Feel like trying a new, interesting beer style? If you're not sure where to start, here are some unusual craft beer styles that are worth trying.
If you're an adventurous drinker, you might be tired of ordering the usual from your local bar or picking up the same six-pack from the grocery store. Your taste buds are itching for something new, but you feel like you've tried everything there is to try—does that mean you're stuck with bland, boring beer forever? Luckily, there are some more obscure styles of beer that are becoming easier to find online and on store shelves. Let's take a look at some unusual craft beer styles that are worth trying. You never know—one of these peculiar styles might become your new favorite.
Gruit
No, it's not Groot. It's Gruit, a medieval European-style beer. Before hops became popular, the Europeans flavored, preserved, and bittered their beer with spices like mugwort, ground ivy, and horehound, along with twigs, berries, and other weird and wonderful items. Gruit was a dry, herbal beer well-known for inducing euphoric buzzes, which could likely have been attributed to the occasional narcotic berry or twig tossed into the mix. Luckily, modern Gruit is made of simpler, tastier herbs and way fewer accidental narcotics. There are over 30 different varieties of this medieval style of beer, making it easy to find one that suits your palate. With such impressive versatility, Gruit is the perfect option for bringing to a bottle sharing event, although you may have to assure the other attendees that it's not full of twigs and other questionable items before they're willing to take a sip. It’s basic bottle share etiquette to assuage their fears, after all.
Grodziskie
If you want a smoky beer that's perfect for summer BBQs, there's no better beer style than Grodziskie, also known as Gratzer. Grodziskie is Polish, but the beer is also popular in Germany, having been distributed to German soldiers during World War II. The beer's distinctive, toasty flavor and smoky aroma come from oak-smoked wheat malt. Some variations are light, fresh, hoppy, and carbonated. In fact, these variations are so carbonated that they've earned the nickname "Polish Champagne."
Purl
Another unusual craft beer style that’s worth trying is purl. Purl was a beer popular among 19th-century English laborers, who used to drink it first thing in the morning, during the middle of their shift, and again at night. Purl was originally flavored with wormwood, which is the bitter plant in absinthe that was originally assumed to be hallucinogenic. Later on, brewers started infusing it with gin, ginger, and spices. This English classic was eventually replaced by unadulterated ale, but you can still find it on beer shelves across the world thanks to the hard work and dedication of historical brewers.
