Field Beer – Hybrid/Mixed Lagers or Ale

Hybrid/Mixed Lagers or Ale / By

Field Beer Style

  • Color: Can range from pale to very dark depending on the underlying style and is often influenced by the color of added fruit
  • Clarity: Clear to hazy is acceptable
  • Perceived Malt Aroma & Flavor: Very low to medium-high
  • Perceived Hop Aroma & Flavor: Very low to medium-high
  • Perceived Bitterness: Very low to medium-high. Vegetable character should not be muted by hop character.
  • Fermentation Characteristics: Varies with underlying style
  • Body: Varies with underlying style
  • Additional notes: Vegetable aromas, ranging from subtle to intense, should be present, and should not be overpowered by hop aromas. Field Beers are any beers incorporating vegetables as flavor or carbohydrate adjuncts in either the mash, kettle, primary or secondary fermentation. The vegetable character should be in harmony with other attributes and can range from subtle to intense. Within the framework of these guidelines, coconut is defined as a vegetable, and beers containing coconut should be entered as Field Beers. All beers containing chili peppers should be categorized as Chili Beers. Beers containing nuts should be categorized as Field Beers.
    When using these guidelines as the basis for evaluating entries at competitions, brewers may be asked to provide supplemental information about entries in this category to allow for accurate evaluation of diverse entries. Such information might include the underlying beer style upon which the entry is based, or other information unique to the entry such as vegetable(s) used or processing which influence perceived sensory outcomes.

Field Beer Vital Statistics

  • Original Gravity (°Plato) 1.030-1.110 (7.6-25.9 °Plato)
  • Apparent Extract/Final Gravity (°Plato) 1.006-1.030 (1.5-7.6 °Plato)
  • Alcohol by Weight (Volume) 2.0%-10.5% (2.5%-13.3%)
  • Bitterness (IBU) 5-70
  • Color SRM (EBC) 5-50(10-100 EBC)

2020 Brewers Association Beer Style Guidelines used with permission of Brewers Association.

Credit: 2020 Brewers Association Beer Style Guidelines – Hybrid/Mixed Lagers or Ale – Field Beer