A dry Irish-style stout is ideal for pairing with shepherd’s pie—and a splash or two also finds its way into this moderately spicy version with ground bison, a dish sure to keep you warm while waiting for spring.
There are many shades of black, and there are many stripes of porter and stout. If Guinness Draught remains widely popular yet barrel-aged beasts are what excite the geeks today, what do the brewers themselves prefer? Here are five pro picks.
SB stands for “stout base.” With thanks to Bluewood Brewing owner-brewer Cam Lund, this is a homebrew-scale recipe for one of five base imperial stouts that they use for their blending stock.
In St. Louis, a city spoiled by acclaimed imperial stouts, Bluewood has raised eyebrows with a few that reach heights up to 22 percent ABV. Brewer and cofounder Cam Lund explains their approach, detailing their chaptalization-like process for kicking up the strength of a few rare beasts.
Inspired by Rogue Shakespeare Oatmeal Stout, the base here is English-style yet robust, with a taste of the Pacific Northwest. Use fresh oyster shells, when in season, with an eye toward adjusting the type and quantity of shells in future batches.
Making viscous and luxurious dessert stouts is hard enough on systems designed for high-gravity beers, but Jon Shari of Little Cottage takes the challenge one step further, brewing his sought-after mega stouts on a nano scale.
While not for vegetarians, oyster stout has the power to raise eyebrows with its sheer oddity and unlikely compatibility of flavors. The stout base is ideal for brewers with any level of experience—but are you ready to play the shell game?
Josh Weikert pulled some levers and turned some dials on his own American stout, and this is the result. This version uses cold-steeped, cracked coffee beans to complement the complex roasted malt and pine notes.
When it comes to building a recipe—and then making adjustments to get exactly the flavors you want—there is no family of beers as complex and as rewarding as stouts. Here are the levers and dials you need to know.
Need an impressive dessert for that holiday gathering? These truffles are richly flavored and easy to make. For best results, use high-quality chocolate and a delicious milk stout.