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Last year was a great one for dark beers from Incendiary in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. While their Schwarzbier earned its spot on our list of Best 20 Beers in 2023, this porter also nabbed gold at the World Beer Cup. So, what makes it tick?

• Porter
• Brown Porter
• Ask the Pros

This light and quenching smoked wheat beer remains a relatively obscure platypus in the style canon. Lichtenhainer is undeniably odd yet easy to brew and lots of fun to drink.

• Lichtenhainer
• Make Your Best
• Smoked Beer

Head brewer Brad Miles and wood cellar manager Nick Pauley discuss the ways this Gilbert, Arizona, brewpub builds a regional approach to flavor in everything from saison and spontaneous beer to lager, while providing crucial support for the agricultural side of beer.

• Podcast

From sourcing old-fashioned ingredients to aiming for authentic flavor, Our Mutual Friend head brewer Jan Chodkowski outlines an approach to brewing historically inspired beers in a modern craft brewery.

• Video
• Video Tip
• Smoked Beer

From Dry January through changing consumer preferences, ProBrew’s Alchemator allows breweries to diversify their product offerings.

• Sponsored

From de Garde Brewing in Tillamook, Oregon, head brewer Trevor Rogers shares this recipe for a spontaneously fermented beer flavored with foraged spruce tips—though the process is easily adapted for mixed-culture pitches or clean, single-strain fermentations.

• Beer Recipe
• Spice/Herb/Vegetable Beer
• Spruce Beer

Easy to forage and easy to use, spruce tips can add a range of flavors to your beers and be used in a variety of ways—and the best time to harvest them is just around the corner.

• Foraging
• Spruce Tips
• Spruce Beer

Bierstadt Lagerhaus cofounder and brewer Ashleigh Carer describes their Helles as “the purest expression of malt,” best consumed by the liter. While it may not get as much fanfare as their Slow Pour Pils, it’s equally beloved among the brewers drawn to Denver’s Bierstadt during the Great American Beer Festival—or any time of year.

• Beer Recipe
• Helles
• Munich Helles

From our Love Handles files on the world’s great beer bars: For more than two decades, O’Brien’s Pub has been one of the most influential drinking spots in one of the country’s most dynamic beer cities.

• Love Handles
• San Diego

Since 2008, Albuquerque’s Marble Brewery has been exploring ways to make great lagers on a system built for ales, and their numerous medals are proof that the work has paid off. In this episode, master brewer Josh Trujillo details their approach—from corn and rice lagers to hop-forward pilsners and even cold IPA.

• Podcast

Jan Chodkowski, head brewer and co-owner of Denver’s Our Mutual Friend, outlines his approach to brewing historically inspired, highly drinkable, smoke-forward beers.

• Video
• Full Video
• Smoked Beer

While the initial investment in new stainless-steel equipment may be higher, the long-term benefits far outweigh the costs.

• Sponsored