Mild Ale is an oft overlooked style, but it holds an important place in the history of beer. For many many years mild ale was the most popular style of beer in The United Kingdom, and the base on which many other styles are built upon. Here’s a quick look at the style.

As one might expect, mild ales are lightly flavored beers, and tend to be low in alcohol (3-5%ABV). These are the qualities that made mild ales one of the most popular session beers around. For many years from the late 19th century to the 1950′s mild ales were the beer of choice for working class men and women in their off hours, particularly those in the South Midlands and Wales. Mild ale’s light refreshing flavor and low alcohol made it a great way to refresh yourself from a hard day’s labor. It was the quintessential session beer.

The term “mild” ale originally referred more to the age of a beer than its taste. In the 1800′s food storage was a much more crude process than today and frequently beer and other items would develop off flavors or spoil if stored for long periods. Despite this old beer was still regularly sold to the poor and working class as it was all they could afford; Due to the poor condition of drinking water stale beer was still much safer to drink than water. As mild ale was much fresher and tastier it was also much more expensive. Frequently mild ale would be mixed with older brews to make cheap beer cocktails, which would eventually serve as the inspiration behind porter beer.

We’ve come a long way since those days and today mild ale refers more to a style of beer based on the historical drink. Generally speaking mild ales tend to be lightly sweet with mild body and low hop aroma. A lighter version of brown ale, perhaps. The style remains quite rare in America, but if you can find some you should definitely give it a try.

Harpoon’s Brown Session Ale is a great modern example of this style. Anchor Steam has crafted a unique take on the style with their Small Beer, which clocks in at just 3.3%ABV. A more traditional variety would be Black Cat from Moorhouse in the UK or Gale’s Festival Mild from Fullers. Numerous local and regional microbreweries have done one off and seasonal milds, be sure to look out for one in your area to get the chance to try this traditional style.

Although beer making is mostly done commercially today, there was a time when it was a strictly domestic affair. Almost every sizable household brewed its own beer. Back then beer wasn’t consumed out of pleasure but necessity; it was much cleaner and safer to drink than water so everyone drank it, including monks.

Saint Benedict decreed in the sixth century that monks should live a self-sufficient lifestyle, with everything they would ever need available in their monastery. This would prevent them from ever having to venture into the secular world, where they might encounter sinful temptation. Because beer was a basic necessity of life at the time, most Benedictine monasteries had a brewery on premises.

Fast forward to the 17th century, when Abbaye de la Trappe, a Cistercian monastery, was founded in Normandy, France. The Trappists, as these monks would eventually be known, became famous for their discipline and craftsmanship. They produced a variety of high quality goods they sold to provide for themselves, items like beer. By the 18th century the Trappists were driven out of Normandy by the French Revolution, eventually settling in Belgium and the Netherlands, but not resuming brewing commercially till the  1830s.

Today just seven Trappist monasteries that brew remain: Chimay, Westmalle, Orval, Rochefort, Westvleteren, Achel and Brouwerij de Koningshoeven. These are the only breweries which can use the “Trappist” term on their beer. Other breweries who produce beer in a similar style usually use the term “abbey ale” or something similar.

Whether it’s made by actual monks or simply inspired by them, beers in this category usually fall into one of the following styles:

Dubbel - These ales are dark red in color with a sweet, malty taste that has notes of caramel or toffee to it.  Compared to other dark Belgian beers it has a fairly mid-range body, but it’s still pretty substantial. As with most Trappist ales, hop presence is fairly low.  Chimay Red is perhaps the wost well know variety, St. Bernardus Prior 8 is another really amazing version. 7-9% ABV.

Tripel – Pale yellow to golden in color, with a much lighter, but much sweeter body than the dubbel, these beers can be deceptively strong. Thanks to the use of Belgian candy sugar for some of the malt, the alcohol can be much higher than a usual brew without adding much to the body. Chimay White is probably the most widely available in the US. Westmalle Tripel is another delicious version. Also be sure to check out Victory’s Golden Monkey for a great American take on this style. 8-12% ABV.

