Irish Red Ale
Closer to pale ale than you think
I have to confess that I dread judging Irish red ales in competitions. Not because I don’t like them, but because judges often give feedback to brewers with oxidized, vaguely amber-colored beers to enter them as Irish reds because they seem caramelly. Never mind that caramel flavors from oxidation aren’t clean and fresh or that the oxidation can cause other problems, like a harsh bitterness. While possibly true that the beer might score better in that category, that doesn’t mean it’s actually a good beer or a representative example of the style. Judges trying to be nice are just punishing other judges later.
Many American beer enthusiasts are confused about the style as well, because most beers called Irish red ales in the U.S. bear only passing resemblance to those in Ireland. I had held many of these beliefs myself until a couple of trips to Dublin cleared up my confusion. I found the beers a bit like English pale ales when cold, but gaining some graininess and body as they warmed. They were often drier and more bitter than the ones in the U.S., of lower strength, and often without the strong caramel flavors and sweetness we know.
Irish red ale is style 15A in the BJCP (Beer Judge Certification Program) Style Guidelines. It is part of category 15, Irish Beer, along with Irish stout and Irish extra stout. The style describes the beers like those in Ireland, but drinkers should know that many in the U.S. have higher alcohol and more sweetness – I think of those like export versions, since it mirrors what English breweries do with beers for export. Or maybe they are just Irish-American red ales.
Irish Red Ale History
Irish red ale does not have a well-documented history, which has led some to say that it isn’t really a style. I think it has existed as a style for some time, but the name is much more recent. Michael Jackson mentioned it in his earlier books, but always just as Irish ale, which was a way of distinguishing it from the more popular stout (and previously, porter). The independent ale-brewing tradition in Ireland essentially died out in the 1950s and 1960s, with Guinness purchasing the remaining brands, including Smithwick’s. Lett’s Brewery brewed Enniscorthy Ruby Ale from 1864 until the brewery closed in 1956. However, the brewery licensed its name to Pelfrey in France in the 1960s, and to Coors in the U.S. (where the beer is known as George Killian’s Irish Red) in 1981.
Smithwick’s is most closely associated with the surviving ale brewing in Ireland and it makes perhaps the best-known example. It claims a brewing history dating back to 1710, but it seems implausible that it was making the same beer during this entire time. It is also unknown whether Guinness reformulated the product when it purchased them in 1965 or when it subsequently closed the brewery in Kilkenny and moved production to Dublin in 2013.
Many American beer enthusiasts are confused about the style as well, because most beers called Irish red ales in the U.S. bear only passing resemblance to those in Ireland.
The popularity of Killian’s Irish Red in the U.S. during the 1980s and 1990s led to the establishment of the style in craft culture, as the beer was described in the formative Michael Jackson books and it came from a country with a legitimate and well-known brewing heritage. This also helped divide the style as Killian’s is essentially an amber lager, not an ale, a phenomenon that would be repeated when other major multinational industrial breweries looked to broaden their portfolios. Murphy’s Irish Red, owned by Heineken, also produces an amber lager with a similar profile. This creates the ironic situation where two of the better-known examples of Irish red ale aren’t Irish, aren’t red, and aren’t ales.
In the U.S., craft breweries began interpreting the style as stronger and more flavorful than those found in Ireland, often with an increased caramel flavor. Great Lakes Brewing in Cleveland, Ohio, has long made Conway’s Irish Ale that weighs in at 6.3% ABV, bigger than many examples but still retaining some similarities in flavor profile. Many other craft breweries followed suit, including those in countries developing their own new craft culture.
Back in Ireland, imported versions of Irish red ales became better known and may have inspired newer craft breweries (such as Sullivan’s and O’Hara’s) to develop their own examples. These are the ones I think of as modern Irish red ales, those made by craft breweries in Ireland with Irish ingredients by Irish brewers. These beers have something in common with pale ales, but with more body and flavor (and often color). Yet craft breweries in Ireland also are making pale ales and marketing Irish red ale as a different product. So, while Irish ale may have common roots, probably derived from the English brewing tradition, in the craft era there does seem to be a difference between amber (red) and pale (golden) products.
When trying to describe beer styles, it is a fallacy to think that all commercial beers should fit into a style, and also that all beers with a certain name match the same style. I made this mistake early when trying to document Irish red ales, as I encountered examples in what I now see as the Irish-craft, multi-national, and U.S.-craft Irish red ale. Trying to treat them all as one broad style leads to many problems in describing their sensory profile, production methods, and histories. I think taking the more nuanced approach better explains how the style developed, splintered, and continued to evolve in three distinct locations. They all do share some common elements that are recognizable, but judges should allow some leeway when trying to understand what is intended by the brewers.
