The Many Varied Names Of Beer Explained

Beer is one of the most widely consumed alcoholic drinks in the world, with over 9,000 craft breweries in the US alone. There are two main types of beer: lagers and ales. Ales are brewed at warmer temperatures than lagers, with top-fermenting yeast, and tend to have a more complex flavour profile. Lagers are brewed at cooler temperatures, using bottom-fermenting yeast, and are known for their crisp, clean taste.

There are many different types of beer within these two categories, including:

- Stouts

- Porters

- IPAs

- Pale ales

- Wheat beers

- Sour ales

- Pilsners

- Brown ales

- Bocks

Wheat Beers: Wheat beers are known for their tangy, citrusy flavours and are often served with seasonal fruits

Wheat beers are known for their tangy, citrusy flavours and are often served with seasonal fruits. This unique style of beer is made using wheat as the malt, resulting in a refreshing and crisp taste. While wheat beers can be enjoyed on their own, they also pair exceptionally well with certain foods. Here are some key characteristics and examples of wheat beers to help you explore this delightful category.

Wheat beers, also known as wheat ales, are typically top-fermented, with yeast strains gathering at the top of the tank during brewing and preferring warmer temperatures. This fermentation process, along with the use of wheat, gives wheat beers their distinctive fruity flavours and a creamier mouthfeel compared to lagers. The alcohol level of wheat beers, or ABV, typically falls between 3.5% and 5.6%, which is generally lower than many other beer varieties.

When it comes to wheat beers, there are several styles to explore, each with its own unique characteristics. One of the most popular styles is Hefeweizen, which is a German wheat beer known for its cloudy appearance, full body, and effervescent carbonation. Hefeweizens often have a yeasty character and feature notes of banana and clove. Another classic style is Witbier, which is a Belgian-style wheat beer that is often spiced with dried orange peel and coriander, resulting in subtle spiced notes.

American wheat beers are also worth trying, as they tend to be light and easy to drink, with a slightly hoppy wheat taste. They strike a perfect balance between the German and Belgian styles, making them a great crossover option. Some well-known examples of American wheat beers include Blue Moon Belgian White, which is served with a slice of orange to complement its citrus backbone, and Samuel Adams Summer Ale, a seasonal wheat ale with bright citrus notes.

If you're feeling more adventurous, you can explore fruit-infused wheat beers. These beers are often brewed with fruits like raspberries, apricots, peaches, and even dragon fruit. For instance, the Jackalope Lovebird Strawberry Raspberry Wheat Ale is a refreshing summer brew with a beautiful pink hue and a big berry aroma.

For those who want to experience the complexity of wheat beers aged in oak barrels, there are options like the Wallenpaupack Lichtenhainer, which has faint aromas of bacon and a tangy yeast bite, or the Creature Comforts Athena, a gently tart German-style wheat beer with notes of cider and sauvignon blanc.

Wheat beers offer a delightful array of flavours and aromas, from citrusy and tangy to fruity and spicy. They are highly versatile, pairing well with various dishes and appealing to a wide range of drinkers. So, whether you're a craft beer enthusiast or new to the world of wheat beers, there's a style and a flavour profile to suit every taste.

Porters: Porters are dark and robust, with a deep brown-to-black colour. They are less intense than stouts and often include notes of caramel, toffee and dark fruit

Porters are a dark and robust style of beer with a rich history dating back to 18th-century England. Named after the working-class porters who loved this style of beer, porters were the first mass-produced, industrialised beer of the modern brewing age.

Porters are characterised by their deep brown-to-black colour and complex flavour profile. They are made with malted unroasted barley, which gives them a less intense taste than stouts. Porters often include notes of caramel, toffee, and dark fruit. The original porter was born in the 1700s, supposedly the result of blending old (stale or sour), new (brown ale), and mild beers to make something palatable.

Today, there are two main varieties of porter: English porter and American porter. The English porter is made with English ingredients, such as pale, crystal, and chocolate malts, English ale yeast, and British-grown hops. It has flavours of toffee, chocolate, caramel, toast, floral bouquet, and biscuit. The American porter, on the other hand, uses American-grown malts, American ale yeast, and American-grown hops, resulting in darker, richer flavours of cocoa, dark roast coffee, and sometimes pine and citrus notes from the American hops.

Porters typically have an ABV of 4.5-12.0%. Some popular porter brands include Sierra Nevada Brewing Company Porter, Shipyard Longfellow Winter Ale, and Smuttynose Robust Porter. Porters are excellent fall and winter beers, but they can be enjoyed year-round. They pair well with American and English cuisine, barbecue, tiramisu, and asiago cheese. The ideal serving temperature for porters is 40-55 degrees Fahrenheit.

Stouts: Stouts are dark, rich beers with a creamy mouthfeel. They are typically brewed at warmer temperatures and are known for their bitter, hoppy flavour profile

Stouts are dark, flavourful beers with a creamy mouthfeel. They are typically brewed at warmer temperatures and are known for their bitter, hoppy flavour profile.

Stouts are a type of dark beer, generally warm-fermented, with a robust flavour and a creamy mouthfeel. The first known use of the word "stout" to refer to beer was in a document dated 1677, where it described the strength of the beverage. Historically, stouts were stronger versions of porters, which were brewed to a variety of strengths. The stronger beers were called "stout porters" to indicate their higher alcohol content. Over time, the term "stout" became associated specifically with dark beers, and today, stouts are known for their distinctive colour and flavour.

