Serve in a tulip at 7-10 °C
What it tastes like
The golden strong ale is a trick played on the eye. It looks pale and bright, like a pilsner, but it can be as strong as a light wine. The style took its modern shape around 1970, when Duvel Moortgat turned its strong ale pale to answer the fashion for golden lager: very light pilsner malt, a good dose of plain sugar to thin the body, and a vigorous Belgian yeast.
The sugar is the secret. It ferments away completely, so the beer finishes very dry and light despite all that alcohol. Pear, apple and a little citrus come from the yeast, along with a peppery spice. The hops are more noticeable than in a blonde, adding a fine bitterness and a herbal or spicy note that keeps the finish crisp. Carbonation is high, sometimes close to sparkling wine. It is less sweet than a tripel, though the two are close cousins and many drinkers confuse them.
Style profile
- Look
- Pale straw to deep gold, brilliantly clear, with a huge, rocky white head that lasts.
- Aroma and flavour
- Pear, apple and citrus from the yeast, peppery spice, a soft pale malt base and a clean herbal hop note.
- Mouthfeel
- Light body for its strength, very high carbonation, bone-dry and warming at the finish.
- Ingredients
- Pilsner malt, a large share of plain white sugar, Saaz or Styrian Golding type hops, a highly attenuative Belgian yeast.
In India
This is a beer to share, not a summer session drink. In Indian heat its lightness tempts you to drink it like lager, which at eight or nine per cent is a mistake. It makes a good alternative to sparkling wine at a wedding or anniversary, poured into tulips in small measures. Few Indian brewers make one, as it needs a strong, healthy yeast and careful fermentation control. Imported bottles turn up in premium shops; check the date and buy cold.
At the Indian table
Food pairings contributed by Anuradha Rao
- Hyderabadi chicken dum biryaniHigh carbonation and dryness clean the palate after every rich, spiced mouthful of rice.
- Dhokla with green chutneyThe light, spongy Gujarati snack meets bright fruit and fizz in an easy vegetarian match.
- Goan prawn balchaoDry, peppery beer cuts the sour, spicy pickle-style prawns without being swamped.
- Kaju katliThe beer's crisp dryness balances the dense cashew sweetness of the barfi.
Brewed in India
- Monk's Potion GOLD, Gateway Brewing Co., Mumbai source