I tend to brew nothing but session beers (eg, OG in the the 1040s), and resort to scaling down big recipes down so that I can have a session alternative. It is nice, then, that session beers are starting to get some attention. For a while there was the Imperial-this-&-that rage, so I am glad that some breweries are making good low alcohol beers.
23:44 – 29:59 Craft and Session Beers
Andy Crouch believes that there is a beer out there for everyone. He directs us to focus on the flavors we already enjoy tasting, such as sweet fruits, roasted coffee, or bitter hops to discover what we like and order our next pint with confidence.
Recipe: Brabant Braise with Prunes and Gueuze Beer
Book: Great American Craft Beer
Book excerpt: Session Beers
Website: beerscribe.com
I like beer that doesn’t get you bombed after 2 pints. And as homebrewers we can brew as strong as we want. I’m sure everyone goes through their high alcohol brew phase. Pretty much stay below 12.5 brix now except for the rare brew like an IPA.
Just put this show into iTunes so I can listen to it on my walk tomorrow. Agree with all points made above. There’s a lot to be said for quaffability.
When I do enjoy a higher-gravity brew, I appreciate when it’s a smaller quantity–I have two cases of 7-ounce bottles I use for this purpose. It annoys me that some very good beers are sold in humongous bottles. 22 oz of barleywine? I don’t think so.
It’s not optimal but sometimes I recap the big bottles and finish next day. And some of those big brews are deceptive. Alcohol bite is so well hidden then you look at the label… :o
