Alternative Fermentables Beer

The Alternative Fermentables Beer category is designed to celebrate brews that feature non-standard grains or sugars, with these ingredients contributing a unique character and flavor. While classic beer styles typically rely on malted barley or wheat as their primary source of fermentable sugars, this category broadens the palette by incorporating alternative fermentables such as rye, oats, sorghum, rice, maize, millet, and various types of honey or molasses.

Beers within this grouping are diverse but share the commonality of highlighting the distinctive qualities imparted by alternative ingredients. They can range from lighter lagers and ales where the special ingredient adds subtle complexity, to Robust Porters and stouts where it contributes significantly to both flavor and mouthfeel. What sets the Alternative Fermentables Beer category apart is not necessarily aroma or bitterness profiles – which may align with more traditional beer styles – but rather the distinctive tastes and textures that emerge from their non-barley-centric recipes.