Writer: Jamil Zainasheff
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
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
American Pale Ale
Digital and Plus Members Onlyby the numbers OG: 1.045–1.060 (11.2–14.7 °P) FG: 1.010–1.015 (2.6–3.8 °P) SRM: 5–14 IBU: 30–45 ABV: 4.5–6.2% The very first homebrew I ever drank was an American pale ale my neighbor Steve handed to me over our fence. He was trying to make a beer like Sierra Nevada’s pale ale. At the time, that beer
American IPA
Digital and Plus Members Onlyby the numbers OG: 1.056–1.075 (13.8–18.2 °P) FG: 1.010–1.018 (2.6–4.6 °P) SRM: 6–15 IBU: 40–70 ABV: 5.5–7.5% All IPA sub-styles are “hoppy,” but there is a vast difference in the level of hops between them. On the lower end is English IPA, which, while hoppy, does not have quite as bold a hop character as
American Brown Ale
Digital and Plus Members Onlyby the numbers OG: 1.045–1.060 (11.2–14.7 °P) FG: 1.010–1.016 (2.6–4.1 °P) SRM: 18–35 IBU: 20–40 ABV: 4.3–6.2% It is said that the first American brown ale was a creation of homebrewers in and around Texas. It possibly started as an attempt to brew an “Americanized” version of an English brown ale, but it quickly became
American Blonde
Digital and Plus Members Onlyby the numbers OG: 1.038–1.054 (9.5–13.3 °P) FG: 1.008–1.013 (2.1–3.3 °P) SRM: 3–6 IBU: 15–28 ABV: 3.8–5.5% Oh where have all of the American blonde ales gone? Searching aisle after aisle of the Great American Beer Festival recently, I didn’t see nearly the number that would have been
American Amber
Digital and Plus Members Onlyby the numbers OG: 1.045–1.060 (11.2–14.7 °P) FG: 1.010–1.015 (2.6–3.8 °P) SRM: 10–17 IBU: 25–40 ABV: 4.5–6.2% As I walked back from Mount Rushmore while vacationing one year, I began to think about what kind of beer I would enjoy when I got back to my RV. I was feeling inspired, patriotic and quite hot