Some suggest that the Baltic Porter is basically a lager’s answer to an Imperial Stout, but like the cold Baltic Sea region that gave birth to this beer style more than a century ago,  but the answer is more nuanced than that.

Today, the Baltic Porter is celebrated as a “brewing treasure,” particularly in Poland, where Baltic Porter Day is observed annually on the third Saturday of January

The Basics

The origins of the Baltic Porter can traced back 18^th century England and the working class (you guessed it) ‘porters’ who worked the city streets and  dockyards around the country. It began as a take on the English Brown Ale that got deeper and darker, eventually evolving into more of a high velocity stout.

As this style of beer became more and more popular, Porters were exported across the globe. In fact Porters became one of the first beer styles to extend beyond its regional roots and consumed across the world.

Porters particularly took in the Baltic regions of Europe, where they were consumed as imports until Napoleon cut off that pipeline in 1806 and regional brewers started making them locally.

But unlike the original English Porters that were imported, brewers to these cold-weather countries which bordered the Baltic Sea like Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, local brewers substituted bottom fermenting lager yeast which fared better in the region.

The use of this yeast, as opposed to the, more warm weather-friendly, ale yeast used by the Brits, is what most defines a Baltic Porter as opposed to a stout.

Baltic Porters are cold-fermented and cold-lagered, which helps preserve its clean and complex flavors. They are lagers not ales.  And in keeping with cold-weather region that spawned them,  they come with a higher alcohol count similar to the Russian Imperial Stout.

Notable International Examples

Żywiec Porter (Poland ’Not surprisingly the best Baltic Porters come from Baltic regions like the Zywiec Porter from Zywiec Breweries in Poland, which is deep, dark and rich and clocks in at a hefty 9.5% ABV

Sinebrychoff Porter (Finland) A world-class example that historically used ale yeast but is now frequently lagered.

Baltika #6 (Russia) A widely distributed and recognizable version of the style.

For a true Baltic Porter made in the states look no further than Richmond California- based East Brother Brewing. Available every fall/winter its Baltic Porter is classic 8.6% ABV take on the style.

Both refreshing and warming at the same time, East Brother Baltic Porter is made with a German Lager yeast and boasts flavors of dark fruits, like plums and cherries, chocolate, and molasses.

Out Take

Baltic Porters fell out of fashion during the 1900’s, particularly during the Cold War. But this less common style has seen a resurgence in popularity over the last twenty years thanks to the craft beer movement and breweries like East Brother, who really understand what goes into  crafting fine lagers.

Stouts are always going to command the lion’s share of attention when it comes to these sibling ales. Baltic Porters are lagers, and lagers take longer to make, and time is money as every brewer knows.

But a true Baltic Porter is something very special, especially during the wintertime.

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