An important issue is what kind of beer goes best with brats.
In Colorado, we have performed countless tests of known brands and local
microbbrews. We try to chose a variety of styles, with soemthing new each year. But there are a
couple of styles/brands that keep returning as favorites year after year:
1. Probably the most popular to go with brats is an
Oktoberfest lager,
also known as Märzen lager.
This heavily malted
beer is served at Germany's actual Oktoberfest. From Beeradvocate:
"Before refrigeration, it was nearly impossible to brew beer in the summer
due to the hot weather and bacterial infections. Brewing ended with the coming
of spring, and began again in the fall. Thus, most were brewed
in March (Märzen). These
beers were kept in cold storage through the spring and summer months."
And so, perfect timing to serve at Oktoberfest.
One that consistently rates at the top of our tests for
Märzen is
Sam Adams Octoberfest , which is also
widely available.
2. Next,
India Pale Ale (IPA) or even more popular, Double (or Imperial) IPA
This heavily hopped ale provides a bold accompaniment for brats,
although some find this competes with the brat. But
we find the combination incredible. IPAs have skyrocketed in
popularity in recent years. You will have no trouble finding them,
but among our favorites is always
Lagunitas.
Be aware, the alcohol content of single IPAs is around 7% and for
Double IPAs around 10%. Some popular Double IPAs:
Hercules (Great Divide),
Myrcenary (Odell), Ruination (Stone). Other popular IPAs:
60 Minute (Dogfish Head),
Stone (Stone), Modus Hoperandi (Ska).
3. Third,
Pilsners,
a light, medium-hoppy lager that doesn't overwhelm your food. Some
popular names: Spaten Pils, Pilsner Urquell, Beck's.
Find something nice. Your brats deserve something better than
the standard American big-name beers. If you have any of those
beers, you should use them for the brat hot-tub, described
under "Methods, Brats".
4. Finally, a popular choice, although some of us can't
tolerate them, are
Saisons / Farmhouse Ales.
From Wikipedia: Saison (French, "season"] is a pale ale that is highly carbonated,
fruity, spicy, and often bottle conditioned. As a beer style, saison began as
a pale ale brewed in the cooler, less active months in farmhouses in Wallonia,
the French-speaking region of Belgium, and stored for drinking in the summer
months. These farmhouse beers would have been of a lower ABV than modern
saisons --- around 3 to 3.5% ABV on average, rising in the early 20th century
to between 4.5 and 6.5% ABV. In the Middle Ages, the low-gravity beer was
served as a clean source of hydration for workers who consumed up to five
liters per day. Brewing outside of the hotter summer months was common for
all breweries before the invention of refrigeration, due to the likelihood
of the beer spoiling while fermenting in the summer, due to the prevalence
of airborne bacteria activity. Farmers also brewed during the cooler months
to provide work for their permanent staff during the quieter period.
After brewing, the beer was stored until the summer when the main consumers
would be seasonal workers ("saisonniers"). Some examples: Tank 7 (Boulevard),
Colette (Great Divide).