Sixpack Sez

July 13, 2009 | Get dark this summer (syndicated version)

By now, your tan should be in mid-season form. Why not put a little color in your beer, too?

I’m talking about dark lager, perhaps the most overlooked summertime style on the shelves.

Now, I know many of you shy away from the dark stuff during DST, and for good reason. Many dark beers are high in alcohol and go down with a heavy thud. You oughta wait till you pull out the wool sweater and light the fireplace before cracking open the likes of an imperial stout. By contrast, a light, golden pilsner or a cloudy, aromatic wheat beer is the perfect antidote to triple-digit temps.

But give dark lager a chance. Despite its appearance, it’s neither cloying nor numbing; in fact, it’s downright poundable, finishing crisp yet satisfying.

Indeed,for many beer drinkers interested in exploring new styles, dark lager is a transition beer, from bland pale lager to a brew with more substantial character. Well-made, it’s refreshing and easy to drink, but with a distinctive flavor that never takes a backseat to its duty as a thirst-quencher. It’s slightly sweet with a burnt tinge, like a campfire marshmallow.

The secret is in the malt.

Other dark beers, like stout and bock, gain much of their color from a relatively large proportion of grain to water. That makes them denser, heavier, and – because there’s more sugar in the mix – higher in alcohol.

Dark lager gets its shade not from the amount of grain, but from its color – in this case, roasted malt. The body and alcohol are about the same as any standard lager, but the added flavor is the difference between white bread and toast.

Some varieties are made with a portion of cheaper ingredients, including corn, to lighten the body. But this is one glass where – thanks to the dominance of those dark-roasted barley grains – you may not notice them.

The style is ancient. Before brewers discovered how to make light, blond lagers in the 19th century, all beer most likely looked similar to dark lager.

Today’s variety can trace its roots back to the Franconian region surrounding the town of Kulmbach , where monastery brewers first learned the trick of lagering – or storing – their beer for months in caves and cold chambers. Occasionally, you’ll see brands use the term “Kulmbacher” on the label as a tribute. You’re more likely to find another German word connected to this style: “dunkel” (pronounced dune-cull), which simply means “dark.”

In America, the style is not particularly popular. Michelob killed its dark lager a couple of years ago, while Miller’s Henry Weinhard’s Classic Dark can be hard to track down. Meanwhile, most microbreweries shy away from dark lager, instead favoring heavier ales.

One of the rare craft breweries that makes it is Pennsylvania’s Sly Fox, which packages its Dunkel Lager in cans.

“To me, a dark lager is a little more drinkable than a brown ale,” said its brewer, Brian O’Reilly. Yes, he agrees, it’s the roasted malts that give it character, but don’t forget about the yeast. “A lager yeast doesn’t produce any fruity esters, so you get a real mellow nose,” he said.

Unfortunately, Sly Fox’s dark lager isn’t released till we turn the clocks back to standard time.

I say, why wait? Give some of these other widely available dark lagers a try while it’s still hot.

American: Victory Dark Lager, Harpoon Munich Dark, Dixie Blackened Voodoo, Saranac Black Forest, Leinenkugel’s Creamy Dark, Henry Weinhard's Classic Dark, Gordon Biersch Dunkles.

Mainstream imports: St. Pauli Girl Special Dark, Heineken Dark, Beck’s Dark.

Premium German dunkels: Zötler Korbinian Dunkel, Einbecker Schwarzbier, Dinkel Acker Dark, Ayinger Altbairisch Dunkel, Flensburger Dunkel, Spaten Dunkel, Warsteiner Premium Dunkel

Elsewhere: Negra Modelo (Mexico), Xinghu (Brazil), Alhambra Negra (Spain), San Miguel Dark (Philippines), Sapporo Black (Japan), Baltika 4 (Russia), Herold Dark Lager (Czech Republic).

-30-