Brown Ale

This modern take on a Kentucky common comes from a collaboration between Bluejacket and DC Beer, a website that’s been covering the Washington, D.C., beer scene for more than a decade.

Over the years, this recipe has gotten a bit darker and a bit lighter in body, but the goal is the same: to shape an IPA that is distinct from stylistic “neighbors” such as American brown ale.

For brewers who want to get into tart, mixed-culture beers but don’t yet have a lot of confidence or experience, this is a great place to start. But it's also a style where advanced brewers can have a lot of fun dialing it in to their personal tastes.

From Wild Fields in Atascadero, California, here’s a recipe for a brown ale that won gold medals at both the Great American Beer Festival and the World Beer Cup in 2022.

At the 2022 World Beer Cup, California’s Wild Fields won four gold medals—a feat no craft brewer had achieved. But those who’ve followed the career of Ryan Fields aren’t entirely surprised—his studious approach has been paying dividends for years.

This recipe has some built-in guardrails, but even if you blow past them and get a brightly acidic beer with lots of oak and a dry finish despite lots of malt flavor, you’ll still have a beer that’s fun to serve and drink and talk about.

Why yes, we do fire up the grill in mid-winter. Here, brown ale adds layers of Maillard comfort to braised onions and a from-scratch (but simple to make) bratwurst burger.

Courtesy of Russell Carpenter, head brewer at Rocket Frog Brewing Company in Sterling, Virginia, here is a homebrew-scale recipe for their flagship American brown ale that earned two GABF medals in the past three years.

Rocket Frog Brewing in Sterling, Virginia, has taken home two Great American Beer Festival medals in the past three years for its flagship brown ale, Wallops Island. Head brewer Russell Carpenter takes us up to the brew deck and walks us through it.

This recipe is based on notes from Russian River’s Vinnie Cilurzo, who shared details from his most recent commercial-scale iteration of the late Mike “Tasty” McDole’s famous homebrew recipe.

It began as a striking reaction to industrial beer before fading into near-obscurity. Drew Beechum tells the tale of brown ale and makes the case for brewing up a big, malty hug.

A stronger and darker Anchor Christmas Ale is here to help us try to forget about 2020. Here, Anchor’s brewmaster explains the thinking behind this year’s recipe and label.

The goal isn't sweet and spicy, but rather dry, dark, and deceptively drinkable. Take a stab at this Belgian-style dubbel.

This recipe courtesy of Brasserie Lupulus in the Ardennes offers a modern spin on the Wallonian strong brown ale.

Historical quirks, local preference, and individual creativity all have a say in the diversity of Belgium’s brown ales.

Belgian panache and historical tricks can liven up a slice of the color spectrum often seen as decidedly unsexy.

American Brown Ale is a classic of the early craft and homebrewing world, and in a perfect world, you’d have a great version of it on tap at all times.

Cured pork is not just for breakfast any more. Try adding a bit of comforting umami and smoke to your next brew with these tips.

American Brown Ale is a classic of the early craft and homebrewing world, and in a perfect world you’d have a great version of it on your taps at all times.

If you're looking to experiment with spiced ales, this recipe is a good one to start with.