Stouts are typically brewed at warmer temperatures, which contributes to their unique flavour profile. Ales, the broader category of beer that includes stouts, are brewed at warmer temperatures than lagers, typically between 60-75 degrees Fahrenheit. This warmer fermentation temperature imparts a more complex flavour profile to stouts and other ales, ranging from fruity and spicy to bitter and hoppy. The warmer temperature also results in a faster fermentation process, making stouts and ales popular choices for craft breweries.

The flavour profile of stouts is characterised by their bitterness and hoppiness. Stouts often feature a bitter coffee taste, which is derived from unmalted roasted barley added to the wort. This bitterness is balanced by the creamy mouthfeel and smooth finish that stouts are known for. The creamy texture is created by serving the beer with a nitrogen propellant in addition to carbon dioxide, enhancing the sense of smoothness and fullness in the beer.

Stouts also vary in their sweetness levels, with some being dry or non-sweet, while others are milk stouts or sweet stouts. Milk stouts, also known as cream stouts, contain lactose, a sugar derived from milk. Lactose adds sweetness and body to the beer, creating a dessert-like quality that is well-suited to stouts. However, in the early 20th century, sweet stouts became the dominant style in the UK, while non-sweet or standard stouts were more commonly produced in Ireland. These Irish stouts, such as Guinness, became the typical representation of the style for most people.

In addition to their bitterness and sweetness, stouts can also exhibit a range of other flavour notes. For example, oatmeal stouts are known for their smooth and silky mouthfeel, with flavour notes of roasted coffee and chocolate. Imperial stouts, on the other hand, are stronger and bolder, with high alcohol content and rich malt flavours, often featuring notes of dark fruits and bittersweet chocolate. Some stouts may even include unconventional ingredients, such as vanilla beans, chili powder, maple syrup, or marshmallows, showcasing the versatility and creativity of craft brewers.

Ales: Ales are the oldest style of beer and are brewed at warmer temperatures, resulting in a faster fermentation process

Ales are the oldest style of beer and are brewed at warmer temperatures, resulting in a faster fermentation process. Ales are fermented with top-fermenting yeast at warm temperatures, typically between 60–75 °F (or 60–70 °F according to another source). This is in contrast to lagers, which are fermented with bottom-fermenting yeast at colder temperatures, typically between 35–50 °F.

The warmer temperatures used in ale brewing accelerate the fermentation process, leading to a shorter fermentation time compared to lagers. This rapid fermentation imparts a more complex flavour profile to ales, ranging from fruity and spicy to bitter and hoppy. The top-fermenting yeast also contributes to the unique flavour characteristics of ales.

The faster fermentation and ease of temperature control make ales a popular choice for craft beers. Craft brewers often use ales as their base, allowing for a wide range of creative and distinctive beer styles.

The brewing process for ales involves several key steps. First, malted barley is crushed or milled to break up the grains and expose the sugars. The crushed malt is then mixed with hot water in a mash tun, creating a porridge-like consistency. This mixture is left to rest, allowing the enzymes to convert the starch in the grain into sugar.

After an hour or so, the sweet wort (sugary extract) is drawn off and boiled. During the boil, hops are added in stages to contribute bitterness, flavour, and aroma to the beer. The boiled wort is then cooled and transferred to fermentation tanks, where yeast is added to begin the transformation of sugar into alcohol.

The fermentation process is crucial, with yeast feeding on the sugars and producing alcohol and carbon dioxide. Ales are typically fermented at a steady temperature of around 18–20 °C for 2–3 days. After fermentation, the beer undergoes conditioning, where it is chilled and allowed to mature further.

Ales offer a diverse range of flavours and aromas, making them a popular choice for craft brewers and beer enthusiasts alike. The flexibility and variety of ales have contributed to their enduring popularity throughout history.

Lagers: Lagers are known for their crisp, clean taste and are brewed at cooler temperatures

Lagers are one of the two main types of beer, the other being ales. They are known for their crisp, clean taste and are brewed at cooler temperatures, typically between 40°F and 55°F (7°C and 13°C). This is in contrast to ales, which are brewed at warmer temperatures, usually between 60°F and 75°F (15°C and 24°C).

The difference in brewing temperature is due to the type of yeast used in each style of beer. Lagers use bottom-fermenting yeast, which works best at cooler temperatures, while ales use top-fermenting yeast, which is more active at warmer temperatures.

Lagers are typically fermented for a longer period of time than ales, often taking several weeks to complete fermentation. This longer fermentation time contributes to the clean, crisp taste that lagers are known for.

In addition to temperature, there are a few other key factors that contribute to the lager brewing process. Firstly, wort chilling is important, and the wort should be chilled to a temperature of 60°F (15°C) or below before fermentation. Secondly, controlling the fermentation temperature is crucial, and brewers often use spare refrigerators or freezers with external temperature controllers to maintain the ideal temperature range. Finally, lager yeast benefits from wort aeration, which can be achieved through various methods such as pouring the chilled wort back and forth between sanitized buckets.

Lagers have a global reach and are especially popular in European countries such as the Czech Republic, Germany, and the Netherlands, as well as in Canada. The most common type of lager is the pilsner, known for its light golden colour, clear body, and crisp finish. However, there are many other lager styles, including Märzen, Schwarzbier, Helles, and Doppelbock.

Overall, lagers are a beloved style of beer known for their refreshing, easy-drinking qualities, making them a popular choice for summer months and social gatherings.

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