Every country can lay claim to a few historic styles of beer. Germany has helles<\/a>, k\u00f6lsch<\/a>, altbier<\/a>, rauchbier<\/a>, landbier, and Munich dunkel, to name a few. In Czechia, we find pilsner, Czech pale lager, Czech amber lager, and Czech dark lager<\/a>. From Australia, we\u2019ve written about the proliferation of XPA<\/a>. In the UK, you\u2019ll find ESB<\/a> and Scotch ales<\/a>. And Belgium has so many iconic styles from saison<\/a> to lambic<\/a> to kriek<\/a> and everything in between. The one thing all these countries have in common? Those well-known styles are found pretty often and pretty ubiquitously (well, not Czech dark lager actually\u2014that style is way more popular here). In America, though, some of our most storied styles are the hardest to find these days. We\u2019re talking about steam beer (aka California Common), cream ale, and the Kentucky Common. <\/p>\n Ask yourself this question: Can you describe a Kentucky Common to someone else? <\/p>\n If you answered yes, you can probably stop reading. But if you found yourself fumbling for words, as we did, let\u2019s set the record straight for you. <\/p>\n What makes this uncommon style worth exploring, who is still making it today, and where can you find some ridiculously good versions? <\/p>\n Photography courtesy of Dallas DuBose | Untappd<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n Sometimes known as a dark cream ale, a Kentucky Common is a malty, brown-to-copper ale with a dry finish, higher carbonation, and lower ABV for high sessionability. <\/p>\n \u201cI usually describe it to somebody as a lighter, dark brown ale,\u201d says Blockhead Beerworks Owner and Brewer Rusty Schultz, who did a fair amount of research on the historical style before making his own. \u201cIt\u2019s like a cream ale, but with roasted notes.\u201d<\/p>\n A style native to America, the Kentucky Common is sort of a mashup of ingredients available in the mid-1800s and techniques brought over from European newcomers. <\/p>\n \u201cThey were trying to imitate German lagers with American ingredients,\u201d explains Leah Dienes, head brewer and owner of Louisville-based Apocalypse Brew Works, which recreates a Kentucky Common from the early 1900s.<\/p>\n For instance, although not a hoppy beer by any means, Cluster hops were most likely used in a Kentucky Common because \u201cwe knew that\u2019s what was grown the most,\u201d says Dienes. <\/p>\n Likewise, corn is a staple in Kentucky Common mash because that\u2019s what was available at the time. <\/p>\n \u201cThey had a lot of corn,\u201d laughs Dienes, whose version of Kentucky Common is a replica from Oertel\u2019s, Louisville\u2019s largest brewery in the 1800s that used to be located just a few blocks from where Apocalypse Brew Works is today. <\/p>\n Dienes recovered Oertel\u2019s original brewing log book from a friend in her local homebrew club who knew the widow of one of Oertel\u2019s original brewers. <\/p>\n \u201cWe have the handwritten recipe,\u201d she explains. \u201cBecause there were German brewers, everything was very precise. \u2026 It\u2019s very detailed.\u201d <\/p>\n Which is probably why, when you look up the definition of Kentucky Common from the Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP), you\u2019ll see Apocalypse Brew Works Oertel\u2019s 1912<\/a> listed as the only commercial example. <\/p>\n Dienes has history on her side. <\/p>\n Example of an old Kentucy Common brewing record (on the left) and one of bock for comparison (on the right) | Graphic provided by Leah Dienes, Owner and Head Brewer, Apocalypse Brew Works<\/p>\n<\/div>\n From the Civil War to Prohibition, Kentucky Common was produced almost exclusively in and around Louisville, Kentucky. Top-fermented Common ales were pretty, well, common in many regional areas like Chicago or Vermont, for example, but the Kentucky Common flourished for several reasons. <\/p>\n At the turn of the nineteenth century, close to one hundred breweries in the area produced this low-ABV dark ale because it was quick and inexpensive to make while suiting people\u2019s tastes. \u201cIn the late 1800s, darker beers were still the norm,\u201d says Dienes. <\/p>\n According to a paper by the president of Indiana Ordnance Works and Dienes titled Kentucky Common\u2014An Almost Forgotten Style<\/em>, \u201cAround the turn of the century, Kentucky Common was delivered to the saloon cellar for five dollars a barrel; a raw product cost of two cents per pint to the saloon keeper. In comparison, Stock Ale was going for twelve dollars a barrel, and the newer and larger breweries producing lagers sold their product for eight dollars per barrel.