Quadrupel – Originally developed at the Brouwerij de Koningshoeven in the Netherlands, the only Trappist brewery outside of Belgium. This style is known as one of the darkest and heaviest styles around. It’s extremely dark with rich, malty notes of plums or other heavier fruits. Over time the style has evolved a bit to become something of a catch all term for any exceptionally dark and heavy Belgian style ale, but the Trappist brewers still brew them the same way. Chimay Blue is a classic example of this style. St. Bernardus 12 is another great variety. 10-14% ABV.

The double/trippel/quad naming scheme refers to how much malt was traditionally used in each of these beers as compared to a “simple ale,” a now all but extinct term. Today malt levels vary considerably, but the names still provide a good indication of what to expect.

One of the more unusual styles to emerge from the craft beer scene is chili beer. There are all sorts of brews out there with different fruits and spices in them, but beer with chili peepers is not something you see everyday. Although it remains an unusual and rare style, its unique taste is something everyone should try once. Here’s a run down on this odd style.

Modern chili beer is a very broad category. Basically it’s any beer with prominent use of chili peppers, be it in fresh, dry or extract form. Generally speaking the spicy flavors imparted by the pepper take the main focus of the beer, with other characteristics such as hops and body taking a back seat. Generally these beers tend toward simpler, lighter bodies and low hops flavor as the pepper flavor can be so dominating. The taste is much like you would expect- bold and spicy, with smoky notes and flavors, much like how actual peppers taste. Occasionally some brewers will also be able to bring out the natural fruity flavors in some peppers as well, such as in jalapeños, the most common pepper used by brewers. The smell of a chili beer is not great, frequently a bit musty with strong vegetable flavors from the peppers.

Although quite uncommon today, there is evidence that humans have been using peppers in beer for many centuries. This was partly what inspired Dogfish Head to put fresh chili peppers in their Theobroma beer, which is based on the chemical analysis of ancient pottery fragments found in Honduras. Today, most chili beers are a little simpler, but no less interesting to taste.

A classic and widely available version of this style is the Chipotle Ale by Rogue.  Most other versions worth your time are going to be regional varieties at your local brewpub or microbrewery, so you may have to go looking for them. Like any food with a great deal of pepper in it, this isn’t for everyone, but it’s something every serious beer drinker should try once.

Tomorrow is Cinco de Mayo, the yearly holiday which celebrates all things Mexican. The festival dates back to May 5, 1862 when Mexican Republic forces defeated the invading French military at the Battle of Puebla, despite being vastly outnumbered. Although the holiday is not currently celebrated through much of Mexico, it remains as popular as ever in the United States and other parts of the world. Along with Mexican food, a great way to honor Mexico tomorrow is to enjoy some tasty Mexican brews.

The origins of Mexican beer can actually be traced back to the events surrounding the Battle of Puebla. That battle was just one small part of the larger Franco-Mexican War, and despite Mexico’s victory at Puebla, the French would ultimately win the war, ending the Mexican Republic and establishing the brief Second Mexican Empire. In 1864 The French installed Archduke Ferdinand Maximilian Joseph of Austria as Emperor Maximilian I of Mexico, who brought with him much of the Austrian way of life, including brewing, which was previously unknown to the area.

Maximilian’s reign and the Second Mexican Empire were extremely short lived. The Empire was overthrown by republican forces just three years later in 1867 and Maximilian was executed. While the Mexicans clearly didn’t take kindly to Max, they did like his beer. Ever since then Mexican breweries have continued to produce the Vienna lager Max introduced to them.

Vienna lagers are a crisp and refreshing style of lager that’s primarily marked by its light to medium body and biscuity taste. Although most closely associated with Mexican beers such as Dos Equis, Modelo Especial, many common American beers, such as Sam Adams Boston Lager, are technically Vienna lager. Snake River Lager from Snake River Brewing in Wyoming is tough to find but universally regarded as one of the best in the style. Bohemia, despite its German name is actually made by a Mexican brewing company.

