Coastal Brew Day Blog

BROWN ALE  What we know as a Brown Ale has been around, in one form or another for over 300 years. In the late 1600s, the working class of London wanted an ale that was a little heavier and stronger than the pub ales that they were used to. A darker beer, called a Mild Ale, was developed using roasted malts, creating a dark, nutty beer that became popular in taverns in working class neighborhoods across the UK. This beer was called mild because it had far less hops than the Pale Ales that were also being brewed in that era. In the 1700s, Mild Ales began to have a tiered system similar to the Scottish shilling rating for beers (see our Wee Heavy entry for more on this). Roasted brown malts were giving way to kilned pale malt, which was both cheaper to produce and had a higher sugar content. These pale malts are still used today as base grains for most beers, regardless of style. Brown beer faded in popularity during this era, as porters and stouts took over the dark beer mantle for ...

 Apple cider has been a staple of the American experience since the very beginning of the American experience. A cider press came over on the Mayflower, and part of it was repurposed after a storm damaged the ship. It was so important to early settlers that cider was consumed more frequently than water. Cider was on every table at every meal. Today, cider has many forms. It's easy to make, lighter than a beer, and doesn't contain gluten, so immunocompromised people can have an alternative to wine. Soft cider is a mainstay of Autumn months, with cider mills becoming popular destinations for people wanting an authentic taste of Americana.  Apples were a significant crop in the United Kingdom during the Middle Ages, and when settlers emigrated to the New World, they brought their favorite things with them, including apples. Orchards were planted up and down the Eastern seaboard, and as the versatile fruit was cultivated, cider was always a product growers made. In 1622, these tra...

CENTENNIAL  We're going to do something a little bit different this week. Instead of going deep into a style of beer, we will discuss a specific variety of hop.  Centennial hops are among the most popular hops used today. It was introduced to the public in 1990, but vines had been developed and cultivated since 1974 when a Washington State University researcher bred together Brewer's Gold, East Kent Goldings, Fuggles, and a small amount of "Bavarian" hops (probably Hallertau Mittlefruh) to create a fragrant and flavorful hop. The creation was called Centennial, and its versatility has become one of its most beneficial characteristics.  Centennial is part of the "Three C's" of American hops, with Cascade and Columbus. Centennial is indeed similar to both, and lands between them in several categories. It isn't as strong as Columbus, but is bigger than Cascade. It has similar bittering notes as Cascade, but neither have the bitter punch that Columbus do...