English Porter has an interesting place in my brewing history — it was the second all-grain beer I brewed, chosen because I’d read that it was forgiving, and I found out that “forgiving” for a dark beer means you can …
Czech Dark Lager is a style I discovered late and wish I’d brewed earlier. Most dark lager conversations start and end with Schwarzbier, but Czech Tmavé (dark lager) has a distinctly different character — softer, with more malt sweetness and …
Berliner Weisse is the fastest-turnaround sour beer I brew. From grain to glass in under two weeks, it’s the style I reach for when I want a refreshing sour wheat beer without the 12–18 month commitment of Flanders Red or …
California Common is one of the few truly American historical beer styles, and it’s one I have a personal connection to — I grew up in Northern California and Anchor Steam was the first beer I understood as having a …
Irish Red Ale is the style I underestimated longest before properly brewing it. I’d had mediocre commercial versions and assumed the style was just a mild amber ale with nothing interesting going on.
Belgian Tripel is the style that humbled me most thoroughly on my first attempt. I thought high gravity meant more of everything — more malt, more hops, more yeast character. The batch came out sweet, heavy, and hot.
Italian Grape Ale is a category I came to skeptically — the idea of adding grape must or wine to beer sounded like a marketing gimmick.
American Wheat Ale is the style I recommend most often to new homebrewers who want something approachable to brew and easy to drink.
Kölsch is the style that taught me the importance of cold conditioning for hybrid ales. I expected it to taste like a light ale and was caught off guard by how lager-like a properly made Kölsch is — clean, delicate, …
Flanders Red Ale is the most wine-like beer I make — complex, acidic, with layers of dark fruit, oak character, and a tartness that functions more like a good Burgundy than anything typically called beer.