Recomend a recipe for buddies coming home from Afghanistan

Old army buddies of mine are getting back from deployment in a few months and I want to welcome them home with some home brewed beer. I want to make a solid beer that they will all like weather they love craft beer or typical American lagers. I would just try and throw a recipe together but yielding to those with more experience seems prudent because this is important to me and i want it to be on point. All grain please. Thanks in advance.


PS if this is in the wrong category I won't be offended if it's move.

There are several recipes on here that are solid. But, I've had a house pale ale I've been keeping around for the last year or too and it is rock solid. Everybody loves it. Citrusy for the 'girly' men and potent enough for the others.

5 gallons

OG 1.056
FG 1.014

9# 5oz 2-row
10oz Munich Malt
10oz Victory

.55 oz Amarillo (10.1%) @ 60min
.55 oz Simcoe (12.2%) @ 20min
.55 oz Simcoe (12.2%) @ 5min
.55 oz Amarillo (10.1%) @ 5min
Dryhop with .5oz each of Simcoe and Amarillo

Batch Sparge with a mash @ 154 for 60 min.

Amarillo is still hard to find, but I know Farmhouse Brewing Supplies has them.

What ever recipe you choose. It's cool your doing this for your buddies.

Check out my Tiny Bottom Pale Ale recipe, it's a real crowd pleaser. There are a few reviews on beersmithrecipes.com if you're interested. Cheers to your friends!!

I've never made it but the Centennial Blonde recipe in here seems to be a huge hit. I'd just look through the light hybrid recipe section and find something you like. Those styles seem to work for BMC drinkers and craft ale lovers satisfying both crowds.

KeyWestBrewing said:

I've never made it but the Centennial Blonde recipe in here seems to be a huge hit. I'd just look through the light hybrid recipe section and find something you like. Those styles seem to work for BMC drinkers and craft ale lovers satisfying both crowds.

Click to expand...

Good points. I should mention my TBPA was designed with BMC drinkers in mind

KeyWestBrewing said:

I've never made it but the Centennial Blonde recipe in here seems to be a huge hit. I'd just look through the light hybrid recipe section and find something you like. Those styles seem to work for BMC drinkers and craft ale lovers satisfying both crowds.

Click to expand...

I have made it a couple of times, I just made a 10 gal batch for my sons first birthday at the end of the month. Really good, light beer that will please pretty much any type of beer drinker, really quick turnaround also. All the grains and 2 packs of US-05 (LHBS was out of Nottingham) cost $30.75. Hard to beat that for 10 gallons.

Thank you all! No bad suggestions for sure but the centennial blonde wins out mostly because I like centennial. Thanks again.