Buy Stout at ’t Bockje Bathmen

Stout is a dark beer style that grew out of porter. Porter emerged in London in the early 18th century and became popular because the beer was robust, kept well and was affordable. Brewers made porters in different strengths, and the heaviest versions were called stout porter; the word stout then meant strong. Later, stout beer became mainly a term for dark beer.

In Ireland the style developed into dry stout, with Guinness as the best-known example. In the 19th century, roasted barley and dark malts gave Irish stout its own character: a roasted flavour often reminiscent of coffee, sometimes with chocolate, and a bitter taste in the finish.

Various variants also emerged. Imperial stout was brewed in 18th-century London for export to the Russian court and usually has more than 9 per cent alcohol. Milk stout contains lactose, a sugar yeast cannot ferment, which makes the beer sweeter and less bitter. Oatmeal stout gets a softer mouthfeel from oats.

A young offshoot is pastry stout, brewed to imitate the taste of desserts, with additions such as chocolate, vanilla or marshmallow.