Corona is of course bound to show up at any Cinco De Mayo celebration. While unquestionably the most popular Mexican beer, we can’t recommend drinking it. Much like Budweiser is a poor imitation of a Czech pilsner, Corona is also a terrible approximation of what Vienna lager should be, so be warned. Drinking one tomorrow may be tough to avoid, but you should at least know what you’re getting yourself into.

¡Salud!

Rye Ale is an oft overlooked style of beer that combines the graininess of a porter, the smoothness of a cream ale and the spiciness of a pale ale in one delicious brew. While it still can be tough to find in some parts of the country, the style has been slowly gaining in popularity over the last few years. Its unique combination of flavors makes it a great beer to enjoy during the spring or any time of the year.

As the name suggests, the key ingredient in this style is rye grain. Used in place of barley, rye gives beer a tall head and a lovely taste. Although rye is best known as a type of bread, it has been used for many centuries as a basic ingredient in many different types of alcohol. First cultivated in Turkey, the plant is now primarily grown through much of Europe, but can also be found in Asia and North America. Because its flavors are so much stronger than barley, when overused rye can overpower a beer’s taste, but when brewed in conjunction with barley it gives beer a wonderfully bold taste.

It’s only in recent years that rye has seen a resurgence among craft brewers. There are now a number of wonderful beers out their in the classic rye ale style. If you are looking for a classic rye ale to introduce yourself to the style your best bet is Founders’ Red’s Rye Ale, which is perhaps the most popular rye ale in America. If you find it to your liking be sure to give Cane & Ebel from Two Brothers Brewing Co. a try or the Rye Pale Ale from Terrapin.

In addition to this many more brewers have been experimenting with the grain as a flavor enhancer in other styles. One example of this is Brooklyn Brewery’s Manhattan Project, which was brewed in collaboration with Esquire Magazine Drinks Editor David Wondrich as an attempt to replicate the taste of a Manhattan cocktail in beer form. While it’s hardly a Manhattan clone it is a deliciously unusual brew that showcases the tremendous versatility of rye and something everyone should try.

What do you think of rye ale? Next time you try one  let us know by tweeting your beer and adding the #mybeer hashtag

Scottish ales are wonderfully unique and deliciously dark, making them perfect for the colder months. Here’s a quick look at Scotland’s fine ale tradition.

Like many regional styles, the beers of Scotland are directly related to the geographic conditions of the area. The most distinctive qualities of Scottish beers are their big, malty flavors and lack of hops. This is directly related Scotland’s farmlands being largely inhospitable to growing hops. These plants generally require much warmer temperatures than what is available in Scotland. If Scottish brewers wanted hops for their beers, they would have to import them, something for many years cost-prohibitive. At any rate, Scottish brewers brewed with what they had available and that was barley. There have been some who have recently questioned the historical accuracy of such claims, but the fact remains that most Scottish beers are big on malts with very little hops.

Using huge amounts of roasted barley in their brew and allowing it steep for an extended period of time to caramelize gives Scottish ales their signature sweet, roasted and malty flavors. Because of the lack of hops in the brews, Scottish ales tend to lack any of the bitterness and spice which are common in other heavy styles such as porters or stouts. While this can lead to unbalanced, cloying sweet beers if done poorly, in the hands of a capable brewmaster these beers can be absolutely wonderful.

Scottish ale comes in several varieties based on how sweet and alcoholic they are, using a system based on the now antiquated shilling currency system. Ranging from lightest to heaviest there is 60/- (light), 70/- (heavy) and 80/- (export). (‘/-‘ being the symbol for a shilling.)

When Scottish ales go beyond the 80/- range in sweetness and body, they are no longer refered to as Scottish ales, but Scotch ale or sometimes a “wee heavy”, which can range from 90/- to 160/- using the shilling system. There is no Scotch in Scotch ale, it’s named this because the high level of alcohol per volume and sweetness gives it a flavor akin to fine Scotch whisky.

Whichever variety of Scottish ale you choose to try, you’re in for a treat. Some personal favorites include Belhaven Scottish Ale, Belhaven 80/-, Kilt Lifter and Robert The Bruce. Oskar Blues Old Chub is in interesting American Craft interpretation of the style, with more hops than traditional versions.

