·Brown Ale
Includes English, American, Belgian and Dusseldorf-style Brown Ales which are described below. English Brown Ale Back in the time when most beers were darker (1920's), Newcastle presented their reddish brown ale to compete with the Pale Ales of the day. This style has proven so enduring that it has sparked many copycats and has lead to the emergence of a new style. These nuttier Brown ales are very different from the older brown ales from the London area, which are lower in alcohol, darker and sweeter. English Brown Ales range from deep copper to brown in color. They have a medium body, and a dry to sweet maltiness dominates with very little hop flavor or aroma. Fruity ester flavors are appropriate. Diacetyl should be very low, if evident. Chill haze is allowable at cold temperatures.
Classic Producers
Newcastle Brown Ale (Scottish & Newcastle Breweries, Tyne Brewery, England), Nut Brown Ale (Samuel Smith's Brewing, England)
Award Winning American Beers
Saras Brown Ale (Yegua Creek Brewing), Ironwood Dark (Redwood Coast Brewing), Holy Cow! Red Ale (Holy Cow! Casino & Brewery), Home Run Ale (Champion Brewing), Bond Street Brown Ale (Deschutes Brewing), Bison Brown Ale (Coyote Springs Brewing), PMD Mild Ale, Goose Island Brewing Co., Steelhead Nutbrown Ale (Pizza Deli & Brewery)
Complementary Foods
Nutty stuffings, nutty crisp salads, cheesy salads, apple pie, pork with brown sause, beef vegetable soup.
Original Gravity (°Plato): 1.040- 1.050 (10 - 12.5 °Plato)
Apparent Extract/Final Gravity (°Plato): 1.008 - 1.014 (2.0 - 3.5 °Plato)
Alcohol by weight (volume): 3.3 - 4.7% (4.0 - 5.5%)
Bitterness (IBU) (15 - 25)
Color SRM (EBC): 15 - 22 (35 - 90 EBC)
American Brown Ale
American Brown Ales look like their English counterparts but have an evident hop aroma and increased bitterness. They have medium body, and estery and fruity characters should be subdued. Diacetyl should not be perceived. Chill haze is allowable at cold temperatures.
Award Winning Beers
Tied House Dark (The Tied House Cafe), Beaver Tail Brown (Hubcap Brewery), Santa Fe Nut Brown Ale (Santa Fe Brewing), Pete's Wicked Ale (Pete's Brewing), Oktoberfest Ale (North Coast Brewing), Brooklyn Brown (Brooklyn Brewing), Old Elk Brown Ale (Walnut Brewery), Brown Ale (Butterfield Brewery), Downtown Brown (Lost Coast Brewing), Oregon Trail Brown (Oregon Trail Brewery), Tut Brown Ale (Oasis Brewery)
Complementary Foods
Boston baked beans, caldo de queso soup, french onion soup, jambalaya, cheddar cheese, lightly dressed green salads
Original Gravity (°Plato): 1.040- 1.050 (10 - 14 °Plato)
Apparent Extract/Final Gravity (°Plato): 1.010 - 1.018 (2.5 - 4.5 °Plato)
Alcohol by weight (volume): 3.3 - 4.7% (4.0 - 5.9%)
Bitterness (IBU) (25 - 60)
Color SRM (EBC): 15 - 22 (35 - 90 EBC)
Belgian Flanders/Oud Bruin Ale/Flemish Brown Ale
This term describes a style found in East Flanders around Qudenaarde. Flemish Brown Ales exhibit complex malt character, a suggestion of caramelization, water high in sodium bicarbonate, multi-strain yeasts and blending of old and new batches to add to the complexity of tastes and textures. The finished product exhibits a sour/ sweet character. A light- to medium-bodied deep copper to brown ale is characterized by a slight vinegar or lactic sourness and spiciness. A fruity estery character is apparent with no hop flavor or aroma. Flanders Brown Ales have low to medium bitterness. Very small quantities of diacetyl are acceptable. Roasted malt character in aroma and flavor is acceptable at low levels. They are both refreshing and appetite-arousing.
