Amber beer
Amber beer is a collective term for beers with an amber to copper-colored tint, not a defined beer style. The BJCP style guide uses this color for multiple styles, including American Amber Ale, Belgian Pale Ale, and Vienna Lager. At Bierfamilie.nl, amber is therefore a color category, featuring top-fermented beers from Dutch and Belgian breweries.
Amber is a color, not a style
When comparing beer styles , one encounters the color amber in various places. The 2021 BJCP Style Guide describes three styles featuring that tint, each in its own words:
- American Amber Ale (19A): deep amber to copper-brown, sometimes with a reddish tinge.
- Belgian Pale Ale (24B): amber to copper.
- Vienna Lager (7A): light reddish amber to copper.
The same color, therefore, says little about the taste. The BJCP describes American Amber Ale as an amber-colored, hoppy American craft beer of medium strength with a malty caramel flavor, where the balance can vary considerably: some versions are quite malty, others aggressively hopped. According to the same guide, Belgian Pale Ale is a top-fermented Belgian ale of medium strength, moderately bitter, not dry-hopped, and without strong flavors. Vienna Lager is a continental amber-colored lager with a soft maltiness, a balanced, moderate bitterness, and a relatively dry finish.
What do the key figures of the three amber styles indicate?
Alcohol, bitterness, and color are fixed per BJCP style, not per color. The ranges below therefore apply to the style and not automatically to every beer in this category. The figures come from the Vital Statistics on the BJCP pages for American Amber Ale , Belgian Pale Ale , and Vienna Lager.
| Area code | American Amber Ale (19A) | Belgian Pale Ale (24B) | Vienna Lager (7A) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alcohol (ABV) | 4,5-6,2% | 4,8-5,5% | 4,7-5,5% |
| Bitterness (IBU) | 25–40 | 20–30 | 18–30 |
| Color (SRM) | 10–17 | 8–14 | 9–15 |
| Initial density (OG) | 1.045–1.060 | 1.048–1.054 | 1.048–1.055 |
| Final density (FG) | 1.010–1.015 | 1.010–1.014 | 1.010–1.014 |
The biggest difference lies in the bitterness. American Amber Ale has the highest range at 25 to 40 IBU, and the BJCP speaks of moderate to fairly high bitterness. Belgian Pale Ale remains at 20 to 30 IBU, and Vienna Lager at 18 to 30 IBU.
Where do amber beers come from?
There is no common origin: every amber style has its own history.
According to the BJCP, the Vienna Lager was developed in Vienna in 1841 by Anton Dreher and became popular in the second half of the nineteenth century.
Belgian Pale Ale originated after a competition in 1904, intended to create a regional specialty that could compete with imported British ales and continental lagers. In Belgium, the style is called Spéciale Belge; it is found primarily in the provinces of Antwerp, Brabant, Hainaut, and East Flanders. De Koninck from Antwerp is the best-known modern example and has been brewing the beer since 1913.
The American Amber Ale is the youngest: a modern American craft beer style that originated as a variant of the American Pale Ale . Mendocino Red Tail Ale was first brewed in 1983 and was known regionally as Red Ale. Typical ingredients are neutral pale ale malt, medium to dark crystal malt, and American or New World hops, often with citrusy notes.
Amber beer from Dutch and Belgian breweries
This category features beers from Brouwerij Palm , Bierderij Waterland , Antwerpse Brouw Compagnie , Brouwerij De 7 Deugden , Brouwerij Huyghe , Brouwerij Strubbe , Brouwerij Dampegheest , Bird Brewery , Kustbrouwers , Brouwerij Bosteels , and Texelse Bierbrouwerij. The breweries are from the Netherlands and Belgium.
These are the beers in question:
- Brewery Palm Amber Specialty beer
- Beerderij Waterland Kattekwaad
- Antwerp Brewery Company Seef's Bootjes Beer
- The 7 Virtues Brewery Poor+Blessed
- Brewery Huyghe Delirium Nocturnum
- Brewery Strubbe Houten Kop
- Brewery Dampegheest Bekem
- Bird Brewery The Rumourige Robin Americam Amber Ale
- Texel Beer Brewery Skuumkoppe
- Coastal Brewers Zilte Ziel
- Bosteels Pauwel Kwak Amber Brewery
All these beers are listed in the catalogue as top-fermented. The amber color does not link a beer to a single BJCP style: how a beer relates to American Amber Ale or Belgian Pale Ale varies by beer. The BJCP lists Palm among the commercial examples of Belgian Pale Ale , and Bird Brewery describes De Rumourige Roodborst on its own site as a lightly hopped American Amber at 5,8%.
Choosing based on style instead of color
Because amber is a color, the style description helps you choose more than the shade.
- If you are looking for hops and bitterness, American Amber Ale fits the bill: 25 to 40 IBU and a balance that can range from quite malty to aggressively hopped, without dark or roasted malt flavors.
- If you are looking for malt and fruit with moderate bitterness, the BJCP describes a soft, malty taste for Belgian Pale Ale with notes of toast, biscuit, nuts, light caramel, or honey, and fruit such as pear, orange, apple, or lemon, without the pronounced yeast character or acidity of many Belgian beers.
Additionally, look at the alcohol percentage of the product. The style ranges collectively run from 4,5 to 6,2%, but a beer in this category does not necessarily fall within a specific style range. For example, Brewery Bosteels describes Pauwel Kwak Amber on kwak.be as a strong amber beer at 8,4%.
Frequently asked questions about amber beer
Does a Vienna Lager also count as amber beer?
In terms of color, yes, but not in this category. The BJCP describes Vienna Lager (7A) as light reddish amber to copper, with 4,7 to 5,5% alcohol, 18 to 30 IBU and a color of 9 to 15 SRM. It is a continental lager, developed in Vienna in 1841 by Anton Dreher. The beers in the amber beer category are all listed as top-fermented in the catalogue, so there is currently no Vienna Lager included.
What is the difference between American Amber Ale and Belgian Pale Ale?
Especially the bitterness and the malt profile. According to the BJCP, American Amber Ale has 4,5 to 6,2% alcohol and 25 to 40 IBU, with crystal malt and often citrusy American or New World hops. Belgian Pale Ale has 4,8 to 5,5% alcohol and 20 to 30 IBU, is not dry-hopped, and displays toast, biscuit, nutty, light caramel, or honey notes with fruit such as pear, orange, apple, or lemon.
Is amber beer the same as a Spéciale Belge?
No, Spéciale Belge is a single style within the amber beers. According to the BJCP, it is the Belgian name for Belgian Pale Ale (24B), a style found mainly in the provinces of Antwerp, Brabant, Hainaut and East Flanders, which originated after a competition in 1904. Amber beer is broader: it is a colour category that includes beers from Dutch and Belgian breweries.
Does a darker amber mean the beer is heavier?
Not necessarily, because color, alcohol, and bitterness are separate indicators. The BJCP expresses color in SRM: 10 to 17 for American Amber Ale, 8 to 14 for Belgian Pale Ale, and 9 to 15 for Vienna Lager. A light tint says nothing about strength either: Brewery Bosteels describes the Pauwel Kwak Amber as light amber in color, with 8,4% alcohol.
