Clone Brews
On a recent episode of The Beer Craft, Beer, and Brewing Podcast, I mentioned the Book Clone Brews by Tess and Mark Szamutulski.
If you’re a homebrewer and haven’t heard of Clone Brews, grab a pint, sit back, and get ready to meet one of the most beloved books in brewing. Written by Tess and Mark Szamatulski, Clone Brews has been a go-to resource for brewers wanting to recreate their favorite commercial beers at home. With recipes for over 200 classic brews, this book makes it possible to turn that dream pint into a reality. Sadly, Tess Szamatulski passed away in 2023, but her legacy lives on in the glasses and conversations of brewers everywhere.
The beauty of Clone Brews is how easy it is to use. If you enjoyed the step-by-step format of The Joy of Cooking or Julia Child’s various works, you will love Clone Brews. Each step has a list of ingredients that you will use. Each recipe also includes easy conversion for partial mash and all-grain brewers.
The authors, Tess and Mark, knew that brewing isn’t just about ingredients and steps—it’s about the stories behind our favorite beers and the flavors that bring us back to special moments. Whether you want to recreate that crisp German lager from a trip abroad or the smooth, hoppy IPA that blew your mind and opened your eyes to craft beer, Clone Brews gives you what you need to bring those memories to life at home.
One of the joys of homebrewing is experimenting and putting your twist on a recipe. But sometimes, you just want to nail that perfect pub favorite—to get it right, down to the last bitter note or malty finish. Tess and Mark did the hard work for us, breaking down famous commercial beers so we could bring the experience into our kitchens and garages. It’s a labor of love; you’re part of that tradition every time you brew one of their clones.
On our upcoming episode of The Beer Craft, we’re nodding to Clone Brews and the inspiration it’s given so many new brewers. We’ll discuss how the book makes recipe selection easier and share some of our adventures in recreating beloved brews. Tess’s contributions to the homebrewing community are enormous, so let’s all raise a glass for her this week. Whether it’s an amber ale or a Belgian tripel, know that your brew is part of a bigger story written by a true craft lover.
If you have a favorite recipe from Clone Brews, we’d love to hear about it! Contact us on Facebook or your favorite podcast site.
Cheers!
Ben
940 S. Spruce Street
Burlington, WA. 98233
Tel. (360)-293-0424
E-Mail: brew@nwbrewers.com