We celebrated hops at this month's Ale Together Now session, which focused on the American pale ale! This light yet flavorful ale is the perfect summer drink, combining bready and hoppy flavors with a sunny golden color and refreshing crispness. This style is a little more balanced than the bold India pale ale, but still allows the tropical and citrus flavors of hops to shine. A homebrewers' favorite of the 1980s and 1990s, the pale ale is considered a cornerstone of the craft brewing movement, all because of that beautful balance between the malts- providing a bready, biscuit flavor- and the wonderful hops.
Hops come from the Humulus lupulus plant, which features a green, cone-shaped flower bud growing on the 'bine' of the plant. Inside each of these flower buds are small yellow pods containing lupulin, which has hop oils and resin that do all the heavy lifting in a good beer. Hops contribute bitterness to beer, providing flavor balance against the sweet malt, and also contribute wonderful aromas and flavors like fruit, floral, spice, citrus, and pine. Also, hops have antibacterial qualities that help preserve beer.
A pale ale that really showcases the bold, hoppy flavors of this beer style is our first sample, from Toppling Goliath Brewing Company in Decorah, IA. At 5.8%, Pseudo Sue is a little hazy, with grapefruit, citrus, and mango flavors, and a little hoppy resin, too.
The American pale ale has a similar origin to India pale ales, which were brewed because the extra hops allowed the beer to ship from England to India without spoiling. Beer lovers in eighteenth century England were interested in brewing with lighter malts, and developed the coke fire to dry the malt without caramelizing it. This led to the production of a beer that was very light for the time, but to our standards would be considered pretty amber and very sweet. The development of this English-style pale ale led to other wonderful beer styles, such as Burton ales, majority ales, and others.
In the United States, brewers of the twentieth century created the American-style pale ale as an interpretation of the English-style brew. The flavorful, fuller-bodied pale ale was an interesting contrast to the popular light lager, but was lighter in hop profile than the IPA. Early brewers of this style include Anchor, Sierra Nevada, and New Albion breweries; later on, breweries like Three Floyds, Goose Island, and Toppling Goliath took this style and made it new, with little twists to the flavor and fun names and can designs.
Of the many breweries that have created pale ales, Sierra Nevada is king! Located in Chico, CA, Sierra Nevada is the brewery that made American pale ales popular. Their pale ale was first brewed in 1980 by Ken Grossman, and displayed the wonderful flavor of Cascade hops. Sierra Nevada's pale ale set the standard for American pale ales to come, with the dark golden color, light body, and flavors of citrus, tropical fruit, and floral tones without too much bitterness. American pale ales were popularized as a flavorful alternative to the light lager, and were promoted as a great beer to enjoy with any food. Even today, the American pale ale is regarded for its hop profile, balanced biscuit flavor, and ability to pair with any food or any summer adventure!
Of course, we sampled Pale Ale by Sierra Nevada Brewing Company in Chico, CA. This brew is full bodied and complex in flavor, sitting at 5.6% ABV. If you've never tried an American pale ale, this classic brew is the one to start with!
Nowadays, American pale ales are less popular than IPAs, but they are still brewed in most local breweries. Pale ales still follow the original 1980's brewing style, but oftentimes feature the addition of newer hop varieties. This easy-going beer style is also a great canvas for flavor, so many modern brewers add interesting adjuncts to their pale ales, like fruit, additional hops, or wheat, rice, or fonio.
We sampled Zombie Dust by Three Floyds Brewing Company in Munster, IN. This wonderfully flavorful pale ale features a variety of fruit flavors, along with some resinous, grassy flavors and a little caramel sweetness.
Fonio is a dry, fruity, gluten-free grain that is used in some modern brewing. As a great example of this, we sampled Fonio Rising by Brooklyn Brewing Company in New York, NY. Fonio Rising is 5.0% ABV and has a beautiful golden color and a light flavor featuring floral hops, tropical fruit, and bready malt, with a dry finish.
From eighteenth-century England to today, the pale ale has captured the attention of beer lovers worldwide with its bold yet balanced hoppy profile. The tropical fruit flavors, combined with that biscuit malt taste, make the perfect beer for summer. Enjoy those pale ales as we celebrate these warm sunny days, and don't forget to check Cromaine's online calendar to see future Ale Together Now program dates! We can't wait to chat beer with you again.
Cheers!