Archive for the ‘Craft Beer’ Category

Start Your Own Craft While You Craft Night

Tuesday, August 31st, 2010

Need more excuses to drink good beer with good friends? Me too. So recently some friends and I came up with a great one: we love to do craft projects, and we LOVE to drink craft beer. Why not put them together and start a Craft While You Craft Night?!

For our first meeting we did a selection of beer and cheese pairings combined with a pinhole art project from designsponge.com. Crafting guru Lauren provided the tools for the project, and I selected some beers and cheeses to sample before, during, and after the project.

For our second meeting we decided to make a beer-themed project, using something most beer-drinkers always have plenty of: bottle caps. Using epoxy, mosaic grout, corkboard, plywood circles, a glue gun, pin-backs, and a few other handy craft supplies, we fashioned some coasters, trivets, earrings, and pins out of our bottle cap collections.

However, before we started crafting, we did a tasting of our favorite Summertime brews. Lauren started us off with a very summer-y beer cocktail: shandy. Shandies can be made a number of ways, but this one was a simple half & half mixture of sparking lemonade and Endurance Arctica Pale Ale. It was bubbly, sweet, and delicious. We then moved to Rebecca’s selection, American Darling, Pretty Things’ “Lawnmower” Lager; then Diana’s, the People’s Pint Natural Blonde Ale – both crisp, clean selections perfect for a summer afternoon. Ready to “spice” things up a little, we moved on to my selection, the Luciernaga Belgian Pale from Jolly Pumpkin. This brew is refreshing and slightly tart, with hints of spice, citrus and apple – a perfect summer-to-fall transition beer. We ended with Heather’s selections: first some Saison Dupont, one of the best saisons around, and we ended with some Ipswich Summer, an unfiltered and citrus-y Blonde. The tastings and the projects went very well!

If you’re not a Craft-er (but still love Craft Beer) there are lots of other possible Beer-tivities that might be right up your alley:

For the film buff: host a movies & craft night – pick a classic (or kitchy) flick and pair it with a selection of beers. You could also do a TV show beer night. Why not drink craft beer (or beer cocktails) during your weekly Mad Men screening instead of downing martini after martini. You’ll stay sober longer and you don’t even have to buy olives!

For the foodie: try a potluck food and craft beer night – everyone brings a combination and you get to explore the flavors that come out when you pair beer with various foods. Or you could go all out and take turns hosting a Craft Beer Dinner where each course is matched perfectly with a particular craft beer.

For the sportsfan: pre-game with some craft beer and then switch to something more session-y when the game starts. There’s no reason to drink swill just because you’re drinking for hours. Don’t be peer-pressured by promises of “Drinkability.”

For the overly-literate: mix up your book club meetings with a tasting before or after you discuss (before, if you’re looking for a more exciting discussion.) Or if you host a weekly Scrabble or Trivial Pursuit night, why not make it more interesting by trying some craft brew while you play.

For the beer-lover with no other beer-friendly hobbies: why not just host a no-frills craft-tasting night? Sometimes the best choice is the simplest one.

Do you have friends, beer, and some way of putting them together? Let us know your favorite craft-ivities, and don’t forget to use the hashtag #mybeer to tell us what you’re drinking!

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Sugar & Spice: An Intro to Beer Spices

Friday, August 20th, 2010

The history of spices in beer is as old and varied as beer itself. Despite the fact that hops have become the predominant spicing agent used in most contemporary styles, that was not always the case.  In areas where hops are not native or easily grown the role of hops was frequently played by another bitter and/or mildly anti-septic plant, such as marigold, burdock, juniper, or heather. In fact, during the Middle Ages, a substance known as gruit (a mash-up of various herbs and spices) was used to provide the same preservative and flavoring benefits that hops can provide. As recently as the Renaissance, spicing beer was still fairly common all across Europe. Grains of Paradise (a peppery member of the ginger family) was particularly popular and was most likely used to cover over the stale or sour flavors of beer that had been improperly made or stored.