Sensory Profile
The malt flavor is the most common element between versions but each have different balances and strengths. The color can vary considerably, but is always something between pale and brown. Typically, something in the amber to copper range is found, but the beer does not necessarily have an overtly reddish color.
Irish red ale is an average-strength beer in its markets. The mass market version is about 5 to 5.5% ABV, like most international lagers. Irish versions are usually less strong, maybe 4.5% or less. Export versions are stronger, at least 5%. U.S. versions are often 5 to 6.5%. The lesson I take from this is that the strength is what is perceived as average, more than something universal across all versions.
The two phrases most often used by Irish breweries to describe the flavor profile of Irish red ales are caramelly and biscuity. The examples I tried in Ireland tend to have a grainy flavor, as well as a bitter balance. As the samples warm, the beers develop more body and malt flavor and the malt grows into balance with the hop bitterness.
Smithwick’s has more of a toasty flavor than biscuity and, when combined with their yeast, gives a buttered toast impression (a phrase I first used in previous versions of the guidelines and subsequently saw that Michael Jackson had also used). I think this character is mostly a brand-specific attribute, but a related toffee aspect can be found to the caramel flavors in some examples.
The yeast character obviously varies by variety. The mass market examples are often lagers, so they have a clean, smooth character. The Irish versions can have a character like English ales, with a fruity aspect. Some versions are lightly buttery (from diacetyl produced by yeast). American or craft versions have a more neutral ale character, with specialty malts providing additional flavors instead. Hop flavor and aroma is minimal, often absent. When present, it usually has an English character, earthy or floral. Craft versions often have more hop character, up to moderate levels.
The body of the beer can be medium-light to medium, although export and U.S. versions may be a touch fuller. The finish is typically dry, enhanced with a very slight roasty note that is more sensed than tasted. Bitterness varies from medium-low to medium, with more bitter versions often seeming grainy in flavor. The aftertaste can be grainy and dry to slightly malty and sweet, depending on the version. The international lager versions have lower bitterness, as does Smithwick’s. The more modern craft Irish versions have higher bitterness, almost to the pale ale level.
As a judge, be open to the different interpretations and know that a single example doesn’t define the style. Sweeter examples tend to seem that way due to lower bitterness, but will usually have a touch of roast to provide a dry counterpoint. The more bitter and grainy versions tend to taste better to me when allowed to warm slightly. Look for an interesting ester profile and how it works with the caramelly flavors.
Brewing Ingredients and Methods
The Irish brewing tradition shares similarities with the nearby English (and Scottish) methods, particularly in ale production. Ireland is a fertile island and does grow and malt its own barley, so some minor differences can exist. Pale ale malt is the base of this style and it can have a higher kilning so it has more color, flavor, and dextrins. Much of the flavor is due to the base malt. Caramel or crystal malts can provide some flavor, color, and sweetness. A touch of roasted barley or perhaps a type of black malt adds a grainy dryness and a touch of red color to the finished beer. Irish barley can prove hard to source here in the States, so I would suggest using something from a Scottish or northern English maltster if none are available from your supplier.
Smithwick’s uses some corn in the grist, so adjuncts are certainly allowable, as they are in English ales. Corn can add a more rounded flavor and the impression of sweetness. Infusion mashing typical for ales is used, although the beer can be adapted easily to whatever production methods are used by the brewer making the beer.
Irish or English ale yeast is most traditional, but a warm-fermented lager or more neutral ale yeast can give enough esters to the beer. Yeast used for stouts and porters could also be used, as these would be typical in Ireland. If the strains produce a trace of buttery character, that is acceptable but by no means required. An estery profile is much more desirable.
Hopping is done as is typical in Ireland, England, or Scotland regarding the varieties used. Most of the hop emphasis is on the bittering addition, but some flavor and aroma hops can be used in up to moderate quantities.
If these comments seem vague, it’s because the style can be so widely adopted for use on different brewing systems and made in many regional sub-styles. There are few hard-and-fast rules about making this style. As a judge, the most important one for me is that the flavors should be pleasant and result in a highly drinkable beer.
Homebrew Example
My recipe is a middle-of-the-road example for Ireland. It uses a rather dextrinous base malt (mild malt) with a little bit of oats to increase the mouthfeel. The caramel flavor comes from crystal 40 malt, along with some flaked corn to increase the impression of sweetness. The color and dry bite come from roasted barley, which gives a reddish color when used in lighter quantities. There isn’t really a need to mash at higher temperatures to get more body since we are relying on a dextrinous base malt with the addition of flaked oats.
