Sharing a beer or two with friends after work or play is one of life’s many joys. Session beers, whose mild strength invites more than one round, adhere to high quality standards and are dedicated to balance and drinkability above all.

Some naturally low-alcohol beer styles were “sessionable” long before that word was coined, but brewers have reinvented traditionally stronger classic beer styles to make them, too, well-suited to casual drinking sessions. Responsible consumption of these high-quality, easy-drinking beers gives beer lovers the freedom to celebrate community and friendship while consuming less alcohol.

Such beers can be challenging to brew, but they present many opportunities to showcase skill, flavor, and refreshment. Session Beers explores the history behind some of the world’s greatest session beers, past and present. Learn about the brewing processes and ingredients to master recipe development. Explore popular craft session beer recipes from some of the best brewmasters in America, and discover why beer drinkers enjoy exploring and drinking session beers.

Session Beers: brewing for flavor and balance

Foreword
Acknowledgments
Introduction

About This Book

SECTION I WHAT IS A SESSION BEER?

Chapter 1 – A Short History of Session Beers

The Original Session Beers of the British Isles
Ales of England
My Goodness, My Guinness
Ales of Ireland
Ales of Scotland
A Little Country Called Belgium
What’s in a Name?
Per Diem
Saison, a Beer for All Seasons
White Beers of Belgium
The Session Beers of Germany and Central Europe
Where Is My Berliner Weisse?
Wheat Beers of Bavaria
The Birth of Lager Beer
Ales of Germany
New World, New Beer

Chapter 2 – Brewing Session Beer: Nothing to Hide Behind

Yin and Yang: Balance Is Key
From Grain to Glass
Grain Selection
Milling
Water Preparation
Mashing
Boiling and Hop Bitterness
Yeast and Fermentation
Maturation
Clarification and Stability
Balance and Specialty Ingredients
Sensory Evaluation
Safety and Sanitation
Safety First
Cleanliness Is Next to Godliness (No Rest for the Weary)
The Intangibles

Chapter 3 – Modern Interpretations

Modern American Lager
High-Gravity Brewing
Adolphus Busch
The Quality of Adjuncts
Oldest Brewery in America
The Impact of the Brewers Association
Birth of the Craft Session Category
Session-Style Pale Ales and IPAs
Development of Quality Hop Character
Other Session Offerings
Gose Rising
Cream Ales
What Once Was Old Is Now New Again

Chapter 4 – Drinking Session Beers

Defining Drinkability
A Session Society
Creating a Culture of Responsible Drinking
Food with Drinking Sessions
Session Beers for Every Season
Education Is Key

Chapter 5 – The Cost of Doing Business

Fiscal and Community Responsibility
Cost of Ingredients
Calculation Explanations
Pricing Explanations
Brewpub Numbers
Microbrewery Numbers
Brewhouse Efficiency and Small-Scale Systems
Final Financial Contemplations

Section II Session Beer Recipes

Recipe Specifications and Assumptions
The Recipes
Specifications and Units
Hops and Bitterness Units
Yeast
Brewing Notes

Chapter 6 – North American Session Beer Recipes

Sun King Brewing Company
Sun King Sunlight Cream Ale (Commercial)
Sun King Sunlight Cream Ale (Five-Gallon Batch)
Auburn Alehouse
Auburn Alehouse Gold Country Pilsner (Commercial)
Auburn Alehouse Gold Country Pilsner (Five-Gallon Batch)
New Glarus Brewing Company
New Glarus Totally Naked Lager (Commercial)
New Glarus Totally Naked Lager (Five-Gallon Batch)
Russian River Brewing Company
Russian River Aud Blonde (Commercial)
Russian River Aud Blonde (Five-Gallon Batch)
Firestone Walker Brewing Company
Firestone Walker Extra Pale Ale (Commercial)
Firestone Walker Extra Pale Ale (Five-Gallon Batch)
Firestone Walker Easy Jack IPA (Commercial)
Firestone Walker Easy Jack IPA (Five-Gallon Batch)
Stone Brewing Company
Stone Go To IPA (Commercial)
Stone Go To IPA (Five-Gallon Batch)
Stone Levitation Ale (Commercial)
Stone Levitation Ale (Five-Gallon Batch)
Squatters Craft Beers
Squatters Full Suspension Pale Ale (Commercial)
Squatters Full Suspension Pale Ale (Five-Gallon Batch)
Wasatch Brewing Company
Wasatch Premium Ale (Commercial)
Wasatch Premium Ale (Five-Gallon Batch)
Bell’s Brewery, Inc.
Bell’s Oarsman Ale (Commercial)
Bell’s Oarsman Ale (Five-Gallon Batch)

Chapter 7 – German-Inspired Session Recipes

Urban Chestnut Brewing Company
Urban Chestnut Zwickel (Commercial)
Urban Chestnut Zwickel (Five-Gallon Batch)
5 Rabbit Cervecería
5 Rabbit La Bici (Commercial)
5 Rabbit La Bici (Five-Gallon Batch)
Red Rock Brewing Company
Red Rock Black Bier (Commercial)
Red Rock Black Bier (Five-Gallon Batch)
Saint Arnold Brewing Company
Saint Arnold Fancy Lawnmower Beer (Commercial)
Saint Arnold Fancy Lawnmower Beer (Five-Gallon Batch)
Hollister Brewing Company
Hollister Tiny Bubbles (Commercial)
Hollister Tiny Bubbles (Five-Gallon Batch)
Sierra Nevada Brewing Company
Sierra Nevada Otra Vez (Commercial)
Sierra Nevada Otra Vez (Five-Gallon Batch)

Chapter 8 – Other International Session Beers

Allagash Brewing Company
Allagash White (Commercial)
Allagash White (Five-Gallon Batch)
Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales
Jolly Pumpkin Bam Biére (Commercial)
Jolly Pumpkin Bam Biére (Five-Gallon Batch)
Brooklyn Brewery
Brooklyn ½ Ale (Commercial)
Brooklyn ½ Ale (Five-Gallon Batch)
Yards Brewing Company
Yards Brawler (Commercial)
Yards Brawler (Five-Gallon Batch)
Stone Brewing Company
Stone Lee’s Mild Ale (Commercial)
Stone Lee’s Mild Ale (Five-Gallon Batch)
Carl Heron
Carl Heron’s English Amber Ale (Commercial)
Carl Heron’s English Amber Ale (Five-Gallon Batch)
Drop-In Brewing Company
Drop-In Tisbury Local (Commercial)
Drop-In Tisbury Local (Five-Gallon Batch)
Jennifer Talley
Jennifer Talley’s Dry Irish Stout (Commercial)
Jennifer Talley’s Dry Irish Stout (Five-Gallon Batch)

Afterword

Evacuation

Bibliography
Index