Rauchbier and Tropical Stout

Rauchbiers evince powerful aromas and flavors, so much so that pairing food with them can sometimes be a moot point. However, there is a fallback option for the style that suits it perfectly: grilled food. Pairing grilled and barbecued meats with Rauchbiers is an absolute joy as the flavors are perfectly complementary. Succulent steaks and rich, tasty bratwursts are transformed into transcendent culinary delights when enjoyed beside the hearty smokiness of a Rauchbier.

While smoked beers may seem a bit imposing on the surface, all styles have their place, and since Rauchbiers have been around for hundreds of years, their place is obvious: Beside a plate loaded with grilled barbecue and smoky baked beans.

A style that’s perfect for cooler temperatures, Rauchbiers still have their niche in a craft beer scene where every conceivable palate is catered to.

STATS
OG: 1.050 – 1.057
IBU: 20 – 30
SRM: 12 – 22
ABV: 4.8 – 6.0%

Commercial Examples: Kaiserdom Rauchbier, Samuel Adams Bonfire Rauchbier, Schlenkerla Rauchbier Märzen, Spezial Rauchbier Märzen, Victory Scarlet Fire Rauchbier

Tropical Stout

Once again, as the weather gets colder, craft beer drinkers will be reaching for beers that are heavier, darker and more warming. However, one beer style is able to evoke warmer weather before even hitting one’s lips with its name alone: Tropical Stout.

Tropical Stouts are higher-gravity versions of a very popular and readily available style: Sweet Stouts. Sweet Stouts (often called milk stouts) are reminiscent of coffee, chocolate or cream and are full-bodied and roasty, with sweetness being the style’s calling card.

Far more sweetness is present in this style than in other stouts, mostly because of the lack of bitterness and the addition of lactose for complementary body and sweetness.

All of these traits transfer to Tropical Stouts as well, but the reasons they are called Tropical Stouts and not, say, Imperial Sweet Stouts is because of the regions where these beers are exclusively brewed.

Tropical Stouts are often brewed in the Caribbean and other locales where tropical (hence the name) climates are the norm. They were originally brewed as domestic versions of the Foreign Extra Stouts that were only available as imports and modified using Caribbean brewing methods. Unlike most other styles of stouts, Tropical Stouts are brewed with bottom-fermenting lager yeast, which provides an easy-drinking quaffability – a far cry from the heavily bittered, late-hopped imperial stouts.