Irish Red Ale Recipe from Weyermann® Almanac

Weyermann® Almanac Beer Recipe

Beer Recipe: Irish Red Ale

We are lucky enough to have been granted permission to share this Irish Red Ale beer recipe from the Weyermann® Almanac of World Beers with our audience. Please try them out, enjoy and feel free to tag or contact Weyermann® with your finished brew.

Hops in the Beer recipe

This Irish Red Ale presents a smooth, malt-forward character with gentle caramel and toasted notes. It remains clean and dry on the finish, keeping the beer highly drinkable and balanced rather than heavy.

Fuggle (option 1) offers a traditional expression, contributing soft earthy bitterness and subtle herbal aromas that support the malt backbone.

Alternatively, Willamette (option 2) provides a slightly brighter profile, adding delicate floral and mild spicy notes while maintaining classic balance.

Both hop choices preserve the approachable nature of the style, ensuring a rounded and authentic Irish Red Ale interpretation.

MALT in the beer recipe

The Irish Red Ale shares roots with the English Brown Ale and late-medieval ales of the British Isles. However, like Vienna Lager in Central Europe, it has become uncommon in its homeland. Brewers still debate the true characteristics of an Irish Red Ale. Some modern commercial examples even ferment as lagers rather than ales.

Typically, an Irish Red Ale sits between 4.2% and 5.2% ABV. It finishes dry and shows almost no fruitiness. Hop flavour and aroma remain restrained to keep the malt in focus.

The style also carries gentle roasted notes. These likely came from early direct-fired kilns that lightly scorched some grains. In addition, steeped grains sometimes developed a faint crystal-like character during drying.

Floor malting also shaped the profile. Occasionally, kernels failed to sprout and became unmalted roasted barley instead of malt. Therefore, brewers gained subtle roast complexity without creating a stout-like beer.

These historical methods guide the ingredient and process choices used here. As a result, this interpretation of Irish Red Ale aims to reflect traditional character rather than modern mass-produced versions.