The Davenporter

Brewer's notes:

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This is another historic style that was made popular in the northeast US over 100 years ago and is one of the few beer styles invented in the US. It's extremely difficult to find commercially so I thought it was time to give this style its due. Afterall, prior to prohibition, Davenport alone had over a dozen breweries(!) and a few of them likely made porters. 

I haven't been able to find a local recipe, but this is my adaptation of what I expect they would have brewed based on local brewery trends and actual porter recipes from that era. The resulting beer uses corn and field barley along with relying on dark molasses to provide a lot of the color which also dries out the finish. I added a late addition of an English hop known as Fuggles. Davenport brewers probably didn't use it, but I find it provides a hint of tobacco – which is my nod at the city's booming cigar industry from the same time period. It's fermented low and slow so that it drinks much like a lager. Don't expect a big chewy roasty beer – this is very much a refreshing beer that would go great after a hard day's work. 

Cheers!