Beer Style Discovery: Rauchbier / Smoked Beer

Beer Style Discovery: Rauchbier / Smoked Beer

When one thinks of beer, smoke isn't usually the first thing that comes to mind.
By method of drying malted barley over an open fire, Rauchbier gains its distinctive smokey taste.

And when i say distinctive, i really do mean distinctive!

Although varying in degrees of taste, some smoked beers really taste like drinking liquid smoked ham or eel, a strange but delicious experience!

Drying malted barley

Drying malt above an open fire was quite common before the advent of the 18th century, meaning that some early beers did have a smokey flavor to them, similar to smoked beers today.

Around the beginning of the 18th century, kiln drying malt (using an indirect heat source)  had become a common method, and by the mid 19th century near universal. This almost caused the disappearance of smoked beer around the world as modern techniques became more popular.

Drinking a Dutch Rauchbier

However, luckily for us, some breweries have maintained the tradition of drying barley malts above a fire. Two of these breweries located in Germany, Schenkerla and Spezial, have continued traditional Rauchbier production for nearly two centuries.

Drinking a Shlenkerla (weizen) Rauchbier

Thanks to breweries such as those two, the style hasn't faded away from history. A number of breweries all over the world have started brewing in the traditional method, creating some awesome beers!

So if you haven't already, try a smoked beer!

Cheers!