2O16 BEER STYLE GUIDELINES

THE BREWERS ASSOCIATION has released its annual Beer Style Guidelines for 2O16. Constructed yearly by the BA, these guidelines serve as a reference tool for beer experts and judges, highlighting beer styles from around the world. Over 1OO total changes were made to this year’s version. Of note, eight new styles were added, creating 152 total. This represents a net increase of seven over the 145 shown in 2O15.

The new additions include the following:
BRESLAU-STYLE PALE SCHÖPS and BRESLAU-STYLE DARK SCHÖPS
Schöps are historic ale styles (the early Prussian city of Breslau is now called Wroclaw and is located within Poland), brewed perhaps as early as the 13OOs, and by the 16OOs documented as predominantly wheat based.
CONTEMPORARY GOSE
Recognizing the huge diversity in modern brewer interpretations arising from and diverging from traditional Leipzig-Style Gose.
FINNISH-STYLE SAHTI
Traditional Finnish style with juniper and bakers’ or bread yeast.
SPECIALTY SAISON
Recognizing the vast variations in modern brewer interpretations arising from and diverging from Classic French & Belgian-Style Saison.
SWEDISH-STYLE GOTLANDSDRICKE
Traditional Swedish style with juniper, birchwood smoke notes and baker’s or bread yeast.
EUROPEAN-STYLE DARK LAGER
Separating these beers from their Munich Dunkel Lager cousins.
PUMPKIN/SQUASH BEER
A new style to emphasize perception of pumpkin and/or squash aromas and flavors, without spicing.
complete guidelines are available for download at brewersassociation.org.