Ask your AI assistant about beer styles, diagnose off-flavours, build recipes, match water profiles, and pair food — all backed by real brewing data, not hallucinations.
6 tools. Zero config. Works with every MCP-compatible IDE.
Install
npx -y brewers-almanackNo API keys, no network dependencies. All brewing data is embedded.
Add to your IDE
claude mcp add brewers-almanack -- npx -y brewers-almanackAdd to ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json (macOS) or %APPDATA%/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json (Windows):
{
"mcpServers": {
"brewers-almanack": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "brewers-almanack"]
}
}
}Add to .cursor/mcp.json:
{
"mcpServers": {
"brewers-almanack": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "brewers-almanack"]
}
}
}Add to .vscode/mcp.json:
{
"servers": {
"brewers-almanack": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "brewers-almanack"]
}
}
}Add to ~/.codeium/windsurf/mcp_config.json:
{
"mcpServers": {
"brewers-almanack": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "brewers-almanack"]
}
}
}Add to settings.json:
{
"context_servers": {
"brewers-almanack": {
"command": {
"path": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "brewers-almanack"]
}
}
}
}Tools
Tool | Description |
| Search 85 BJCP beer styles by name, category, or characteristics. Returns vital statistics, overall impression, ingredients, and commercial examples. |
| Search hops, malts, yeasts, and adjuncts by name, type, or characteristic. Filter by category or search across all. |
| Identify off-flavours from taste or aroma descriptions. Returns the likely compound, causes, prevention steps, and styles where it may be acceptable. |
| Find brewing water profiles by city name or beer style. Returns mineral composition (Ca, Mg, Na, Cl, SO4, HCO3) and style recommendations. |
| Generate a recipe for a target beer style. Returns grain bill, hop schedule, yeast selection, water profile, and process parameters. |
| Beer and food pairing suggestions. Search by beer style or dish name. Returns matches with complement, contrast, and cleanse principles. |
Example Conversations
"What hops work in a Belgian Dubbel?"
Searches ingredients for hops that complement Belgian styles — returns varieties like Styrian Goldings and Saaz with alpha acid ranges, aromas, and substitutes.
"My beer tastes like butter — what went wrong?"
Diagnoses diacetyl: identifies the compound, explains causes (incomplete fermentation, premature racking), and gives prevention steps (diacetyl rest, healthy yeast pitch).
"Suggest a recipe for a West Coast IPA"
Builds a complete recipe: pale malt base with crystal malt, Centennial/Cascade hop schedule with dry hop additions, American ale yeast, and a Burton-style water profile.
"What food pairs well with a stout?"
Returns pairing suggestions — oysters, chocolate desserts, grilled meats — with principles explaining why each pairing works (complement, contrast, or cleanse).
Data Sources
Dataset | Records | Source | Licence / Basis |
Beer styles | 85 | MIT; BJCP attribution | |
Hops | 113 | MIT | |
Malts | 38 | Compiled from published maltster spec sheets | Factual data |
Yeasts | 33 | Compiled from published yeast lab spec sheets | Factual data |
Adjuncts | 21 | Compiled from brewing literature | Factual data |
Water profiles | 20 | Compiled from brewing literature | Factual data |
Off-flavours | 25 | Compiled from brewing science literature | Factual data |
Food pairings | 23 | Compiled from Cicerone curriculum and pairing guides | Factual data |
Roadmap
See ROADMAP.md for planned features: brewing calculators, recipe intelligence, BeerXML/BeerJSON integration, and a brewing journal.
Contributing
Contributions are welcome — especially data contributions. More hop varieties, yeast strains, regional water profiles, and food pairings make the server more useful for everyone.
git clone https://github.com/gregario/brewers-almanack.git
cd brewers-almanack
npm install
npm run build
npm test # 73 testsRunning locally
claude mcp add brewers-almanack-dev -- node /path/to/brewers-almanack/dist/index.jsSee ROADMAP.md for areas where contributions are most needed.