However, as regulatory practices worked towards more standardized beer production, spiced beer remained traditional in some regions and was legislated, regulated, and even shamed out of popular use in others. For this reason, spices are a much more common element of styles produced in regions like Belgium than they are in Germany (where the Reinheitsgebot limited beer ingredients to the big four) or England (where for a while even the use of hops was forbidden in certain ales.)

Though spices are uncommon to many beer styles, if you’re both a beer-lover and a spice-enthusiast (like me) there are still lots of styles you can explore. For the purposes of keeping it simple, I want to talk about three of the spiciest beer categories:

Fall & Winter Seasonals (Pumpkin beers, Winter “Warmers”, Holiday beers, etc.)
Cooler weather means warmer beers, so these seasonals combine the natural warming effects of alcohol with the natural warming effects of certain spices. Pumpkin beers tend to spice with the same ingredients that we know and love in our pumpkin pies. In fact, the core spices used in most cool-weather brews will be things you could find in any given kitchen: cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, cardamom, allspice, and vanilla. among others. In addition to these types of warming spices, Winter beers frequently add fruit flavors to mimic the classic Wassail experience.

For a Pumpkin Ale try Dogfish Head’s Punkin Ale, Brooklyn’s Post Road Pumpkin, or Smuttynose’s Pumpkin Ale – all of which feature a subtle (instead of overwhelming) pumpkin-spiciness.

For Holiday or Winter Brews try the Sam Smith Winter Welcome, Anderson Valley Winter Solstice, or the Dubuisson Bush de Noel.

Belgians
As legendary beer writer Michael Jackson noted, “the Belgians are the greatest users of herbs and spices in beer.” And you don’t have to be a serious beer expert to feel the truth of this statement. A wide range of Belgian brews feature spice as a prominent ingredient -most notably, Belgian witbiers and saisons. Traditional spices include coriander, sweet and bitter orange peel, black pepper, grains of paradise, and sweet gale – all of which provide the sweet, spicy, and summer-y flavors that you except from those styles.

For a classic Witbier, just pick up a Hoegaarden (unfortunately now owned by InBev) or an Allagash White.

For a Saison try Saison Dupont, Foret, or Ommegang’s Hennepin.

Experimental

Though the Belgians may be the reigning spice champs, the American craft scene is giving them a run for their money with a collective penchant for spices and other unorthodox ingredients. In addition to all the classics, many American brewers are using herbs, flowers, and even chili powder to play with styles and flavors.

Boston-based Pretty Things Beer and Ale Project makes a Rustic Stout with rosemary. Rogue offers us a a beer spiced with Chipotle peppers (their Chipotle Ale, which tastes exactly like what you’d think,) a few variations on Juniper beers (John John Juniper and the Juniper Pale ale,) and even a Chamomile Ale (of same name). Dogfish Head seems to use every spicing agent under the sun, including basil (Black Thai), lemongrass (Namaste), crystallized ginger (Pangea), chiles (Theobroma), and juniper & black tea (Sah’Tea).

Got a favorite spice-y beer? Let us know by tweeting with hashtag #mybeer!

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Five Alternative Autumn Brews

Tuesday, October 20th, 2009

autumn beer

We’ve already taken a look at a few of the most well known beers of the fall season, such as pumpkin ales and the Oktoberfest style. They’re plenty of lesser known styles of beer that go great with the autumn also. Today we’re going to take a look at few of them.

Schwartzbier – German for “black beer,” this style of dark lager is surprisingly light given its name. Dark grains are used for color, but not enough to impart any of the roasted qualities of a porter or stout. Instead this style gets its bitterness from German hops. Overall it makes for light but full-bodied taste that’s a bit creamy. Sam Adams’ Black Lager is probably the most well known version in America, but Köstritzer Schwarzbier and Saranac Black Forest are also worth checking out.

Biere de Garde – This obscure style is one of the few types of beer native to France. The name loosely translates to “beer for keeping” which is indicative of the style’s high alcohol strength, which was designed to help the beer age well over the hot summer months when it’s too hot for brewing. Unlike other high alcohol brews, biere de garde is usually well balanced in flavor and moderate in body, with light buttery elements to it. All of this makes Biere De Garde a great beer for big starchy meals like Thanksgiving. Brasserie De Saint-Sylvestre’s probably the most notable produces of this style with their 3 Monts beer, but be sure to try Avant Garde from the Lost Abbey, Biere de Mars from Brewewy Ommegang (not to be confused with New Belgium’s Biere de Mars) and Oro De Calabaza from Jolly Pumpkin Brewing.

