Style: Bière de Garde

All Styles

Style Profile based on 161 recipes

BU:GU

0.37

Hops

3.7 g/L

Mash pH

5.53

Style Guidelines BJCP 2015 Beer
OG
1.06 1.08
1.066
FG
1.008 1.016
1.014
IBU
18 28
24
ABV
6% 8.5%
6.9%
SRM
6 19
Description

A fairly strong, malt-accentuated, lagered artisanal beer with a range of malt flavors appropriate for the color. All are malty yet dry, with clean flavors and a smooth character. History: Name literally means “beer which has been kept or lagered.” A traditional artisanal ale from Northern France brewed in early spring and kept in cold cellars for consumption in warmer weather. It is now brewed year-round. Style Comparison: Related to the Belgian Saison style, the main difference is that the Bière de Garde is rounder, richer, malt-focused, and lacks the spicy, bitter character of a Saison.

Examples: Ch’Ti (brown and blond), Jenlain (amber and blond), La Choulette (all 3 versions), St. Amand (brown), Saint Sylvestre 3 Monts (blond), Russian River Perdition

Typical Grain Bill

% of total grain weight across all recipes · sums to ~100%

Common Additions

% of Bière de Garde recipes using each malt category (addition % in brackets)

Hop Usage by Addition Type

g/L · median with IQR range

Bittering
0.58 g/L 1.5 g/L
1 g/L
Flavour
0.58 g/L 1.41 g/L
1.25 g/L
Aroma
0.45 g/L 1.37 g/L
0.74 g/L
Whirlpool
1.06 g/L 2.73 g/L
1.5 g/L
Common Hops

% of Bière de Garde recipes using each hop

Dry-Hop Rate by Year

g/L · median with IQR range

2020
0 g/L 0 g/L
0 g/L
2023
0 g/L 0 g/L
0 g/L
2024
0.69 g/L 0.69 g/L
0.69 g/L

dated Bière de Garde recipes with at least one dry-hop addition

Common Fermentables

Colour = malt category · bar = % of recipes

Mash Profile
  • 61% Single Infusion
  • 25% Step Mash
  • 14% Decoction

28 recipes with mash data

Typical Water Profile
  • 70 ppm Ca²⁺
  • 6 ppm Mg²⁺
  • 18 ppm Na⁺
  • 85 ppm Cl⁻
  • 76 ppm SO₄²⁻
  • 100 ppm HCO₃⁻

median across recipes with a declared water profile

Similar Styles

Ranked by similarity across OG, IBU, ABV, hop rate, and grist composition.