What Is Enriching Beer and How Is It Done?

Although enriched beer is a well-known notion among beer fans, there are numerous myths surrounding it. Many people mistakenly believe that enhancing beer only entails adding fruit slices to it.

In this article, we’ll define enriched beer, what it is, what it isn’t and how to enrich beer.

Table of Contents

• What Is Enriched Beer?
  • What Enriched Beer Isn’t
• How to Enrich Beer
• Improving Beer Flavor and Taste
• Ingredients That Enhance Beer
  • Beer Salts
  • Bitters
  • Citrus
  • Creamers
  • Fermentable Sugar
  • Juice
  • Liqueurs
  • Margarita
  • Soda
  • Syrups
• FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)

What Is Enriched Beer?

A beer that has undergone various stages of improvement to enhance its flavours is said to be enriched. Craft beer can be enriched before, during, or after brewing.

The primary objective is to raise the standard of the beer, frequently the flavour and taste. Beer enrichment basically refers to processes used to improve the flavour and taste of beer throughout fermentation.

Learn more about beer flavour in our What Does Beer Taste Like? guide!

What Enriched Beer Isn’t

A beer’s flavour can be enhanced and improved, but that isn’t always an enrichment. For instance, even if you or a beer expert believe that adding fruit slices to beer portions enhances the taste and flavour of the beverage, doing so does not enrich beer.

A wedge of lime is frequently placed at the bottleneck of Corona Light when it is served. Corona Light is still the same beer, despite some drinkers’ perceptions that the lime makes a noticeable difference in the flavour.

To enhance the quality of beer, a variety of procedures involve mixing it with other things. In bars and pubs, these actions are commonplace, particularly when dealing with sour beers.

But there’s no denying that they might give the brew a special flavour. They shouldn’t be difficult; at best, they might make it better.

How to Enrich Beer

To enhance the general characteristics and quality of homebrewed beverages, several homebrewers in various craft and microbreweries carry out various experiments. All of them result in the beer being enhanced (improved).

But only homebrewed beers can often be considered to be enriching. You must stop claiming that you are improving an existing product.

Adding more protein to beer, like in protein-enriched beer, is one approach to enrich it. A noteworthy example is Barbell Brew, a high-protein beer produced by the UK-based company MuscleFood. This drinking beer is popular among beer drinkers who are concerned about their fitness and health.

Improving Beer Flavor and Taste

Among many beer experts and lovers, the phrase “When beer is good, there’s no reason to improve or enhance it” is particularly common. Although the flavour and aroma of premium beers frequently appear too good to require any sort of refinement or development, this is not totally accurate.

Drinkers can always come up with original techniques to enhance the quality of their beer depending on their personal preferences. The ingredients used to improve beer flavour and taste frequently sweeten or diminish the bitterness of the beer.

In other circumstances, they enhance the flavour of the beer while reducing the alcohol content or letting the hidden beer ingredients show.

Brewing businesses do not frequently enrich their beer. For homebrewers, it is a little more practical because they may experiment with different beers to find ways to enhance flavour and taste.

Ingredients That Enhance Beer

Here are ten of the most popular ingredients that, when correctly combined or added to beer, will enhance the flavour of beer:

1. Beer salts
2. Bitters
3. Citrus
4. Creamers
5. Fermentable sugar
6. Juice
7. Liqueurs
8. Margarita
9. Soda
10. Syrups

Beer Salts

Beer salts are a quick and simple way to improve the flavour of crisp lagers. These salts provide the beer with savoury and citrus flavours. The Mexican custom of putting salt and lime in beer encourages the habit of enhancing beer flavour by adding beer salts.

Beers can be efficiently flavour-infused with homemade beer salts or commercially-produced salts that have a distinctive savoury flavour. You grind equal amounts of salt and lime powder to create homemade beer salts. Your beer’s flavour is distinct thanks to the harmony of the lime and salt flavours.

Visit our Adding Salt to Beer guide to learn more!