Dobblebock – These heavy lagers were first brewed by fasting German monks to give them sustenance while abstaining from food. They are nutty and sweet in flavor with a medium body. Sam Adams Winter Lager is a great example of the style by an American craft brewer. Ayinger Celebrator, Paulaner Salvator and Spaten Optimator are three more traditional German versions worth a try.

Dunkelweizen – A dark (‘dunkel’ meaning ‘dark’ in German) version of the well known Hefeweizen style of German wheat beer, this style combines the banana and clove qualities of a hefe with dark grains to make a refreshing yet full bodied beer that some compare to banana bread. For a good example of this style try Weihenstephaner’s dunkelweizen. Franziskaner and Erdinger also make excellent traditional versions of the style.

Weizenbock – An even darker version of Dunkelweizen, which combines the dark roasted qualities of a porter or stout and matches them with the effervescent and fruity qualities of a hefeweizen. Try Aventinus from Schneider to taste a classic version of the style. Moonglow from Victory is a great American take on the style.

What’s your favorite autumn beer?  Let us know next time you have it by tweeting your beer and adding the ‘#mybeer’ hashtag.

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Beervana Beer Festival

Tuesday, October 13th, 2009

Beervana

Recently the Beeriety crew went down to Providence, RI to attend the first Beervana Beer Festival in the Roger Williams Park Botanical Center. There was a lot of beer to try, and a lot of fun was had by all.

DSC04622

The most striking thing about this beer festival was its location. The botanical gardens were a far cry from the usual convention halls in which most beer festivals take place. The high glass and metal ceilings and the plethora of large and exotic plant life made it feel like a beer festival in the bio-dome. The environment was fun, even if the winding layout made it tough at times to find your favorite brewer. All of the glass and metal didn’t absorb much of the noise of 500 chatty beer lovers either, which made talking to the various brewers a bit of challenge at times.

Of course, the beer and not the location was the reason we went down to Providence, and on that front, Beervana was a rousing success. Over 20 different brewers and importers offered a huge variety of different brews, including many that weren’t available anywhere else. There were many different beers to try, but the ones which stood out most in our minds were the scotch ales and other liquor-inspired offerings.

Here’s a breakdown of some of our favorites:

Newport Storm Rum-Chipped Marzen- This was a traditional German marzen brewed with chips from an oak barrel which had been used to age rum.  (The chips were strained out before bottling.)  The sweet, warm flavors of the rum imparted a subtle vanilla taste to this beer.

Brooklyn Brewery Manhattan Project- This  beer was a collaboration between Brooklyn Brewery and David Wondrich, drinks editor of Esquire magazine. It was aged in rye whiskey barrels for a wonderfully smoky aroma and taste.

Berkshire Brewing Company Wood-aged Scotch Ale- Another great, barrel-aged scotch ale with a powerful aroma matched only by its alcoholic strength.

Samuel Smith Stingo- This classic Yorkshire brewery unveiled their latest creation, which was aged in oak barrels for over a year before bottling.  The oak blended nicely with the buttery flavors from Sam Smith’s house yeast.

Smuttynose Brewing Oaked Tripel Penetration- A great twist on a traditional Belgian style tripel. The heavy oak notes blended well with the light flavors of a tripel.

Dogfish Head's Sam Calagione

Dogfish Head's Sam Calagione speaks

In addition to all of the great beer, there were special guest speakers. Rob Tod, founder of Allagash Brewing Co., spoke about barrel aged beer. Sam Calagione, founder of Dogfish Head Craft Brewery, spoke about his special ancient ales project. Both speakers attracted large crowds, but it was no surprise to see that Calagione drew the biggest audience, as he’s known throughout the craft brew world for his blunt nature.

