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Here at Beer Hawk we are all about the journey through this vast, beery world. Sometimes it can get a bit overwhelming, so come along with us and let us help you discover your next favourite beer. Great beer is this way!
Say the word lager to someone and more than likely it'll conjure up images of a crystal clear, refreshing beverage. And maybe back to the first beer you tried out of a boot of a car when you were 16. Yet there's so much more to the lovely lager than its reputation holds. Lagers are fantastically clean, sometimes sweet, sometimes bitter but never overwhelming (unless you're enjoying a Rauchbier). Subtletly and freshness are the name of the lager game. If you're a lager-lover and want to discover more, here are our favourite lagers in the world:
We love a Munich Helles because it's an accessible, easy-drinking style. While hops play an important, but restrained, part, the Helles (or you may have seen it written as Hell or Hells) is actually a malt-forward lager. Crisp, clean and fresh, we think Mittenwalder's version is one of the best. And the brewery is in one of the cutest Bavarian towns you'll ever see.
Coming from one of the world's oldest breweries, the Löwenbräu Original is about as traditional a Munich Helles as one could get. As you'd expect in a Helles, the Löwenbräu is crisp, refreshing and classically German. Delicate malts take centre stage in this one but are nicely balanced by distinctive German hops. Best part is--you can get it in six-litre kegs for the Perfect Draft!
To Øl Raid Beer
We like pretty much everything that these exciting Danish brewers produce so when we got this lager into our mouths we were not surprised that we were blown away by it. This beer has the clean, refreshing character that lager-lovers, well, love but with the addition of Simcoe, Citra, Nelson Sauvin and Centennial hops it's chocked full of big, fruity flavours that push the boundaries of a lager just that little bit further.
Since the word dunkel means dark in German, it's unsurprising that this style is usually deep brown or chocolate in colour. Don't let the colour fool you, however. The Ayinger Altbairisch Dunkel has a satisfying and clean roasted malt profile. While not nearly as crisp as your classic Pilsener or Helles, this Dunkel at once complex while still being easy-drinking and balanced.
Ready to try something new than your usual? Not sure where to start? Give these styles and beers a go--we know you'll love them!
This style finishes dry and slightly crisp with a lingering bitterness. A subtle fruitiness may be present but the California Common (or you may have seen it called a Steam Beer) is generally clean.
Must try: Anchor Steam
Hailing from the beautiful German city of Cologne--in fact, it can only be called a Kölsch if it's from there--the Kölsch is a crisp, clean and slightly fruity lager/ale hybrid. This style is brewed with a clean ale yeast but then goes through a lagering period so that the end result is a simple, easy-drinking beer ready to drink in large quantities.
Must try: Früh Kölsch
Another subtle and highly-drinkable beer from a great German city, the Altbier finds its roots from the city of Düsseldorf. This style is well-balanced and clean with a slightly bitter edge to it (some more than others). Similar to its Kölsch cousin, the Altbier uses an ale yeast and undergoes a lagering period which gives us this smooth, sessionable beer.
Must try: Schlösser Alt
While this style has that distinctive spicy-yet-fruit Belgian yeast character its dry finish and effervescent carbonation will surely appeal to those who are looking for something crisp and refreshing to drink. The Belgian Blond does have a certain lager-like character and is more subtle than most other Belgian styles.
Must try: La Trappe Blond
We hope you are as excited about your beer journey as we are and hopefully you find yourself inspired to try something new (or just drink more of what you love!) Whenever you're in stuck for an idea, just follow us. Great beer is this way!
If you’re not already into craft beer then hopefully you’re thinking about it but may not know where to start, so if that’s the case then I’ve got a suggestion: start with Belgian beer as that’s exactly where my adventure began.
Father’s Day, 16th June 2019, is the special date in the calendar when we celebrate and give a nod to the Dads in our lives. It’s an excuse to spoil them with a little something to say thank you for being awesome. If you’re looking for inspiration for a craft beer -loving Dad, then check out our top 10 Father’s Day craft beer gifts.
If you find yourself reading this, it’s probably for one of two reasons. Either you’ve made the sound decision and invested in a Phillips PerfectDraft Machine and want to learn more about it; or it could be that you’re still on the fence and are asking yourself “Should I buy a PerfectDraft?”. Hopefully this nifty little guide will put your mind at ease and quell any doubts or concerns you have.
In case you missed the explosion of teddy bears and chocolate roses love is apparently in the air. And while you’ve been trying to decide on the perfect Valentine gift for other half this year, we've been busy scouring the shelves for the most tenuous Valentine’s Day-related beers we could find. Enjoy.
Mashing in is the process that extracts all the fermentable sugars from the malt. It's one of the most important steps for all-grain brewing and here's how to do it.
