Now that we’re firmly entrenched in the month of October and beautiful fall weather (which for me means temperatures in the low 80s and humidity merely in the 60% range), it’s time to start looking into some of the beer styles that will have you enjoying the cooler temperatures, evening fires and comfort food. I won’t bother talking about the Oktoberfest style or the dreaded P-word; those beers have become a seasonal cliché like spiced lattes and cranberry air freshers. If you continue reading, however, you’ll learn about five beer styles that are fantastic for enjoying everything Autumnal.
Vienna Lager
Most American beer drinkers outside of the Midwest are largely unfamiliar with this German style that hails from Vienna in the 1800s. Amber in color due to the lightly roasted Vienna malts from which it is made, it has a clean lager yeast profile and fairly light body which showcases its caramel and light toast flavors. It will remind you of an Oktoberfest but is lighter in body and has a modest alcohol content of around 5% that can keep you warm during the cool Autumn nights.
Why drink a Vienna Lager? It’s a somewhat lighter beer with bready, caramel malt notes and soft, spicy Noble hops that pair well with pork and sausages of just about any kind, prepared just about any way. Vegetables that people love to cook and eat in fall like eggplants, yams, squash, zucchini and fennel that enjoy a slight caramelization due to roasting or grilling will be washed down deliciously with a Vienna Lager.
Not sure if you’ll like this style? Do you like Sam Adams Boston Lager? If so, there you are! The Boston Beer Company flagship beer is based on the German style. If you can get your hands on authentic German-brewed Vienna Lager, Prost! If not, American breweries are brewing more styles every day; you can start with some of the bigger names like Sierra Nevada and Smuttynose, then simply keep your eye out for Vienna Lagers whenever you step into a local tap room. You won’t regret it!
Biére de Garde
Huh de what? Another style of which many Americans are ignorant, Biére de Garde is an artisanal French farmhouse style that, loosely translated, means “beer that’s been stored.” The style hails from the Northern farmlands of France that share the Belgian border. Like the Saison style, a Biére de Garde was brewed in the post-summer months and made to drink throughout summer. So, you can see that I’m pulling a fast one on you by recommending you drink a beer that evolved by being brewed in the Fall and consumed during the hot months. But advancements in brewing technology allow us to brew styles just about any time of year, and this style is highly enjoyable in the post-summer months. This sweeter, malty beer with notes ranging from biscuit to toffee and caramel exhibits earthy cellar characters from being aged in wine bottles stopped with cork. These are beautiful beers with a stout alcohol content of 6-8%, making it a great alternate for table wine.
With food, this wonderful French drink is as delectable as French wine. Take your pick of hearty French dishes such as Cassoulet, Coq au Vin or Bourguignon and enjoy the harmony of flavors. Charcuterie and cheeses are also fantastic with this style of beer, but the real show-stopper is with Thanksgiving dinner. Earthy flavors, lots of herbs, garlic, root vegetables, ham and game birds (if you decide to steer clear of the intensively-reared turkeys available at most grocers) will seem so much more delicious when you’re sipping on a Biére de Garde during such a fine meal.
While it sounds wonderful and I’m sure you are now chomping at the bit to try it, the style is not always so easy to find. As you might expect, some of the best examples of the style come from French breweries, and it’s often hard to find that an importer and distributor has put them on the shelves of your local bottle shop. Fear not, however, a number of American breweries are making fantastic versions of this style. Jolly Pumpkin, Russian River and Ommegang are just a few who have made great strides into this farmhouse brew. Keep your eyes peeled on shelves and tap room menus for a Biére de Garde; you’ll be glad when you open your first bottle.
Dunkelweizen
Many of you enjoy the citrusy wheat beers that are easily found on the market, such as…*ahem* Blue Moon and Shocktop. If you’re reading this, you’ve hopefully ventured a little further into the style and are trying both American Wheat Ales with their hop-forward aromas, and the German Hefeweizen style with its Bavarian yeast profile. That’s where the Dunkelweizen comes in. Like its sibling the Hefeweizen, the German Dunkelweizen, meaning “dark wheat” has yeast aromas of banana, bubblegum and clove. While you may turn up your nose at the thought of these smells coming from a beer, believe me, they’re fantastic in the German Wheat Ale. Made with at least 50% wheat, the Dunkelweizen also touts the addition of dark German malts, adding characteristics of caramel and bread crust. They are crisp, effervescent, lovely beers with a moderate alcohol content around 5%. Great for washing down a variety of foods.
