Grätzer

A great one to enjoy by the autumn bonfire, this is a style that any smoked-beer enthusiast should know how to make—and it can be nearly as easy to brew as it is to drink.

Oak-smoked wheat malt drives the character of this Polish-style quaffer, which—when brewed well—is as refreshing on a warm day as it is appropriate next to an autumn bonfire.

Jan Chodkowski, co-owner and head brewer at Our Mutual Friend in Denver, shares this recipe for their Polish-inspired grodziskie. Brewed with only in-state ingredients, it includes wheat malt from Colorado Malting Company—half of it oak-smoked—and Colorado-grown Tettnanger hops.

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.