Yankee Brew News Archive

New England Beer History

Originally Published: 06/97

By: John Staradumsky

Yeast. Before mankind even knew of their existence, these little members of the fungi family were hard at work devouring sugars and converting them to alcohol and carbon dioxide in bread, beer, and wine. Their presence in the aforementioned foodstuffs provided a rich source of B-vitamins. Like tiny airborne paratroopers, the yeast cells descended on their targets and began working their magic, surely an apt term since in ancient times fermentation must have seemed to be a blessed enchantment.

Eventually, brewers discovered empirically that if they skimmed the foam from a fermenting batch of beer, it could be used to provide similar results for the next batch. This foam was sometimes referred to in Medieval times as "God is Good ," a clear indication of the reverence with which the fermentation process was regarded. Still, nobody knew exactly what was going on, even by 1516 when the Rheinheitsgebot was written (no mention of yeast is made in the document). A reasonable understanding of yeast and fermentation did not commence until 1680 and the invention of the first microscope.

Obviously, yeast is an essential ingredient in beer. It does more than add alcohol and carbonation to a brew, though. Yeast also imparts important flavor characteristics to beer. Fruity pale ales, buttery Extra Special Bitters, clove-tasting wheat beers, butterscotch-laden barley wines, all owe these traits to the yeasts employed. One of the easiest yeast strains to identify in a beer is the English import to America, Ringwood.

Ringwood ales have a noticeably sharp, often buttery profile that is quite unique and hard to mistake. If there is a pioneer of Ringwood in the United States, it is Maine's David Geary. Geary studied with Peter Austin, a proponent of Ringwood, in England prior to establishing his brewery in Portland in 1986. Obviously, Austin was a major influence in Geary's decision to employ Ringwood, and he admitted as much in a phone conversation.

When I asked him why he ultimately chose Ringwood for his beers, he cited the distinctiveness it imparts. Part of this distinctiveness can be the buttery diacetyl flavors Ringwood is notorious for, and David acknowledged that this can be excessive if not carefully controlled. Geary's Pale Ale, the flagship brew, is an excellent example of well-controlled Ringwood. Crisp and slightly buttery with a dry hop finish, it is a classic English-inspired pale ale.

Another highly-regarded Ringwood brewer is New Hampshire's Old Nutfield Brewery. Though they have only been in operation since 1994, Nutfield has a fine reputation for taming the Ringwood lion. I asked head brewer Mike McDonald about his opinions on Ringwood's characteristics. He noted that the strain was relatively easy to work with and propagate, and also to maintain and keep clean from mutation, though he did state that it can also easily overpower a beer if not controlled properly. He also cited the fact that New England beers tend to emphasize malt and yeast profiles, in contrast to the hop-accented beers of the Pacific Northwest. Ringwood, McDonald feels, as such an easily recognizable strain, is well suited to the aforementioned New England style.

In the world of yeast, Ringwood is a sort of a Rodney Dangerfield. It gets no respect. Some beer enthusiasts dislike it, others seem to have a difficult time developing a taste for it. Part of this is due to its above-mentioned tendency to produce diacetyl flavors as a fermentation by-product.

Diacetyl is often described as being reminiscent of butter, popcorn butter, or butterscotch. Almost a quarter of the population is incapable of detecting it, so if you have never noticed it, don't panic. It is a quality present in many English ales, however, and is one of the reasons Ringwood, when properly controlled, is capable of producing top-notch English style ales.

Though Ringwood-brewed beers in America are mainly to be found in New England, its influence is expanding throughout the nation. Wharf Rat in Baltimore and Wild Goose in Virginia both employ it. A Ringwood brewery is planned for Portland, Oregon. Arcadia Brewing, a brewpub-micro in Battle Creek Michigan, produces an excellent English pale ale called Angler's Ale, an Extra Special Bitter, an Oatmeal Stout, and a Mild, all fermented with Ringwood yeast and brewed with a 25 barrel Peter Austin system. Their brewer studied with Alan Pugsley at Shipyard and also at Nutfield in New Hampshire, both highly regarded Ringwood breweries.

Tim Suprise of Arcadia praised Ringwood for the unique character it imparts to pale ales when combined with classic English malts. He remarked upon Ringwood's ability to take on a "house character" at each brewery, something David Geary had touched upon as well. In the case of Angler's Ale, this is true indeed. Angler's possesses only a subtle Ringwood influence, a touch of diacetyl in a sea of smooth maltiness. In fact, I didn't directly recognize this beer as being brewed with Ringwood.

New England, however, is still the home of Ringwood in America. The next time you tilt a glass of New England brew fermented with this unique strain, take a bit of pride. With the growing number of Peter Austin systems across the country, you may just be tasting the beginnings of an ale revolution in America.

Pull quote:

New England is the home of Ringwood yeast in America.