I’m aiming for around 22 IBUs, which probably seems on the high side for many Americans, but it actually represents a low side of the style in Ireland. If it seems a bit too bitter for you when you are drinking it, let it warm up a bit and the beer will come into more of a balance with the richer malt flavors becoming noticeable. Any hops from Britain or Ireland will work, but Golding hops are quite common, so they are a reliable choice. A touch of hop flavor isn’t out of place in the style, so I do have a light flavor addition.
I’m calling for a classic Irish ale yeast, but a fruity English-type yeast would also work in this style. A little bit of esters complements the caramel sweetness quite well. If the yeast does happen to throw a touch of diacetyl, that slight buttery flavor can also complement caramel in low doses so don’t let it bother you too much.
When you try this recipe, taste it first at a cooler temperature and then again closer to cellar temperature. See if you taste the difference in balance as it warms. I do like some of the stronger, less bitter American interpretations (and so do many American judges — keep this in mind if you intend to compete in this style), but I think you should also appreciate the style for what it is in its homeland. Sláinte.
Irish Red Ale By the Numbers:
OG: 1.036–1.046
FG: 1.010–1.014
SRM: 9–14
IBU: 18–28
ABV: 3.8–5.0%
Irish Red Ale
(5 gallons/19 L, all-grain)
OG = 1.045 FG = 1.011
IBU = 22 SRM = 14 ABV = 4.4%
Ingredients
7 lbs. (3.2 kg) mild malt
1 lb. (454 g) flaked corn
1 lb. (454 g) crystal malt (40 °L)
4 oz. (113 g) flaked oats
4 oz. (113 g) roasted barley (300 °L)
6.25 AAU Golding hops (45 min.) (1.25 oz./35 g at 5% alpha acids)
1.2 AAU Golding hops (10 min.) (0.25 oz./7 g at 5% alpha acids)
White Labs WLP004 (Irish Ale), Wyeast 1084 (Irish Ale), or SafAle S-04 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 mild malt and flaked grains at 151 °F (66 °C) and hold for 60 minutes. Begin recirculating, add the dark grains and crystal malt, then raise the mash temperature to 169 °F (76 °C) for mashout. Continue to recirculate for 15 minutes.
Sparge slowly and collect 7 gallons (26.5 L) of wort in the brew kettle. Bring wort to a boil.
Boil the wort for 90 minutes, adding hops at the times indicated.
Chill the wort to 68 °F (20 °C), pitch the yeast, and ferment at this temperature until complete. Allow the beer to settle for at least one week to give the beer time to clear. Consider adding a fining agent or lagering if haze is slow to clear.
Rack the beer, prime and bottle condition, or keg and force carbonate to 2.4 v/v.
Irish Red Ale
(5 gallons/19 L, extract with grains)
OG = 1.045 FG = 1.011
IBU = 22 SRM = 14 ABV = 4.4%
Ingredients
4.6 lbs. (2.1 kg) extra light dried malt extract
1 lb. (454 g) crystal malt (40 °L)
4 oz. (113 g) Carapils® malt
4 oz. (113 g) roasted barley (300 °L)
6.25 AAU Golding hops (45 min.) (1.25 oz./35 g at 5% alpha acids)
1.2 AAU Golding hops (10 min.) (0.25 oz./7 g at 5% alpha acids)
White Labs WLP004 (Irish Ale), Wyeast 1084 (Irish Ale), or SafAle S-04 yeast
3⁄4 cup corn sugar (for priming)
Step by Step
Use 6.5 gallons (24.5 L) of water in the brew kettle; heat to 158 °F (70 °C). Steep the grains in a mesh bag for 30 minutes, then rinse gently, removing the grains.
Turn off the heat. Add the malt extract and stir thoroughly to dissolve completely. Turn the heat back on and bring wort to a boil.
Boil the wort for 45 minutes, adding hops at the beginning of the boil and a second addition with 10 minutes remaining.
Chill the wort to 68 °F (20 °C), pitch the yeast, and ferment at this temperature until complete. Allow the beer to settle for at least one week to give the beer time to clear. Consider adding a fining agent or lagering if haze is slow to clear.
Rack the beer, prime and bottle condition, or keg and force carbonate to 2.4 v/v.
Tips For Success:
Since malt is the focus of this style, be sure to source a quality base malt with biscuit character. Look for a pale ale malt if mild malt is not available. Also, use fresh crystal malt to avoid oxidative notes.
