Brown Beers

A beer with aromas of coffee and chocolate

A dark beer is a beer with a dark robe, sometimes approaching black. This characteristic comes from the malt used to brew beer: it is more roasted for a dark beer than for a lager. Dark beer mainly gives off aromas of coffee or chocolate, coming from the roasted malt. They are also characterised by a rich and creamy foam.

Dark beers have a reputation for being more alcoholic beers than other beers. This is not necessarily true, there are indeed strong dark beers with flavours reminiscent of ethanol, but also dark beers with light alcohol.

It is important to know that the bitterness of a beer comes from the hops. A dark beer will therefore not necessarily be more bitter than an India Pale Ale or an amber beer.

Dark beers are also referred to as Stout or Porter which is the same as the real name is actually Stout Porter. However, there are several types of dark beers, each with its own little peculiarity: Imperial Stout (strong in hops and alcohol), Chocolate Stout (with chocolate aromas), Milk Stout (sweet and slightly bitter due to the addition of lactose with aromas of chocolates), Dry Stout (strong bitterness), Baltic Porter (strong in alcohol with toasted and malty notes) and many more.
Among the most famous dark beers we obviously find the Guinness Draugh of the famous Irish brewery. It is the best-selling beer in Ireland.

Dark beer in the kitchen

The dark beer goes perfectly with a soft cheese with a washed rind (reblochon, mont d'or, pont l'evêque, maroilles, etc.). The strong taste of the beer perfectly counterbalances this type of cheese. For your next Tartiflette evening, opt for dark beers.
This type of beer also goes well with fish and fatty meats.

Dark beer can also be used in cooking for both savoury and sweet dishes. For chocolate fans, try the Guinness chocolate mousse recipe in particular. To wow your diners at your next dinner party, prepare the beer and mustard beef made from stout-style beer.