Smoked Beer Is A Real Thing You Can (And Should) Drink. Here's How To Start

Smoked beers are supposed to be the next big thing, but Geoff Bragg — a master beer judge certified by the BJCP (the Beer Judge Certification Program) — reminded us that they're not really all that new. "Historically, most darker beers before the advent of the drum roaster and indirect heating probably had some level of smoke in them," explained Bragg. "Drying grains with direct fire was used to create the darker color and roast character of darker beers before the early 1700s and naturally picked up smoky notes like hanging out at a campfire."

Over time, this live fire drying faded out as brewers moved towards cleaner and more efficient sources of heat, which is why the smokiness feels new. The only difference in the smoky beers of today is that the method is being used intentionally to impart a smoky flavor and that, these days, lighter colored beers — and yes, that includes your IPAs and lagers — can be smoky too. As Bragg told Tasting Table, "In order to create these beers, the malts used are dried using smoke. These grains imbue phenolic smoky notes when they are used in the mash."

You can most certainly smoke the water and the hops in beer, too, and you can bet there's a brewer out there already experimenting with it. Most breweries, however, will likely be importing their special, pre-smoked malts from elsewhere in the world. With them, they get creative, providing craft beer lovers everywhere with a smokier, craftier, drinking experience.

So how do you start drinking smoked beers? Geoff Bragg recommends something that will still feel familiar. "I think the easiest way for someone to ease into smoked beers is probably a smoked porter. Many of the familiar flavors you expect are still there with the complexity [of] the added smoke," Bragg said. But the beauty of smoky beers is that they all really start with the malts — the foundation of every single type and variety of beer — which means brewers can take them in any direction they please.

With that, you can look for a smoked version of whatever you usually drink. There are plenty of smoked porters on the market, including those from Alaskan Brewing Co. and Stone Brewing, but if you like lighter types of beer, there are ones like the Rauchbier lager from New Paltz Brewing Co or the Smoked Helles light lager from Little Fish Brewing Co. IPA drinkers will also find familiarity in beers like the Burn The Ships cherry-smoked IPA from Able Ebenezer Brewing Company and Black Market Brew Co's smoked quadruple IPA, Seek & Destroy.

Still a bit experimental, your options for smoked beers will likely come and go. But knowing smoked malts can appear in any of its forms, they will always be wide. Keep an eye out for smoked malts at your favorite brewery — and don't be afraid to mention it to whoever is working the taps. It's sure to strike up some inspiring conversation.