All and all, it was a great time and a well organized event, especially for a festival in its first year. If you’re in the area next year, be sure to check out Beervana.

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A chat with Dogfish Head’s Sam Calagione

Tuesday, September 22nd, 2009
Dogfish Head President and Founder Sam Calagione

Dogfish Head President and Founder Sam Calagione

We’ve mentioned the Dogfish Head Craft Brewery and their many fine beers many times on our blog, and there is a reason for it. Dogfish is hands down one of the most original and innovative brewers today in America, or anywhere else in the world for that matter. Since the company’s meager beginnings in 1995 as the smallest commercial brewery in the world, they have consistently pushed the boundaries of what beer is and how it is made. This includes developing new methods of continually hopping beer to give it unique hop flavors to crafting beers based on the residues found in an 8th century BCE Turkish king’s tomb. Since their founding they have grown to become the 22nd biggest brewer in America, with a reputation that far exceeds that.

The man behind all of this is Sam Calagione, who founded the company when he was just 25. Last week I got the chance to sit down and talk to him at the Milton, Delaware company headquarters about the company’s past, present and future.

Calagione’s office is a disheveled cubicle filled with trinkets and mementos from various events in the brewery’s history, like the annual two day “Intergalactic Bocce Ball Tournament” which was taking place the day after I was there. The private competition features friends and brewers from all over the country and is regarded as a “holy day” amongst the Dogfish Head staff. Along with Easter and Christmas, it’s the only time the brewery shuts down. It’s not all cut throat competition during the tournament though, Calagione tells me they also launch cases of light lager from a homemade trebuchet into a oversized toilet. The contest, along with everything else Dogfish head does, seems to be dealt with in an earnest, but casual manner. “We don’t take ourselves very seriously but we take our beer very seriously,” said Calagione.

"Robot Sam" hard at work in his office

"Robot Sam" hard at work in his office

It’s this same approach towards beer and business that led to Dogfish Head’s newest offering, and their first collaboration. Life & Limb, a beer brewed by Calagione together with Sierra Nevada’s Ken Grossman was born out of a casual conversation over beers together while the two of them were in Boston earlier this year for a brewers conference. “I have gotten to know Ken through our years on The Brewers Association Board and at numerous beer events throughout the country. As a brewer myself, it is inspiring to see a person like Ken drive a beer-centric brewery so far and so wide while sticking to his original ideals and integrating his family into the company,” he said.

Like most of Dogfish Head’s beers, Life & Limb defies any easy categorization, but one thing’s certain- it’s a collaboration through and through. At 10% ABV, it’s quite strong and was brewed with maple syrup from Calagione’s farm in Massachusetts and barley grown by Grossman at the Sierra Nevada brewery in Chico, California. The yeast is a blend of the two breweries’ house yeast strains.

A companion beer will also be released around the same time this November, know as “Limb & Life.” This brew is made from a second running of the Life & Limb mash tun, a technique known as partigyle brewing, which will yield a similar, but still distinct brew which will be much less alcoholic at 5%.

Life & Limb

Life & Limb, a collaborative brew by Dogfish Head and Sierra Nevada

This first collaboration for both breweries is something Calagione’s clearly exciting about, telling we me hopes it will lead to exciting things for both Sierra Nevada and Dogfish Head. That’s not to say that Calagione’s company hasn’t been experiencing plenty of growth before this project with Sierra Nevada. Currently the brewery is in the midst of a major construction project to expand the office space for the staff and brewing capacity. They are already brewing at their limit, and not able to meet demand with their current facility. Calagione told me this is part of the reason so many of their brews are available on a seasonal or rotational basis. “If we wanted to make one beer available year round, we’d have to switch out one of the styles already made year round,” Calagione told me.

When I asked how he decides what beers will be available year round versus seasonally, Calagione told me it’s simply the beers he wants to have around year round. “We don’t do focus groups or market research, we just make the beers we want to drink,” he said. The closest thing he told me they have to something like that is their brewpub on the Rehoboth Beach boardwalk.

