OnTap Magazine

THREE ESSENTIALS FOR BREWING WINTER WARMERS MARCEL HARPER HOMEBRU es, it's that time of year again. When we clean out our fireplaces, find out where the extra duvets were stashed, and develop a curious hankering for beers that not only refresh but also warm the innards. Much like "breakfast beer,” winter warmer is an elusive category of brew to nail down. Of course, there is no winter warmer style in official literature such as the BJCP guide, but most beer aficionados will admit to lager being a poor choice for a winter beer whereas porter seems better somehow. I've always been intrigued by this distinction, since there seems to be no good scientific reason for dark beers, for instance, "warming" one more than light ones. But warm us they do, and in today's article, I'll take you through three essential components of a good winter warmer beer, and finish off with an example recipe for one. Before we go there, it's worth noting that almost any "base" style of beer can be suitably converted into a winter warmer. But some are harder to use for that than others. For instance, creating a lager-style beer is going to be challenging, unless you opt for substyles such as the dark lager or bock beers. On the other hand, using a porter, a stout, or a brown ale as your departure point will be far easier. Y 44 | Winter 2024 | ontapmag.co.za