The Rise of Herbal Beers

Good morning. On my recent trip to Portland, Maine, I was finally able to try Mliko, a Czech style of beer that is primarily foam. My verdict? Well… kind of just tasted like a really foamy beer.

-Brandon Copeland

The Rise of Herbal Beers

Hops, malt, yeast, water—the classic quartet of beer ingredients. But lately, a growing number of brewers are looking beyond traditional ingredients and diving headfirst into the herb garden.

Herbal beers aren't entirely new (think gruits from centuries ago), but they're enjoying a serious resurgence. Homebrewers and pros alike are tossing rosemary, basil, sage, lavender—even chamomile and hibiscus—into their batches. But is it innovation worth embracing or just another fleeting craft beer fad?

Herbs: Flavor Magic or Muddled Mess?

Done right, herbal additions can take a simple brew and make it extraordinary. Rosemary IPA, anyone? Or perhaps a lavender witbier? Herbs can complement hops, add layers of subtle complexity, or even take center stage entirely.

But there’s the flipside: Too much herb can dominate, resulting in beer that tastes more like shampoo or potpourri. Not exactly what we signed up for.

Is There a "Right" Way to Do Herbal Beers?

Some brewers are cautious—testing herbs in tiny batches or infusions before going all-in. Others love the chaos and excitement of tossing in fresh herbs straight from their garden and seeing what happens. Maybe it’s about balance, or maybe it’s just about bold experimentation.

Then there’s the historical nod to gruit beers—ancient brews made with various herbs and spices long before hops became beer’s defining flavor. These throwback styles offer authenticity, but do modern drinkers really want beer that tastes like medieval medicine?

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Beer Trivia Question

🍺 Which herb was historically used by ancient Egyptians in beer brewing for both flavoring and medicinal purposes?

Read to the end to find out if you're right!

Brewgr Recipe of the Week
40 Years a Bachelor Stout

This recipe has an air of celebration to it… if not some underlying sadness. Regardless of the name, this is a complex American Stout, boasting 9 different grains, 4 different hops, and 3 different yeasts. It’s giving mad scientist vibes, but I have a feeling it’s delicious if you’re ambitious enough to take it on.

Credit: fermenting

Poll Results: Cold Crashing—Do You Bother?

This poll was very mixed - half of you never cold crash, and the other half either always cold crash or sometimes cold crash. From feedback, those who do not cold crash bottle their beer, or they would just rather not complicate the hobby further. For those that cold crash, some are in favor of a slow temp gradient down, while others like to throw it in the fridge and crash the temp quickly. It depends on the style, etc. Clearly, there are conflicting opinions here, but at the end of the day there are a lot of different ways to brew great beer, one not necessarily better than the other.

And the Answer Is...

🍺 Coriander. Ancient Egyptians frequently used coriander seeds in brewing, not just for flavor, but also for its medicinal properties, believing it aided digestion and overall health.