Cranberry beer is a popular style of beer that has been brewed for centuries, dating back to the early 1800s. The tart and fruity flavors of cranberries make them a perfect match for many different types of beer, from light lagers to dark stouts. While there are many commercial beers that include cranberries, no one specific “cranberry beer” exists; instead, brewers simply add cranberries to their existing recipes, thus creating a variety of unique styles and flavors.
The earliest records of brewers using cranberries in their beer can be traced back to the early 1800s. It is believed that Native Americans first introduced cranberries into their traditional beers as a way to add flavor and complexity. Over time, more and more brewers began experimenting with cranberries in their recipes and soon it became a popular style of beer. By the mid-1900s cranberry beers had become a mainstay in many breweries around the world.
Today there are many different varieties of commercially available cranberry beers available from craft breweries around the world. Some popular examples include Dogfish Head's SeaQuench Ale, Rogue's Cranberry Witbier, Kona Brewing Company's Big Wave Golden Ale with Cranberry Juice, Great Divide Brewing Company's Hibernation Ale with Tart Cherries & Cranberries , and Unibroue's La Fin du Monde with Frozen Cranberries . These beers range from light lagers to dark stouts and feature varying levels of tartness from mild to intense depending on the type of cranberry used in the brewing process.
If you're feeling adventurous you can even try your hand at brewing your own cranberry beer at home! The process is fairly simple as long as you have all the necessary equipment on hand (a full list can be found at the end of this article). First you'll need to choose what type of base beer you want – light lager or dark stout? Once you've decided which direction you'd like to go in it's time to start gathering ingredients. For this recipe we recommend using pale ale malt extract along with some flavorful hops such as Cascade or Centennial for bitterness and aroma as well as some specialty grains such as crystal or carapils for added body and flavor.
With your malts crushed and ready it's time to start mashing your grains in hot water – this is where all those delicious sugars come from! You'll also want to add your hops during this stage so they can impart their bitterness into the wort (unfermented beer). Once your mash is finished it's time for boiling – bring your wort up to a rolling boil then add half a pound (or more depending on how intense of a flavor you want)of fresh or frozen cranberries along with any other additional ingredients such as spices or fruit juices for added complexity. Boil everything together for an hour then cool down your wort before transferring it into fermenters – now it's ready for yeast! Pitch (add) some yeast into each fermenter then let them sit until fermentation is complete – usually 5-7 days depending on temperature
Once fermentation has finished its time to bottle! Prime each bottle with sugar then fill them up with your newly fermented liquid gold seal them up tight let them carbonate naturally over time (1-2 weeks). Now all that's left is enjoying your freshly brewed homemade cranberry beer!
Is There A Cranberry Beer?
Brewers have been using cranberries in beer for centuries, dating back to the early 1800s. The tart, fruity flavors of cranberries are a perfect match for many different types of beer, from light lagers to dark stouts. While there are many commercial beers that include cranberries, there is no one specific “cranberry beer.” Instead, brewers simply add cranberries to thir existing recipes, resulting in a variety of different styles and flavors.
Some of the most popular cranberry beers include Shipyard Cranberry Ale, Sam Adams Cranberry Wheat, and Three Cranes and That Cranberry Good Good. All three of these beers are made with real cranberries, giving them a unique tart flavor that pairs well with the malt and hops used in traditional beer brewing. If you're looking for a fruity but not too sweet beer to enjoy this winter, be sure to check out one of the many cranberry beers available on the market.
Who Makes A Cranberry Beer?
Harpoon Brewery, based in Boston, MA, makes a cranberry beer called Grateful Harvest Ale. For every six-pack of this beer sold, Harpoon Brewery donates $1 to a local food bank.
