Brewer’s Ingredient Showcase: Honey

Firmenich, a world leader in flavor and perfume research, named honey as the 2015 flavor of the year. “Honey’s popularity has seen consistent growth over recent years as consumers gravitate towards food and beverage products which are considered artisanal and crafted, or locally sourced,” said a press release.

American craft breweries haven’t skipped a beat when it comes to this world flavor trend. “Personally, I like to use honey over regular sugar [in my beers],” said Ian Clark, the founder of BRU Handbuilt Ales & Eats in Boulder, Colorado. “It's a far more complex sugar and lends more depth of flavor to the final beer.”

Clark’s appropriately named Beezel, a Belgian-style golden strong ale, is made with honey, black pepper, and bitter orange. “I feel as if the brewer should use the best quality honey he or she can find and use it in a way that accentuates flavor,” said Clark. If he’s looking to add more complexity in a beer, he’ll add honey at the beginning of the boil. If he wants to add intense honey flavor to a beer, he adds it at the very end of the boil, or even in the whirlpool. “And, at times I will combine both honey malt and raw honey in a beer to create intense honey flavor,” he said.

Another craft brewery utilizing honey in its beers is Night Shift Brewing in Everett, Massachusetts. Joe Mashburn, the brewery’s Production Manager agrees with Clark that honey used in the brewing process should be added during the boil. “The earlier in the boil honey is added, the more of the delicate flavors are driven off by the boil. Honey is incredibly fermentable but when added late during fermentation residual sweetness and a distinct ‘honeytwang’ can remain,” he said. “Depends on what the brewer is looking for. Regardless of where it is from, we would recommend adding it during the boil in case any lingering microbiological critters are still in the honey.”

Night Shift Brewing’s Bee Tea Wheat Ale is made with Dutch Gold Orange Blossom honey and aged on green tea. “We use green tea for the bitter, herbal characteristics that help balance the sweet honey note,” said Mashburn. “The dryness is attributed to the honey's fermentability, yielding a dry character with a touch of honey flavor, not sweetness.”

As consumers gravitate toward artisanal and crafted beverages, it seems only natural that they find themselves with honey beers in hand. “The taste of honey is greatly impacted by its geographic location, climate, soil and temperature, what is often referred to as its terroir,” said a Food Product Design blog about the 2015 honey trend. “Just like craft beer,” Clark added, “Honey supports the local economy and helps keep the money you spend in the communities you live in.”

Cheers to the year of honey (beer). What’s your favorite honey brew?