Smoked Beer Appreciation Thread (2023)

Probably my favorite rauchbier. This one is pretty old now (bought it last fall) but it’s still tasty and puts me in the mood for falling leaves, cooler weather, and a shallower slant to the sun’s arc across the horizon.

 

Mezcal Mules are where it's at!

 

If a smoked cocktail is what I think it is, isn't that more of a gimmicky presentation than a smoky-tasting beverage? In a bar I once saw a cocktail delivered to a table adjacent to mine along with a heavy glass 'bell' that was placed over the cocktail, and then somehow smoke is produced inside the bell (I don't recall how the server did that) which fully obscures the cocktail inside. But I wonder how much smokiness is imparted into the beverage in the short period of time before the person takes the bell off it to drink it? Or are you describing something else?

 

I know someone who got one of those, and the smoke presentation is really just an 'echo' if the drink itself, which features a smoky component.

 

I'm not much for hipster bars, myself. But do have a thing for hipster taco joints. Here's when I came across the Mezcal Mule just last month (pictured with birria )


With the right Mezcal it's a smoke lover's delight.

 

This aged well.

 

if this was befire Todd changed posts per page this would still be at one page

it's also like 90% talking and 10% actual beer posts

 

Whatever you say.

 

I haven't had that experience yet. Mostly because rauchbiers don't last that long around me.

 

I still prefer the Urbock, but this made a mighty fine nightcap last Sunday.

 

I was just about to post that a West Michigan brewery (or brewpub?) serves one of their beers that way. I kept meaning to go try it (in the name of experimental research of course!) but time gets away from a guy. I'll as my source on that info if he remember where it was and if he ever tried it.

 

Not drinking a smoked beer right now. Just dropping in the say - HECK YEAH! I LOVE SMOKED BEER! ....pretty much smoked anything, though

 

It will be interesting if your source says it is a brewery in St. Joe or Benton Harbor or that area. I'll have to check my notes as to which brewery, but it was a place over in that neck of the woods.

 

Or is the smoke changing from a clean campfire aroma like a brisket off the smoker, to bacon, to ham, then liquid smoke. Yeah that happens as the beer oxidizes.

I know many that detested the German Rauchbiers back in the day as those were old. When the were on German beer tours thier opinions changed 180 degrees. Fresh is best.

 

I'm actually going to bring these seemingly off-topic comments to the topic... if you'll spare the time read the following wall of text....

It's a thing in whiskys too [beyond peated Scotch whisky]. There are American whisky and bourbon distillers doing some really interesting things using types of wood smoke and/or barrel char. Given that it takes whisky several years to be ready for market, I'm actually surprised there's not more happening with smoked malts in craft brewers who don't have those time/investment costs. Most smoked beers I see are small batch on-site or local-only distribution, which I try when see them, but I didn't bother talking about here, since they would be unavailable to most. Basically the only brewer with widely distributed rauchbiers/smoked beers in the US is Aecht Schlenkerla, as is evident in this discussion. Aecht Schlenkerla is excellent and deserves every bit of praise, but it's expensive- probably at least $5/bottle or can for most of us. I'm honestly surprised that no US brewer has attempted to specialize and compete in the smoked beer niche for super-premium pricing, like Schlenkerla or the many US sour specialty brewers [which also have a polarizing beer style]. Competing with Schlenkerla doesn't have to copying or derivative either-- there's is a lot of room to play and experiment with smoked beer in both a traditional sense, following classic European beer styles, and non-traditional "twists" on styles that American brewers seem want to do. However, I think a brewer will have to go all in and build a full brand and reputation around smoked beers (like Schlenkerla), not one-offs piggybacking on other offerings. While I fully understand smoked beers will probably never be a significant part of the US market, given what's happening with smoke in other beverage spaces, I think there's opportunity that US brewers are missing right now.

 

Are there certain brands of whisky which detail they are aged in heavily charred oak barrels? If so, are they 'extra' smoky?

Cheers!

 

Iron Smoke Bourbon is really nice, although they don't use charred barrels- just smoked grains. The smoke character is actually pretty elegant.

 

That beer was sold at Earth Bread Brewery in a 750. You had to drink it there. Never saw it any other place.

Enjoy