Matthew Warden
Estes Public Relations
is getting there, and people are better
understanding dark beer. Craft brewers are
seeing an acceptance, and making more.”
Gregory Hall, brewmaster for Goose Island
Beer Co., Chicago, believes the rise of
craft brewers and brew pubs encouraged
people to try darker beers. “We grew up in
a generation with no choice, as beer was
all light in color,” he says. “But today, beer
drinkers, bartenders and restaurateurs are
much more open to beers with color.”
Hall says Goose Island is seeing a large
increase in demand for its dark brews, both
at its two brew-pub restaurants in Chicago
and among retailers. “American brewers
are the most creative in the world. Most
Americans drink light beer, but there are
many ‘good’ beer drinkers, as well. More
people are drinking craft beers every day.”
THE LOWDOWN ON BEER
According to Schmid, there are two major
types of beer: ale and lager. “The only
difference is the type of yeast used to
ferment them,” he says. “There are dark
ales and dark lagers.”
On the darker side are stouts, says Schmid.
“Porter and stout are siblings. Porter is
a darker beer that used to be known as
‘three threads.’ It was a mix of leftover
beer poured together to make a darker ale.
Then, stout became an offshoot of porter,
as an even darker beer.”
There are various types of stouts, including
oatmeal stout, made with oatmeal to
temper the barley. Imperial stout has a
high hops/malt level, and its alcohol level
is a little higher. Chocolate stouts have
chocolate in them, such as one produced
by Rogue Ales, Newport, Ore., says
Schmid. The malt is roasted to a chocolate
state, plus, chocolate is added.
Perozzi says there are many different
types of dark beer, and they do not have
to be for winter only. Smoked black lagers
are a dark brew she likes, which is actually
light in body and alcohol and great for
summer. “Dark beers can be light and
effervescent, and many are great for
summer barbecues,” she says.
Left: Diners at Belga Café enjoy the
restaurant’s wide selection of dark
brews, including red ales and stouts.
Right: The Liberty, the first gastropub in
Charlotte, N.C., when it opened last year,
has seen a move toward darker brews.
COMING OVER TO THE DARK SIDE
As more and more guests request
darker brews, restaurants and craft
brewers are meeting the demand by
adjusting their offerings.
“In restaurants, you usually see Guinness and
Murphy’s,” says Pera. “Now, bars need to have
a tap reserved for something dark. That’s
what people are asking for. Everyone has the
one European [beer], but it’s not enough now.
You need a craft dark brew on tap.”
He says more microbreweries are making
dark beers. “The microbreweries are the
biggest beer nerds of all. They already
made the transition. The dark beer
movement has a special place in their
hearts. It takes specialty and skills to make
a well-balanced dark beer.”
On the lighter side of dark brews is the IPA,
which is heavily hopped. Hops come from a
flower on the hop vine that is high in alpha
acids, and bitter. Hops act as a preservative,
but the bitterness they impart also balances
out the sweetness in the malt.
Left to right, Dark Star Porter, Nut Brown
Ale and American Pale Ale are a few of
the darker brews at Louisville, Ky.-based
Bluegrass Brewing Company brew pub.
