By Jon Griffin
With many thanks to the Beer Judge Certification Program This is a small overview of some of the famous beer cities in the world.
Einbeck Germany
Known for bock beer, which was created in the Hanseatic League (14th to 17th century). A strong, dark lager in which decoction mashing and long boiling plays an important part of flavor development, as it enhances the caramel and melanoidin flavor aspects of the malt. Any fruitiness is due to Munich and other specialty malts, not yeast-derived esters developed during fermentation.
Commercial Examples: Einbecker Ur-Bock Dunkel, Aass Bock and Great Lakes Rockefeller Bock.
Dusseldorf Germany
Dusseldorf Alt is from here. A well balanced, bitter yet malty, clean, smooth, well-attenuated copper-colored German ale. “Alt” refers to the “old” style of brewing (i.e. making top-fermented ales) that was common before lager brewing became popular. Predates the isolation of bottom fermenting yeast strains, though it approximates many characteristics of lager beers. The best examples can be found in brewpubs in the Altstadt (“old town”) section of Düsseldorf.
Commercial Examples: Don’t not exist in the USA, but if you are in Germany, Altstadt brewpubs: Zum Uerige, Im Füchschen, Schumacher, Zum Schlüssel, Diebels Alt, Schlösser Alt and Frankenheim Alt.
Köln Germany
This German city is also know as Cologne. Kolsch is king here. Kölsch is an appellation protected by the Kölsch Konvention, and is restricted to the 20 or so breweries in and around Cologne (Köln). The Konvention simply defines the beer as a “light, highly attenuated, hop-accentuated, clear top-fermenting Vollbier.” A clean, crisp, delicately balanced beer usually with very subtle fruit flavors and aromas. Subdued maltiness throughout leads to a pleasantly refreshing tang in the finish. To the untrained taster easily mistaken for a light lager, a somewhat subtle pilsner, or perhaps a blonde ale.
Commercial Examples: Available in Cologne only: PJ Früh, Hellers, Malzmühle, Paeffgen, Sion, Peters, Dom; import versions available in parts of North America: Reissdorf, Gaffel; US versions: Goose Island Summertime, Crooked River Kölsch, Harpoon Summer Beer and Capitol City Capitol Kölsch
Munich Germany
The city that is known for Helles and Dunkel. Helles was created in Munich in 1895 at the Spaten brewery by Gabriel Sedlmayr to compete with Pilsner-style beers, and thus is pale in color. Unlike Pilsner but like its cousin, Munich Dunkel, Helles is a malt-accentuated beer that is not overly sweet, but rather focuses on malt flavor with underlying hop bitterness in a supporting role.
Commercial Examples: Hacker-Pschorr Münchner Helles, Paulaner Premium Lager, Spaten Premium Lager, Andechser Hell, Augustiner Lagerbier Hell, Weihenstephaner Original and Stoudt’s Gold Lager
Dunkel is characterized by depth and complexity of Munich malt and the accompanying melanoidins. Rich Munich flavors, but not as intense as a bock or as roasted as a schwarzbier. The classic brown lager style of Munich which developed as a darker, malt-accented beer in part because of the moderately carbonate water.
Commercial Examples: Ayinger Altbairisch Dunkel, Hacker-Pschorr Alt Munich Dark, Paulaner Alt Münchner Dunkel, Weltenburger Kloster Barock-Dunkel, Penn Dark Lager, Capital Munich Dark, Harpoon Munich-type Dark Beer, Gordon Biersch Dunkels and Dinkel Acker Dark
Dortmund Germany
Known for Dortmunder Export. A style indigenous to the Dortmund industrial region, Dortmunder has been on the decline in Germany in recent years. This is a pale lager known for extraordinary balance between malt and hops. Brewed to a slightly higher starting gravity than other light lagers, providing a firm malty body and underlying maltiness to complement the sulfate-accentuated hop bitterness. The term “Export” is a beer strength category under German beer tax law, and is not strictly synonymous with the “Dortmunder” style. Beer from other cities or regions can be brewed to Export strength, and labeled as such.
Commercial Examples: DAB Export, Dortmunder Union Export, Dortmunder Kronen, Ayinger Jahrhundert, Great Lakes Dortmunder Gold, Saratoga Lager, Dominion Lager and Gordon Biersch Golden Export
Berlin Germany
A tangy, light wheat ale, Berliner Weiss, is very highly carbonated. A regional specialty of Berlin; referred to by Napoleon’s troops in 1809 as “the Champagne of the North” due to its lively and elegant character. Only two traditional breweries still produce the product. In Germany, it is classified as a Schankbier denoting a small beer of starting gravity in the range 7-8°P. Often served with the addition of a shot of sugar syrups (‘mit schuss’) flavored with raspberry (‘himbeer’) or woodruff (‘waldmeister’) or even mixed with Pils to counter the substantial sourness. It has been described by some as the most purely refreshing beer in the world.