Bitters

Bitters are liquids with an alcoholic flavour that can be added to brews or combinations using a dropper. Be careful not to add too many drops of bitters to your brew.

Each sip is frequently tasty and gives lagers, pilsners, or wheat beers more depth. As a result, adding too many drops could complicate the beer and change how it tastes overall.

Bitters bring up buried tastes and enhance the positive aspects of beers that already exist. They are typically employed for traditional cocktails. Let’s say you discover that there are flavours in beer that you usually don’t notice. Bitters would make them sparkle more when added.

Citrus

Lime is frequently seen on Corona posters. In bars and taverns, blending beer and other alcoholic beverages with different citrus species is quickly gaining popularity.

Citrus and beers work well together because hops’ bittering properties in beer merge seamlessly with citrus flavours. Considering that many varieties of hops include citrus flavours including lemon, orange, lime, and zest, among others.

The consequence of incorporating citrus into beers is comparable to that of a margarita, where the lime lessens the alcohol flavour and enhances the flavour profile. Additionally, it doesn’t always have to be the actual fruit; liquids rich in citrus fruits in general are generally helpful.

Creamers

The main purpose of creamers is to make black coffee, tea, or espresso lighter. They also lighten dark beers and add this beautiful creamy flavour, just like they do with the other drinks.

Additionally, they add a certain amount of sweetness, which helps lessen the bitterness of hopped beers. For lightening dark beers, decreasing their bitter flavour, and upping their alcohol content, Bailey’s Irish Cream is a suitable choice.

Fermentable Sugar

The addition of fermentable sugars to beer is only for drinkers who wish to increase the alcohol concentration because they feel the beer isn’t strong enough. This entails increasing the amount of sugar and malted grains in the mix. Not every type of sugar, though, can be entirely fermented.

Therefore, adding such sugar would likewise boost the brew’s sweetness. Table sugar, honey, maize sugar, and maple syrup, on the other hand, are all 100% fermentable. By using any of these, you can raise the alcohol concentration without reducing the bitterness of the beer.

Juice

To enhance the flavour and taste of beers, various juices are added. The juices of apples and grapefruits are two that immediately come to mind. In general, it’s simple to combine beer and juice. Only keep trying with various ratios of each beverage until you achieve the desired flavour.

The ratios are very different when adding grapefruit juice to enhance beer, though. You must be aware that the juice accounts for a larger amount. You’ll definitely have more oomph after combining the ingredients.

Liqueurs

A fantastic technique to enhance the flavour of beer is by adding liqueurs. Regardless of the type or calibre of the beer, a good liqueur would nevertheless improve its flavour. Schnapps, Kahlua, vermouth, and other typical liqueurs used in taverns and pubs are some examples.

Margarita

Citrus-based margaritas have lively, sweet flavours. You can cover up flavours you don’t want people to taste in your beer by mixing in a margarita.

One effective method for doing this is to combine beer with the other ingredients for a margarita without tequila. But a properly blended margarita with beer will give you that pleasant, fascinating flavour.

Soda

Beer flavour and taste are frequently enhanced with soda, especially light-coloured sodas. They are referred to as “Shandy” in reference to alcoholic beverages. With a shandy or other soda beverage, beer can be made more flavorful without losing its mouthfeel, particularly its carbonation.

Common sodas for enhancing the flavour of beer include 7up, Ginger Ale, Mountain Dew, and Sprite.

Also used by certain drinkers are dark-coloured sodas. The outcomes are also quite amazing. They do, after all, add taste without reducing carbonation.

Syrups

Simply put, syrup is a sugar-flavoured liquid that is typically added to various things to create sweet flavours. Beer flavours are added to beer by simple dropwise addition.

This is in contrast to having to repeatedly annoy the bartender by asking for more juice, berries, or any other difficult substance. Both ordering and using them are fairly easy.

Here’s the famous scene in “It’s Always Sunny” that likely got you wondering about enriched beer:

FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)