Classic Producers
Liefmans (Leifmans Brewery, Belgium), Bruynen & Gouden Carolus (Het Anker Brewery, Belgium)
Complementary Foods
Beef and onion stew, commercial venision
Original Gravity (°Plato): 1.044- 1.056 (11 - 14 °Plato)
Apparent Extract/Final Gravity (°Plato): 1.008 - 1.016 (2 - 4 °Plato)
Alcohol by weight (volume): 3.8 - 4.4% (4.8 - 5.2%)
Bitterness (IBU) (15 - 25)
Color SRM (EBC): 12 - 18 (40 - 90 EBC)
Serving Temperature Cool cellar temperature.
Dusseldorf-style Alt Bier/German-style Brown
Ale Alt Beer is Germany's equivalent to the ales of England. Although one will mostly encounter lager style beers in Germany, Germany originally produced ales as did everywhere else. This style is a hold out against lagers from the old days. These are very balanced beers with the fruitiness restrained against the bitterness. Cold maturation produces a relatively smooth palate. Alt Beir is typically found around Düsseldorf in Germany. Alt Bier is served in short stubby glasses. As one is finished the waiters of this area will automatically replace it. The only way to stop is to place a coaster over the empty beer glass! Brown in color, this German ale may be highly hopped (though the 25 - 35 IBU range is more normal for the majority of Altbiers from Dusseldorf) and has a medium body and malty flavor. A variety of malts, including wheat, may be used. Hop character may be evident in the flavor. The overall impression is clean, crisp and flavorful. Fruity esters should be low. No diacetyl or chill haze should be perceived.
Classic Producers
Grolsch (Grolsch Bierbrouwerji, The Netherlands), Nussdorf (Brauhaus Nussdorf, Germany), Pinkus Müller (Brauerei Pinkus Müller), Zun Uerige (Obergarige Hausbrauerei, Germany)
Award Winning American Beers
Alt (Butterfield Brewing), Centennial Alt (Boston Beer Works), Wild Horse Ale (Great Basin Brewing), Samuel Adams Boston Ale (Boston Beer Company), Atlantic Amber (New England Brewing), Rhino Chasers American Ale (William & Scott Brewing), Alt Nouveau (North Coast Brewing), Long Trail Ale (The Mountain Brewers), As Astra Alt (Free State Brewing), Alaskan Amber Beer (Alaskan Brewing), Amber Alt (Pacific Coast Brewing), Golden Prairie Ale (Golden Prairie Brewing)
Complementary Foods
Baked Brie Cheese and bread, various luncheon meat sandwiches, burgers
Original Gravity (°Plato): 1.044- 1.048 (11 - 12 °Plato)
Apparent Extract/Final Gravity (°Plato): 1.080 - 1.014 (2 - 3.5 °Plato)
Alcohol by weight (volume): 3.6 - 4% (4.3 - 5%)
Bitterness (IBU) (25 - 48)
Color SRM (EBC): 11 - 19 (30 - 45 EBC)
· Berliner-style Weisse
The Berliner wheat beers are the most refreshing of all wheats. They have modest alcohol content, light body and an acidic-clean character. It is often described as champagne like. Berliner Weisse is matured for 2 months to 5 years which develops its delicate fruity complexity. It is made with relatively low wheat content and no perceptible hop bitterness. Special lactic cultures are added with the top fermenting yeast. This technique softens the acidic tones. These beers are often served with syrups such as raspberry or woodruff. These syrups are deemed necessary to moderate the intense acidity. These are the lightest of all German-style wheat beers. The unique combination of a yeast and lactic acid bacteria fermentation yields a beer that is acidic, highly attenuated and very light bodied. The carbonation of a Berliner Weisse is high, and hop rates are very low. Fruity esters will be evident. No diacetyl should be perceived.
Classic Producers
Kindl (Berliner Kindl Brauerei, Germany), Schultheiss (Schultheiss-Brauerei, Germany) Fine American Beers Grant's Weiss Beer (Yakima Brewing & Malting)
Complementary Foods
Tart fruit pies, pickled and grilled herring, Eggs Benedict
Original Gravity (°Plato): 1.028- 1.032 (7 - 8 °Plato)
Apparent Extract/Final Gravity (°Plato): 1.004 - 1.006 (1 - 1.5 °Plato)
Alcohol by weight (volume): 2.2 - 2.7% (2.8 - 3.4%)
Bitterness (IBU) (3 - 6) Color SRM (EBC): 2 - 4 (5 - 10 EBC)
