Types of Beer
The Altbier or Alt style is a unique animal that, unbeknownst to many, exists in two different styles. Classified by the BJCP as an “Amber Hybrid,” the home of Altbier is undeniably the Westphalian town of Düsseldorf in the Lower Rhine Region.
Amber ale is an American term used to describe a variety of beers that range in color from light golden to deep red. They are slow-fermenting and are considered somewhat richer than pale ale, with a medium body. The US Association of Brewers describes these beers as having flavors determined primarily by hops.
A lager is one of the two main overarching beer types in the world. The other type is called an ale. What really differentiates these two is the type of yeast used in fermentation during the brewing process. Ales use “top-fermenting” yeast strains, which ferment at the top of the fermentation container.
American Pale Ale (APA) Description: Of British origin, this style is now popular worldwide and the use of local ingredients, or imported, produces variances in character from region to region.
One of the oldest styles of beer, the current form of barley wine originated in England during the 15th and 16th centuries. In the 18th century, it developed a short-lived popularity with English aristocracy, who were looking for an alternative to wine that had the same alcoholic strength.
Berliner Weisse is a top-fermented, bottle conditioned wheat beer made with both traditional warm-fermenting yeasts and lactobacillus culture. They have a rapidly vanishing head and a clear, pale golden straw-coloured appearance.
The story of bière de garde begins like many other beers whose roots are anchored in rural Europe. Beer was brewed as a means to nourish, liquid sustenance that made use of products at hand among farmers to preserve the bounty of the agrarian lifestyle.
A normal bock falls within the ABV range of 6 to 7 percent and has a very smooth mouthfeel and low carbonation. Substyles of bock vary in flavor and profile: a maibock is paler and has more hops while a doppelbock is heavier, darker, and maltier.
Brown ale is a style of beer with a dark amber or brown colour. The term was first used by London brewers in the late 17th century to describe their products, such as mild ale, though the term had a rather different meaning than it does today. 18th-century brown ales were lightly hopped and brewed from 100% brown malt.
Unfiltered beer, usually ale), that is racked (transferred) into casks, krausened (carbonated), sealed and then undergoes a slight final fermentation in the cask. Often finings (clarifying agents) will be added to help the beer drop bright—when yeast cells naturally flocculate (clump) and settle at the bottom of a vessel.
Cider (/ˈsaɪdər/ SY-dər) is an alcoholic beverage made from the fermented juice of apples. The juice of any variety of apple can be used to make cider, but cider apples are best. The addition of sugar or extra fruit before a second fermentation increases the alcoholic content of the resulting beverage.
Cali Creamin’ Vanilla Cream Ale, Mother Earth Brew Co. (Vista, CA) – This North San Diego County brewer has seized on the cream ale style and amped up the cream quotient. More like a cream soda, it’s got a subtle vanilla flavor at a mellow 5.2% octane which pairs perfectly with a trip to the beach.
Dortmunder / Export Lager Description: Made popular in the 19th century in Dortmund, Germany, these pale golden lagers exhibit a classic clean character with notes of biscuity malts.
The Belgian Dubbel is a rich malty beer with some spicy / phenolic and mild alcoholic characteristics. Not as much fruitiness as the Belgian Strong Dark Ale but some dark fruit aromas and flavors may be present.
Flanders Reds are commonly referred to as the "red" beers of West Flanders. Belgian Red Beers are typically light-bodied brews with reddish-brown colors. They are infamous for their distinct sharp, fruity, sour and tart flavors which are created by special yeast strains.
Gose is a top-fermented beer that originated in Goslar, Germany. It is brewed with at least 50% of the grain bill being malted wheat.
Gueuze (or Geuze) is a type of lambic, a Belgian beer. It is made by blending young (1-year-old) and old (2- to 3-year-old) lambics, which is bottled for a second fermentation.
India pale ale (IPA) is a hoppy beer style within the broader category of pale ale. It has also been referred to as pale ale as prepared for India, India ale, pale India ale, or pale export India ale.
