Beer, much like wine, can be divided into many, many different styles and subcategories! To help you out, we've broken it down category by category so you can be a little more educated the next time you go shopping for suds!
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Beer Styles
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Lagers
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Style
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Description
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American Lager
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This is basically the main style of beer in America. It is a mass produced, inexpensive product that's aimed at the broadest possible demographic. Since it is very watery and has little flavor characteristics, it is the least likely to offend a large number of consumers. In the health craze of the 70's, brewers started offering Light Beer. Light Beer is simply an American Lager with an even lower gravity. American Lagers achieve a low gravity by adding corn or rice syrup which is highly fermentable. This means that a higher percentage of sugars ferment into alcohol, leaving behind less flavor.
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Pilsner
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Pilsner style beer originated in Plzen, Czechoslovakia in 1842. It was the very first light-colored beer. Today, it is the world's most popular style of beer. The original Pilsners' defining elements were the extremely soft water that was pumped locally and the unique aromatic hops that were also grown nearby. Pilsners are malty sweet, and well hopped. Caramel flavors are often noticed, accompanied by medium to high bitterness. Pilsners have a good amount of carbonation, and are clean and crisp.
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Bock
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Originating in Germany, Bock beer is a hearty beer with a high alcohol content. Contrary to the rumor, bock beer is not what's cleaned out of the bottom of the vats at the end of the year! Bock beer has a pronounced malt flavor with just enough bitterness to tame the sweetness. The German word for lager "lagern" means to store. This being said, Bock beer is well-lagered. In other words, the beer is matured for a long period of time during the second fermentation. A variation on Bock beer is the Doppelbock. A Doppelbock has a higher gravity and slightly higher alcohol content. Traditionally, most all breweries end the names of their Doppelbocks in "ator" (such as Optimator or Salvator), which makes them easy to find.
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Oktoberfest (Marzen)
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Marz, the German word fo March, is when the last batch of beer was brewed before the warm summer months (before refrigeration). This beer was stored in Alpine caves to keep cool and consumed throughout the summer. At harvest time and the beginning of the new brewing season (around October), the remaining beer in storage was taken from the caves and consumed during a celebration. This celebration still takes place in Munich for 16 days, and ends on the first Sunday in October. This beer is amber in color and is slightly heavy. It is malty sweet, as is typical with beer from southern Germany and Austria. There is low to medium bitterness, but enough to offset the sweet. This is a favorite of many homebrewers because it's fairly easy to make.
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Helles
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The main beer consumed in Bavaria. Helles is a pale lager that is light in color, not taste or calories. It is low in alcohol and is intended to be an everyday or session beer. The main quality that separates a Helles from a Pilsner or Pale Lager is a less potent hop aroma and flavor. Only a mild, short lived bitterness should be expected.
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Dunkel
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Commonly known as German dark beer. It's basically a Helles with additional roasted malt added for color and a toasty, chocolate-like taste. Contrary to its reputation, it is really not as heavy or strong as many would think. It is slightly more bitter than a Helles, but the bitterness is a result of the roasted barley rather than from the hops.
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Ales
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Style
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Description
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Barley Wine
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Despite its name, Barley Wine is indeed an ale (beer). Barley Wine is a very intense and complex beverage with alcohol content equal to most wines. It is not for the faint of heart. It has a hearty, sweet malt flavor which is offset by a strong and bitter flavoring from the hops for balance. Because of the preserving qualities of alcohol, this is the best beer for storing over a long period of time. The color ranges from copper to medium brown. The strong scent of malt, hopes and even the alcohol are evident. You can even feel the warmth of the alcohol as you swallow. The bitterness ranges from medium to the highest of all beer types.
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English Bitter
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There are three classic styles of English bitters. They are the Ordinary (mild), the Special (moderate strength), and the Extra Special (a strong bitter). They are typically characterized with traditional hops such as Kent Goldings, Fuggles, or Brewers Gold. Just as they range from mild to strong, the color and alcohol percentage also follow.
