Do You Know Your Beer?
Beer is one of the oldest drinks the world has ever known. International Beer Day gives fans worldwide just one more excuse to have a round on the first Friday in August. Beer has a reputation as the drink of choice for the ordinary working man or woman. When it’s served up cold and frothy or strong and We celebrate International Beer Day on the first Friday in August every year – August 5, when summer’s end begins to loom large. The start of another weekend beckons us to put aside our work, set aside differences, and come together to celebrate our shared love of beer.
In honor of this holiday, we’re providing some interesting info that you may or may not know about Beer!
After you’re done reading up on the various types of beer, you might just be in the mood to drink a cold one! Join us in the studio for a painting and wine (ahem… we me painting & BEER) class and get in touch with your inner-artist with the help of some ‘Liquid Creativity’!
Enjoy!
------ DO YOU KNOW YOUR BEER? ------
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. Here is just a little info on the difference between the two types of beer and which ones fit into which categories.
****** ALE ******
Ale is a general category of beer: You'll find sub-categories like brown ales or pale ales. This is the oldest style of beer, which dates back to antiquity. What distinguishes an ale - and also makes this category of beer accessible for home brewers - is a warm-temperature fermentation for a relatively short period of time. In the brewing process, brewers introduce top-fermenting yeasts which, as the name suggests, ferment on the top of the brew. The fermentation process turns what would otherwise be a barley and malt tea into a boozy beverage.
(( Porter ))
A type of ale, porter beers are known for their dark black color and roasted malt aroma and notes. Porters may be fruity or dry in flavor, which is determined by the variety of roasted malt used in the brewing process.
(( Stout ))
Like porters, stouts are dark, roasted ales. Stouts taste less sweet than porters and often feature a bitter coffee taste, which comes from unmalted roasted barley that is added to the wort. They are characterized by a thick, creamy head. Ireland's Guinness may be one of the world's best-known stouts.
(( Blonde Ale ))
This easy drinking ale is a summer favorite, thanks to its light malt sweetness and trace of hops, which add aroma. As the name suggests, blonde ales have a pale color and a clear body. They tend to be crisp and dry, with few traces of bitterness, rather than hop-heavy or dank.
(( Brown Ales ))
Brown ales range in color from amber to brown, with chocolate, caramel, citrus, or nut notes. Brown ales are a bit of a mixed bag, since the different malts used and the country of origin can greatly affect the flavor and scent of this underrated beer style.
(( Pale Ale ))
An English style of ale, pale ales and known for their copper color and fruity scent. Don't let the name fool you: these beers are strong enough to pair well with spicy foods.
---> APA's <---
Related to the pale is the APA, or American Pale Ale, which is somewhat of a hybrid between the traditional English pale ale and the IPA style. American pale ales are hoppier and usually feature American two row malt. American brewers have taken the IPA style and run with it, introducing unusual flavors and ingredients to satisfy U.S. beer drinkers' love for the brew style.
(( India Pale Ale ))
Originally, India Pale Ale or IPA was a British pale ale brewed with extra hops. High levels of this bittering agent made the beer stable enough to survive the long boat trip to India without spoiling. The extra dose of hops gives IPA beers their bitter taste. Depending on the style of hops used, IPAs may have fruit-forward citrus flavors or taste of resin and pine.
(( Wheat ))
An easy-drinking, light style of beer, wheat beers are known for a soft, smooth flavor and a hazy body. Wheat beers tend to taste like spices or citrus, with the hefeweizen or unfiltered wheat beer being one of the more common styles.
(( Pilsner ))
A subspecies of lager, pilsner beers are distinguished by their water, which varies from neutral too hard. Pilsners are among the hoppiest lagers and generally have a dry, slightly bitter flavor. Their light golden color, clear body, and crisp finish make Pilsners a popular summer beer.
(( Sour Ale ))
An ancient style of beer that's taken off in popularity in recent years, sour ales are crafted from wild yeasts, much like sourdough bread. These beers are known for a tart tang that pairs well with tropical fruit and spices. Within sour beers, you'll find lambics, which are Belgian sour beers mixed with fruit, goses, a German sour beer made with coriander and sea salt, and Flanders, a Belgian sour beer fermented in wood tanks.
******* LAGER *******
Lagers are a newer style of beer with two key differences from ales. Lagers ferment for a long time at a low temperature, and they rely on bottom-fermenting yeasts, which sink to the bottom of the fermenting tank to do their magic.
Lagers are common among European countries, including Czechia, Germany, and the Netherlands, as well as in Canada, where they make up more than half of all beer sales.
Lagers are a newer style of beer with two key differences from ales. Lagers ferment for a long time at a low temperature, and they rely on bottom-fermenting yeasts, which sink to the bottom of the fermenting tank to do their magic.
Lagers are common among European countries, including Czechia, Germany, and the Netherlands, as well as in Canada, where they make up more than half of all beer sales.
The lagering process quickly became popular in areas where cool fermenting temperatures could be maintained, but it was not until the invention of refrigeration that lagers spread throughout the world. Due to the longer processing times, these beers tended to be made by producers with larger capital resources, i.e. breweries that could afford the greater storage.
Prohibition in the United States hastened the decline of small ale producing breweries. During World War II many of the larger breweries used their resources to market their products to soldiers from all over the world. They won many new, young people over to lagers. Anheuser-Busch Inc. is a good example of a large brewery that consolidated an extremely strong market position based on lagers. Be that as it may, many of these large breweries are not producing quality lagers but rather cheaply produced like the ones you'd find in your average beer gift basket, containing many non quality adjuncts such as rice and corn. These watered down lagers have left the door open to a new generation of exploring consumer that often is more concerned about quality and style differentiation.
10 Lagers To Learn More About: https://www....pes-of-lagers