The color of beer is a vital sign of the quality of the brew. As most of us know, Beer comes in a rainbow variety of earth tones, from the blackest brown to perfect amber to pale gold. It is the color of precisely controlled levels of malting, roasting, and infusion. For centuries, to keep beer clear and pristine, brewers have developed their own special admixtures which help keep their beer free of sediment. All this invention and experimentation has produced a technology that is not only inebriating, but also flavorful, exact, and beautiful to behold in light bright or dim. The color of beer is, for many, the first indication of what it may taste like.

Many new and different beers are hitting the market, we are seeing a whole new section of the color spectrum pouring forth. With this change, a change in the way brewers judge beer color is also going to have to change. The modern brewing technique for producing the desired color of beer is called the SRM, or Standard Reference Method. This method assigns degrees of darkness varying from 2 degrees for Pale Lager to 70 degrees for Imperial Stout, and is comparable to the older Lovibond degree system. These systems measure the darkness of the ale, but not the color spectrum. Most color charts using this technique show a spectrum from black-brown through pale yellow. With the many variations modern beers offer the adventurous beer fan, the SRM is likely to be challenged by redder beers, dyed with goji or raspberries, and even Blueberry-infused ales, such as BluCreek (from Maine), Blueberry Ale from Atlantic Brewing Company (Maine), and even Sea Dog’s Blueberry Wheat.

In order for beer brewers and breweries to maintain consistent results, color management systems and formulas are going to have to change with the times. Right now, a decisive system has not been developed for measuring colors outside the normal beer spectrum, but I’m sure we can count on this happening soon – and I’m sure it is already happening in the laboratories of the breweries that are producing ales with non-traditional colors.

Dark beers are known around the globe for their rich, indeed, nutritious taste. Popular for drinking during the colder months and in colder climes, stout, porter, and barley wine aficionados carry amongst themselves the remark of “the darker the better”. The quality of the head also makes a difference to the discerning beer fan, especially in darker beers. The trick of perfect carbonation and pouring can really bring out the head in a beer. The perfect match for a dark beer is a cream colored head, approximately 1/4 – 3/8 of an inch thick. Also, the texture of the head should lean towards creamier rather than foamier. A Porter carries a SRM degree of 57, and stouts vary from 69-70. Barley Wines are usually, but not always, on the darkest side, from 57-70.

The next stage of lightness is the brown or nut brown ale. These beers are good for those who like dark beers but cannot abide by the dense nature of stouts and porters. Brown ales are part of a long standing tradition in England, where Samuel Smith’s brewery has been producing such ales since 1758, with a verifiable trademark yeast culture since 1900. Brown ales have a broad range of middlin’ color tones, SMR 23 – 39.

Lagers, Pale Ales, IPAs, and ESBs rank among the lowest degrees of SRM, from 20 down to 2 degrees.

With advances in beer brewing technology, we are entering into a stage where lighter beers are able to have more body. We are seeing very malty versions of SRM 8-25 beers, most notably the infamous Arrogant Bastard ale, and even Stone Breweries Barley Wine, Old Guardian, which usually has an SMR of around 38. As beer technologies advance even further, we are sure to see even more variety in the beer spectrum in the coming years.