Commercial Examples: Schultheiss Berliner Weisse, Berliner Kindl Weisse and Nodding Head Berliner Weisse.
Plzen Czechoslovakia
This fine city is also know as Pilsen. Known for Bohemian Pilsner, the original light-colored beer that was first brewed in 1842. It uses Moravian malted barley and a decoction mash for rich, malt character. Saaz hops and low sulfate, low carbonate water provides a distinctively soft, rounded hop profile. Traditional yeast sometimes can provide a background diacetyl note. Dextrins provide additional body, and diacetyl enhances the perception of a fuller palate.
Commercial Examples: Pilsner Urquell, Budweiser Budvar (Czechvar in the US), Czech Rebel, Staropramen, Gambrinus Pilsner and Dock Street Bohemian Pilsner
Edinburgh Scotland
The colder climate creates very clean, malty flavors in the Scottish Ales and Strong Scotch Ales. Scottish ales are cleanly malty with a dry finish, perhaps a few esters, and on occasion a faint bit of peaty earthiness (smoke). Most beers finish fairly dry considering their relatively sweet palate, and as such have a different balance than strong Scotch Ales. Commercial Examples are Orkney Dark Island, Belhaven 80/-(Belhaven Scottish Ale in the US), Belhaven St. Andrews Ale, McEwan’s IPA, Caledonian 80/- Export Ale, Broughton Merlin’s Ale and Three Floyds Robert the Bruce Scotch Ales are much stronger, have more peaty, smoky aroma and more caramel.
Commercial Examples: Traquair House Ale, Orkney Skull Splitter, McEwan’s Scotch Ale, MacAndrew’s Scotch Ale, Belhaven Wee Heavy, Broughton Old Jock, Scotch du Silly, Gordon Highland Scotch Ale and Founders Dirty Bastard.
Burton on Trent England
Know for pale ales and lots of hops. Strong bitters can be seen as a higher-gravity version of best bitters (although not necessarily “more premium” since best bitters are traditionally the brewer’s finest product). Since beer is sold by strength in the UK, these beers often have some alcohol flavor, perhaps to let the consumer know they are getting their due. In England today, “ESB” is a brand unique to Fullers; in America, the name has been co-opted to describe a malty, bitter, reddish, standard-strength (for the US) English-type ale. Hopping can be English or a combination of English and American.
Commercial Examples: Fullers ESB, Adnams Broadside, Shepherd Neame Bishop’s Finger, Samuel Smith’s Old Brewery Pale Ale, Bass Ale and Whitbread Pale Ale.
London England
This is where porter was developed in 1722 by Ralph Harwood as a way to simplify a blend of beers or gyles known as “Entire”. A precursor to stout, porter is said to have been favored by porters and other physical laborers.
Commercial Examples: (Robust) Anchor Porter, Great Lakes Edmund Fitzgerald Porter, Sierra Nevada Porter. (Brown) Samuel Smith Taddy Porter, Fuller’s London Porter. London is also known for Sweet Stout. Historically known as “Milk” or “Cream” stouts, legally this designation is no longer permitted in England (but is acceptable elsewhere). The “milk” name is derived from the use of lactose, or milk sugar, as a sweetener. : A very dark, sweet, full-bodied, slightly roasty ale. Stout often tastes like sweetened espresso. Commercial Examples: Mackeson’s XXX Stout, Watney’s Cream Stout, St. Peter’s Cream Stout, Marston’s Oyster Stout, Samuel Adams Cream Stout and Left Hand Milk Stout.
Dublin Ireland
Stout was invented here in 1722 by Arthur Guinness at the St. James Gate Brewery. Is is also called dry stout to distinguish from the other stouts. This is a very dark, roasty, bitter and creamy ale. The style evolved from attempts to capitalize on the success of London porters, but originally reflected a fuller, creamier, more “stout” body and strength. When a brewery offered a stout and a porter, the stout was always the stronger beer. It was originally called a “stout porter”. Modern versions are brewed from a lower OG and no longer reflect a higher strength than porters.
Commercial Examples: Guinness Draught Stout (also canned), Murphy’s Stout, Beamish Stout, O’Hara’s Celtic Stout, Dorothy Goodbody’s Wholesome Stout, Orkney Dragonhead Stout, Brooklyn Dry Stout, Old Dominion Stout, Goose Island Dublin Stout and Arbor Brewing Faricy Fest Irish Stout.
