Johnny McClure vs Rainier Lager

If you follow along on this blog, you know that after my wife and I visited the Seattle area, I brewed a beer that I called Johnny McClure Rainier Lager.

It was inspired by a beer I remember seeing a lot when I was a kid living in Washington, Rainier Beer, but I wasn't really looking to clone Rainier at all. I purposely added more hops than Rainier to make it a SheppyBrew recipe.

Regardless, this past weekend I thought I'd pour my beer next to Rainier and compare the two.

I was pleasantly surprised by how close Johnny McClure Rainier Lager came to the real thing—at least visually. The clarity was nearly identical, with Rainier just edging out Johnny in brilliance. Color-wise, Johnny leaned ever so slightly darker, but not enough to call it out unless you were really looking.

The head retention was a different story. Rainier fizzled out almost immediately, leaving a bare surface, while Johnny held a respectable cap of foam—especially impressive for a beer in the American Light Lager category. The foam color was nearly a match, pale and inviting.

Flavor-wise, Johnny definitely asserted its SheppyBrew identity. The extra hops gave it a spicy edge that Rainier simply doesn’t have. It’s not overpowering, but it’s there—enough to make you pause and appreciate the nuance. I kept sipping, trying to decide if I was imagining the extra body, but I don’t think I was. Johnny has a backbone. It’s subtle, but it’s there. The malt bill seems be very close, the extra hops just gave Johnny a little more character.

I didn’t brew Johnny McClure Rainier Lager to be a clone. I brewed it as a tribute—to the Pacific Northwest, to childhood memories, and to the kind of beer that’s easy to drink but still worth talking about. And in that sense, I think I nailed it.

Will I brew it again? Not sure. I have other 'Merican Light lagers. We'll see if I brew this again or not.

Follow this blog and you'll see.


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