\u201d<\/p>\n Which probably explains why, at the start of Prohibition in 1919, at least seventy-five percent of all beer sold around Louisville was Kentucky Common. <\/p>\n Unfortunately, America\u2019s thirteen-year ban on alcohol completely killed this regional style. <\/p>\n As Schultz points out, many of the breweries making the style before Prohibition didn\u2019t survive. \u201cThirteen years is a long time,\u201d he notes, adding that once Prohibition ended, no one was still standing to reintroduce it. And even if they were, \u201cYou\u2019re talking about a whole [new] generation of drinkers. People\u2019s tastes had changed.\u201d <\/p>\n \u201cEverybody switched over to lighter beers,\u201d adds Dienes. \u201cPeople didn\u2019t want darker beers anymore.<\/p>\n Photography courtesy of Blockhead Beerworks<\/p>\n<\/div>\n According to Dienes, a Kentucky Common grist historically includes up to sixty percent six-row pale malt, thirty-six to thirty-eight percent corn grits, and a tiny percentage of caramel and black malt. <\/p>\n Brewers likely used the latter to offset the nearby Ohio River\u2019s historically hard water. <\/p>\n Dienes says the limestone in the area contributes to the water\u2019s high levels of alkalinity and calcium. \u201cWe have really, really tasty water, which is handy, but I think that\u2019s why brewers used those darker malts,\u201d she explains, \u201cto offset the hardness in the water.\u201d<\/p>\n But the dark malts had additional benefits, including adding color and flavor to this dark<\/em> cream ale. <\/p>\n For Blockhead\u2019s cream ale, called Broker\u2019s Tip, Schultz chose a Weyermann chocolate rye malt and caramel 40 \u201cthat added those roasted caramel notes to it,\u201d explains Schultz, while the chocolate rye \u201chas a spicier note and imparts really good flavor.\u201d <\/p>\n To start, Dienes uses a cereal mash with the grits, which mainly gelatinizes the corn and converts those starches to sugar, and a quarter of the malt. <\/p>\n \u201cWe break down those starches and make them fermentable,\u201d she explains, noting that a step mash follows with the rest of the pale and dark malts. <\/p>\n \u201cAfter bringing that to a boil, you would add that back to the main mash to raise the temperature and then hold that. And then you would do your mash out, and then you just do your regular additions and everything else,\u201d she says. <\/p>\n We know that corn was a main ingredient in a Kentucky Common, but not all breweries have the equipment to perform a cereal mash or step mash. Like at Blockhead, where Schultz bypasses that step on his tiny 5-bbl system by using flaked corn. Schultz says he includes roughly fifteen percent of that ingredient in his grist. <\/p>\n To hop a Kentucky Common, Dienes outlines the standard rates in her paper: Over a two-hour boil, you include a first addition, a ninety-minute second addition, a thirty-minute third addition, and a fourth addition at knockout. <\/p>\n Again, while the exact historical hops used are unknown, Dienes thinks Cluster hops from New York were the most likely source. <\/p>\n Figuring out the exact yeast was a little tricky, too, with Dienes admitting they first tried a lager yeast but realized it took too long to ferment. <\/p>\n Remember, Kentucky Commons at the time were prized for their cheap, quick turnaround. At Apocalypse Brew Works, they eventually settled on an ale yeast. <\/p>\n \u201cWe tried different ones,\u201d Dienes says. \u201cAnd then we just went off the taste because the description was crisp and clean with a bit of caramel flavor and dry finish.