What’s your favorite Scottish ale? Next time you try it, let us know by tweeting your beer and adding the #mybeer hashtag.

Russian Imperial Stout is one of the heaviest styles of beer around, often ranging from 7 to 10% ABV. Much like Baltic porters it’s named not for who made it but who it was made for. Russian imperial stouts were first brewed in the 18th century by brewers in Burton, England to be shipped to the court of Russian Empress Catherine the Great. Catherine apparently became quite smitten by stouts during a visit to England and demanded some be sent back to her when she returned home; unfortunately the first few batches did not survive the long trip to Russia. Catherine demanded that the English find some way to get her beloved porter to her, and being empress, she got what she wanted. To accomplish this goal the Barclay Perkins brewery crafted a stout to survive the trek much sweeter and stronger than anything available in England at the time and a new style was born.

Today, many years after Catherine’s passing, Russian imperial stouts continue to be brewed not just in England, but around the world. In particular the style has caught on among bold and adventuresome American craft brewers, who see the style as an opportunity to flex their brewing muscle and a chance to brew the heaviest, sweetest beer they can. Due to the styles popularity craft brewers in the US the term ‘imperial’ has come to signify any style that’s especially strong in flavor, alcohol or both. The double, or ‘imperial’ IPA is perhaps the most common example of this phenomenon

This style shares much in common with other heavy stouts and porters, like the Baltic porter. They are both sweet and strong, with bold flavors of dark chocolate, roasted coffee and toffee. That being said, there are some key differences between the two styles. The imperial stout tends be much sweeter than the Baltic porter, and it is usually not nearly as dry. Still, don’t feel bad if you have trouble telling the two apart, they are similar.

The are numerous absolutely delicious versions of this style from many different brewers. Perhaps the best known in America is Old Rasputin, from North Coast brewing. Other notable examples include Storm King from Victory and Ten Fidy from Oskar Blues. Rogue, Stone, and Samuel Smith also have great takes on the style as well.

What’s your favorite version? Next time you try it, let us know by tweeting your beer and adding the #mybeer hashtag.

Milk stout was once thought to be extremely nutrious.

To those unfamiliar with the style, milk stout may sound pretty gross. Pouring milk into a glass of IPA seems like a terrible, terrible idea. Fortunately that’s not what milk stout is at all. It’s actually a tasty and delicious form of stout that is a great way to introduce someone to the world of heavier beers. Let’s take a look at what this style has to offer.

Although the style is known as ‘milk stout’ the name is a bit of a misnomer. There really is no milk in the beer, but rather lactose sugar. This is the type of sugar found in milk and one of the main things that gives it its creamy goodness. During the brewing process most sugar in the wort (pre-beer) is fermented into alcohol by yeast. However, there is always some sugar that the yeast is unable to process. This unfermented sugar remains in the beer and is what imparts a sweet taste to the brew. The sweeter the beer the more unfermented sugar there is in it. During the mashing process a brewmaster is able to control how much sugar will be fermented and how much will remain unfermented. Through this process wildly differing beers can be crafted from similar ingredients.

Lactose sugar simply can’t be fermented by most brewing yeast, so all of it will remain in the beer, giving it a creamy and smooth taste. This makes for a wonderfully delightful brew that’s great in the winter months, or any time of year really. The lactose sugar takes off much of the dry bitterness that many stouts and porters can have, which means that can be good way of introducing someone to the world of stouts and porters if they haven’t enjoyed them in the past.

Although it’s impossible to say for sure, milk stouts seem to be of British origin, having roots somewhere in the sweet stouts and cream ales of old. Mackeson Triple XXX Milk Stout was for many years the most popular version of the stout. With its sweet and smooth flavors it’s a must try for anyone. Sadly it appears Mackeson has been retired by its parent company Whitbread. But fret not, American craft brewers Left Hand also make a delicious milk stout, which is a bit less sweet than Mackeson, but still wonderful. Duck-Rabbit, an up and coming brewing based in Farmville, NC also make a great milk stout, be sure to give them a taste as well.

