The high abv trend

[superiorsat]

I think the added grain and or adjuncts to get the beer to higher abv adds flavor. I wish I could drink "get-drunk-off-of-one-beer beers " all day long but that isn't realistic. I tend to save these beers for night cap beers when I am done for the day and going to sleep is all that is left on the agenda.

 

[Knightshade]

For me...I think there are certain types of beers which are good..or at least supposed to be high ABV. RIS, Belgian Strongs, Olde Ales, Barleywines..those types. When done well, they're very enjoyable. There are others where it seems like the ABV diesel fumes is all they were really thinking about...

and then there are other styles that place value on ABV that I just don't dig very much, which is probably any strong/imperial version of a different style. I like IPAs, not too much of a fan of DIPA or TIPAs. I picked up a lager largely based on it being from St. Petersburg (because..why not?), wasn't really paying attention, but did see that it was a Lager.

Swig..whoa...that is strong. Look at label closer...it is a Strong Lager..didn't know there was such a thing, and it is 8%!!!?? How the frick is a lager 8%? Threw me for a loop for sure, but perfect example. But..it was actually pretty well done so...maybe not a great example.

 

[cmac62]

When I started brewing I thought the higher the ABV the better. Then I got my kegerator with three taps, then the thought of having 3 8+ ABV beers on tap was daunting. I drink most of the beer I brew, there are some times when I can spread it around a little, but I mostly drink my beer. With heavies on all of my taps I would never finish a keg. I like to brew and drink beer, that is why now I will only bottle anything over 8% and I brew a lot less of them (I hate bottling). I'd say most are in the 4-5 range and I like being able to drink several beers in an evening without getting sloppy. Of course with a lot of smaller beers you better have your process down because there is less to hide behind and flaws do get exposed.

 

[Golddiggie]

The majority of my recipes are in the 5-6% ABV range. I have one that's running about 3% (3-3.1%) and usually have one tap with something north of 7% on it (currently an 8.3% old ale). For me, ABV isn't the goal, but a great beer that people (myself included) will want to drink.

I mostly brew the higher ABV recipes for drinking in the cooler months. Since they're better (IMO) on a chilly day/night to warm up with. These are also darker brews, so lower carbonation levels.

 

[SFC Rudy]

High ABV beers, just like NEIPA's, pumpkin, blueberries, peanut butter, (inert other ingredients/styles here), etc, etc is just another trend to satisify those that want something different every time they go to the bar.

 

[Deadalus]

I'll give it a go if the beer is in a style that I like, always makes for a good adventure! If I like it I may make it my last call too. Usually the night's plan won't have me staying at the brewpub overly long and that means 2-4 beers so I like to try out the variety of what's appealing first.

I like to brew to specific styles of beer as a means to have an outline for a recipe. Nothing wrong with deviating or free-wheeling a recipe at all, it's your brewery. I do like to keep a 7-9% beer around to have maybe one or two in a sitting. I generally keep my brews in the 4-6% range for the majority on tap. It would just take me longer to finish off specific taps if they are all high ABV and I like to mix up my styles. Within certain styles I like to try out the higher ABV subcategories from time to time, like bitters for example.

If anything, there has been more of a trend toward lower alcohol and session beers lately. The high alcohol beers are all styles that have been around forever. Going back to days when all the beer was casked and they wrote a number of X’s on the cask to indicate strength. Session beers is a much newer trend. Other than the bitter family, which only came about due to necessity as a response to a shortage of materials during world wars. I don’t think people are looking “to get drunk off one beer” any more than anything else. In a bar, you typically don’t get a pint of an 11% beer. You get a snifter.

I was at a German beer hall in St. Paul(?) years ago and I tried to get a liter of dopplebock but the server came back and whispered in my ear she could only bring me a half. It would only have been my 3rd liter haha but I didn't hold it against her! Big beers these days as you say though are usually only offered as a snifter (not for lack of trying.)

 

[crazyjake19]

I'm in the same boat. When I visit breweries, I'll seek out ones with several beers in the 4-6% ABV range. I've discovered some breweries only to check their website and see that literally every beer they have is 7+%.

At home, the highest ABV beer I brew is my 6.3% NEIPA. I'm considering a S'Mores stout that will likely be around 7-8%, but will be a by-the-fire sipper. Normally, I'm interested in something I can have 2-3 pints of easily.

 

[JAReeves]

My opinion is this. If I brew with grains, yeast and hops, whatever I make is fine as long as it's balanced.

High ABV beers usually means DME and/or LME. And that, to me, is a sacrilege.

