It’s the first day of November and we are fully embracing it by highlighting our favourite cozy winter-esque beer- Libra Stout!
While we would argue that Stout Season is actually all year round- there’s something about sipping on a dark brew as the temperature drops.
It’s comfort food in liquid form.
Libra Non-Alcoholic Stout will certainly satisfy your dark, delicious brew cravings. Our recipe would be most closely aligned with a regular dry Irish stout- a dry finish, lightly roasted with some notes of chocolate and coffee. It has a nice rich, smooth finish like the classics that we know and love.
Of course, there will always be some differences when it comes to brewing a non-alcoholic version. We pride ourselves on striking a balance between flavor and low calories- which can require some additional finessing. While it may be lighter than a big frosty pint of Guinness, you will still be left with a delicious roasty beverage, full of flavour unique to us!
There are many variations of these dark, top fermented beers- all with their own unique characteristics and flavor profiles. From an oatmeal or milk stout to an imperial or chocolate stout, there is no shortage of tastes to choose from. (If you’re feeling adventurous- try an oyster stout.. sometimes brewed with freshly shucked oysters and their shells.)
Some fun stout facts for you: Where do stouts actually come from?
The porter actually originated first- in London in the 1720’s. The style rapidly grew in popularity for several reasons: it had a strong flavour, was significantly cheaper than other styles of beers, was not easily affected by heat and took much longer to spoil than other beers. Soon, porter breweries in London were everywhere.
By 1776, large volumes of porter had been shipped to Ireland and Arthur Guiness himself starting brewing it at his St. James Gate brewery.
The beer gained its customary black colour by the 19th century- through the use of black patent malt and a stronger flavour. Originally, the adjective stout meant "proud" or "brave", but later it took on the connotation of "strong". Stout porter was an expression that was born!
Because of the huge popularity of porters, brewers made them in a variety of strengths. The beers with higher gravities were called "Stout Porters". (There is still division and debate on whether stouts should be a separate style from porter)
Cheers to stouts, and cheers to drinking them ALL YEAR ROUND. Let’s end the #stoutstigma!