What’s your favorite milk stout? Next time you try it, let us know by tweeting your beer and adding the #mybeer hashtag.

Even among serious beer drinkers, many don’t know much about lambics. They tend to be hard to find and expensive, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try them. Lambics are a delicious and often forgotten corner of the beer world. Here’s an introduction to this quirky and delicious type of beer.

One of the reasons for lambic’s relative obscurity is the limited number of brewers who can actually make it. Much like real champagne only comes from the Champagne region in France, real lambic is only brewed in the Pajottenland region of Belgium. The name lambic is thought to be derived from a village in the area, “Lembeek.”

The reason for limited area is the unique strains of yeast used in lambics only grow in this region. Instead of the carefully cultivated and preserved strains of yeast that are added to ales and lagers, lambics get their yeast through spontaneous fermentation of wild, natural yeast. The unfermented beer (known as wort) is laid out by the brewer in the open air and wild strains of yeast and bacteria are allowed to naturally find their way into it. Afterwards the lambic is sealed in huge wooden casks, 10 feet tall and over 6 feet wide that can hold almost 11,220 litters of beer each. There it is allowed to ferment and age, usually for over 2 years. Afterwards it will be released and blended in one of several styles.

Gueuze (pronounced GER-ser)

A blend of young, one-year-old lambic and older two or three-year old lambic which then undergoes secondary fermentation in the bottle. These beers tend to be very sour and tart with light and dry mouthfeel, similar to champagne or hard cider. Many find the taste of gueuze to be too overpowering, but it’s really unlike any other beer in the world and has to be tasted to be believed.

Fruit Lambic

This is gueuze which has been blended with fruit juice or brewed with raw fruit. The sweetness of the fruit is used to counterbalance the tart nature of the lambic on its own. Raspberry (framboise), peach (pêche), blackcurrant (cassis), and cherry (kriek) are popular flavors.

Although there are many great “wild ales” brewed in the US and elsewhere which employ some of the bacteria and yeast used in lambics, true lambic has to be from Belgium. When shopping for lambic avoid American attempts at the style like Sam Adams Cranberry Lambic and stick with the imported stuff. Lindemans is probably the biggest producer of lambic. All of their fruit and geuze varieties are worth a try, but their framboise is a personal favorite. Oude Gueuze from Hanssens is probably my favorite gueuze. Cantillon and Boon breweries make some terrific lambics as well.

What do you think of lambic? Next time you try it, let us know by tweeting your beer and adding the #mybeer hashtag.

The icy conditions of winter are perfect to enjoy a porter, stout or any other big, malty brew. These robust beers make great cold weather companions. Today, we’re going to look at Baltic porters, one of the most intense styles of beer.

Baltic porter is an extremely heavy beer, both in taste and alcohol content, that was brewed to help the people living by the Baltic Sea of Northern Europe get through the frigid winter. The beer was originally produced in England and shipped to the people of Finland, Poland and other nearby countries. Although it later gained fame as a way to stave off the cold with it’s high alcohol content, it was brewed so strong simply to allow it to survive the long shipment to the Baltic region. Eventually, the citizens of these Baltic countries began to produce their own varieties of the beer, particularly in Finland and Poland. These brewers made some changes to the English recipe, brewing the beer as a lager instead of an ale and increasing the flavor. The alcohol in these beers is extremely intense, usually weighing in around 7 to 10% Alc. by volume. The taste is equally mighty and quite dry, usually with notes of dark chocolate and rye. It’s one of the strongest variations of porter available, and also one of the tastiest.

These beers make excellent companions for the right type of food. Although it might seem odd, oysters go great with Baltic porter and other heavy beers. The rich, malty flavors provide a nice counter flavor to the hearty tastes of oysters and other sea food. Dark chocolate is also a lovely accompaniment to Baltic porters.

If you’re going to try Baltic porter I’d recommend Sinebrychoff from Finland, which is perhaps the most popular and traditional version.  Smuttynose out of New Hampshire also produces a wonderful version. What’s your favorite Baltic porter? Next time you try it, let us know by tweeting your beer and adding the #mybeer hashtag.