Guide to Beer

Beer  is not only one of the world's most popular beverages, but it is also possibly one of the world's oldest.  Writings dating from ancient Sumeria contain a prayer that serves also as a way of remembering a recipe!  Since bread-making and beer production are so closely related, it was often women who were responsible for brewing the libation.  Over the years, beer went from being mainly sold by European monasteries and artisans to being industrially manufactured.

Types of Beer

Beers are classified as belonging to one of three categories.

Ales

Ale yeasts are top fermenting; that is, they gather at the surface of the liquid before settling to the bottom.  Fermentation for ales is much more rapid than it is for lagers, and takes place at a fairly warm temperature (between 15 and 24 degrees).  Below are some ale varieties.

Pale Ale	Brown Ale	Belgian Ale Chimay  Duvel  Orval	German Ale	Stout/Porter

Lagers

Lagers are the most commonly consumed beers and are often of Central European origin.  Yeasts are bottom-fermenting and are fermented twice: once at 7-12 degrees and the second time at 0-4 degrees.  This second fermentation is called the lagering phase and it is at this time that the brew clears and the flavours mellow.  Listed below are some varieties of lager.

Pilsener Pilsener Urquell  Hansa	European Low-alcohol Lager	Bock	American Lager	Dry Lager

 

Specialty Beers

Specialty beers are those that defy categorization: either they are not enough like an ale or lager to conform to the definition, or they are a hybrid of the two.

Weissbier	Smoked Beer	Fruit Beer  Lindemans Framboise  Früli Strawberry Fruit Beer  Floris flavoured beers	Herb/Spice Beer

Related Guides

Spirits Guide	Liqueurs Guide	White Wine Guide	Red Wine Guide	Food and Beverage Guide

External Links

• 2 B A Snob - A guide to beer types and different styles.
• The Microbrewed Beer of the Month Club - Lager beer style guide.
• Beer Hunter - Beer culture and styles guide.