Gordon Strong’s Belgian Pale Ale

Sugar selection can completely change the impression of a Belgian beer. Some dubbels are little more than Belgian blondes with dark candi syrup instead of pure sucrose. This recipe from Michael Tonsmeire leaves it up to the brewer to decide which sugar-type to determine the final beer's character.

Iowa has a 5% alcohol by weight (ABW) limit — this works out to just over 6% alcohol by volume — for native brewers, so Belgian ales are a challenge. Here is a favorite that hits the limit but isn’t quite as strong as most Belgian ales. — Peter Ausenhus