What should you eat when drinking a Dunkelweizen? Wheat beers are perfect with brunch; try some of the sweeter, richer meals such as French toast, cinnamon rolls, sticky buns and pancakes (especially chocolate chip) that will work well with the chocolate, clove and banana notes in the beer. The alcohol and bold carbonation will help temper the sweetness and cut through syrup, scrubbing the palate clean and making each bite new to your senses! You may find this surprising, but flavors and aromatics of the Dunkelweizen are great matches with certain Latin foods. Darker, smokier, earthy flavors, particularly mole, work well with the darker, spicy, earthy flavors of this wheat beer. This is a style with lots of possibilities when it comes to food, especially fall desserts!
When it comes to Bavarian weizen beers, you can’t beat authentic German. And while there are American breweries making solid examples of the Dunkelweizen style, some of the best German-brewed versions are easily found and aren’t expensive. I recommend Weihenstephaner, Erdinger and Ayinger.
American Brown
The American Brown Ale is one of my favorite beer styles, and I often hear beer drinkers say the same thing. It is a highly versatile beer, easy-drinking and somewhat malty, tempered by American hops. The American Brown is typically well-balanced, and while often leaning towards either the chocolate and dark malts or slightly towards the bitter hops, the best examples in my opinion walk a fine line between the two while leaning ever so slightly to the malt. They come in a range of colors from red-copper to chocolate brown with ruby highlights and an alcohol content of anywhere from a little over 4% to 6% ABV. That makes this beer sessionable enough to enjoy more than one.
The American Brown Ale is a great beer to drink with American cuisine. Anything that comes off the grill: burgers, hot dogs, sausages, steaks, pork chops…just about anything with grille marks, even vegetables…will pair nicely with an American Brown. The malty center of the beer resonates nicely with the smoky, caramelized exterior of the grilled meat, while American hops add the bitterness needed to cut through the fatty juiciness of the meat. American Browns are an all-star with one of the most quintessential American cuisines: barbecue. Barbecue is all about cooking low and slow, using indirect heat and smoke to render fat, tenderize meat and create an amazing symphony of flavors. The American Brown matches perfectly with just about any kind of barbecue, with its caramel and roasty notes complimenting the barbecued meats (or vegetables) while its bright hops cut through any fattiness and compliment the variety of sweet and spicy sauces that are often served with it, although some of the more acidic sauces such as Alabama white sauce and Carolina style sauce might be a stretch. Traditional fall desserts such as pumpkin pie, sweet potato casserole and pecan pie are highly enjoyable when washed down with a beer; the American Brown is your go-to.
There are several brown ales on the market compliments of some of the larger breweries out there that I find underwhelming. Some of the best examples of the style I’ve had are Big Sky Moose Drool, Surly Brewing Co’s Bender and Prairie Artisan Ales Okie. Good American Brown Ales are often difficult to find in the bottle shop, but make sure to try each one you come across when visiting local brewery tap rooms. You won’t regret it when you find a good one!
Belgian Tripel
If ever there were a beer for a special occasion, it’s the Tripel. Developed by Trappist brewers in the 1930s, the Belgian Tripel is a big, powerful, golden ale with wonderful yeast aromatics of peppery spice, citrus, pear and apple. They’re highly carbonated and have a sizeable alcohol content of 7.5-9.5% which makes the Tripel both highly versatile and dangerously delicious.
Pour them into a champagne flute for an aperitif; the ale’s body and flavors will compliment charcuterie, cheeses, fruits, foie gras and a myriad of other finger foods and appetizers. The Tripel is a fantastic match with larger meals featuring sausages, wild game, poultry with herbs, oily fish like salmon and mackerel, cassoulets, and pork chops and loins. I don’t care for this style with beef and take care not to make the sauces or gravies too dark. This beer enjoys lighter flavors with herbs and citrus notes. With desserts, the Tripel is good with just about any kind of baked dumplings, cobblers, crisps and pies with great fall flavors like cinnamon, cloves, allspice, cardamom, nutmeg, raisins, pears, apples, plums and cranberries. The high carbonation and sizeable alcohol content can cut through rich sauces on the desserts like caramel, butterscotch and praline. This is a beer that can be enjoyed all year with a large array of foods; pairing them with warmer, heartier Fall foods is a must!
Breweries all over the world make solid examples of this style, although I personally feel that none are quite as good as Chimay Cinq Cents (White) of Belgium and Unibroue La Fin du Monde of Canada. No matter who brews them, I find that Tripels must have the spicy, fruity characteristics of the Belgian yeast strain to fully satisfy the style. Wherever you are, however, don’t pass up the chance to try this amazing beer!
I hope you’ll give these beer styles a try, and if you have already had them that your interested has been piqued once again to get out and enjoy them in the cooler weather. Cheers!