Scandinavian Lifestyle Beer flavours: Do you like malty, hoppy or yeasty? By Malin Norman
Apart from water, beer is made of three main ingredients; malt, hops and yeast. Each provides certain flavours; some beers are malty, whilst others have more of a hops or yeast character. When choosing among the myriad of beer styles in bars and bottle shops, it might be helpful to know what characteristics you usually fancy. Let’s start with malt-forward beers. They are all about bready notes, ranging from white bread and crackers to toast, caramel and nuts, and even rich dark chocolate and coffee. If this sounds tempting, examples of malty styles are Amber Lager, Doppelbock and Brown Ale, and of course the dark, smooth and delicious Porter and Stout. Moving on to hops-driven beers. They carry more grassy, earthy and herbal notes, but can also feature citrus and tropical fruits such as mango and pine-
apple – especially American hops. You can also expect higher levels of bitterness and a lingering aftertaste. If you like this, the obvious choice is American Pale Ale, as well as all types of IPAs, from Double IPA and New England IPA to the latest trend, Cold IPA. And lastly, beers that showcase yeast character have fruity flavours such as banana, pear, plum and raisins, and spicy notes like clove or black pepper. Try a Belgian style such as Saison or Witbier – both are complex yet refreshing. Even if the aroma reminds you of something sweet such as honey or apricots, Belgian beers will often have a dry finish – easily quaffable. What characteristic do you like most in beer? With a taste for bitter green tea, I often lean towards hops-forward beers, but at a sessionable alcohol strength. So, in a pub, I will probably ask
for an American Pale Ale or a session IPA. They hit the spot for me.
Malin Norman is a certified beer sommelier, beer judge and member of the British Guild of Beer Writers. She writes about beer for Scan Magazine and international beer magazines.
Can the recession make us more mindful? By Alejandra Cerda Ojensa
I was talking to a friend the other day about the lifestyle changes people make due to the rise in electricity prices. We quickly established that habits that might be new to some families, others already do all the time. We are being advised to wear extra pairs of socks and lower the temperature in our homes, shut off the water while we’re shampooing or brushing our teeth, change the lightbulbs to low-energy ones, and so on – minor things that many already do for environmental reasons, or due to low incomes. It reminds me of when the pandemic came to Stockholm when I was living there. Shelves in the grocery store were quickly emptied of dry foods like lentils 22 |
Issue 148
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November 2022
and beans – cheap food that is common in vegan homes, but also in low-income homes. Many times, the sustainable option is also the cheaper option, but not always, and it upsets me to see how unequally the recession hits. Hopefully, the current situation will invite more families to be mindful of what they consume, eat more plant-based foods, leave the car at home and choose public transport – easy steps to reduce our environmental footprint. But I would also like to invite those who can afford it, to continue supporting small and sustainable businesses, and to go for the eco-friendly options even if they sometimes cost a little more. We need those businesses to survive for a better planet.
Sustainability columnist Alejandra Cerda Ojensa is a Swedish sustainability blogger based in Copenhagen. She loves sustainable fashion, plant-based food, natural wines and music. Instagram: alejandracerda.co