Glossary
SRM
The Standard Reference Method: a measure of beer colour based on how much light of a specific wavelength a sample absorbs.
Also called standard reference method, beer colour.
| SRM | EBC | Colour | Roughly |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 6 | straw | Munich Helles |
| 8 | 16 | amber | Märzen |
| 14 | 28 | copper | amber ale |
| 22 | 43 | brown | brown ale |
| 30 | 59 | dark brown | porter |
| 40 | 79 | black | imperial stout |
SRM runs from about 2 for a pale lager to 40 and beyond for an imperial stout. It is a one-dimensional measure of a two-dimensional property: it captures depth but not hue, so an amber lager and a copper bitter can share an SRM while looking quite different.
It also describes the beer in a laboratory cell rather than in a glass. Depth of liquid changes apparent colour considerably, which is why the same beer looks near-black in a pint and ruby when held to the light.
Related
- EBC — The European equivalent, roughly double the SRM figure.
- Degrees Lovibond — The older scale SRM was designed to replace.
More vocabulary
ABV · ABW · Alcohol unit · Alkalinity · Alpha acid · Apparent attenuation · Attenuation · Beta acid · Cohumulone · Degrees Lovibond
See every term on the glossary index.
Last reviewed 2026-08-16.
Evidence
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SRM measures absorbance at a single wavelength and therefore captures depth of colour but not hue, so two beers sharing an SRM figure can look noticeably different in the glass.
Backed by a source
Sources: ASBC Methods of Analysis; Tasting Beer (2nd edition) — print