When our co-founders, Felix and James, first dreamed up Small Beer, lager was always going to be part of the picture. But they also wanted to push beyond the obvious. Instead of chasing whatever was trending, they looked inward to the beers they personally loved most.
For Felix, that meant a dark lager (which launched alongside our first lager). For James, it was something a little out of the ordinary. A beer that leaned into warmth and richness. A red ale of sorts. And so began the journey to re-imagine an old classic.
The Return of Amber
What was once historically called “steam beer” has found a new lease of life at Small Beer, re-imagined as Amber. Technically, it’s still a lager, brewed with lager yeast, but we ferment it a little warmer to bring out a fruity depth and rounder body.
Amber bridges the gap between lager and ale, offering the best of both worlds:
- A rich, robust body that nods to tradition
- A bright, vibrant finish that feels refreshingly modern
Brewed with British rye malt, it glows with a deep amber hue and just a hint of spice. As Time Out eloquently wrote: “It tastes incredibly complex for just 2.7%, full of dried fruit flavours and delicious maltiness.”
This is a beer with roots, but also with a forward-looking spirit. James and Felix wanted Amber to be fresh, crisp, and timeless. A classic, made “cool” again.
Why Amber Matters Now
Amber isn’t just about nostalgia. It’s about creating something modern, mindful and sessionable. At 2.7%, it packs in rich flavour without (tipping into excess). With only 79 calories a can (almost half of what you’d expect from a stronger beer of the same style), it’s proof that character and balance go hand-in-hand.
As Felix puts it: “Amber was one of the first beers we ever brewed, and it remains an absolute favourite of mine. It has everything you could want from a beer: complex malt character, rich amber hue, and yet it’s gloriously crisp and refreshing.”
And while you can enjoy Amber in cans, you’ll also find it on cask.
So, What’s the Deal with Cask?
Cask beer (or “real ale”) has been around for centuries. Unlike kegged beer, which is often force-carbonated with added gas and served extra cold, cask is alive. It undergoes secondary fermentation in the pub cellar, creating natural carbonation and a creamy mouthfeel that’s softer, more nuanced, and (when served well) wonderfully fresh.
It’s also a little more demanding. Once a cask is opened, it needs to be enjoyed quickly before it loses its vibrancy. That’s part of the magic, and part of why you’ll mostly see it in pubs that really care about their beer.
Keg beers have become the modern norm. Reliable, longer-lasting, easier to serve. But cask remains something special. It’s beer at its most human: living, breathing, evolving with every pour.
A Beer for the Modern Age
Amber, in many ways, brings these worlds together. It nods to the heritage of steam beers and the craft of cask, but it’s brewed with modern drinkers in mind: flavour-packed, lower in strength, lighter in calories, and versatile enough to enjoy at the pub or at home.
It’s not about chasing trends. It’s about asking: how do we take something timeless and make it meaningful again today?
We believe Amber does just that.