Your All-Inclusive Beer Guide!
For anyone who wants to take even a little glance around their city, one of the staples that can always be found is a good bar, a friendly pub or a busy night club. Whether a person is in rural Ireland, busy Hong Kong, the backwoods of Canada or even in the United Arab Emirates, there is always someplace to have a cold one!
Originally started in the United States, in Santa Cruz, California to be exact, Beer Day was begun with the purpose of celebrating the craft of brewing. And it was also created with the intention of showing appreciation for those involved in the making of beer. The day then quickly expanded to include celebrations of bartenders and other beer technicians as well.
Not only did Beer Day expand in scope, but in size as well. It quickly began gaining international recognition and following within only one short year. In between 2007 when it was started in Santa Cruz, and where it currently is no– celebrated in 207 cities, 50 countries and on 6 continents all across the globe!
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***** ALL ABOUT BEER *****
The limitless world of beer means a dizzying number of drink options are available at any given bar. From classic lagers to bold IPAs to funky sour ales, each type of beer spawns more sub-categories than drinkers know what to do with. Draft beer menus at local watering holes have gone from offering a few standard brands to listing beverages that seem to come out of nowhere — and each beer tastes more complex than the last. Knowing what certain styles of beer taste and look like can make narrowing down a favorite a lot easier.
Ales and Lagers
Beers start out as an ale or a lager, and their specific styles and flavors continue to evolve from there.
That’s Right!
All beer falls into two styles: ales and lagers. Yeast is the difference here. In lagers, yeast gathers at the bottom of the tank during fermentation. Lagers are usually crisp, clean and refreshing. With ales, the yeast gathers toward the top. These beers are aromatic and often fruity.
Ale Styles
India pale ale (IPA) is the most popular craft beer style today. Its calling card is hops, a plant related to the marijuana family, cannabaceae. It imparts aromas and flavors like citrus, spice, tropical fruits, pine and berries.
IPAs, especially in West Coast or American varieties, are known for bitterness, as hops are added during the hot side of the brewing process.
The New England-style IPA uses hops during fermentation, as opposed to in the boil. That cuts down on bitterness and gives the hops juicier aromas. NEIPAs are also often brewed with oats and wheat. They’re also unfiltered, which gives them a hazy appearance. Some are brewed with lactose and fruit purée to create a “milkshake” taste.
Imperial or Double IPAs are hopped more aggressively and have a higher alcohol-by-volume (abv) content.
Ale Styles
India pale ale (IPA) is the most popular craft beer style today. Its calling card is hops, a plant related to the marijuana family, cannabaceae. It imparts aromas and flavors like citrus, spice, tropical fruits, pine and berries.
IPAs, especially in West Coast or American varieties, are known for bitterness, as hops are added during the hot side of the brewing process.
The New England-style IPA (NEIPA) uses hops during fermentation, as opposed to in the boil. That cuts down on bitterness and gives the hops juicier aromas. NEIPAs are also often brewed with oats and wheat. They’re also unfiltered, which gives them a hazy appearance. Some are brewed with lactose and fruit purée to create a “milkshake” taste.
Imperial or Double IPAs are hopped more aggressively and have a higher alcohol-by-volume (abv) content.
Wheat beers, like hefeweizen, witbier, dunkelweizen and American wheat, are brewed with a generous amount of the grain, which adds body and flavor. Allagash White is a world-class example of a witbier.
A gose is a wheat ale brewed with salt, which gives it a savory character. It can also be blended with fruits.
Lager Styles
Lagers are a typical entry point into beer for new drinkers. Made with bottom fermenting yeast that has a lower tolerance to alcohol, lagers can taste light and a little malty. Classic lagers in America include Miller High Life, Coors, Budweiser and Yuengling. And according to Jim Koch, the co-founder of Boston Beer Co., which makes Sam Adams beer, lagers are a great launching pad for newcomers to beer.
cA Helles is a malt-forward lager, with crisp, cracker-like notes. It’s not sweet, and it has a low-hop bitterness on the finish.
Mexican lagers are brewed with flaked corn, or maize. Thanks to the marketing behind Corona, the world’s most famous Mexican lager, the style is often served with lime, or flavored with it.
A Vienna lager is made with toasted malts that give it an amber color. Its clean flavor showcases that malt character, plus some hop spiciness.
One outlier is Kölsch, an ale fermented at lager temperatures. This clear, golden style hails from Cologne, Germany. It has a crisp yet fruity flavor.