Senne Valley, Brussels Belgium
Known for Lambics. These are complex, sour/acidic, pale, wheat-based ale fermented by a variety of Belgian microbiota. Home-brewed and craft-brewed versions are more typically made with pure cultures of yeast. Commonly including Saccharomyces, Brettanomyces, Pediococcus and Lactobacillus in an attempt to recreate the effects of the dominant microbiota of Brussels and the surrounding countryside of the Senne River valley. Cultures taken from bottles are sometimes used but there is no simple way of knowing what organisms are still viable. Straight lambics are single-batch, unblended beers. Since they are unblended, the straight lambic is often a true product of the “house character” of a brewery and will be more variable than a gueuze. They are generally served young (6 months) and on tap as cheap, easy-drinking beers without any filling carbonation. Younger versions tend to be one-dimensionally sour since a complex Brett character often takes upwards of a year to develop. An enteric character is often indicative of a lambic that is too young. A noticeable vinegary or cidery character is considered a fault by Belgian brewers. Since the wild yeast and bacteria will ferment ALL sugars, they are bottled only when they have completely fermented. Lambic is served uncarbonated, while gueuze is served effervescent.
Commercial Examples: Most examples are not readily available. The only bottled version readily available is Cantillon Grand Cru Bruocsella of whatever single batch vintage the brewer deems worthy to bottle. De Cam sometimes bottles their very old (5 years) lambic. In and around Brussels there are specialty cafes that often have draught lambics from traditional brewers/blenders such as Boon, De Cam, Cantillon, Drie Fonteinen, Lindemans and Girardin.
Gueuze is traditionally produced by mixing one, two, and three-year old lambic. “Young” lambic contains fermentable sugars while old lambic has the characteristic “wild” taste of the Senne River Valley. A good gueuze is not the most pungent, but possesses a full and tantalizing bouquet, a sharp aroma, and a soft, velvety flavor.
Commercial Examples: Boon Oude Gueuze, Boon Oude Gueuze Mariage Parfait, De Cam Gueuze, De Cam/Drei Fonteinen Millennium Gueuze, Drie Fonteinen Oud Gueuze, Cantillon Gueuze, Hanssens Gueuze, Lindemans Gueuze Cuvée René, Girardin Gueuze (Black Label), Mort Subite (Unfiltered) Gueuze and Oud Beersel Oude Gueuze.
Fruit-based lambics are often produced like gueuze by mixing one, two, and three-year old lambic. “Young” lambic contains fermentable sugars while old lambic has the characteristic “wild” taste of the Senne River Valley. Fruit is commonly added halfway through aging and the yeast and bacteria will ferment all sugars from the fruit. Fruit may also be added to unblended lambic. The most traditional styles of fruit lambics include kriek (cherries), framboise (raspberries) and druivenlambik (muscat grapes). Please note that overly sweet lambics (e.g., Lindemans or Belle Vue clones) would be better described as belgian specialty beers since these beers do not describe beers with lambic character.
Commercial Examples: Boon Framboise Marriage Parfait, Boon Kriek Mariage Parfait, Boon Oude Kriek, Cantillon Fou’ Foune (apricot), Cantillon Kriek, Cantillon Lou Pepe Kriek, Cantillon Lou Pepe Framboise, Cantillon Rose de Gambrinus, Cantillon St. Lamvinus (merlot grape), Cantillon Vigneronne (Muscat grape), De Cam Oude Kriek, Drie Fonteinen Kriek, Girardin Kriek, Hanssens Oude Kriek and Oud Beersel Kriek.
San Francisco USA
Yes, the United States has famous beer cities (United States brewers have also revived several dead styles i.e. Sierra Nevada Porter). Whether you call it steam beer (which is a trademark) or the more generic California common, it is a true American west coast original style. Large shallow open fermenters (coolships) were traditionally used to compensate for the absence of refrigeration and to take advantage of the cool ambient temperatures in the San Francisco Bay area. Fermented with lager yeast, but one that was selected to thrive at the cool end of normal ale fermentation temperatures. It derives its name from the vapor clouds of CO2 that escaped from the kegs when they were tapped.
Commercial Examples: Anchor Steam, Southampton West Coast Steam Beer, Old Dominion Victory Amber are Flying Dog Old Scratch Amber Lager.
Other Styles
There are obviously many more styles of beer. In fact, home brewers have a much narrower definition than pro brewers in competition. Some beers don’t even really fall into categories, as they are unique amongst themselves. One of the best online resources available to everyone is the Beer Judge Certification Program website. It is at http://www.bjcp.org/. Not only is there information on beer styles, there is also information on the entire beer making process.
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