Kentucky’s place in the mythology of American drinking is undeniable. Whether through the furtive exchange of a bottle of glowing golden elixir in a crowd of bluegrass fans, or amid frosted silver Julep cups waved above enormous hats and shrieking debutantes at the most famous horse race in the world, Kentucky Bourbon evokes indelible images in our collective consciousness. But what is less known is that Kentucky also has a rare spot on the mantle of American beers.
The Kentucky Common, often referred to as simply a “Common” or a “Dark Cream Ale,” is an amber colored, medium-light bodied ale, known for its sweet malty flavor accompanied with bready, caramel and biscuit-like notes. Low in bitterness, it also falls in the medium-to-low range of hop characteristics, with its light floral aromatics historically derived from early-20th century North American hop varietals. It is balanced toward the malt with high carbonation and a fairly dry finish.
“It’s just a really easy drinking beer,” explains Matt Hegstad, owner of Kalispell’s Patriotic American Brewery, along with his wife Josie. “The flavors are not aggressive, just really good balance. Little bit of malt. Mild hops. It’s very drinkable.”
Matt’s introduction to the Kentucky Common came during his time in the Brewing Academy at Flathead Valley Community College. With an interest in both American history and brewing, he read extensively about the Common and worked on its production at home. When It came time to start his own brewery, he knew he wanted to have this American classic as one of his flagships.
“It kind of fits in several different categories. It’s one of those things where pretty much everybody that comes in is like, ‘What’s a Kentucky Common?’ I usually describe it as a historic American Amber Ale.”
While that exact history is hard to pinpoint, the Kentucky Common can be traced to European immigrants living in the Louisville Metropolitan area around the time of the Civil War. These brewers sought to replicate beer styles they were familiar with from back home, but, as was often the case, they had to adapt to the ingredients that were readily available. In this case, they used 6-row barley, a small dab of caramel malt and, most critical to what would come to define this style, corn grits or flakes to try and smooth the beer out.
Leading up to Prohibition, the “laboring classes” were enamored with the Kentucky Common. Its popularity had to do with several factors, but perhaps most notably, it was a cheap beer. Often delivered while still fermenting in the cask, the quick turnaround time of six to eight days from grain to glass meant the saloon keeper could sell a pint for the raw product cost of around 2 cents. “Seventy-five percent of the beer consumed in the Louisville area pre-Prohibition was Kentucky Common,” Matt points out.
Its popularity notwithstanding, when Prohibition was enacted, it was all but forgotten. Luckily, the beer community has a long memory and plenty of time on its hands. Brewers with a love of history like Matt have taken deep dives into old brewing records and brought it back from — if not the dead, then, the mostly dead. Due to the efforts of beer revivalists, the Kentucky Common was added in 2015 to the Beer Judge Certification Program under the category of Historical Beer.
And like the immigrants who originally came up with the Kentucky Common, today’s brewers are using what they have at hand to create what they consider to be the tastiest beer. Matt uses 2-row barley, 20% corn, and local hops from Big Sky Orchards, usually sticking to U.S. Saaz and Bitter Golden.
One thing his Kentucky Common has that is in alignment with the original brews made in Louisville is a quick turnaround time. Using a Norwegian Farmhouse Ale yeast, he’s able to ferment at a higher temperature and get his Common out in about seven to 10 days.
“It’s very fresh like a traditional Kentucky Common. That’s a way we are able to do a historic beer like this and make it a little more traditional as well. When we do this beer it’s quickly produced, fermented, packaged and consumed.”
The Kentucky Common may not ever reach the mass consciousness Kentucky Bourbon has, but if history is any indication, there’s a good chance it will find its audience.
“Some people describe it as a blue-collar beer,” Matt said. “It’s kind of an ale for the masses.”
Beer Specs
HONOR
Kentucky Common: ABV: 5.1% SRM: 16 deep amber and clear. IBU: 21, mild bitterness. Overview: Balance is on the malt side but still dry. This historic American beer style is refreshing due to high carbonation and mild flavors.
AMERICAN BORN BEERS
Cream Ale: A clean, crisp, straw-colored beer. Easily drinkable with more character than most American lagers. Usually has rice or corn adjuncts. Rose to prominence in the late 1800s to compete with North American lagers.
California Common AKA Steam Beer: A toasty, caramelly, bitter beer. Usually has a fruityness and woody hops flavor. Made by fermenting lager yeast at higher temperatures. Came to prominence in the gold rush era. Were typically chilled in large shallow bins on the roof of the brewery, taking advantage of the cool air coming off the San Francisco bay.
Kentucky Common: Dark-colored, light-flavored malt forward beer. Carmel, toffee and biscuity accents. Crisp, clean mild flavors with dry finish. Created and popular in the Louisville area from the mid 1800s until Prohibition.