The brewpub is actually how Dogfish Head first began back in 1995, and continues to feature the newest and most experimental brews Calagione and his team develops. After the interview I drove down to the restaurant where I was able to try Chicha, their newest brew, which was recently featured in a New York Times article, is based on a traditional Peruvian corn beer which involves the brewers chewing purple maize from Peru and spitting it into the brew kettle. Calagione explained to me that the natural enzymes found in human spit help break down the sugar in the corn for brewing and assured me that because it’s added to the brew before boiling, it’s perfectly safe. The beer is light and tasty with a pleasant strawberry flavor from the berries that are also added to the beer.

With so many things happening right now for Dogfish Head, and their history of innovation it’s hard to know where they will go next, but whatever they do and whatever beer they make, it’s sure to be unique, tasteful and off-center, just like Sam Calagione himself.

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Style Profile: Biere de Champagne

Tuesday, September 15th, 2009
Riddling the champagne

Riddling the Champagne

Biere de Champagne is a new style in which beer is put through a similar process as the one traditionally used to produce Champagne, known as the méthode Champenoise. The beer making process and Champagne making process are already very similar, but the extra steps taken when producing this style give it unique qualities that any serious beer drinker should try.

Both bottle-condition beer and Champagne go through primary fermentation in large batches and secondary fermentation in the bottle where additional sugars or yeast is added to naturally carbonate the beverage. Unlike most beer, Champagne then goes through a process of collecting (riddling) and removing (disgorging) the sediment from the bottle.

Riddling is performed by placing the bottles at a 45° angle racks known as pupitres. The sediment in the beer or Champagne slowly drifts down to the neck of the bottle. Every few days it is carefully turned and angled further until all of the sediment has been collected, usually taking about 6 to 8 weeks.

The sediment is now removed from the neck by removing the cork and allowing some of the liquid to spill out, a process known as disgorging, which today is automated by machines which freeze the bottleneck but years ago could only be performed by a skilled practitioner.

After all this additional yeast or sugar can be added for what is essentially a third fermentation. Putting beer throughthis process, which can take years if done properly, gives it the subtle complexity, spicy flavor and rich carbonation that Champagne is known for. All of this is balanced by the rich body and balance which only a beer can provide. Actual Champagne yeast is used sometimes to further enhance these flavors.

All of this makes for a wonderfully light and refreshing beer that is akin to Champagne but with the body and hops that are unique to beer. The process is a costly one, as a result there are not many brewers who offer a beer of this style, just a handful of mostly Belgian brewers at the moment. The most well known is probably Deus by Brouwerij Bosteels with Malheur Brut from Brouwerij De Landtsheer coming in at a close second.

Ever tried this new style of beer? If you ever get the chance to try it let us know what you think by tweeting your beer and adding the ‘#mybeer’ hashtag.

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Style Profile: Wheat Wine

Tuesday, September 8th, 2009

wheatwine

Wheat wine is a relevantly young style of beer, having emerged from  bolder American craft brewers over the last decade or so. For awhile there has been a trend among these brewers to experiment with older, less alcoholic styles by creating high alcohol versions; these bold versions are often dubbed “imperial,” a reference to the extremely potent Russian imperial stout. Some of these experiments work better than others. Over time wheat ale proved to be a style which did extremely well at higher alcohol percentages, and the one-off batches made by various brewers across the country took shape as a more cohesive style.

Photo Credit: Mark Pansing

Photo Credit: Mark Pansing

As a result of its young age and development it shouldn’t come as much of a surprise that wheat whine is not a very precise category. Generally speaking, wheat wines feature a smooth, velvety mouth feel and a sweet, but light taste. Its strong alcohol percentage, (which can range anywhere from 7-14%) also gives the beer a warming affect.

Unlike other high alcohol or imperial beers, such as the barley wine, from which it borrows the ‘wine’ part of its name, wheat wine remains a nicely balanced beer thanks to the subtle flowery and citrusy flavors the wheat gives it. This makes it perfect for consumption any time of year. Color and appearance tend to fairly widely, ranging anywhere from a clear amber to a cloudy gold.

