From Tom Beckmann, owner and brewer at Goldfinger Brewing in suburban Chicago, here’s a recipe for their smoothly smoky collab with Fair State Brewing Cooperative in Minneapolis.

“Fermented cold and clean with our German lager yeast,” say the team at Live Oak Brewing in Austin, “this beer highlights the complexity that smoke adds to traditional dark lagers.”

the southernmost of the 16 states of the Federal Republic of Germany, is the undisputed cradle of the world’s lager beer culture. There, i...

Few experiences in brewing are more rewarding—or make for better practice—than bringing some undersung, underloved, old-fashioned beer styles to life in your own brewhouse. Josh Weikert makes the case for learning, drinking, and brewing the canon.

The primal pleasure of smoke can add comforting depth to our stouts, porters, and other dark beers. Drew Beechum is here with the fireside story and practical tips.

The idea that “all beer used to be smoky” doesn’t quite hold up, even if smoky malt must have been common in many places. Smokeheads, meanwhile, can tell you another possibility: The beer was smoky because people liked it that way.

It’s one of the beer world’s great flavor combinations: malt in harmony with the primal appeal of smoke, coolly and cleanly fermented. Best of all, brewing a great smoked lager isn’t all that difficult—as long as you know your malt.

Don’t let them tell you an extract brewer can’t brew a good rauchbier. While smoked-malt extract is a rarity, there are ways to get creative with our smoke and dial it in to make a lager that can convert the skeptics.

Recorded among the wood-paneled walls of the centuries-old Schlenkerla pub in Bamberg, Germany, sixth-generation brewmaster Matthias Trum shares his deep insights into smoke, balance, and history.

is a German-style beer brewed with smoked malt. It can be any style, but most commonly it is a medium-strength lager. Rauchbier (German for ...

The Rauchbier is a smoky style of lager that has some surprising ingredients. Longtime homebrewer Josh Weikert walks you through the steps to make your best.

Jester Goldman’s first sip of a Rauchbier nearly discouraged him from ever trying the style again, but now it’s become a favorite style for him. Try it for yourself with Jester’s tips.

Don’t fear the smoke: This recipe leans heavily into cherrywood-smoked malt for a surprisingly smooth and balanced character with the power to convert the skeptics.

Dusan Kwiatkowski, head brewer at Austin lager stalwart Live Oak, shares the brewery’s philosophy and technical approach to historical styles such as their Pre-War Pils, Grodziskie, and more.

When it comes to smoked malt, there are far more options for all-grain brewers than for those who rely on extracts. This partial-mash recipe maps out just one way to get it done.

is without a doubt the most famous brand name of all the rauchbiers in the world. See rauchbier. It is made in Bamberg, Bavaria, by a brewer...

When it comes to building big flavor into smaller, session-strength beers, smoke is fire. These five picks from the pros are sure to make sparks fly.

Jester Goldman, one of our beer judges, designed this beer to be a little bigger than is typical for the style, approaching a Rauchbock. He’s brewed this recipe at home and in 2013 at a commercial scale with Equinox Brewery (Fort Collins, Colorado).

The early morning fire occurred inside a kiln and was quickly put under control. There were no injuries reported.

Assertive beechwood smoke—neither acrid nor harsh—swaddles toasty malt in the aroma. Flavor is plenty smoky—rich dark malt has enough sweetness to balance it. Slightly cloying profile, emphasizing caramel and toffee. Needs a crisper foundation. Finish is sweet and lingering.