10 Myths About Dark Beers + A Giveaway

So most people say, I don’t like dark beers, I like light beers (both men, but especially ladies). There’s these perceptions about dark beer that are plain wrong. Well I am here to BUST all these myths! So let’s get started with 10 myths BUSTED about dark beers. Plus I also have a giveaway of Southern Tier’s Warlock, one of my FAVORITE dark beers!

Read on and make sure you enter the giveaway at the bottom of the post!

10- Dark Beers are Heavy
Darker beers such as stouts and porters get their color from the malt (grain) used to brew the beer. While some beers may be more filling than others, the color has nothing to do with it. Belgian beers, for example, can be very filling mostly due to the amount of carbonation in them. They’re lighter in color and can fill you up WAY more. Hello bloat! If you mean heavy in your stomach that is… there are plenty other perceptions of what this can mean. But I assure you they’re really not heavy in the belly.

Mythbuster: Chocolate Porter from Long Ireland Brewing Company, Chocolatey yet pretty light in taste and body.

9- Dark Beers have a Bajillion Calories and it’s Gonna Make me Fat!
Sadly most of the calories in beer are due to the alcohol in them. The higher the alcohol the higher the calories. So regardless of color, you are going to want to look at the ABV% (Alcohol By Volume) at the bottom of the label. That will give you an indication of how high is calories it may be. So if you wanna get a buzz you are gonna catch some calories.

Mythbuster: Brooklyn Brown Ale at 150 calories of DELICIOUS!

8- It should be served ice cold
I have a few friends that were recently in England and in Ireland, I was shocked to hear the beer there is not kept cold. In fact they like their darker beers room temperature. In fact my husband decided to keep his 6 pack of stouts above the fridge rather than in it and I looked at him suspiciously and skeptically. Yes, even me, the craft beer obsessed chick raised an eyebrow… that is until I tried it.

When room temperature you notice a lot more sweetness from the malt and it just goes down soooo sooo smooth. So my man was spot on keeping his favorite stouts outside the fridge.

This works especially well with Southern Tier’s Warlock!! Wat a difference, it tastes sweeter and you really notice the spices in it. TOTAL win! (WHich I am giving away a 22 oz. bottle of today!!) (**wink wink**)

Mythbuster: Warlock but Southern Tier Brewing Company!

7- Dark beers are for dudes
I cannot tell you how many ladies I meet that tell me they ONLY like light beers. What is a “light” beer anyways? There are so many beer styles that are lighter in color, so really they cannot say they are gonna like anything light? PS- What do you mean by a light beer anyways, there are so many styles and people don’t even know that beer comes in so many varieties! IPA’s are light in color and I can guarantee most ladies that are new to beer will most likely abhor an IPA. For the most part they are bitter, totally an acquired taste!

I know a lot of beer loving ladies and we have all taken to the dark side, like to shirt says “Come to the dark side, we have cookies…” I love a sweeter beer and the sweetness a dark roasted malt will bring to to a beer comes with a darker colored beer. It can be like dessert!

I mean most of us love some chocolate and caramel- well you ain’t gonna get those flavors in a light beer!! You will only get those flavor notes in a darker colored beer- so if you only drink light you are totes missing out on some chocolate goodness!

Mythbuster: Barrage Brewing Company’s Yada Yada Yada Chocolate Peanut Caramel Brown Ale, yup you NEED this!

6- They’re bitter
This myth is my personal fave. People think all dark beers are like Guinness. Well beer is just as diverse as wine with like hundreds of styles and thousands of variations. The dark beer style that proves my point x 100 is the Imperial Stout. They are super boozy and super sweet! Like beer freaking candy. So I am implore you to give this a shot if you like sweet! Especially Imperial Biscotti Break- WOAH! You MUST try it!

Mythbuster: Go and shoot down a Barrage Brewing Company Famous Last Words and call me in the morning.

5- Dark beers not for hoppy beer lovers
So maybe you never heard of a Black IPA then? It’s an IPA, so you got lots of hop and bitter, but it’s made with dark roasted malt. Roasted or toasted malts will add the dark color but also some extra sugar, extra sugar is gooooood! Sometimes they are sweeter a traditional IPA, sometimes more bitter. All depends on how it’s brewed. But hophead’s rejoice there is a style for you!

Mythbuster: Drink a Black IPA, that’ll do it!

4- It’s totally higher in alcohol
Soooooo NOT true! In fact some of the lowest alcohol beers I have seen and tasted were dark in color- imagine that! Especially Moustache Brewing Company’s Everyman’s Porter, at only 4.5% is very deliciously sessionable! So if you’re looking to get drunk- ordering a dark beer is not any better than ordering a lighter color beer. Double and Triple IPA’s can pack quite an ABV punch and they’re totally pale in color!

Mythbuster: Moustache Brewing Company’s Everyman’s Porter, drink ’em allll day!

3- Dark Beers Are Stronger
I guess this could go with higher in alcohol or calories. I’m not sure what people mean by this sometimes. Here is the thing, I drank a whole lotta beer and the only indication of alcohol is in the percent alcohol on the damn label. Read it and weep!

Mythbuster: Trader Joe’s Stockyard Stout, easy to drink!

2- They’re thicker and richer than light beer 
 Nah, this one is also busted. All of ’em can be just a light in flavor and texture as a light beer. In the case of a milk stout- you’re right. They’re totally thicker and richer, but also sweet and delicious like a beer shake! A milk stout is made with lactose and so it gives it this creamy quality- soooo good. Not really thick, but kinda rich!


Mythbuster: Brown Bird by Captain Lawrence Brewing Company

1-You can judge the taste by color
So I think we have already established the dark color cannot dictate the flavor, but how about the shades in between? You still cannot predict the tatse- you can guess, but you don’t know everything else that went into the beer. You can drink a brown colored beer and totally get peaches- yeah peaches.

Mythbuster: Shiner Holiday Cheer, brewed with peaches, pecans and spices. It’s all that is right in the world!

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Now that you’ve read about all these dark beer myths you probably would like to try some, well I’m giving away one of my FAVES: Southern Tier’s Warlock. Sweet, with great spices, lots of vanilla and a damn high ABV that goes down smoooth!

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