The Top 3 Pale Ales of 2024

Good morning. The 2024 Paris Olympic games are underway, and while the majority of events are taking place in Paris, the surfing competition is taking place in Tahiti, a French territory. Surfers will competing on a wave so intense and dangerous that it’s called the “Wall of Skulls”. I wouldn’t sleep on this event…

-Brandon Copeland

The Top 3 Pale Ales of 2024

Continuing our series where we have already covered the top 3 lagers and top 3 IPA recipes of 2024 per Brewgr analytics, today we will be covering the American Pale Ale.

1. Citra Pale Ale

Number 1 on the list is the Citra Pale Ale - a fairly classic pale ale with Citra and Cascade hops. This strays outside the category a little with a high original gravity, leading to a higher ABV than most Pale Ales. However, I would still definitely brew this beer, and depending on your brewhouse efficiency you could definitely end up in the right ABV zone.

Credit: Larrito

2. Cascade SMaSH - 2 Row

SMASH beers are “single malt and single hop” beers, and they are popular for their simplicity. These can be a number of styles, but this one is pretty solidly a pale ale - a little off on some metrics, but for the most part in the proper range. This is a great beginner recipe because it’s really simple - just one hop and one malt. Also shout out to Larrito for having the 2 most popular Pale Ale’s on the list.

Credit: Larrito

3. Maris Otter Pale Ale

Named after the primary grain, Maris Otter, this pale ale has a blend of Cascade, Centennial, and Williamette hops. While the ABV is a little high for the Pale Ale range, this looks like an interesting brew - I personally just generally always use 2-row as a base, and would be interested in trying out Maris Otter for a change.

Credit: MarcosKuchak

Pale Ale vs. IPA - Which Is Better?

More and more nowadays I find myself yearning for a Pale Ale over an IPA - something that is still flavorful and unique, but also crushable, lower ABV and a little more toned down on the bitterness. I still love a good IPA, but there is something refreshing about a Pale Ale. Let us know your preference below!

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Beer Trivia Question

🍺 What is considered the first commercial American Pale Ale?

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

Brewgr Recipe of the Week

Blackies Camping Ale

Summer nights are for camping trips, sharing some smores around a fire in the woods followed by a nice cold beer. This is an ale that uses pilsner malt, with a mix of cascade and saaz hops. It sounds perfect for a warm summer night, shared among friends.

Credit: mpt2222

Poll Results: Will Blockchain/Crypto Have An Impact On The Brewing Industry?

Throw crypto or blockchain onto a title, and suddenly it’s controversial. This poll was no different, and I’m not surprised the majority of people said that there will be no effect on the brewing industry. There were a litany of reasons - a lack of understanding of the technology, distaste of criminal activity that uses crypto, and the argument that anything done on the blockchain could be down without it - why track them on the blockchain if you could just put the ingredients on the bottle?

While I think a lot of these points are valid, I also see some upside to it. It’s new technology and hasn’t been adopted by the mainstream yet, and the most useful cases may yet to be invented. However, it could also be the fad of the day - crypto is now in the shadow of AI and other hot button technologies. Who knows what the future holds…

And the Answer Is...

🍺 According to Michael Jackson (the influential beer journalist, not the singer) Anchor Liberty Ale in 1975 was the first APA since it used cascade hops, however if you said Sierra Nevada Pale Ale than you are also correct, because this is the beer in 1981 that truly defined the American Pale Ale style.