Red Ale

This seasonal ale is a bright enough red to match your Santa hat, and it goes well with just about anything on your holiday table.

From Reuben’s Brews in Seattle, here’s a recipe for a modernized take on amber ale that features plenty of hops in the whirlpool and a broad, malty foundation.

Whether they’re smooth, malty throwbacks or hop-drenched progressives in crimson tuxedos, here are some of the best American amber and red ales we know.

“Mecha Red is a modern amber ale intended to be malty and caramelly, but not a sticky caramel bomb,” says Van Havig, cofounder and master brewer at Gigantic in Portland, Oregon. “It’s mildly fruity from hops and esters and finishes with a hint of chocolate.”

In this throwback IPA style that recalls the beauty of malt—both visually and in the flavor—you can go with a complex, layered all-grain grist. Or, you can get there quicker (and just as beautifully red) with an intentional approach to extract brewing.

Courtesy of Claremont Craft Ales head brewer Brian Seffer, here is a homebrew-scale recipe based on the strong, hoppy red ale that won two gold medals in the past three years at the Great American Beer Festival.

Remember malt? Imperial red ale does. Brian Seffer, head brewer at Claremont Craft Ales in Claremont, California, explains the philosophy behind Happy Days, the 9.5 percent ABV red ale that brought home GABF gold in 2018—then did it again in 2020.

Whatever you want to call it, the West Coast–style red ale is different from other beers that try to capture it on their margins. If you’re not brewing these, you’re missing out.

You don’t have to be Irish to make a great Irish red. Here's Josh Weikert's recipe for an easy-drinking red ale.

Jonathan Moxey, head brewer of Rockwell Beer in St. Louis, explains how dehusked roast malts such as Carafa can be useful for adjusting color as well as building smoother flavor into black beers.

Here's a recipe from Canada's Blind Enthusiasm Brewing: a bold red ale with big stone-fruit notes and a very dry finish.

A decent jumping-off point for Red Ale is the American Amber, which ostensibly includes Reds in their midst. There are some worthwhile differences to note, though.

This is Turkey’s Delight Cranberry Irish Red Ale. A holiday ale that is nice, bright red in color, is seasonably rich in malt flavor, and pairs perfectly with turkey in all of its various incarnations (including – and maybe especially – the leftovers).

When Underberg, an herbal bitter digestif, is infused into this recipe, it creates a sophisticated brew with hints of anise and herbs, bittersweet cacao, and a restrained smoky bite.

This traditional Irish Red ale is a popular pounder, now updated with a gluten-reduced option.

Skip the green beer and leprachauns. Irish red ale is a surefire crowd pleaser and among the easiest beers to brew.