I have designed a number of beers, many with the intent of being starter brews. As I laid out the training program I am working on, I realized all of the beers I had made so far fit better in different places in the curriculum, so I was again left with a hole in what would be my very first teaching beer. I toiled over what theme it would have to fit along with the others. Then, it finally hit me. In both brewing and gaming, we start out as newbs or newbies. Our avatar’s blood is spilled over virtual battlefields. We are lifted up by our comrades and with a little luck from the Irish that claim to have it, we live to play another day. It is that new blood that frequently invigorates our game. The New Blood brew was born and it quickly made sense that it would be an Irish Red.

Status: Final. The test group drank this one up quickly and didn’t have much more to say other than, “May I have another?”

New Blood (Irish Red)

OG: 1.060, IBUs: 18.8, SRM: 18, ABV: 6.5%

.5 lbs. Munich
.5 lbs. Crystal 20
.25 lbs. Marris Otter
3 oz. Roasted Barley
6 lbs. Light DME
1 oz. Kent Golding [5.2%] (bittering hops)
1 oz. Kent Golding [5.2%] (aroma hops)
1 tsp. Irish Moss
WLP004 Irish Ale Yeast
5 oz. Corn Sugar (for bottle conditioning)

Apart from the play on the luck theme and the color, the Irish Red is fairly safe style for drinking as well. It is a balanced and flavorful beer that doesn’t come with any real surprises. Of the grains above, the Munich was added for its malty profile, the Maris Otter for a bit of nuttiness, the crystal malt for some caramel and sweetness, and finally the roasted barley for color. The Kent Goldings hops is a gentle and pleasant hop variety and a popular choice for the style.