Recipes
Beer-style: Amber Ales & Lagers Family
Smithwick’s Premium Irish Ale clone
When my wife and I visited Ireland, we really enjoyed our share of Smithwick’s Ale. Smithwick’s is a light-bodied, copper-colored Irish Red ale with a pleasant hint of roastiness and a dry finish. Here’s a successful homebrew version of Smithwick’s.
Randy & Amy Germann — San Antonio, Texas
King Wenceslas Dunkel
Before Czechoslovakia became home of the light Pilsners, it was in the dark. Learn how to brew a Bohemian Dunkel — the beer that was king before Czechs "saw the light."
Abita Amber clone
According to Abita’s website, “Amber is a Munich style lager brewed with pale and caramel malts and German Perle hops. Abita Amber was the first beer offered by the brewery and continues to be our leading seller. Amber is Abita’s most versatile beer for pairing with food.”
Princess Theresa’s Oktoberfestbier
For a paler version of this beer, you can substitute the 1 lb. (0.45 kg) of Munich malt with 0.5 lb. (0.23 kg) each of Munich and Vienna malt. Another way of “playing” with the brew’s color is to use Munich malts of different color ratings. Munich malts are available in colors between roughly 5 and 20 degrees Lovibond.
Wee Hottie
Kuyler Doyle’s “Wee Hottie” took second place behind the ZEALOTS entry. Kuyler’s choice was dictated by the style’s primary ingredient. “I thought the malty sweet character of a Scotch ale would pair well with spicy heat from chiles,” states Kuyler. “Since Scotch ales are allowed to have a smoky flavor, I went with that as the link. I added some rauch malt to the blend and used smoky chipotle peppers for the heat and flavor.” Like the ZEALOTS, Kuyler did a spinoff of a 5- gallon (19-L) batch. The recipe below has the peppers scaled up for full a 5-gallon (19-L) batch.
Shaun of the Red (Irish Red Ale)
A robust version of an Irish red ale — you might call it a red ale with a little more guts.
The Brothers Reid Scottish Ale
A malty beer to walk 500 miles for . . . and 500 more, if necessary.
Sprecher Brewing Company: Special Amber clone
A clone recipe for this classic German lager from Milwaukee. A delicate balance of toasted malt and fresh hops give this medium-bodied German-style lager an intriguing, complex malt flavor.
Broughton Black Douglas clone
Dark caramelized fruit, bready malt, and treacle fill out the flavors of this beer. The finish dries out just enough to highlight the deep malt character. A unique take on the Scottish 80/- style that may even be better with a touch of smoky Scotch whiskey added to it.
Smoke on the Lager (Rauchbier)
A Märzen-style rauchbier
Clermont Scottish Ale
“This Scottish beer is named after the Clermont Sportsmen Club, of which I am a member. The club is located in the mountains of Clermont, Pennsylvania.”
– Robert R. Heinlein
Sudwerks’ Hubsch Marzen clone
According to Sudwerk’s website, “Choice hops and five different specialty malts are combined to produce this rich, amber and copper-toned lager. Sweeter in flavor than Sudwerk’s other core offerings, the Märzen has a full robust character with a smooth, zen-like finish.”
