Let’s talk Champagne beers. And, no, we aren’t talking about the macro-brewed American light lager that has commandeered the title.
In our case, “Champagne-style” refers to beers with carbonation and body characteristics reminiscent of sparkling wine. Specifically, beers that exhibit higher-than-typical levels of carbonation paired with a drier finish.
The following Homebrew Con seminar recordings and National Homebrew Competition medal-winning recipes are a great place to start your Champagne-inspired homebrew journey!
Méthode Traditionelle: Brewing in the Champagne Method
Join Annie Johnson–award-winning homebrewer and 2013 Homebrewer of the Year–as she explores how to use the traditional Champagne method to produce amazing Champagne-inspired beers.
Brut IPA: Birth of a New Style
Brut IPA has emerged from the turbid world of murky IPA haze as a new style that is brilliantly clear, effervescent, full of hop flavor and aroma, low on bitterness, and bone dry.
Recipe: Champagne Lager
This light lager homebrew recipe won a gold medal in the 2006 National Homebrew Competition. The recipe uses a simple ingredients list, with one type of malt and one type of hop, to achieve a clean-drinking American-style light lager.
Recipe: Champagne De Guimauve Mead
While not a beer, this semi-sweet mead recipe earned gold in the 2018 National Homebrew Competition. The recipe utilizes forced carbonation in the keg to achieve a Champagne-like effervescence.
The post Homebrewing Champagne-style Beers (and Mead!) appeared first on American Homebrewers Association.