\u201d <\/p>\n Dienes has documentation that fermentation lasted only three to four days at around sixty-six to sixty-eight degrees Fahrenheit. \u201cThe entire brewing cycle from cereal mash to finished beer ready for delivery was six to eight days,\u201d she writes in Kentucky Common\u2014An Almost Forgotten Style<\/em>.<\/p>\n It\u2019s not. Or, at least, it\u2019s not supposed to be. <\/p>\n There were sour versions, but Dienes doesn\u2019t think these beers soured on purpose. <\/p>\n Instead, she guesses that when these mom-and-pop shops stored beer in barrels, they refilled old barrels that weren\u2019t pitch lined, exposing them to lactic acid and \u201call kinds of fun bacteria living in the wood.\u201d <\/p>\n She adds, \u201cBecause everybody made their own beer, they had it in the back, and it took them a while to sell it, so it probably could get sour in the barrel.\u201d <\/p>\n Another clue: Breweries typically served Kentucky Commons in about seven to eight days, so without a sour mash, it would be impossible to get a sour beer. <\/p>\n Plus, bigger breweries, like Oertel\u2019s, which made Kentucky Common every day, used pitch-lined barrels. And looking through their brew logs, which Apocalypse Brew Works has, it\u2019s pretty clear: Their dark cream ale wasn\u2019t sour. <\/p>\n \u201c[A Kentucky Common] is just supposed to be crisp, really clean, with a little bit lower hop presentation,\u201d says Dienes, who often has to explain the style to folks before they\u2019ll drink one.<\/p>\n \u201cBut once people try it,\u201d she says, \u201cthey really enjoy it.\u201d <\/p>\n Even though it\u2019s a light beer, typically around 25 IBUs and 4.5% ABV, Kentucky Common has a lot of flavor and a nice crisp finish. <\/p>\n A Kentucky Common hits that nice middle ground for those looking for a darker beer without the perceived heaviness of a porter or stout. <\/p>\n Apocalypse Brew Works Oertel\u2019s 1912 pours a dark copper with an off-white head. \u201cOurs has a slightly caramel aroma,\u201d explains Dienes. \u201cAnd when you drink it, you\u2019ll get a little bit of caramel and black malt. \u2026 Because it\u2019s a dry finish, it doesn\u2019t linger.\u201d <\/p>\n Schultz says that you don\u2019t need to overcomplicate things with a Kentucky Common. <\/p>\n \u201cThis is not a fancy [beer] by any means,\u201d he says. \u201cThis is a classic nostalgic beer that\u2019s all about the basics. When it all comes together, it\u2019s a great-tasting beer.\u201d <\/p>\n Still, this \u201cgreat tasting beer\u201d is a pretty esoteric style. <\/p>\n When I asked both Shultz and Dienes to name a few other breweries that make one, they could only come up with a couple.<\/p>\n \u201cI think most of the people doing it are smaller breweries,\u201d she posits, noting that despite being a local favorite, Oertel\u2019s 1912 isn\u2019t a massive seller for Apocalypse Brew Works. <\/p>\n Instead, Dienes calls her version \u201ca great local beer that people want us to keep on tap all the time.\u201d <\/p>\n \u201cIt makes you want to take another drink,\u201d she adds. \u201cYou\u2019re supposed to drink it, enjoy it, and have another.\u201d <\/p>\n Louisville, KY<\/em><\/p>\n The BJCP lists only one commercial example under its guidelines for Kentucky Common\u2014Oertel\u2019s 1912<\/a>. Using detailed brewer\u2019s log books from Oertel\u2019s, Apocalypse Brew Works recreates this historical version as faithfully as possible. <\/p>\n \u201cNobody had tasted this beer in seventy-five years,\u201d notes Dienes, who uses corn grits, a six-row pale malt, caramel malt, and black malt to give this beer its characteristic copper to light brown color and slightly caramelly aroma and flavor. <\/p>\n Lastly, \u201cyou\u2019ll get that dry finish,\u201d says Dienes. \u201cIt doesn\u2019t linger.