Ever had a wheat wine? Although it’s still fairly rare there are plenty of great brewers with examples of the style. New Hamshire’s Smuttynose Brewing makes a great one, and be sure to check out Gamma Ray from Terrapin Brewing in Georgia and  New Holland’s Pilgrim’s Dole from Michigan for wonderful wheat wine. Next time you do let us know what you think about it or any other wheat wine by tweeting your beer and adding the ‘#mybeer’ hashtag.

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Style Profile: Porter

Tuesday, August 25th, 2009

porters

Porter is a style that traces it roots to beer cocktails of the 18th century. Although the only modern beer cocktail that most people know is the Black & Tan, in centuries past it was fairly common to mix several beers in one pint glass. A bartender in 1720s London might be expected to blend frequently as many as six different ales into a customer’s pint. As we mentioned in our article on cask ale, (which is how all beer would have been served at the time) beer on cask should really be consumed within a few days after it’s been tapped as it begins to grow stale and loose its flavor rather quickly. of course not all pub owners followed these rules, and there was plenty of stale beers being served in London pubs.

Black & Tan

Black & Tan

Additionally, many of the working class poor could only afford the weakest and cheapest of ales. As a result, many in the lower classes took up the habit of mixing half a glass of fresh, quality ale with half a glass of the cheap, stale stuff. A particularly popular beer cocktail at the time was known as “Three Threads,” which usually combined pale ale, new brown ale and stale brown ale. In order to save the bartenders some time and energy a brewer by the name of Ralph Harwood developed a heavier beer which was designed to mimic the taste of the “Three Threads” brew, much in the same way you sometimes see pre-bottled Black & Tans today. Harwood’s Entire, as it was known soon became quite popular after its release in 1722, particularly among the cities hardworking porters. It was only a matter of time before this style of beer, which was heavier and smokier than most beers at the time took on the name porter, which it’s still referred to today.

Porters later gave rise to stouts, a darker and more robust version of the style, which were originally known as ‘stout porters.’ Although the two styles remain closely related and similar in flavor, there are a few key differences that warrant the separation of styles, that’s a topic for another style profile though. Porters are typically made with pale malt base with the addition of black malt, crystal, chocolate or smoked brown malt, but as with many styles, there is a tremendous amount of leeway  in what many brewers will call a porter. Hops tend to be low in the mix, although American porters may have a moderate hop presence.

What’s your favorite porter? Next time you try one let us know what you think about it by tweeting your beer and adding the ‘#mybeer’ hashtag.

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The Process of Dry Hopping

Thursday, August 20th, 2009

Randall the Enamel Animal

Randall the Enamel Animal

Previously we’ve explained what hops are and covered how they are used in the brewing process, but that’s not all hops have to offer. Despite what some companies would have you think, hops are generally added to a beer three times during a boil, once for bitterness, once for flavor and once for aroma. Sometimes though even more hops are added  through additional processes; plenty of brewers have developed new and interesting ways to add that extra hop touch. Although some breweries have devised unique methods all their own, such as Dogfish Head’s Randall the Enamel Animal, there are some more tried and tested methods which many breweries employ. Today we’re going to take a look at one of those, dry hopping:

dry hopping process

Dry hopping is the process of adding additional hops to a beer once it’s been brewed, but before it’s been bottle and carbonated. Usually dry hopping takes place as a part of secondary fermentation. This is an extra step that brewers may take to help add clarity and complexity to their beer, as well as dry hop it.

Once the primary fermentation has been completed and the sugary wort has been transformed alcoholic beer the brewer will transfer this uncarbonated beer to a second fermentation vessel, where the additional hops are added for dry hopping. Because hops must be boiled to release their bittering oils, dry hopping does in no way add to the flavor or bitterness of beer. What it does help with is the aroma, imparting a strong hop aroma that’s unlike anything which can come from normal hop additions. That might not seem like much, but remember our sense of smell is strongly connected to what we perceive as taste. That’s why nothing tastes good when you’re all stuffed up with a head cold–you can’t smell! After settling and mellowing out in the secondary fermentation, a beer will have continued to ferment slightly, aging it and  allowing additional hop aromas from the dry hopping to soak into the beer. The end result is a hoppy and aromatic brew that’s delicious.

