale as pale ale’s baby brother, but that is another somewhat biased view. Both blonde ale and pale aleare light in color, but there are other differences. Just as in Belgian styles that have a blond ale and a golden strong ale, although maybe not as stark a contrast.
Blonde Ale History
Blonde ale, sometimes called golden ale or simply a gold, is an American microbrew or brewpub creation. Michael Jackson’s New World Guide to Beer (1988) mentions a “new, micro-brewed product . . . in the golden style,” and cites Vermont’s Catamount Gold as an example. Jackson later cites this as the “first revivalist golden ale” in his Beer Companion (1997), and says it was first produced in 1987. His description of that beer would fit today’s style guidelines, certainly.
The blonde ale style appeared in the first (1997) edition of the BJCP Style Guidelines with this simple description: “A type of ale currently being brewed by microbreweries and brewpubs. Generally all-malt with a soft, lightly malty palate, some fruitiness, and a pleasant hop bouquet. The flavor is usually balanced with a light to medium bitterness, though the accent tilts towards malt. Some versions are very restrained with hops, making the beer sweet in character. Pale straw to deep gold in color.”
Creating a drinkable, interesting beer that appeals to people who don’t prefer the palate-assaulting range of some styles can be seen as a challenge.
My own personal experiences in the 1990s confirm these characterizations. Discussions with brewers at the time said that staff were often instructed to offer the blonde ale as an alternative to customers who asked for their favorite mass-market lager. For brewpubs that didn’t produce lagers, this beer was often their lightest-colored and least aggressive-tasting product.
Remember that the early U.S. craft era was a reaction against the large industrial brewers of the time, and that adjuncts (corn, rice, sugar) had a bad reputation as being used by “those guys.” Blonde ale was influenced by this bias and was created as an all-malt product, a restriction that has been loosened over the years as consumers have a more mature attitude towards these beers. This perhaps served to separate the early blonde ales from cream ales (made with corn and sugar) as well as the light American lagers of the time.
Sensory Profile
As the name implies, this is a pale beer — light yellow to deep gold, something lighter than amber. Its alternate name of golden ale suggests that a gold color is most desirable or common. Good clarity and a white head round out the appearance.
The positioning of the beer as an alternative to generic pale lagers indicates that the bitterness level of the beer should be, at most, moderate. Differentiating the beer from pale ale would require a bitterness level of less than 30 IBUs, although the exact balance can vary significantly and may have some regional differences. Areas with more bitter beers in general would see blonde ales of higher bitterness levels than those areas with more restrained counterparts.
Malt flavors dominate the aroma and palate, but generally are light and soft in character. The malt flavors aren’t intense, and shouldn’t have roasted or heavily toasted qualities. Deeper caramel flavors are also somewhat out of place; those would be more appropriate in amber beers. Pale caramel, honey, or bready notes are more common.
The balance between malt and bitterness favors the malt, and the finish can be medium-dry to medium. The beer may have an impression of sweetness, which is often more an expression of the lower bitterness level than actual sweetness. The malt character is often enhanced by a light fruitiness from fermentation esters.
The hop flavor and aroma can be variable, from a light note to something more prominent – but not veering into the aggressive range. The hop character can be almost anything although classic American, New World, and noble continental hops are most common. The hops should balance with the malt flavors and not totally dominate them.
As an easy-drinking beer, excessive body and alcohol levels are not welcome. The body should be medium to medium-low, but the carbonation can be moderate to high. Blonde ale is an average-strength American beer of around 5% ABV, although it can trend lighter if competing against light lagers. It should have a maltier flavor than cream ale but not be as aggressive in hops as a pale ale. It may seem superficially similar to maltier examples of Kölsch.
Brewing Ingredients and Methods
There are many ways to produce this kind of beer, something often more reflective of the brewing system, house character, and common ingredients already in use at the breweries creating them. Traditionally created as an all-malt ale, the beer can be made today with wheat or sugar adjuncts. Traditionally made with a lightly fruity ale yeast (American or English), it can also be made with a more neutral yeast, a Kölsch-type yeast, or even a lager yeast.
The base grain is usually whatever pale malt is most common, whether American 2-row, Pilsner malt, or even American pale ale malt. The more biscuity English base malts like Maris Otter have too much flavor for this style. Some character malts can add interest, but shouldn’t carry too much color or heavily toasted or roasted flavors. Lightly kilned malts work best, with breadier flavors favored. Crystal malts can be used sparingly, although probably should be kept to 40 °L and below. Honey malt is sometimes an interesting accent. I sometimes like to use Munich and Vienna malts instead of crystal malts to increase maltiness without the associated sugary sweetness. The historical roots of this as a brewpub beer would mean that a simple infusion mash would be typical.
Traditionally made with a lightly fruity ale yeast (American or English), it can also be made with a more neutral yeast, a Kölsch-type yeast, or even a lager yeast.
Hops can be almost anything in this style since they are added for interest. Bitterness can be anywhere from barely noticeable to stopping short of pale ales and Pilsners. The late hop character can be mild to fairly strong, but the beer shouldn’t seem IPA-like in hop intensity. Think “pleasant” as a descriptor of the intensity. Something you notice and appreciate, not something that dominates. Classic American choices can be used, like Cascade, but German noble hops are also enticing. More modern choices that bring in fruity notes are welcome, but anything that is too aggressive is probably out of place.
As previously mentioned, yeast can be a neutral to fruity ale strain, English or American. Some use Kölsch or lager yeast, even. Anything that provides a clean fermentation, possibly adding some esters, would work since the yeast character is not a major driver of the flavor profile.
