Date: Special Issue: 30 Great Beer Styles
Cream Ale
Digital and Plus Members Onlyby the numbers OG: 1.042–1.055 (10.5–13.6 °P) FG: 1.006–1.012 (1.5–3.1 °P) SRM: 2.5–5 IBU: 15–20 ABV: 4.2–5.6% My friends know I am fond of saying that I love every beer style if the example I am drinking is really well made, and the same is true for cream ale. For this style, however, I need
California Common
Digital and Plus Members Onlyby the numbers OG: 1.048–1.054 (11.9–13.3 °P) FG: 1.011–1.014 (2.8–3.6 °P) SRM: 10–14 IBU: 30–45 ABV: 4.5–5.5% California common is far from common on store shelves and at brewpubs. While you might find a few different examples with some searching, the most well known example of this style is Anchor Steam. During the California gold
Brown Porter
Digital and Plus Members Onlyby the numbers OG: 1.040–1.052 (10.0–12.9 °P) FG: 1.008–1.014 (2.1–3.6 °P) SRM: 20–30 IBU: 18–35 ABV: 4.0–5.4% I am a big fan of all British-style beers. I think the great balance of malt and hop character along with tremendous yeast character makes them all eminently drinkable. The British beer style brown porter has traditionally been
Brett Beer
Digital and Plus Members Onlyby the numbers OG: Varies FG:Varies SRM:Varies IBU:Varies ABV:Varies American wild ale is a new specialty style category (category 28) in the 2015 Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP) Style Guidelines, reflecting its popularity with both homebrewers and craft brewers. While the category has its roots in traditional Belgian wild brews, it originated with experimentation by
Bohemian Pils
Digital and Plus Members Onlyby the numbers OG: 1.044–1.056 (11–13.8 °P) FG: 1.013–1.017 (3.3–4.3 °P) SRM: 3.5–6 IBU: 35–45 ABV: 4.2–5.4% Czech or Bohemian-style Pilsner is one of those styles that many new brewers want to learn to brew perfectly. While still crisp like other Pilsner-style beers, Bohemian-style Pilsner has a spicy hop character and a nice, rich, complex
Belgian Tripel
Digital and Plus Members OnlyWith the popularity and availability of Westmalle Tripel in the United States over the years, it seems hard to believe that my first real taste of Westmalle Tripel was while wandering around Belgium not so long ago. Sitting outdoors at a small café, the warmth of the sun perfectly balanced by a delicate breeze, the
Belgian Strong Golden
Digital and Plus Members Onlyby the numbers OG: 1.070–1.095 (17.1–22.7) FG: 1.005–1.016 (1.3–4.1 °P) SRM: 3–6 IBU: 22–35 ABV: 7.5–10.5% Duvel is considered the ultimate example of Belgian strong golden ale and I think they also have the best description of the style on their bottle label. It reads, “Refreshing and golden like a Pilsner but with the flavor,
Belgian Pale Ale
FREEby the numbers OG: 1.048–1.054 (11.9–13.3 °P) FG: 1.010–1.014 (2.6–3.6 °P) SRM: 8–14 IBU: 20–30 ABV: 4.8–5.5% Mick, the bartender at the Monk’s Kettle in San Francisco, serves me a De Koninck.
Belgian Dubbel
Digital and Plus Members Onlyby the numbers OG: 1.062–1.075 (15.2–18.2 °P) FG: 1.008–1.018 (2.0–4.6 °P) SRM: 10–17 IBU: 15–25 ABV: 6–7.6% I fondly remember my very first trip to Belgium. I was already passionate about homebrewing and great beer, and I wandered from city to city, brewery to brewery, bar to bar, and bottle shop to bottle shop seeking
Baltic Porter
Digital and Plus Members OnlyI wasn’t very impressed with the first few commercial examples of Baltic porter I tasted. They were oxidized and a bit too sweet from long travels and time spent sitting on the store shelf. Then a friend living in Finland brought me every beer he could find with the word “porter” on the label. It
Autumn Seasonal Beer
Digital and Plus Members Onlyby the numbers Some examples, such as pumpkin beers, mimic many of the food flavors found on the Thanksgiving table. OG: Varies FG:Varies SRM:Varies, typically 11–19 IBU:Varies, typically low ABV:Varies, typically > 5% Fall is my favorite season of the year. The hot days of summer are over, the leaves start turning colors, football is
American Wheat Rye
Digital and Plus Members Onlyby the numbers OG: 1.040–1.055 (10–13.6) FG: 1.008–1.013 (2.1–3.3 °P) SRM: 3–6 IBU: 15–30 ABV: 4–5.5% The other day, my neighbor stopped by and as usual, I offered him a beer. He asked for something “light and refreshing,” so I offered him a bottle of a fine commercial American wheat beer. Even though it is