Ambers/Reds
Here's an easy recipe for one of the Northwests most popular brews.
Snow Cap Clone
Irish Ales are malty and smooth with a copper color. It doesn't require much aging as its hoppier or darker cousins do. We are using some of the tastier Belgian malts to give this beer a sweet malt character. This is a little lower alcohol beer(just 1.040 OG) but plenty of flavor.
Another Northwest favorite recreated for us by customer Dave Frombach. This Amber is both malty and hoppy. Not bitter but well seasoned with Hallertau hops. I suggest dry hopping (adding the final ounce of Hallertau to the secondary fermenter or keg) for even more flavor. We use a partial mash in this recipe. If you are not familiar with this process, check the "Recipe" section of the website or ask me next time you are in.
This Amber should be pretty close to the original. It has a deep amber brown color, caramel and chocolate flavors, balanced with hops but not bitter, and spicy hop aroma. It's a beer for all seasons.
Every autumn brings a new batch of the "winter warmer" ales. Most of these winter warmers are higher alcohol brews, but that's all they have in common. For most micro breweries, making the same beer all year can be tedious. The winter warmers give the brewmaster a chance to experiment with different combinations of malts and hops, but whatever the mixture, it's usually over the top. First Frost is a big beer too. It's dark brown and full of malt flavor but not overly sweet. At 7%, it will keep you warm, but not put you to sleep. We use Centennial hops to add a slight bitter taste and Willamette hops for finish. The real surprise in this beer is a stick of brewers licorice at the end of the boil. It's optional, if you don't like licorice, but it accompanies this beer just fine.
A Hoppy Amber from Elysian Brewing
It's a very full bodied, dark amber beer with a slightly bitter finish and a pungent, citrusy aroma from the Centennial hops.