Beer 101
From lagers to ales
LAGERS
Lager is the most common, base level of beer against which all other brews are judged. Characterized by a smooth but crisp bite, it’s brewed over a four- to 12-week period in very cool temperatures using a yeast that ferments at the top of the barrel.
Pale
The most popular style of lager, this beer has a clean, subtle, mild hops flavor and is very densely carbonated.
Examples: Stella Artois, Budweiser, Carlsberg.Dark
Although the color is more intense—thanks to added caramel syrup—dark lager is actually the middle ground of lagers, with a medium level of hops intensity and bitterness.
Examples: Michelob Dark, St. Pauli Girl Dark.Pilsner
With a transparent golden color, pilsner is the oldest type of lager and has the most extreme bitter hops taste.
Examples: Dos Equis, Pilsner Urquell.ALES
Unlike lager, ale ferments at warmer temperatures over shorter periods of time. This creates a quicker-to-process brew with a fruitier, less sharp taste.
Pale
Often bronze- or copper-colored, pale ale has a distinctive high level of hops bitterness.
Examples: Michelob Pale Ale, Burton, Royal Oak.Brown
This supersmooth option gains its popularity—and easy drinkability—from a unique combination of nutty sweetness, subtle hops, and a low alcohol content.
Examples: Samuel Smith’s Nut Brown Ale, Newcastle Brown Ale.Porter
The lighter-bodied companion to stout, porter has an old-school, dark-roasted taste and higher-than-average alcohol content.
Examples: Sierra Nevada Porter, Fuller’s London Porter.Stout
Made with highly roasted malts, barley, or oatmeal, this is a rich, extra-dark, top-fermenting brew. Stout is either strong and dry or sweet, and it sports a creamy head.
Examples: Guinness Extra Stout, Beamish Stout.I have not been on enough beer tours lately.
Lagers yeast ferments at the bottom of the fermenter. Ale yeast ferments at the top. Dark lagers aren’t dark because of caramel syrup, they are dark because the wort is made with dark malts which produce a darker maltose…..just sayin’…
