Beer Style Guide: Get to Know American Amber Ale with Em Sauter
Yet another early era microbrewery/brewpub beer (you can sense the theme here), the American amber ale was invented to fit a need in the brewpub repertoire. It was first popularized by brewers in California and the Pacific Northwest.
Like the blonde ale and pale ale, the amber ale was created during the microbrewery movement of the early 1980s. We have discussed American breweries taking English styles and reformatting them using American ingredients, but the amber ale is a sort of unique one as the American amber (or sometimes called a red ale) is invented from the American pale ale. The Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP) guidelines mention Mendocino Red Tail ale as one of the first red/amber ales, which was first brewed in 1983. In Randy Mosher’s book “Tasting Beer,” Mosher mentions Bill Owens, owner of Buffalo Bill’s brewpub, looking at his lineup and using the “amber ale” term as a good middle ground between light beers like blonde ales and darker options like porters. “I had a dark and a light, and what was I gonna call that middle one? Amber!”
In addition to pale malt, American amber ales can have crystal malt added for flavor/color. Amber ales can be lightly hopped to pretty hoppy as they are the precursor to imperial red ales also known as American strong ales. Amber ales have a lovely balance to them between malt and hops. Flavors and aromas of graham cracker, pine, citrus and toast should mingle well together and not fight each other. It’s classified as a medium-high to high malt character with medium to low caramel character derived from roasted crystal malts.
Food Pairings
For foods, amber ales go great with decidedly American foods, things like BBQ or fried chicken. Their light, bitter nature but also their grainy sweetness contrast well with salty foods like snack items (think mesquite BBQ chips) or pork tacos to guacamole. This is my favorite type of pairing as I love salty/sweet creations and beer can help create that easily.
Beers to Try
Bell’s Amber
Michigan based Bell’s makes consistent, good quality beers and it’s always nice to see a traditional amber make the list. Easy to procure with lovely toasty notes. Bring a six pack of bottles to your next party to break up the IPA train many people are on nowadays (not that there’s anything wrong with that haha).
New Belgium’s flagship beer for decades, Fat Tire is a staple that needs no introduction and has been a mainstay of the craft beer scene since New Belgium first brewed it in 1991. Less hoppy than other ambers, it’s so great with spicy cuisine like a hot chicken sandwich.
Northern California’s Anderson Valley Brewing Company has been making good quality beers for decades and their Boont Amber is one of their year-round staples, brewed since 1987. A 12 oz can thrown in during a springtime BBQ or fall tailgating makes this beer a great year-round outdoor option.