Explantion Of Beer Types

So Many Beer Types, So Little Time.

With so many different beer types available on today’s market, it is sometimes confusing when looking to buy something other than your favorite type of beer. So to help you out, I have given a brief description of the most common types of beer, so you can make a drinkable decision.

Ale

Beer type that is produced using warm top fermentation. Ale brewing uses lots of hops and many recipes use roasted malts that produce a darker color and full flavor.

Bitter

Traditionally an English style of Ale. They are highly hopped and low on carbonation and best served at room temperature. With flavors that range from mild to extra special bitter.

Bock

Originally a seasonal German lager type beer served in the spring. Bocks are know to be sweeter in taste and darker in color.

Golden Ale

Also known as cream ale. Goldens are commonly produced in Canada and share that crisp clean taste of many Lagers.

Ice Beer

Made by a process in which ice crystals are formed in the beer than removed. The end product is a crisp beer with a smooth taste.

India Pale Ale

This beer got its name for a type of beer that was heavy in hops and alcohol content purposely made that way to survive the long ocean voyage from Great Britain to India.

Lager

Means to store in German. Because after the cold bottom fermentation where the yeast settles to the bottom after fermentation, they are stored for a period of time in cold temperature controlled tanks. Most Lagers are pale in color and crisp in flavor, but there color and flavors range from dark bocks to classic American lagers like Budweiser.

Lambic

A classic Belgian style of beer which are often fermented with fruits. They are distinguished by using open tank fermentation and wild yeasts.

Pale Ale

Pales ale beer types are brewed widely in America with a lighter texture and a hint of fruitiness to them. This differs from the traditional English pale ale that has a very hoppy to almost spicy flavor.

Pilsner

A European type of pale Lager, that tends to be very pale in color with a hoppy flavor. This beer was made very popular by German and Bohemian brewers.

Porter

An extremely dark, medium bodied ale that originated in London. Flavors range from sweet to very hoppy with a crisp finish.

Steam Beer

A Lager yeast beer that originated in California using a warm fermentation process because of the unavailability of ice. The end result is a beer with both ale and lager like flavors.

Stout

Brewed with the use of unmalted, roasted barley. Stouts are typically low in hops with a caramel aroma. Styles include cream Stouts, dry Stouts, sweet Stouts and oatmeal Stouts.

Wheat Beer

Also called Weizen or Hefeweizen. This style of beer uses wheat as part of the grain profile. They tend to be high in carbonation, pale in color with low hops and a hint of fruit in the flavor.

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