Long Branch Porter

Thomas Derstein • Jul 24, 2023

A look at our Pre-Prohibition Porter

This beer holds a special place in my heart. During my first summer of working at DCB in 2022, Larry and I had plans to brew a Schwarzbier. While doing research for this beer, I somehow stumbled upon the Pre-Prohibition Porter style. Since we already had a Pre-Prohibition Lager in our 1872 Lager, I thought this would be a perfect compliment. After some research on the style, I started on a rough draft of a recipe and approached Larry about brewing this beer. I brewed it in September 2022 and had my first opportunity to name a beer! I chose to name the beer after Long Branch Saloon because the original owner of the saloon hailed from the east coast, and another name for the style is East Coast Porter.

So, what exactly goes in to making a Pre-Prohibition Porter?

Just like the Pre-Prohibition Lager, the Pre-Prohibition Porter was brewed by German immigrants using the ingredients they had available to them in the USA. This beer was brewed with a high percentage of adjuncts, including corn and wheat. but the main adjunct was molasses. Some even used licorice and porterine. The color was achieved using a low percentage of dark malts, but roasted barley was not used. This gave the beer the dark chocolate and roasty flavors without imparting notes of coffee. George Washington was a big fan of this style, and even had a homebrew recipe in one of his journals.

You can check out that piece of history out here.

Like all of our beers here at DCB, we try to follow the historical guidelines when brewing this beer. We use American 2-Row barley, Munich malt, flaked wheat, and toasted flaked wheat as our primary malt bill. For color, we use chocolate wheat and chocolate rye. These malts add the color and flavor we want without the burnt, coffee notes. Then we add 16 lbs of black strap molasses during the boil which gives a nice licorice and dark sugar note to the beer. For hops, we feature the same exact hops that are in 1872 Lager: Cluster and Crystal. The finished product showcases grainy malt flavors with dark chocolate and molasses, balanced by the rustic character of the hops. This beer comes in at 4.5% ABV, which is at the lower end of the style guidelines. But we wanted this to be a nice and sessionable porter, that encourages people to change their ideas of what a dark beer can be.

Like I mentioned, this beer will always be special to me as it was my first beer I ever designed, brewed, and named as a professional brewer. I'm very proud with how it turned out and I encourage everyone, whether you think you like dark beer or not, to come give Long Branch Porter a try next time you're at the brewery.

Cheers!

Thomas Derstein

Head Brewer

Dodge City Brewing

< Older Post