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Beer styles
Although there are essentially
only two types of beer (ale and lager), there are a number
of styles that fall under the two categories.
Lagers
 The
word lager is derived from the German verb “lagern,” which means "to store". During the late middle ages,
before the days of refrigeration, fermentation was a hit-or-miss
affair, especially during the hot summer months. To ensure
a supply of beer for the summer, brewers in the Bavarian
Alps stored kegs of spring brew in icy mountain caves. As
the beer slowly aged, the yeast settled, creating a drink
that was dark but clear and sparkling with a crisper, more
delicate flavour. In 1842, lager acquired its familiar golden
colour when a brewery in Pilsen, Czechoslovakia perfected
a pale, bottom-fermented version of the beer. Lagers typically
take more time to brew and are aged longer than ales. Lagers
are best enjoyed at cooler-than-room temperature.
Ale
 Although
the term ale covers a fascinating variety of styles, all
ales share certain characteristics. Top-fermentation and
the inclusion of more hops in the wort gives these beers
a distinctive fruitiness, acidity and a pleasantly bitter
seasoning. All ales typically take less time to brew and
age then lagers and have a more assertive, individual personality,
though their alcoholic strength may be the same. Ales are
best enjoyed at room temperature or slightly warmer.
The following lists styles
of beer, generally from the most delicate-flavored
to strong-flavored specialty brews.The essential
difference in beer is the content of the brew. Just as
each winery has a signature that wine connoisseurs
can readily detect, certain geographical areas also provide signature brews
that are just as distinct. The basis for different styles
is usually found in the basic ingredients of the brew that
are indigenous to a specific area.
American Light Lager
This style of beer
is the result of the growth of national breweries, and
their ability to brew a beer with wide appeal and a competitive
price. It is essentially a pilsner-style lager, brewed
with significant quantities of grain other than barley
malt; a slightly sweet, lightly hopped, straw-colored,
effervescent beer.
Pilsner
A
light-straw colored, full-bodied, lagered, bottom-fermented
beer named after the town of Pilsen (in what was then
known as Bohemia), where it was first brewed in 1842.
It quickly
became a popular style because it was so different
from the amber brews that were the norm at that time.
British
Bitter
This top-fermented classic
ale style offers a deep, rich brown or ruby
color
with a malty,
very lightly hopped flavor. True bitter is
only lightly carbonated.
Pale
Ale
Pale ale, another classic British top-fermented
ale style, has more hop flavor than the bitter style,
but not as much as India pale ale.
Indian
Pale Ale
India pale ale was
developed as a high-gravity, well-hopped
brew, which
enabled it to
last the voyage from England's breweries
to overseas locales (thus its name).
Vienna
Lager
This style was the rage in Vienna at
the turn of the 19th century. Then it fell from fashion
and left Europe for the warmer climate of Mexico. Today,
the only true Vienna lager is Dos Equis, but with the
growth of the specialty beer market it may not hold
its special place for long.
Brown
Ale
Brown ale is a traditional British, top-fermented
ale, similar to a pale ale, but sweeter and darker.
Scottish
Ale
This is a high-alcohol brew made with
Scottish malted barley. The flavor includes hints of
caramel and smoke, and less hops taste than English
brews.
Strong
Ale
Also called Old Ale, this high-alcohol
brew is noted for its dark color and sweet flavor.
Barleywine
Barleywine
is a very dark, almost opaque ale.
The term "barleywine" is
fairly new; once called "Strong Ale," this
is the most alcoholic style of beer. The
addition of a healthy amount of hops
forms a powerful flavor
triad of sweet malt, bitter hops and warm
alcohol.
Bock
Beer
Similar to strong
ale, this style uses bottom fermenting
yeast and is "lagered" (aged)
for at least a month.
Porter
and Stout
Whether dry or sweet, flavoured
with roasted malt barley, oats or certain sugars, stouts
and porters are characterized by darkness and depth.
Both types of beer are delicious with hearty meat stews
and surprisingly good with shellfish. The pairing of
oysters and stout has long been acknowledged as one
of the world's great gastronomic marriages.
Wheat
Beer
This top-fermented beer contains more
than half wheat. Hallertau hops are used for both bittering
and aroma. Lager yeast is used and the beer is allowed
to lager for approximately two to three weeks at just
below freezing temperatures.
Belgian Styles
Flanders
Red Ales
Considered the best of the "red beers," Rodenbach
is brewed from four different malts. Five different
strains of yeast are used in the fermentation process.
Lambic
Typically
served in a champagne flute, this beer is usually sold
in 750 mL bottles. Lindeman's Kriek, a good example of
the style, is a top-fermented cherry flavored lambic
(70 per cent malted barley and 30 per cent unmalted wheat),
with a rose color. It has an aroma of cherries and is
sparkling, with a dry finish. The acidic flavor of the
Lambic blends well with the cherry flavor.
Belgian Strong
Brewed
by the Moorgat brewery in Belgium, Duvel is seen as the
quintessential pale Strong Ale, with a flavor that
is complex and deep. It is made with Danish summer barley
malt, whole flower Styrian and Saaz hops. Duvel
undergoes
three fermentations. The first is warm, the second
cold, and the final one takes place in the bottle, lasting
five weeks.
Trappist
Dark
brown with a ruby hue, three types of trappist beers
are produced by Chimay: Premier Chimay (red), Cinq Cents
(white), and Grand Reserve (blue). The red, as well as
the blue, has a fruity taste, with a soft, full, deep
body. The white Chimay has a stronger hops flavor and
a drier finish, with a quenching hint of acidity. It
also has a paler color, more amber than ruby red.
Specialty Beers
Steam
Beer
In the 19th century, "steam beer" was
a nickname for local beers that were fermented with
lager yeast, at ale yeast temperature, producing beers
with ale-like character. It may also have been
common practice to "top off" kegs of beer
with beer that had not finished its first fermentation.
The result was an in-keg fermentation that produced
high levels of natural carbonation. With no refrigeration
to control this fermentation a freshly tapped keg would
produce copious amounts of foam or "steam."
Herbed/Spiced
Every
year since 1975, Anchor has brewed a Christmas Ale.
It is produced in small quantities and is available only
from late November until early January. Each year the
recipe is changed and there is a special label designed
around the tree, a traditional symbol of renewal. Properly
refrigerated, this beer remains drinkable for years.
Smoked
Germany's
Kaiserdom, a good example of this style,
is brewed from Bavarian barley that has been roasted over
a fire
of
moist beech wood logs. Whole Hallertau hops
are used to provide flavor and aroma. After bottom fermenting,
the beer is lagered for three months. The
finished
product
is a dark-colored, smoky-flavored beer.
Otoberfest
A
fairly strong beer, Paulaner Marzen's brew starts
with a two-mash process using dark- and light-colored brewing
malt from two-row Bavarian summer barley. Hallertau
hops are used for both bittering and aroma. Lager
yeast is
used and the beer is allowed to lager for approximately
four weeks at just-below-freezing temperatures.
Dry
"Dry" refers to the amount of residual sugar
left in a beer following fermentation. This type of beer
is fermented for longer than normal brews so that practically
all of the residual sugar is converted into alcohol. The
result is a beer which consumers describe as having a crisp
flavour, clean finish and very little aftertaste.
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