If there is one style that fits to almost every occasion it is the American Amber Ale. Yes, Americans can brew beer that is not the bitter-tasting water they call Budweiser Light. Which is not to be confused with the Czech Budweiser which I think is quite excellent. But I stray. The American Amber Ale is rooted in the American Craft Beer movement. This movement started in the late 1970s when homebrewers were allowed to sell their beers. In the decades before, the prohibition had almost completely wiped out the lively brewing culture with its strong German influences and left only a handful of big brewing companies that made interchangable watery Lagers. The Craft Beer movement started to change this. It could not look back on a long and rich history of brewing as the British, German or Belgian brewing scene could have. But this came with the advantage that no one blocked innovation saying "We always did it that way". This mindset led to one of the most uniquely lively beer scenes worldwide that gives creative impulses to breweries all over the world. The discovery of American hop varieties had and still has a huge influence on this scene. Due to the different genetic makeup and the composition of the soil, these varieties taste fruity or citrusy while European aromatic hops have grassy, weedy or floral flavors and aromas. Early American craft brewers did not bother much with the styles. They just started brewing and classified their beers after their colors. There's Pale Ale, Amber Ale, Brown Ale and Dark Ale. While today's American craft beer scene is more diverse and complex than that, these categories still exist. The Amber Ale fills the niche between the Pale Ale and the Brown Ale and is a good choice for everyone who cannot (or does not want to) decide, whether they like hoppy pale or dark malty beers better. The style is wide open to interpretation. Its simplest incarnations are Pale Ales with a little more dark caramel malts for some color and malty complexity. More complex interpretations can use melanoidin malts, chocolate malts and unmalted grains. Their taste is just as much between the worlds as their look. There are some malty characteristics but not as strong as they would be in a Brown Ale. Hops are also present but not as dominant as in a Pale Ale or IPA. This balance between hops and malts make it similar to english Extra Special Bitters or German Altbiers.
Queen of the West is brewed in the spirit of these American Amber Ales but with local ingredients. Even though most German hop varieties have floral notes, there are some newer breedings that can compete with American varieties in the field of fruityness. For Queen of the West classical noble hops are used in combination with the newer variety Hüll Melon. For such a well-balanced beer pint glasses or Pilsener tulips are best suited. 8-10°C are a good serving temperature so take the beer out of the fridge half an hour before drinking it. Queen of the West is (as the style's name subtly suggests) amber-colored at the paler end of the spectrum and somewhat hazy. The head is dense and slightly off-white. The aroma is dominated by dried fruits from the malt an melon from the Hüll Melon hops. Queen of the West starts dry and effervescent. A strong bitterness from the hops with notes of honeydew melon is balanced by some malty sweetness. The finish is dry and spritzy and the taste of the hops remains in mouth and nose for a while.
American Amber Ales are very versatile beers. They suit well to picknicks in the park, barbecues, Pizza and even Christmas dinner with the family. For some real American feeling, Queen of the West is best combined with Barbecue, Burgers or Tex-Mex food.
Queen of the West is made in a 25-liters kettle using the Brew-in-a-bag technique. For about 16 liters of beer you need the following ingredients:
The mash takes 60 minutes at 67°C using 20 liters of water. After mashing, two more liters of water are added. The boil takes 70 minutes. The continental aromatic hops are added after 10 minutes as a bittering addition and the Hüll Melon is added at flame-out. Primary fermentation takes two to four weeks at about 20°C. For the secondary fermentation, the beer is bottled and primed with sugar equivalent to 2.5 units of CO2. It is stored for three weeks at about 20°C.
