We are dedicating this month to learning a little more about the American brewing school . Within the schools that changed the world of beer , this is the most recent and also the most innovative. American brewmasters have never been afraid to experiment, taking traditional recipes imported from Europe and tinkering with them to create surprising styles.
That is why most of the recipes created by this Brewing School will be based on a German, British or Czech style... but with a special ingredient! We are going to tell you everything, starting with the main styles of American craft beer.
Pumpkin Ale or pumpkin beers
We started with this style because it is the only “original” created in this American School. His story is very curious (We tell you about it here ) since it dates back to the time of the first settlers. When they arrived in the New World there were still no barley plantations and importing this cereal from England was very expensive, so they began to use one of the foods from the area: pumpkin.
Centuries later, with the start of the craft movement , which rescued historical techniques and styles, Pumpkin Ales returned to the market and are now considered seasonal beers (autumn from September to December).
In his recipe, in addition to the pumpkin, Typical spices of those months such as cloves, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg are added, which gives them a very sweet flavor. If you feel like trying this original style, we recommend the Pumpkin , from the La Sagra brewery, or Rabosa , from Althaia . In both you can find all these flavors so American
American Lager
This style has its origin in the typical German and Czech Pilsners . Today it is the most consumed style of beer in the world, due to its high drinkability and its lightness, but also because it is one of the cheapest beers to produce and therefore with a more competitive price on the market.
To arrive at this recipe, the American breweries introduced less and less hops and added cereals that were cheaper than barley, such as rice and corn. Thus the original Pilsner became a straw-yellow beer with a slight aroma of malt. It is not a very complex style but it is very refreshing, which makes it an ideal craft beer for summer.
Light American Lager
We include this category since it is included in the BJCP, that is, the reference guide for beer styles. This variation of the American Lager appeared in the late 1960s for consumers who wanted to diet.
Beers of this style became the most sold in the USA in the 90s. Their main characteristics are their high carbonation and a very light body. They are designed to be consumed extremely cold and are very refreshing.
As for the aroma, it is very low, and if it is present it can be perceived as grainy, sweet or like corn. Its color ranges from straw to pale yellow, with a white foam that is not very persistent.
In summary, it can be said that it is a version of a lighter body, less alcohol and calories of an American Lager.
American Pale Ale (APA)
They're a American adaptation of the English Pale Ales , using ingredients from the United States (hops, malt, yeast and water). They are generally lighter in color and clean as far as fermentation byproducts are concerned. They have also lost the caramel flavor of their English predecessors.
However, a characteristic that defines them is that they are very aromatic. The predominant scents are of tropical fruits and flowers, moving away from the herbal and spicy notes of their British namesakes. Their strong hop aroma comes from dry hopping or late additions of American hops. They are usually pale gold to deep amber in color, with lots of white head and good retention.
In the flavor you will also find this hop so characteristic of American styles. The presence of bitterness will be strong. They have a medium body with a smooth finish in the mouth, without astringency.
American IPA
This is undoubtedly the most characteristic style of the American Brewing School.
To simplify, you could say that an American IPA is a British IPA with indigenous hops. But over the years this style has become more and more complex and it is almost impossible to tell you about all the variations of IPAs .
Let's start by talking about American hops. At the beginning of the large-scale manufacture of beers in the new continent, it was not easy to obtain imported hops, so many brewers began to grow their own plants. This is how the American hop arose, which has a more citric or resinous profile ,
The main characteristic of the American IPA is its hoppy and bitter sensation, moderately strong, always including modern American hop varieties. These should be found in the malt flavor and the malt flavor should be low to medium-low . In terms of mouthfeel, this style is medium-light to medium body, with a smooth texture, and medium to medium-high carbonation .
The first American IPA beer is considered to have appeared in 1975 and was called Anchor Liberty . A little later came the intense imperial IPA or double IPA and from there the Black IPA (brewed with roasted malts), the Session IPA (low alcohol content), the New England IPA (cloudy and fruity) and many other variations.
In general, these are the main styles of the American Brewing School. To finish, we give you a trick: whenever the word “American” is included in a beer, it means that it is the adaptation (with surprising touches of creativity) of a classic European recipe. Born in the USA!!
Sources: birrapedia.com, loopulo.com