Dark ’n’ Toasty

Not every glass of ruby-tinged, black liquid is a stout or porter. Check out the world of dark ales and lagers, which are currently enjoying a minor moment with beer aficionados.

BY KATIE HERRERA // PHOTOS BY IZAIAH JOHNSON

Dark lagers from Germany’s Bavarian region and the Czech Republic’s Bohemia, and dark ales from England and the U.S., are mellow beers that make for easy drinking and are excellent accompaniment to a meal. Hop bitterness is balanced by malt sweetness, though some styles boast a more acute hop aroma like the Cascadian dark ale, a style currently seeing a minor resurgence. Toasted grain offers these styles a nice caramel complexity that can quickly approach a rich, toffee-like profile.

These styles are distinguished by palate nuances characterized as nutty and chocolatey but never coffee-like or burnt. Despite their dark nature and unlike stouts, porters and even some brown ales, acridity is low. Although a small amount of heavily roasted grain may be used, its impact on the beer is visual and rarely affects flavor and aroma. Despite their appearance, these beers are not meant to be aggressive and bold. They are direct in their function but should never be sharp; they’re as cozy as they are refreshing. If you are intrigued, check out this list of mostly local brews. The dark side awaits the willing.

Dark Mild Ale

Frequently encountered in pubs across England and often considered a beer to drink every day by just about anybody, mild ales are the quintessential beverage of the British commoner. A nourishing, full-bodied style that boasts a low alcohol content and charming fruit-forward sweetness that blends nicely with notes of toasted bread and a creamy body brought on by generally low carbonation.

Try these:

Rockwell Beer Co. Oxford Llama

Bluewood Brewing 1821 Mild

Czech-Style Dark Lager

Tmavé pivo, or Czech dark lager, is the newest and trendiest lager embraced by American breweries. Often overshadowed by its spritely pale counterpart, this darker-hued, Czech-style brew is just as refreshing with a rich, toasted malt palate that lightly resonates on the tongue with subtle notes of cocoa and caramel.

Try these:

Wellspent Brewing Co. Dark

Heavy Riff Brewing Co. Dark Star

Munich Dunkel

Dunkel translates to dark in English, and the dunkel lager is an exemplary Bavarian beer. The Munich dunkel is clean with toasted, nutty Munich malt lending ribbons of freshly baked bread and caramelized sweetness that often approach a toffee-like richness. Hop presence is moderate in bitterness and subtle on the nose with an occasional lingering note of spicy, herbal anise.

Try these:

Urban Chestnut Brewing Co. Dorfbier

Main & Mill Brewing Co. Classic Munich Dunkel

Third Wheel Brewing No D Dunkel

Schwarzbier

Much drier and lighter-bodied than its dunkel cousin, the schwarzbier is also Munich’s more roasty black beer. Sweetness is subdued and bitterness is apparent due to the heavily roasted malt and hop balance that characterizes the style. Some iterations teeter the line of burnt toast, but its light-bodied nature means the style is rarely perceived as meal-like or heavy.

Try these:

Schlafly Schwarzbier (available late November)

Civil Life Brewing Co. Black Lager (available August or September)

Cascadian Dark Ale

Also known as a black India pale ale, the Cascadian dark ale was popularized in the Pacific Northwest to showcase the complementary nature of heavily toasted grain and American hop profiles. Mediumlight body, drier mouthfeel, dominant citrus and piney hop aroma, and caramelly, chocolatey malt blend to showcase an intentionally provocative style.

Try these:

2nd Shift Brewing Dead & Alive (available August or September)

Firestone Walker Brewing Co. Wookey Jack