Good morning. It’s no longer a buyer’s market when it comes to big beer brands buying up regional craft brewers. Molson Coors announced that they are selling 4 of the craft beer brands to Tilray they were so eager to acquire previously, as well as ending their internal craft brand AC Golden.

While I don’t blame the “sell out” craft brewers for cashing the check, I’m also happy this trend is reversing, even if it’s due to a general drop in beer sales overall.

-Brandon Copeland

The Top 3 Stouts of 2024

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

1. WHITE STOUT

When you traditionally think of a stout, you think of a beer as dark as night, with a roasted character to it. However, a white stout achieves that roasted quality by leaving out the dark malts and replacing them with cold steeped coffee, cacao nibs, and vanilla beans. That’s exactly what this recipe aims to do - if you’re looking to try something unique, this is it!

Credit: EngineeredBrewWorks

2. Peanut Butter Chocolate Milk Stout

Peanut butter stouts may have been made popular by Duclaw’s Sweet Baby Jesus, but that doesn’t mean it won’t still provide the shock and awe factor for your friends and family. The fairly complex 6 malt grain bill is complemented by a very simple single hop, East Kent Goldings. You can’t go wrong - I made sure to clone this recipe to try this winter.

Credit: Alexjesus7

3. Tiramisu Pastry Stout

This imperial stout sounds disarming, but at 9.9% you have to watch out on this one. Tiramisu would likely be a good pairing for this beer, but there is no tiramisu actually in the beer - just another 6 malt grain bill and a solo hop, this time Magnum. The coffee beans, cacao nibs, and vanilla extract are the special sauce for this one.

Credit: BeardedDogBrewingCompany

Nitro Stout vs. Stout

Nitro stouts, made famous by Guinness, are carbonated using primarily nitrogen where normal stouts are carbonated using carbon dioxide. The nitro stouts hallmark is the creaminess of the foam, which can be irresistible once you get a taste for it.

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Beer Trivia Question

🍺 Historically, patients have been told to drink a stout after what ordinary medical procedure?

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

Homebrew Equipment of the Week

Grainfather G70² All Grain Brewing System

Grainfather released a second version of their immensely popular G70 18.5 gallon capacity all grain brewing system. The main improvements include a perforated grain basket and an integrated sight glass that is part of the recirculation pipework. This system requires a 220V outlet and allows you to brew beers with a max grain bill of 35 pounds.

There is nothing cheap about this unit at a starting price of $2,199, but you’re buying a high quality unit that should last the test of time and brew large batches of high quality beer.

Brewgr Recipe of the Week

Old Beard Stout

Deep into summer I start dreaming of darker, more complex beers that come with the cold nights of winter. This is an ambitious stout - 9.1% ABV and an IBU of 75. A good one to start planning now, because as the Starks remind us in Game of Thrones, winter is coming.

Credit: Brewer 141383

Poll Results: Do you Consider Food Pairing With Your Homebrew?

This was a mixed bag of a poll, and it’s not terribly surprising - if you brew a particular style, it’s only natural to pair that with food that enhances the experience. However, I also understand the other side because I have never brewed beer specifically to pair with food. However, if I had multiple taps, it would be cool to have a “dinner beer” and a “dessert beer” to share with friends and family over a nicely paired dinner.

And the Answer Is...

🍺 Donating blood. Due to the high iron content typical in stouts, patients in the past were sometimes offered a stout after their donation. However, it’s common knowledge today that alcohol can cause dehydration and should be avoided for 24 hours after donating blood.