American beer has suffered much in the last century. Budweiser, Miller and especially Coors all do terrible things to beer in the name of consistency, cost and convenience. Chemicals and rice definitely don’t belong anywhere near my pint. But in the early 1980s, something incredible happened. Hordes of microbrewers took on the giants and carved themselves a sizeable niche in the hearts of the American drinking public.

One of the first breweries (and certainly the most successful of that initial crowd) was Sierra Nevada. They brewed a simple beer which harked back to the great English pale ales which emerged in the late 19th century. A decent malty backbone, topped up with a healthy handful of big American hops like Cascade.

This recipe, from the wonderful people at Brooklyn Brew Shop, is my latest foray into small batch all-grain brewing. I’ve tweaked it slightly to use Maris Otter, both for convenience and to bring it closer to it’s British roots.

What does it taste like?

Really good! It’s got a lovely light malt backbone with a delicate hoppy taste and a fruity citrus nose. It’s the perfect summer barbecue beer – dangerously easy to drink!

The Geeky Details
“Beyond the Pale” – Based on WGD Pale Ale from Brooklyn Brew Shop
Malt Bill: Maris Otter (Base), Biscuit, CaraHell, CaraRed
Hops: Chinook (Bitterness), Cascade (Aroma)
OG: 1.044 – (1st Feb 2014)
FG: 1.006 – (16th Feb 2014)
ABV – 4.99%