Kellerbier is a type of German beer which is typically not clarified or pasteurised.[1] Kellerbier can be either top- or bottom-fermented. The term Kellerbier literally translates as "cellar beer", referring to its cool lagering temperatures, and its recipe likely dates to the Middle Ages.
Kölsch (German pronunciation: ) is a beer brewed in Cologne, Germany. It is a clear, top-fermented beer with a bright, straw-yellow hue similar to other beers brewed from mainly Pilsener malt.
Kriek lambic is a style of Belgian beer, made by fermenting lambic with sour Morello cherries. Traditionally "Schaarbeekse krieken" (a rare Belgian Morello variety) from the area around Brussels are used.
Lambic is a type of beer brewed in the Pajottenland region of Belgium southwest of Brussels and in Brussels itself at the Cantillon Brewery. Lambic beers include gueuze and kriek lambic.
The term "mild" originally meant young beer or ale, as opposed to "stale" aged beer or ale with its resulting "tang". In more recent times, it has been interpreted as having a low gravity or being "mildly hopped".
A Bavarian brewing ordinance decreed in 1553 that beer may be brewed only between 29 September and 23 April. The Märzen was brewed in March (März in German is "March") with more hops and slightly higher alcohol content that would allow the beer to last while the brewing of new beer was forbidden from 24 April to 28 September.
Old Ale. Description: Old Ales, also referred to in the past as "Stock" Ales, are low attenuated beers with high levels of dextrins, creating a full malt body with plenty of character. Old Ales of a hundred plus years ago were often transfered into vats to mature, hence the name.
Learn more about the Flanders Oud Bruin style of beer, plus recommendations for food pairings and glassware.
Pale ale is a popular style of beer known to be hop-forward with a malty flavor and a golden to amber color. This is the style that inspired the American craft beer scene and there's a good reason for that.
American Pale Lager Description: Sometimes referred to as "all-malt," this category of beer refers to lagers brewed without cereal adjuncts (mainly rice or corn).
Rye beer refers to any beer in which rye (generally malted) is substituted for some portion of the barley malt. One example of this is roggenbier which is a specialty beer produced with up to sixty percent rye malt.
Emily Hutto set out on a quest to find out how craft-beer brewers across the country defined “saison.” Here’s what she found. Polling craft-beer artisans about what makes a saison a saison, I received diverse responses, to say the least. Dann Paquette of Pretty Things Beer and Ale Project ...
Schwarzbier ("shvahrts-beer"), is simply German for black beer. It doesn t mean that it s necessarily heavy or light in body, although they tend to lean towards light. Unlike other dark beers, like porters or stouts, they are not overly bitter with burnt and roasted malt characteristics that the others tend to depend on.
Description: Scotch Ales are strong ales, also known as "Wee Heavy." In the 19th century Scotland, they'd also be known as 160/-, a nomenclature based on the now obsolete shilling currency.
A seasonal beer is a beer that is typically brewed during or for a particular season, holiday or festival period.[1][2] Many breweries and microbreweries produce seasonal beers.
Steam Beer – History. The steam beer, or California Common, is an American original and was first produced in California during the gold rush (late 19th Century). The style of beer is very much tied to the west coast and in particular San Francisco.
Trappist beer is a beer brewed by Trappist breweries. Eleven monasteries — six in Belgium, two in the Netherlands, and one each in Austria, Italy, and the United States — currently brew beer and sell it marked as Authentic Trappist Product.
The name "Tripel" actually stems from part of the brewing process, in which brewers use up to three times the amount of malt than a standard Trappist "Simple.". Traditionally, Tripels are bright yellow to gold in color, which is a shade or two darker than the average Pilsener. Head should be big, dense and creamy.
Named after the city in which it orginated, a traditional Vienna lager is brewed using a three step decoction boiling process. Munich, Pilsner, Vienna toasted and dextrin malts are used, as well wheat in some cases. Subtle hops, crisp, with residual sweetness.
Dunkles Weißbier or Dunkelweizen: a dark version of a wheat beer ("dunkel" is the German word for "dark"). Weizenbock is a wheat beer made in the bock style originating in Germany. Witbier (Literally, "white beer") or simply Wit: Dutch language name for the Belgian style of wheat beer.