Homebrew Example
This recipe reflects my preferences about the style. Lower end of bitterness, and a pleasant American hop aroma. The yeast contributes a light amount of fruitiness, and the malt tastes like malt. A simple mash at a moderate temperature is all this style needs, reflecting its origins as an easy-to-produce craft beer.
I shy away from English-type malts that add too many bready and biscuity flavors and use a mix of neutral American 2-row and German Pilsner malt as the base. Think of this as either a richer American malt or a diluted Pilsner malt profile. Munich malt adds some malty richness and a light toast flavor and a light crystal malt like Carahell® gives it some body and color. I usually pick something German or Belgian.
The hopping is light in bitterness, but stronger in aroma. First wort hopping provides a smooth, clean bitterness and boosts the hop flavor. Hop additions at flameout and about 10 minutes later, during the whirlpool, creates a late hop aroma without resorting to dry hopping and without adding too much bitterness. The calculated bitterness is about 11.5 IBUs, but it tastes higher because the late hops do provide additional bitterness during the 20 minute post-boil steep.
Citra® and Centennial are my hop choices, providing some fresh hop complexity to the aroma. The late hop choices are where a brewer can put their own spin on this beer, so feel free to experiment with newer options. Or go the classic route with some German noble hops.
The yeast I’m using is one of my favorites, Wyeast 1272 (American Ale II) yeast, which is relatively clean with just a light fruitiness. A malty or fruity English ale yeast would also work in this style, of which there are many choices. Fermentation temperatures are what I would consider normal for American ales.
As American pale ales seem to be turning into session IPAs these days, it’s nice to recall the microbrew days of old when a pale, malty, flavorful beer was what drew new consumers away from their industrial adjunct lagers and into the world of craft beer. Blonde ale is a versatile style that gives brewers endless room to play, and to craft a signature house beer of their own that even non-beer geeks will enjoy.
Blonde Ale by the Numbers
OG: 1.038–1.054
FG: 1.008–1.013
SRM: 3–6
IBU: 15–28
ABV: 3.8–5.5%
Blonde Ale
(5 gallons/19 L, all-grain)
OG = 1.048 FG = 1.012
IBU = 22 SRM = 5 ABV = 4.8%
Ingredients
4.25 lbs. (1.9 kg) American 2-row malt
3.25 lbs. (1.5 kg) Pilsner malt
2 lbs. (0.91 kg) Munich malt (6 °L)
0.5 lb. (227 g) Carahell® (10 °L) or light crystal malt
3.25 AAU Citra® hops (first wort hop) (0.25 oz./7 g at 13% alpha acids)
0.5 oz. (14 g) Citra® hops (0 min.)
1 oz. (28 g) Centennial hops (hopstand)
Wyeast 1272 (American Ale II), White Labs WLP051 (California Ale V), or Mangrove Jack’s M36 (Liberty Bell Ale) yeast
3⁄4 cup corn sugar (for priming)
Step by Step
This recipe uses reverse osmosis (RO) water. Adjust all brewing water to a pH of 5.5 using phosphoric acid. Add 1 tsp. of calcium chloride to the mash.
This recipe uses an infusion mash. Use enough water to have a moderately thick mash (1.5 qts./lb. or 3.1 L/kg). Mash in the malts at 151 °F (66 °C) and hold at this temperature for 60 minutes. Begin recirculating, raise the mash temperature to 169 °F (76 °C), and recirculate for 15 minutes.
Put the first wort hops in the boil kettle, then sparge slowly and collect 6.5 gallons (24.5 L) of wort in the boil kettle.
Boil the wort for 60 minutes, adding hops at the times indicated. The 0-minute hops go in when the heat is turned off, and the hopstand hops go in 10 minutes after the boil is finished. Wait an additional 10 minutes.
Chill the wort to 65 °F (18 °C), pitch the yeast, and ferment until terminal gravity is reached.
Rack the beer, prime and bottle condition, or keg and force carbonate to 2.5 volumes CO2.
Blonde Ale
(5 gallons/19 L, extract with grains)
OG = 1.048 FG = 1.012
IBU = 22 SRM = 5 ABV = 4.8%
Ingredients
4.5 lbs. (2 kg) golden dried malt extract
0.5 lb. (227 g) Munich dried malt extract
0.5 lb. (227 g) Carahell® (10 °L) or light crystal malt
3.25 AAU Citra® hops (first wort hop) (0.25 oz./7 g at 13% alpha acids)
0.5 oz. (14 g) Citra® hops (0 min.)
1 oz. (28 g) Centennial hops (hopstand)
Wyeast 1272 (American Ale II), White Labs WLP051 (California Ale V), or Mangrove Jack’s M36 (Liberty Bell Ale) yeast
3⁄4 cup corn sugar (for priming)
Step by Step
Start with 6.5 gallons (24.5 L) of water in the brew kettle and heat the water to 158 °F (70 °C).
Turn off the heat, submerge the grains in the brewing water, and steep for 20 minutes. Remove the grains after the steep is complete, allowing the liquid to drip back into the brew kettle.
Off heat, add both the golden and Munich dried malt extracts and stir thoroughly to dissolve completely. Add the first wort hops to the kettle. Turn the heat back on and bring the wort up to a boil.
Boil the wort for a total of 60 minutes, adding hops at the times indicated. The 0-minute hops go in when the heat is turned off, and the hopstand hops go in 10 minutes after the boil is finished. Wait an additional 10 minutes.
Chill the wort to 65 °F (18 °C), pitch the yeast, and ferment until terminal gravity is reached.
Rack the beer, prime and bottle condition, or keg and force carbonate to 2.5 volumes CO2.
