The Best Grain-Free, Hop-Free Beers You Can Enjoy

While hops are used in most beers to some degree, there are some beers that don't contain hops or grains. One such example is gruit, an ancient type of beer that uses bittering herbs instead of hops. Gruit was popular before beer purity laws swept across Europe in the 1500s, and it is now making a comeback. Today, brewers are experimenting with different herbs and spices to enhance the flavour of beers, creating unique forms of inebriation.

Characteristics of beer without hops and grains

Wheat beers

Wheat beer is a top-fermented beer brewed with a high proportion of wheat compared to malted barley. The two main varieties are German Weizenbier and Belgian witbier. Wheat beer typically has low hop bitterness, with relatively high carbonation to balance the beer's malty sweetness.

German Weizenbier

Also known as Hefeweizen, this style of wheat beer is characterised by its low hop bitterness and relatively high carbonation. It typically has flavour notes of banana, clove, and bubble gum. The largest brands of German Weizenbier include Erdinger, Paulaner, Franziskaner, and Maisel.

Belgian Witbier

Belgian witbiers are often brewed with raw unmalted wheat and flavoured with spices such as coriander and orange peel. They are called "white beers" because "wheat" and "white" share the same etymological root in most West Germanic languages. Notable examples of witbier include Allagash White and Blue Moon Belgian White.

Other Wheat Beers

Other styles of wheat beer include Lambic, made with wild yeast; Berliner Weisse, a cloudy and sour beer; and Gose, a sour and salty beer. American wheat beers are also available, such as the Shipyard Brewing Pumpkinhead Ale and Odell Brewing Easy Street Wheat.

Stouts

One popular variety is the American stout, known for its bold, roasted malt flavour and aroma, reminiscent of coffee and dark chocolate. This variety often has a higher proportion of roasted grains, resulting in a darker colour and more intense flavour. The bitterness of the hops is balanced by a low to medium malt sweetness, and the finish can range from medium to dry. American stouts typically have a higher ABV, ranging from 5% to 7% or more.

When it comes to choosing hops for stouts, brewers have a variety of options. Some popular choices include Willamette, Fuggles, Magnum, and Centennial. The type of hops and the amount used can depend on the specific style of stout being brewed. For example, an American stout might use Centennial hops for later additions, while a sweet stout may only require a small addition of high-alpha hops for bittering.

In addition to the type of hops, the grain bill, or the selection of grains used, is crucial to the character of a stout. While roasted barley, chocolate malt, and black malt are commonly used in stouts, brewers can experiment with different grains and percentages to achieve their desired flavour profile. For example, a grain bill for a stout might include pale ale malt, roasted barley, cara malt, and chocolate malt in varying proportions.

Overall, stouts offer a diverse range of flavours and aromas, from the rich and roasted to the slightly sweet and fruity. By adjusting the types and amounts of hops and grains used, brewers can create unique stout varieties that cater to a wide range of tastes and preferences.

Lagers

However, in recent years, brewers have been experimenting with increasing the hoppiness of lagers, resulting in a new crop of heavily hop-flavoured lagers. These beers provide a distinct stage for brewers to showcase different hops and hop flavours. When creating a hoppy lager, brewers must consider the unique flavour profile of lager yeasts and how the lager yeast fermentation process will change the way hops are used.

Despite these new, hoppy lagers, there are still many malt-forward lagers that do not rely heavily on hops for flavour. These beers tend to rely more on barley and yeast to create a pleasing palate, and can be a great option for those who do not like the bitter, aromatic hop flowers commonly found in pale ales and IPAs.

Overall, while lagers can vary in their use of hops, from the traditional, malty styles to the newer, hop-forward varieties, they remain a popular and diverse style of beer.

Sour beers

Sour beer is a broad category, with a variety of substyles that give special attention to the acidity level a drinker perceives. The prominence of the sour flavour varies across different beers. For example, a tart wheat ale like the Estate Melon Gose has a mild acidity that is crisp and refreshing. On the other hand, the Big Chico Kriek is an ultra-rare, more intense sour beer that is sipped slowly.

Another method for achieving a tart flavour is by adding fruit, which directly contributes organic acids such as citric acid. Fruit is often added to sour beers during secondary fermentation, such as in the case of kriek and framboise, which are secondarily fermented with cherries and raspberries, respectively.

• Lambic: An uber-sour, spontaneously fermented beer from Belgium. Lambics often include specific fruits to temper the acidity, such as cherries in Kriek and raspberries in Framboise. Pure, unblended lambic is quite rare.
• Berliner Weisse: A dry and tangy wheat beer from Northern Germany with low ABV and bright carbonation for easy drinking. Some versions incorporate Brettanomyces yeast, while others prioritise lactic acid bacteria.
• Gose: This beer also hails from Germany and shares similarities with Berliner Weisse, such as wheat malt and low alcohol. However, Gose is characterised by the use of sea salt and coriander, with a tinge of salinity that traces back to the salty water supply in Goslar, the town of its origin.

Gruit

The use of gruit in beer began to decline during the Protestant Reformation, when merchants and Protestants worked together to break the Catholic Church's financial monopoly on gruit. This shift, along with the introduction of the German beer purity law, Reinheitsgebot, which mandated that beer could only be made with four ingredients: water, barley malt, hops, and yeast, led to the decline of gruit ales and the rise of hopped beers.

Today, some craft brewers are reviving the tradition of brewing with gruit, creating beers that are charged with botanicals rather than hops. These modern gruit beers offer a window into the past and showcase the diverse flavours that can be achieved without the use of hops.

Frequently asked questions