Craving a beer, but need something smooth, light and with an ABV that won’t put you to sleep right away? Then it’s time to order a tall glass of our Bad, Bad Leroy Brown Ale. Dark and devilishly refreshing, Leroy Brown is our entry at the 2016 Pro-Am competition held at the annual Great American Beer Festival.
Every year Springfield Brewing Company gets together with the Homebrew ZOO – The Zymurgists “Home Brewing Society” of the Ozarks and along with a panel of judges, chooses one home brewed entry to recreate back at SBC and enter in the Pro-Am competition. This year, Andrew Lagerstrom and his brown English Ale won us over.
At 27 years old and working in accounting and finance for a software company, Lagerstrom moonlights as a homebrewer. We like to think one ill-fated evening with a Miller High Life Light led to Lagerstrom’s ventures with beer, but he might see things differently. Either way, Lagerstrom’s take on the classic English Brown Ale is delicious and won’t be on tap long!
Keep reading to learn more about how Lagerstrom came up with Bad Bad Leroy Brown Ale and which ingredient is his favorite to brew with.
How would you describe this beer?
A malt forward beer with a caramel and nutty flavor that is almost too easy to drink.
How did you come up with the recipe?
When I first bottled this beer and tried it, I wasn’t overly impressed with the beer. So I hid it in the closet and forgot about it for about two months. When I tried it again, the beer had completely changed and blew me away at how good it was.
What inspired you to make this beer?
I wanted something that was flavorful but light enough that I could drink a bunch of them during the hot Kansas City summers.
When did you get into homebrewing?
I got into homebrewing about three years ago through a friend who had been homebrewing for almost a decade. My next birthday, my wife got me a brewing kit and I was instantly obsessed.
What is your favorite style of beer?
I love Oktoberfest style beers. Anything that has lots of malt flavor but is still light enough that I can drink three to five in a night and still be a functioning human being the next day.
What is your favorite beer city to visit?
Denver of course, there are so many breweries to visit in the area plus it is home to the Great American Beer Festival.
Favorite beer-related ingredient?
Munich malt, almost all of my beer recipes include Munich malt
Do you remember your first beer?
When I was still in high school I took a beer from my parents’ beer fridge. It ended up being a Miller High Life Light. You can imagine the unpleasantness of that experience. I never made that mistake again.
How does your SBC beer change the way you look or enjoy beer?
It makes me realize that a simple recipe and style like an English Brown can still make an amazing beer.