Of all the grains used to brew beer, certainly the most common is barley. Malted or unmalted, roasted or pale, stewed or flaked, barley is the lifeblood of most all beer brewed in the world today. Sometimes, other grains are used in conjunction with barley in the brewing process. These are called adjuncts in brewers lingo. At times, they may even be the primary fermentable in beer, which by definition is a fermented grain drink, but not necessarily a fermented barley drink.

Corn is a popular adjunct in beer, and you’ll find it in many mass marketed American lagers like Rolling Rock and Miller High Life just to name a few. Corn is cheaper than barley and a good source of fermentable sugars. Native Americans brew and have brewed beer from nothing but corn. This is called chicha.

Anheuser Busch uses rice as an adjunct in Budweiser. They claim that this is not done as a cost-saving measure, since they say rice is more expensive than barley. Rather, rice is used for the unique character it lends the beer, producing a lighter brew than an all barley malt beverage. In Japan, sake is very popular, and though often referred to as rice wine, it’s really a beer. The reference to wine may have more to do with sake’s elevated alcohol content than any similarity to a fermented fruit drink.

In Africa, it is not uncommon to find beers brewed from sorghum or millet. Oats are often used in stouts for the silky-smooth character they impart. Wheat is sometimes used for head retention in various ales and lagers, but after barley it is probably the most popular main ingredient in beer today. In Germany, wheat beers (which use barley in the mash but generally can run between 50% and 70% wheat) have become so popular that they account for one of every five beers sold there.

A cousin to wheat beer would be rye beer. It is usually brewed with a portion of wheat malt in addition to the rye. The Germans call this Roggen, which means rye. This is a stronger, fuller rye beer than is commonly found in Russia, where a rye beverage called kvass. is very popular. Kvass is usually of low alcohol content, perhaps between two and three percent by volume, and may be fermented with fruit.

Some American brewers produce rye beers that are closer to a German-style Roggen than kvass. Red Hook has produced a rye beer in the past called Ryehook; I’ve also seen them brewed by Sacket Harbor Brewing, Salem Brew Works, The Troy Pub and Brewery, Willimantic Brewing Company, Big Rock Brewing, and Boulder Brewing. The latest one I’ve tried is from Young’s Brewing Company (now Dick's Brewing Company) in Centralia, Washington and is called Dick’s Rye Ale.

Dick’s Rye Ale pours to a very cloudy yellow color with a thick head formation and a tart grainy nose. The palate is smooth and quenching but full bodied and robust at the same time. There’s a definite rye character present that can only be described as reminiscent of chewing the seeds in a hearty slice of rye bread. The finish is tart and a tad peppery with hop bitterness; it lingers on the tongue for a time after drinking. This is an extremely drinkable beer, I quaffed a pint before dinner and it was a marvelous refresher on a hot summer evening. A delicious brew that I would definitely drink regularly were it available in my area. At 4% alcohol by volume, you can drink a bit more without feeling the effects too.

And remember, try a new beer today, and drink outside the box.

*Pricing data accurate at time of review or latest update. For reference only, based on actual price paid by reviewer.

(B)=Bottled

(D)=Draft

 



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