What, Exactly, Is Smoked Beer?

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The beer aisle at your local liquor store or supermarket has a lot of choice, but one variation you might be surprised to find is smoked beer. Sure, smoked foods are one thing, but beer? If you're curious about trying it out for yourself, the flavor and aroma of these suds are definitely unique, so there are a few key factors to know about before you crack one open.

For starters, the vibrant smoky taste and smell are imbued early in the brewing process, before the key ingredients even come together. The malts and grains are exposed to varying amounts of smoke sourced from different types of wood in a traditional smoking process that also dries them for brewing. The process is thought to date back to the earliest days of brewing when all drying processes exposed the grains to some smoke, but most modern beers prevent this contact from happening.

While a variety of beers can have a smoky element, the most intense is likely to be rauchbier, a German style of beer that's so smoky it supposedly satisfies meat cravings during Lent, thanks to a rich flavor that evokes some cured meats like ham or bacon. Other varieties that more commonly get a smoke treatment include rich porters and stouts, distinctive altbiers and Marzens, and even some lagers.

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Smoked beers are also often seen as an ideal food pairing. Most authentically, they're paired with pork-heavy German cuisine, although more traditional smoky barbecue meat also works well with less intense smoked beers. Steer clear of sweeter options, which can emphasize some of the more unpleasant elements of the smoke flavor.

It's also important to distinguish true smoked beers that use smoked ingredients in the brewing process from those that are infused with a bit of smoke flavor from barrel-aging, typically in barrels once used for bourbon. By law, all bourbon barrels must be charred before use, with varying levels of blackening producing different intensities and varieties of smoke flavor. However, these are often more defined by flavors such as caramel, vanilla, chocolate, or spices than pure smoke.

Regardless, there are many delicious and diverse beers you should be drinking, and smoked beers are undoubtedly among them. Imbued with a rich smokiness in the ingredients from the very start, these unique beers are a true testament to the history of brewing and the modern traditions it's led to.