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Pale Ale
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As in the English bitters, there are varying styles of pale ales. They all share a pronounced hop flavor and aroma with low to medium maltiness. There is also a good deal of fruity esters. Among the types of pale ale are the English, the India (IPA), and the American. English have a dry character usually due to the high sulfate content of the water. The India Pale Ale is usually stronger and hoppier because the higher alcohol content and hop acids acted as a preservative on the long boat journey from England to its colonies in India. The American is usually amber in color and has a bit more maltiness flavor than the other two. When brewing pale ales, fresh, quality hops is a necessity.
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Scottish Ale
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Scottish ales are close cousins to the English ales with the exception that they are usually darker, maltier, and have less carbonation. They range in color, maltiness and strength in the order of Scottish Light (60 Shilling), Scottish Heavy (70 Shilling), Scottish Export (80 Shilling), and the Strong Scotch (wee heavy). The term 60-80 shilling dates back to when beer was taxed by gravity and strength and is still the way to order a Scottish ale in a Highland pub. The Strong Scotch is usually dark brown, high in alcohol (6-8 percent), and can have a lightly smoky character.
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Belgian Strong Dark Ale
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Belgium is known for having hundreds of unique styles of beer. One of these is the Belgian Strong Ale. Though very diverse, they are usually medium to dark in color with a high alcohol content. They are very malty and with a low hop flavor and aroma. The most important ingredient in this style of beer is the strain of yeast. The yeast and warm fermentations create a unique biscuity flavor with fruity and spicy overtones and a good deal of carbonation. These beers are usually very aromatic and are best served in a goblet so as to better smell the beer while drinking. Often considered the champagne of beers, the Belgian Strong Ale is definitely a beer to be savored.
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Porter
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The Porter's name comes from the porters at London's Victoria Station. They would frequently mix several styles of beer into one glass and drink large quantities of the mixture. A style was eventually created to approximate this blend and came to be known as a Porter. Arthur Guinness and Sons was the first brewer to offer a Porter commercially. Later on, they increased the alcohol content of the Porter and the new drink became known as the Stout Porter, which eventually became Stout. The Porter is a good beer for those who want a full flavored, dark beer without the bitterness from the roasted barley that a Stout now possesses.
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Imperial Stout
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The Czarist rulers of Russia so loved the English Stouts that they would have it shipped to them from England. The beer didn't hold up too well on the long journey, so the English increased the gravity and alcohol content just as they did when creating the India Pale Ale. Thus the birth of the Russian Imperial Stout. An Imperial Stout is dark copper to very black in color. It has a rich and complex maltiness with noticeable hop bitterness. The two main ingredients are the dark roasted barley and black malts. The Imperial Stout is like the espresso of beer styles, full flavored and intense.
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Specialty Beers
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Style
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Description
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Weizenbeier (Weissbier)
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Weizen is the German word for wheat. Weizenbier is an ale made with wheat. The German word Weiss means "white". This ale is a golden color, but is cloudy, and sometimes casts a whitish appearance. Don't worry about it being cloudy, it won't hurt you! A Weizenbier is a very refreshing, effervescent beer. The taste has hints of cloves and banana. If, when bottling, a little yeast is added, the Weizenbier is referred to as "Hefeweizen", the "Hefe" meaning yeast. A Weizenbier has to have at least 50% wheat malt to be considered a Weizenbier. Many times, a Weizenbier is enjoyed with a twist of lemon. Try this light bodied, spicy beer in the summertime.
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Smoked Beer
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One of the more unusual beers is the smoked beer. In Bamberg, Germany, this style is very popular and referred to as Rauchbier. In this style, a brewer will fire his malt over a wood fire and let the smoke absorb into the grains. This imbues a smoky character in the taste of the brew.
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Fruit/Vegetable Beer
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Adding fruit to a beer is a relatively new concept in America. However, in Belgium this has been done for centuries. With fruit or vegetable beers, there's no telling what you might find because the different recipes are so varied.
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Herb/Spice Beer
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Herb or Spiced Beer is very similar to Fruit Beers in that it's a fairly new trend for American brewers. With the amount of spices available, there are a myriad of recipes to satisfy any urge.
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