The interesting thing about beer is there are so many versions and brands. The unfortunate thing about beer is there are so many versions and brands that it’s hard to keep track. But as a beer consumer, you must find the beer that best suits you because not all appeal to you. This means experimentation and trial and error but enjoying yourself during the process. One of the beers you may find appealing is enriched beer. The word enriched could be misleading, but this beer is fundamentally different from other beers. It is seen in the beer community as more of a high-end type of beer, but it is enjoyable for all who drink it.
Below we will speak on enriched beer and hopefully provide enough information to help you decide if enriched beer is the beer for you.
What is enriched beer?
Enriched beer is a special type of beer that, during the brewing process, goes through several levels of enhancements in the hope of changing the flavor and making it better. This could mean adding additional fruits and spices or something unique like chocolate. The reason a company would do this is, as mentioned, to change the flavor, but it’s in hopes to appeal to a broader audience and hopefully find new customers in areas they previously could not reach. These will also be the more expensive type of beers because of the extra effort added to make the beers. Most companies advertise these as a premier option.
How does this enrichment process work?
The process of enriching a beer is fairly straightforward. Most of it occurs during the fermentation period, where additional ingredients get added to the beer. Most companies find this to be the best way to add the ingredients because if you do it during this time, the beer will still retain most of the flavor and aroma it acquired from the additional ingredients. During the fermentation period, these companies know that the yeast forms carbon dioxide gas and alcohol, which will take away some flavor and aroma. So it’s best to add it then so the effects of the new ingredients will stick and kick in.
What common ingredients are used to enrich beer?
We already covered a few items that get thrown into the beer to enrich it, but a few others include:
Citrus
This is an excellent item to add to it because the bitter flavor of the blend goes well with it. The other additional thing is this does not need to be done at the brewing factory. If you are at a bar or club, you can simply find citrus and add it to the beer to enrich the flavor. If you have been to a bar, you will see this is a widespread practice.
Syrup
Any sugar-flavored liquid will do fine with beer. It will give it this sweet flavor that appeals to some people.
Fermentable sugar
With this type, it is imperative to understand the word fermentable. Not all sugar is fermentable; if not, it will yield a different flavor. So look for things like honey or corn sugar. Adding these items to the beer will, believe it or not, increase the alcohol content and help retain the flavor.
Creamer
Think of the creamer you add to coffee; you would simply add it to the beer. It would help if you used it more with beer with a lot of hops, as it will reduce the bitterness, but it is up to your discretion when you use it.
Liqueur
The interesting thing about adding liqueurs to beer is that they can be added to any beer, regardless of style or quality. Think of Schnapp or vermouth; adding these to your beer will take it to the next level.
When you look over this list, something that should catch your attention is how some of the items mentioned can be added personally instead of by the brewer. While it is possible to find some enriched beer on the shelf of a store with these added-on items, it can get done at home.
Enriched beer is simply to enhance or change the taste, so this does not specifically need to be done at the company’s headquarters but right in your living room. However, the benefit of receiving them from the brewing company is that they possess the necessary technology to distribute the enchantment throughout the beer properly.
You can add these items yourself, but in the case of the citrus, you would need to have an endless supply of citrus at your side to accompany you each time you drink from the beer. This is opposed to the beer that can with the citrus already added to the beer with no additional effort required.
Are there any health benefits to drinking enriched beer?
One of the things that should get mentioned is that enriched beer is not this dramatic improvement above the original beer. A corona-enriched beer is still a corona beer, but the taste may be slightly different. There should be no expectation that it is some mind-blowing beer. So the health benefits come from the ingredients added to the beer aside from the actual beer itself. For example,
- If you drink an enriched beer with additional fruits, the fruits benefit you because they have a high proportion of antioxidants.
- Coffee helps with the immune system.
- If the beer has chocolate, you have found a good source of iron.
That said, beer is still beer, and the same health risk associated with beer remains regardless of whether it is enriched. So it’s important not to look at enriched beer as a medical tool but as a beer with certain health benefits. It also is necessary to emphasize drinking responsibility because, again, “beer is beer,” and too much beer will cause you to be intoxicated and potentially a danger to others. So always keep that in mind and enjoy the enriched beer but do not go overboard with it.
I am a passionate beer connoisseur with a deep appreciation for the art and science of brewing. With years of experience tasting and evaluating various beers, I love to share my opinions and insights with others and I am always eager to engage in lively discussions about my favorite beverage.
