Recipe: Munkle 5 Branches Bière de Garde

Summer Cellar Bière de Garde Recipe

Belgian beers have a reputation for being somewhat hops-negligent. However, that reputation is absolutely unjustified. Please meet a beer that was once described to the author as the “King of the Belgian and French styles,” the Bière de Garde.

Brewer's Perspective: Brewing Gold-Medal Bière de Garde

As a niche style, bière de garde doesn’t always medal at the Great American Beer Festival—but Munkle’s 5 Branches took home gold in 2018, then Echo’s Junebug did it again in 2019. Here, the head brewers from both breweries sketch out the blueprints.

Bière de Garde in the Style of Castelain Recipe

Here’s a version of bière de garde that is a bit higher in alcohol and somewhat sweeter, with a pleasant honey aroma and flavor.

Bière de Garde in the Style of Jenlain Recipe

This bière de garde version is possibly the definitive representation of the style.

Brewing with All Kinds of Sugar

When it comes to adding sugar to your beer there are pitfalls to avoid, and lots of wonderful, complex flavors to gain.

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Recipe: Counter Weight Fest Bier

Following the golden path of modern festbier, this homebrew-scale recipe is closely based on Counter Weight’s GABF gold medal winner.

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Recipe: Kros Strain Batch 625

From Kros Strain Brewing in La Vista, Nebraska, here’s a recipe based on the mixed-culture saison that thrilled our blind review panel and went on to become on of our Best 20 Beers in 2021.