The Dark Side of Winter

raise a stein to those four cold-weather companions--dark beer, ale, porter and stout

Our taste for beer doesn't go into hibernation when the frost settles on the outdoor grill. But it does change with the weather. Come October, the pale golden beers that line the shelves during summer months are joined by an intriguing array of dark beers brewed less for their thirst-quenching capacities than for their pure flavor. Indeed, several American and European breweries offer special winter beers available only between December and March.

If this seems like a recent trend, it's not. Most early American beers were dark, and some have hardly changed. Michelob, for example, doesn't call its version Classic Dark for nothing. With a nod to Bavarian and Bohemian brews, Classic Dark has the kind of malty, nutty taste that's perfect with juicy bratwursts or Italian sausages.

In fact, it's the flavor--not the potency--that separates dark beer from its paler counterparts. To turn barley into malt, you have to dry it over heat. If the grain is stewed or roasted instead, you have the makings of a dark beer. This process doesn't increase the alcohol content, nor does it necessarily result in a fuller-bodied beer. It just makes it dark and gives the beer a nutty taste.

Even the lightest-bodied dark beers have a satisfying flavor, and some are made intentionally fuller for the colder months. In the days before refrigeration, breweries were unable to make beer in the summer months. They brewed from harvest through winter, filling every cask in the cellar by March to last through the summer. Then, in September and October, they ceremoniously drained the last (continued on page 166)Dark Side(continued from page 115) stocks. As a result, the slightly stronger, fuller-bodied bock beers appeared in February and March, while the lighter, reddish-amber Oktoberfest brews didn't show up until early in the fall.

Several of the smaller breweries still follow this traditional schedule. Among them is Samuel Adams, the Boston brewing company that makes an outstanding malty (and potent) Doppel ("double") Bock. Bocks are even more common in the Midwest, especially in Wisconsin, from such breweries as Leinenkugel (which also offers Limited holiday lager), Point, Huber and Capital, among others. There's even a tiny brewery in Milwaukee called Lakefront that has its bock beer publicly blessed by a priest on Saint Joseph's Day (March 19), the traditional beginning of Catholic Bavaria's winter beer season.

Make a note on your calendar for later this year when several of these same Midwestern breweries will introduce their sweet-tasting, reddish-amber Oktoberfest beers. Other beers to try are from Sprecher of Milwaukee and Schell of New Ulm, Minnesota.

Also popular during the colder months are winter ales and porters. The so-called classic pale ales often have a tawny-red color, and many are darker than that. But regardless of color, a good ale should have a characteristically fruity taste. Hampshire Special Ale, brewed in Portland, Maine, has a fruity, slightly chocolate flavor. Ballantine India Pale Ale is an old favorite in the East and Midwest. In San Francisco, the Anchor Steam people brew a spiced Christmas Ale that is phased out after the new year. After that, Californians turn to the extra-strong Old Foghorn Barley Wine or local rival Sierra Nevada's Celebration Ale (another year-end brew that is made with different hops each year) and Big Foot Ale.

Porters, almost-black brews with a roasted taste, are a Pennsylvania tradition--especially such brands as Stegmaier and Celebrated Pottsville Porter from Yuengling, America's oldest brewery (founded in 1829). A great Midwestern example is Great Northern Porter, made at the Summit brewery in St. Paul, Minnesota. In the West, Seattle's Red-hook brewery calls its porter Winter-hook, and Yakima's brewery sells its honey-flavored entrant under the Grant's Imperial Stout label. There's also a smoked porter from the Alaskan Brewing Company that goes well with salmon.

If you're into imports, all the major European brewers--including Carlsberg, Beck's, St. Pauli Girl, Heineken and Löwenbräu--have at least one dark beer. Also check out Grolsch Premium Dark, a nutty new treat from the Old World.

There's also a fair share of dark beer brewed south of the border. Mexican labels such as Dos Equis and Negra Modelo are popular and widely available here. It's just too bad that the equally tasty Mexican "new year" beers aren't so easy to find. Another import in the tough-to-track-down category is San Miguel, an entrant from the Philippines. It's worth the effort, though, as many consider it to be a very tasty dark beer.

If you're hesitant to dive into the dark, many a beer lover has moved from gold to reddish-amber beer by way of the fruity Bass Ale or the hoppy Double Diamond from England. And while Bass does not export its stronger barley wine to the U.S., Young's, a London brewery, does. Labeled Old Nick Barley Wine, this worthy substitute features a provocative picture of Satan on the bottle. This playful use of the Devil may offend American fundamentalists but it raises few eyebrows in Britain, where the brewery's products have been publicly favored by the nonagenarian Queen Mother. Young's also offers a dark ale called Winter Warmer, and its northern English rival, Samuel Smith, has a powerful fruity ale called Winter Welcome.

The imports to treat with caution include Paulaner's strong Salvator Doppelbock (named after the savior by the monks who first brewed it) and Switzerland's even more potent Samichlaus (the name means Santa Claus in the German dialect spoken in that region). Samichlaus is the world's strongest beer, with an 11-to-11.5-percent alcohol content. In fact, it's so full-bodied and rich that you could almost eat it with a spoon.

If you plan to stock up early for next winter, check out Thomas Hardy's Ale from Britain, Liefmans' Goudenband Brown Ale from Belgium or the monastery-brewed Chimay Grande Réserve, also from the beer-blessed country of Belgium. All improve with age.

And don't forget, dark beer isn't only for drinking. It's also great for adding flavor to everything from beer bread to beef stews to casseroles. The Irish and English even put Guinness Stout into fruit puddings and cakes.

Few brews are darker or drier than Guinness. Drink it at a cool--but not too cold--temperature in winter. Do the same with Imperial Stout from Samuel Smith, a rich, extra-strong British style originally brewed as a winter-warming beer for export to czarist Russia.

Of course, alcohol won't warm you in the literal sense--unless, of course, you heat it up. To that end, here are a few hot tips on ways to warm your brew.

[recipe_title]Bière BrÛlé[/recipe_title]

Warm (but don't boil) a dark beer in a saucepan. Pour the beer into a flameproof glass. Add one ounce of mandarine liqueur or peach or peppermint schnapps, followed by the same quantity of gin poured slowly over the back of a spoon. Before the gin sinks, light it. Then let the flame subside and enjoy the result. A bière brÛlé makes a nice visual after-dinner drink--especially if the lights are low when you flame the brew.

[recipe_title]Mulled Ale[/recipe_title]

Warm a dark ale in the same way as above. Add an ounce of Scotch, a pinch of ginger, a twist of lemon peel and a stick of cinnamon for show.

[recipe_title]Stout Party[/recipe_title]

Warm a dry stout such as Guinness. Add an ounce of Irish whiskey and season with honey and nutmeg.

Each of these recipes is guaranteed to keep you toasty until Saint Patrick's Day, when beer temporarily turns green. Cheers!

"If you're into imports, all the major European brewers have at least one dark beer."