Red beers

[David Isser]

I've seen an awful lot of red and double red beers from some of my favorite brewers, and I've never really been able to find a good definition of a red that distinguishes it from an Amber. Also I've been told that reds are seasonal, is it a particular grain that makes them seasonal?

[Kristyn Lier]

problem with "red" beers is the pretty much the same as "amber" ales and "amber" lagers. they are a very hard to define style because they have very loose parameters. they can be anywhere from hoppy to malty to thick and sweet. most though tend for a relatively even proportion of malt to hops. how much of both depends on the brewer and what they are aiming to accomplish. for example, Stone's 15th Anniversary ale, what i would consider an imperial amber ale. or summit's horizon dry-hopped amber ale. red in color (hence their red designation i guess) but both with a hefty malt backbone and hop presence.

i would take it as brewers following this as their base:
http://www.bjcp.org/2008styles/style07.php#1b
and then doing what craft brewers do best, getting creative.

you could even almost...almost say some are a branch of the vienna lager, especially since they do like to balance hops and malts, but vienna lager is a pretty set style guideline that doesn't allow as much playroom as the amber hybrid above.
http://www.bjcp.org/2008styles/style03.php#1a

cheers!