Porter is a well-known, versatile dark beer that recently has been overshadowed by IPAs and lighter-colored brews. Don’t give it the cold shoulder — this rich, complex style is great to sip on a back patio while enjoying the temperature dips of early fall. Porters come in all styles, from malty and mellow to aggressively robust, almost Imperial stout-like with jet-black color and pronounced hop notes. For some of my favorites, seek out Founders Porter, Smuttynose Baltic Porter and Civil Life Porter.
Cory King is Certified Cicerone, head brewer at Perennial Artisan Ales and founder of Side Project Brewing.
This article appears in October 2015.