\u201d<\/p>\n Which helps with this 4.7% ABV dark cream ale\u2019s sessionability. \u201cIt makes you want to take another drink,\u201d says Dienes. <\/p>\n If you\u2019re looking for a great first version to try, this has to be it. Unfortunately, Dienes says their version is only available on draft in the taproom, so you\u2019ll need to be in Louisville to try this one. <\/p>\n Read More<\/a> <\/p>\n Indianapolis, IN<\/em><\/p>\n Schultz admits he hadn\u2019t tried too many Kentucky Commons before attempting one at Blockhead. But with the Indianapolis-based brewery only a two-hour drive from Louisville, he became curious about this once ubiquitous dark cream ale. <\/p>\n Blockhead\u2019s take on a Kentucky Common, Broker\u2019s Tip<\/a> is named after the winning horse from the 1933 Kentucky Derby. <\/p>\n Schultz thought it was a fitting name, considering President Franklin D. Roosevelt repealed Prohibition in 1933. He didn\u2019t plan it this way, but fortuitously, Schultz released the beer during the actual race last year. <\/p>\n Now a seasonal beer in its second year, Broker\u2019s Tip has become a bit of a fan favorite. \u201cWe had people asking throughout the year when we\u2019d do it again,\u201d says Schultz. <\/p>\n Blockhead\u2019s recipe uses fifteen percent flaked corn, two-row barley, chocolate rye, and caramel 40 malt. <\/p>\n \u201cRight away, I pick up the roasted flavor from the rye,\u201d says Schultz. \u201cIt hits me from the first sip.\u201d <\/p>\n The highly carbed beer pours a beautiful dark copper to amber and at 4.7% ABV is just an easier-drinking beer that our consumers seem to like,\u201d says Schultz. <\/p>\n Read More<\/a> <\/p>\n Louisville, KY<\/em><\/p>\n A suggestion from Dienes, the Kentucky Common from Falls City Beer includes corn, barley, and rye. Falls City Beer describes the grist as more similar to a bourbon distiller\u2019s mash bill. <\/p>\n Adding rye gives this Kentucky Common a slight spiciness that pairs well with the sweet corn and malty barley. <\/p>\n Another local example, Falls City Kentucky Common<\/a> does come in package, so you might have a slightly easier time finding this one. <\/p>\n Read More<\/a> <\/p>\n Kansas City, KS<\/em><\/p>\n The historic Vine Street Brewing<\/a> made One For the Books<\/a> to celebrate the 150th birthday of the Kansas City Public Library. The third-highest rated Kentucky Common on Untappd gets a perhaps uncharacteristic vanilla addition for a slightly newer take on the classic American style.<\/p>\n This is the way to go if you\u2019re a Kentucky Common connoisseur and want to try something a little different. <\/p>\n Read More<\/a> <\/p>\n Charlton, MA<\/em><\/p>\n The seventh-highest rated Kentucky Common of all time on Untappd, Tree House\u2019s Old Growth<\/a> includes a mash bill of six-row barley, corn, crystal malt, and black malt, paired with Cluster hops. <\/p>\n So, according to Dienes\u2019 historic version, it is similar and accurate. <\/p>\n In the beer\u2019s Untappd description, Tree House writes, \u201cPouring a deep orange color into the glass, it carries flavors of sweet corn, mildly caramelized malts, and earthy classic American hops.\u201d <\/p>\n Knowing Tree House\u2019s pedigree, we bet this would be a fantastic true-to-style version. <\/p>\nFirst, Just What the Heck Is a Kentucky Common?<\/h2>\n
![\"apocalypse](\"http:\/\/www.hopculture.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/apocalypse-brew-works-oertels-1912-kentucky-common-head-brewer-and-owner-leah-dienes-credit-untappd-dallas-DuBose-1000x1000-1.jpg\")
<\/p>\nPutting the Kentucky in Kentucky Common<\/h2>\n
![\"apocalypse](\"http:\/\/www.hopculture.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/apocalypse-brew-works-oertels-1912-figure-1-brewing-record-kentucky-common-figure-2-brewing-record-bock-1000x1080-1-948x1024.jpg\")
<\/p>\nPutting the Dark in Dark Cream Ale<\/h2>\n
![\"blockhead](\"http:\/\/www.hopculture.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/blockhead-beerworks-brokers-tip-kentucky-common-credit-blockhead-beerworks-1000x1333-1-768x1024.jpg\")
<\/p>\nHow Do You Make a Kentucky Common?<\/h2>\n
\n<\/blockquote>\n
Wait, I\u2019ve Heard This Is a Sour Beer?<\/h2>\n
What Does a Dark Cream Ale Taste Like? And Who\u2019s Drinking It?<\/h2>\n
\n<\/blockquote>\n
What Are a Few Versions of Kentucky Common I Can Try?<\/h2>\n
Oertel\u2019s 1912 \u2013 Apocalypse Brew Works<\/h3>\n
Broker\u2019s Tip \u2013 Blockhead Beerworks<\/h3>\n
Kentucky Common \u2013 Falls City Beer<\/h3>\n
One For the Books \u2013 Vine Street Brewing<\/h3>\n
Old Growth \u2013 Tree House Brewing Company<\/h3>\n