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Beer Styles

What is a beer style? Simply put a beer style is a label given to a beer that describes its overall character and often times its origin. It's a name badge that has been achieved over many centuries of brewing, trial and error, marketing / branding and consumer acceptance.

The following is BeerAdvocate.com's ever-changing take on beer styles ...

Ales

Lagers

American Ales

Belgian / French Ales

English Ales

Finnish Ales

Sahti

German Ales

Irish Ales

Scottish Ales

American Lagers

Czech Lagers

Czech Pilsener

European Lagers

German Lagers

Japanese Lagers

Specialty (Ales or Lagers)

Black & Tan

Chocolate / Coffee / Nut Beer

Fruit / Vegetable Beer

Ciders & Perry

Specialty Cider / Perry

Standard Cider / Perry

Meads

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Beer Styles

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How to Pour Beer

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What's an Ale?
This category of beer uses yeast that ferments at the "top" of the fermentation vessel, and typically at higher temperatures than lager yeast (60°-75°F), which, as a result, makes for a quicker fermentation period (7-8 days, or even less). Ale yeast are known to produce by-products called esters, which are "flowery" and "fruity" aromas ranging, but not limited to apple, pear, pineapple, grass, hay, plum, and prune.

What's a Lager?
The word lager comes from the German word lagern which means, "to store". A perfect description as lagers are brewed with bottom fermenting yeast that work slowly at around 34 degrees F, and are often further stored at cool temperature to mature. Lager yeast produce fewer by-product characters than ale yeast which allows for other flavours to pull through, such as hops.

Specialty (Ale / Lagers)
These are styles that cross-over both Ale and Lager categories, often times employing techniques, ingredients and traditions from both, but more so they tend to focus on flavours than simple classification. Examples: Rauchbiers, Fruit Beers, Rye Beers, Black & Tans and Cream Ales.

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