Key ingredients that contribute to the essence of beer are water, yeast, hops, and malted grain, or malt. Interestingly, the malt needs to be dried post malting to prevent it from growing into a plant. In the past, malts were dried over an open flame imparting the brew with a smoky flavor. Technological advances almost made smoked beer a relic of the past, yet thanks to a few craft brewing retentionists, this ancient method is being restored, and smoked beer is making a revival.

Brewing with malted grains that were smoked over peat, giving Scotch whiskey its unique flavor, was widespread until the discovery of kilns in the 1600s. This invention enabled brewers to omit the smoky scent from their brews and lean towards using roasted, but unsmoked, malts bringing forth the more subtle, smoke-less beers consumed today. However, some brewers persisted with the smoky variant.

Notably, two breweries in the UNESCO World Heritage City of Bamberg, Germany preserved the tradition of brewing smoked beer, or 'Rauchbier' as it's known in German. Thanks to a wide spectrum of smoked malts, the U.S Brewers Association Beer Style Guidelines have listed 'Smoke Beer' along with several subcategories derived from regional precedents, including Bamberg-Style Weiss, Helles, Maerzen, and Bock Rauchbier.

Thanks to the preservation work of Schlenkerla, an ancient brewpub dating back to 1405, and Brauerei Spezial, established in 1536, Bamberg has become the hub of Rauchbier. Spezial, situated not far from the local train station, and Schlenkerla, located in the heart of Bamberg's picturesque old city, serve a variety of smoked beers, some of which carry a subtle smoky flavor while others resemble the taste of bacon.

Schlenkerla’s Hansla, which is a "small beer," is an ideal beer for those new to the taste. Brewed with reused malts that have less sugar and subdued flavors, it has a lower alcohol content of 0.9% ABV. The city of Bamberg houses several other breweries experimenting with Rauchbier, including Hopfengarten, one of the newest and smallest breweries in the city, owned by fourth-generation gardener Kris Emmerling.

Another smokers’ delight is the Polish Grodziskie, brewed with oak-smoked wheat malt. Browar Grodzisk is a notable brand specializing in this beer, available at speciality beer outlets. Given their connection to Scotch whisky, some Scottish styles and Scotch ales also use peat-smoked malt.

In the US, several breweries make Rauchbier periodically. For instance, Fox Farm Brewery in Salem, Connecticut, uses smoked malt for its Bamberg-inspired brew known as 'The Camp'. In Chicago, the Dovetail Brewery’s smoky, chocolatey Rauchbier is a local favorite.

Due to its trademark smoky taste, Bamberg boasts a variety of food delicacies seasoned with smoked malts or Rauchbier. Schlenkerla serves a mouthwatering bratwurst and vegetarian pastry flavored with smoked malts, and an enticing pork-stuffed onion with Rauchbier sauce. One may also stumble upon Rauchbier-flavored rye bread, baguettes, truffles, and even salami in establishments across this city, continuing to celebrate the Smoky Brew.