I also like beer a lot. And I like to drink a few of them. But I don't want to get drunk. So less ABV, more beer I can have. I'm thinking of looking for/developing a special low ABV recipe that is super tasty.

"Session Beers" by Talley. Good book, explains the how to pull together low-ABV beer recipes with flavor and body. She also gives some clone recipes of sessions beers from commercial breweries.

 

[Barbarossa]

"Session Beers" by Talley. Good book, explains the how to pull together low-ABV beer recipes with flavor and body. She also gives some clone recipes of sessions beers from commercial breweries.

Thanks! Looks like I needed that book and I had no clue! Ordered it right away, seems very good!

 

[jrgtr42]

I don't mind high-test stuff, but as I get older, I can't handle them the way I used to. I used to be able to take a bomber of 11 or 12% BBA Stout like it was nothing and be fine afterwards. These days, half of that and I feel like I shouldn't drive. Though that said, this weekend I was at the Tributary Brewing (Kittery, ME) Mott the Lesser (Kate the Great by another name) release and had a couple of those (10oz pours) plus another and I was OK. A big |Porketta sandwich may have helped that, though.
But overall, as my ABV tolerance goes down, my appreciation for the low-test stuff is going up - a good pils, helles, small wit / saison / patersbier honestly impresses me more than an imperial NEIPA with 10 pounds of hops per barrel or a massive imperial stout. I'm perfectly fine enjoying a 4.5% beer all evening rather than pounding the big guys at this point.
I do generally enjoy a beer or two most nights, especially after the kiddo goes to bed, but I'll take a week or two off now and then. It's interesting, though, it's... I won't say tough, but harder to not open something the first couple nights, but after that, I don't think about it much, and if I go to two weeks, it's almost not at all, and |I'll go down to the basement, and see all the beer and be almost surprised.

 

[Summa_Brewologica]

I don't mind high-test stuff, but as I get older, I can't handle them the way I used to. I used to be able to take a bomber of 11 or 12% BBA Stout like it was nothing and be fine afterwards. These days, half of that and I feel like I shouldn't drive. Though that said, this weekend I was at the Tributary Brewing (Kittery, ME) Mott the Lesser (Kate the Great by another name) release and had a couple of those (10oz pours) plus another and I was OK. A big |Porketta sandwich may have helped that, though.
But overall, as my ABV tolerance goes down, my appreciation for the low-test stuff is going up - a good pils, helles, small wit / saison / patersbier honestly impresses me more than an imperial NEIPA with 10 pounds of hops per barrel or a massive imperial stout. I'm perfectly fine enjoying a 4.5% beer all evening rather than pounding the big guys at this point.
I do generally enjoy a beer or two most nights, especially after the kiddo goes to bed, but I'll take a week or two off now and then. It's interesting, though, it's... I won't say tough, but harder to not open something the first couple nights, but after that, I don't think about it much, and if I go to two weeks, it's almost not at all, and |I'll go down to the basement, and see all the beer and be almost surprised.

Whenever I am gearing up for some down time from drinking I always make sure I’m stocked with a lot of diet soda and various herbal teas. The biggest part of beer, for me, is that it gives me something to look forward to during the day. When I’m doing some detox/taking time off it helps to have something else to look forward to.

There is always a certain level of buzz I like and I don’t want to go beyond it. Those big beers are deceiving. Maybe it’s because drinking them as fast as I drink a session beer causes twice the results twice as fast.

 

[jrgtr42]

Whenever I am gearing up for some down time from drinking I always make sure I’m stocked with a lot of diet soda and various herbal teas. The biggest part of beer, for me, is that it gives me something to look forward to during the day. When I’m doing some detox/taking time off it helps to have something else to look forward to.

There is always a certain level of buzz I like and I don’t want to go beyond it. Those big beers are deceiving. Maybe it’s because drinking them as fast as I drink a session beer causes twice the results twice as fast.

I don't drink much soda anymore - on occasion, but mostly I stick to coffee and water when I'm passing on the alcohol. A few other things, tea, iced or hot, rarely, seltzer....

Agreed on the buzz thing. I like drinking, but as I get older, I don't like getting drunk, or even buzzed too badly. I'll call that pre-buzz "getting fluffy" and when I feel that I know it's time to stop with the booze. It's as much because it takes much longer to recover from a drunk than it used to - once upon a time if I was hungover, a couple bottles of Ginseng iced tea and a big greasy lunch and I was good to go... now it's a couple days before I'm back on an even keel.