Because of the strong hop aromas that dry hopping gives to a beer it’s not used for every style. It’s perfect though for West Coast style IPAs and Double IPAs, which frequently test the limits of how hoppy a beer can be. What do you think of the hop monster brews that some craft breweries make? Next time you try an especially hoppy beer let us know what you think about it by tweeting your beer and adding the ‘#mybeer’ hashtag.

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Past Pilsners: Other Lager Styles

Thursday, August 13th, 2009

pilsners

Lagers don’t get much attention in the craft beer world, mostly because of the higher level of difficulty in making them compared to ales. As a result many beer drinkers, even craft beer drinkers, often associate lagers with the thin, watery beers made by the big macro breweries like Miller and Coors. In reality, there is a wide variety of different styles of lagers ranging from the hoppy, to the sweet and everything in between. (Not sure what makes a lager different from a ale? Take a look at our article on the subject) Today we’re going to take a look at some lager styles you may not know from Germany, the land of lagers:

Bock/Dopplebock – These nutty, sweet beers were originally brewed by German monks to be consumed as a source of sustenance during fasts.  Their malty flavors are balanced by the smoothness that is a hallmark of lagers. Sam Adams Winter Lager is a great example of the style by an American craft brewer.

As you might expect, dopplebocks (dopple meaning double) are a much stronger version of the style, sometimes ranging to the 7, 8, or 9% alcohol by volume range.  One of the first widely available dopplebocks was Paulaner’s Salavator and as a result many other brewers have taken to naming their dopplebocks with a name ending in “–ator.” Examples include Ayinger’s Celebrator and Spaten’s Optimator. Both bocks and dopplebocks also happen to be associated with goats, which appear frequently on their labels, owing to the fact ‘bock’ can refer to male goats in German.

Rauchbier – This style’s name means “smoked beer” in German and I really could think of no better name. The taste is almost like barbecue. Although there are many different styles of smoked beer, this is the original, tracing its roots back to the 1500’s when smoked beer was pretty much all that was available as cleaner techniques for preparing grains had yet to be invented. Aecht Schlenkerla Rauchbier Urbock is the undisputed signature version of this style.

Eisbock – German for “ice beer,” this is lager which is frozen after brewing and some of the ice is removed,  leaving a more concentrated beer, both in terms of flavor and alcoholic strength, which can range from 9 to 15%. The end result is a rich, sweet and smooth beer akin to brandy, or cognac, great for warming you up on cold nights. Please don’t confuse this style with the ridiculous “Ice” brands of the major macro breweries, such as Bud Ice. While some of them are indeed frozen like an eisbock to increase strength, they don’t resemble the style in any other way. Kulmbacher Reichelbrau Eisbock is one of the better known versions of this style, but it’s still quite rare, as a result of the difficult in producing it.

Dunkel/Dark Lager – This is lager brewed with dark, sweet and rich grains, but balanced nicely by the smoothness of the lager process. It’s not nearly as nutty as a bock, but makes up for it with a creaminess unique to the style. Negra Modelo, while often mistaken for a Vienna lager, is actually an example of the style, and probably the most well known version of it. Try a Blackened  Voodoo Lager from Dixie brewing for an American craft take on the style.  Schwarzbier (black beer) is a very similar style, of which Sam Adams Black Lager is a great example.

Dortmunder Export – A style originally from the town of Dortmund, it’s a light, crisp beer similar to a pilsner but more intense, with a stronger maltiness and hints of honey in it. Like many “export” styles it was made more robust in order to better survive shipment to other countries and faraway lands, however the 5-6% alcohol range may seem light to modern drinkers. This style was once one of the most popular in Germany and much of Europe. The heavy damage Dortmund endured during World War II resulted in this style becoming fairly uncommon today. Try a Great Lakes Dortmunder Gold for an American craft take on this style.

Have any other favorite craft lagers that look past pilsners? Let us know on Twitter! Next time you try one of these, or any other beer tweet what it is and add the #mybeer hashtag to it to let us know what you’re drinking and what you think about it.

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