For Denver’s Our Mutual Friend, subtle tweaks and improvements over years of brewing have brought their hoppy beers into medal-winning form, but the big and brash flavors in their smoked beers showcase their penchant for dramatic statements.
Here is Annie Johnson’s recipe for a rich, complex, adjunct-free imperial stout that mellows and improves with some time in the cellar.
You don’t need a truckload of grain and a giant mash tun to brew a big, rich imperial stout perfect for laying down for months—this one is right in the extract brewer’s wheelhouse.
Why yes, we do fire up the grill in mid-winter. Here, brown ale adds layers of Maillard comfort to braised onions and a from-scratch (but simple to make) bratwurst burger.
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Courtesy of Mike Messenie at cask-centric Dutchess Ales in Wassaic, New York, this homebrew-scale recipe is a pleasantly lush and nuanced take on their original Best Bitter, meant for natural cask-conditioning in a 5.4-gallon (20-liter) “pin.”
No, it’s not boring—it’s sublime. Yes, it should be somewhat bitter—but balanced. Randy Mosher breaks down one of the beer world’s great classics and the context that makes sense of it. Ready for a session?
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Courtesy of Firestone Walker Brewmaster Matt Brynildson, this is a homebrew-scale recipe for a rich but highly drinkable milk stout with complex malt character. The recipe is also versatile—a great base for adding coffee or flavored adjuncts.
Jim Crooks, master blender at Firestone Walker Barrelworks, describes the process of tinkering with elegant beer recipes to get the desired complexity and character after months or years of maturing with yeast and bacteria.
The serial collaborator from Oceanside, California, discusses the techniques he’s honed to build balanced flavor with energy and flair in intensely adjunct-forward beers.
Over the years at Firestone Walker, Matt Brynildson has brewed several heralded stouts—including Nitro Merlin, named one of our Best 20 Beers in 2020. Here, he walks us down that path of iterations, from gateway beers to what’s around the next corner.
From our Love Handles department for beer bars we love: In Japan’s eclectic and hectic drinking scene, Watering Hole remains a Tokyo craft-beer pioneer.
From cask-centric Machine House in Seattle, here is a homebrew-scale recipe for their Dark Mild—a rich, session-strength ale ideal for cask-conditioning yet sturdy enough for kegging or bottling.
Does slow, subtle cask ale still have a place in today’s variety-driven, can-cluttered American scene? Along with a primer on the gear and vocabulary, here’s why this is an endangered tradition this side of the Atlantic—and why it refuses to die.
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In rural Flemish Brabant, Antidoot Wilde Fermenten’s house mixed culture includes various wild yeasts they have captured over the years. Here, Tom Jacobs offers tips for success in wrangling your own local strains.
