BJCP 27 · Historical Beer
Pre-Prohibition Porter
An American porter from before Prohibition: dark, moderate in body, with some corn and a gentle roast that never turns harsh.
Pre-Prohibition Porter by the numbers
- Alcohol (ABV)
- 4.5 – 6.0%on a scale of 2.0 to 14.0
- Bitterness
- 20 – 30 IBUon a scale of 0 to 100
- Color
- 18 – 30 SRM35–59 EBCon a scale of 1 to 40
- Original gravity
- 1.046 – 1.060on a scale of 1.026 to 1.130
- Final gravity
- 1.010 – 1.016on a scale of 0.990 to 1.040
What Pre-Prohibition Porter is like
A historical American porter with gentle dark malts, some adjunct and a clean finish. It can be brewed with ale or lager yeast. Less roasty and lighter than a modern American Porter.
Appearance
Dark brown to black, with ruby highlights. Tan head.
Aroma
Malt with soft chocolate, caramel and a little licorice or roast, plus possible corn sweetness. Low hops. Low to no esters.
Flavor
Malt with chocolate, caramel and a gentle roast, with no burnt notes. Moderate, balanced bitterness. It may have a little licorice or molasses.
Mouthfeel
Medium-light to medium body. Moderate carbonation.
Where Pre-Prohibition Porter comes from
Brewers in the northeastern United States made their own version of English porter in the 19th century, often with lager yeast and corn. Porterine, a dark corn syrup concentrate, was sometimes used for color.
Ingredients
Six-row malt, corn, caramel malts and a little black or chocolate malt. American hops such as Cluster, with some noble hops for aroma. American ale or lager yeast.
Brew it yourself
How to brew Pre-Prohibition Porter at home
You can brew it as an ale at 17-19 °C (63-66 °F) or as a lager at 9-12 °C (48-54 °F), as long as it comes out clean. Go easy on the black malt: the roast should stay gentle. The classic mistake is turning it into a stout with too much dark roasted malt.
Food pairing
Beef stew, oysters and chocolate cake.
Glassware: Teku glass, a tasting glass that works with almost any style.
Classic examples
- Yuengling Porter
- Stegmaier Porter
Frequently asked questions
How strong is Pre-Prohibition Porter?
Between 4.5% and 6.0% ABV, according to the BJCP 2021 Style Guidelines. That is a moderate strength.
How bitter is Pre-Prohibition Porter?
It has 20 to 30 IBUs, a moderate bitterness. For reference, a mass-market lager is around 10 IBUs.
What color is Pre-Prohibition Porter?
Brown to black: 18 to 30 SRM (35 to 59 EBC).
What food pairs well with Pre-Prohibition Porter?
Beef stew, oysters and chocolate cake.
Which styles are similar?
If you like it, also try American Porter, English Porter and Baltic Porter.
If you like Pre-Prohibition Porter, try these
Classification and statistics: official Pre-Prohibition Porter guidelines from the BJCP, 2021 edition. Original text by Hacer Cerveza Casera.