Understanding Popular Craft Beer Varieties

The world of craft beer is vast and often confusing for newcomers. But worry no more! We’ve got you covered with some basic beer knowledge to make you sound like you know what you’re talking about! While there are hundreds of different beer varieties, this article aims to teach you about some of the more popular ones.

American Pale Ales

The American Pale Ale (APA) is a cornerstone of the craft beer scene, known for its pronounced hop character, which imparts floral and citrus notes, distinguishing it from many European counterparts. Originating from the traditional British Ale, APAs have evolved to showcase American hop varieties, offering a balance of sweet maltiness and flavors like caramel and grapefruit. This style is versatile with food pairings, complementing everything from salads to hearty chili.

Key Features:

• Hop-forward with citrus/floral aroma
• Moderate strength (4.5-6.2% ABV)
• Balanced malt backbone
• Golden to amber color

India Pale Ales (IPA)

IPAs are the poster children of the American craft beer scene, celebrated for their bold hop flavors and high bitterness. The style originated from the need to preserve beer for the long voyage from England to India, using extra hops as a natural preservative. Today’s IPAs come in various sub-styles, including the fruit-forward New England IPA and the more bitter West Coast IPA, each offering a unique tasting experience.

Key Features:

• Strong hop bitterness
• Higher alcohol content (5.5-7.5% ABV)
• Herbal, citrus, piney flavors
• Deep golden to reddish amber

Stouts

Stouts are dark, rich beers with a history rooted in the British Isles. They are characterized by roasted malt flavors, often with notes of chocolate and coffee. The stout family includes sub-styles like the sweet and creamy milk stout and the robust imperial stout. Oyster stouts, a niche variety, incorporate actual oysters in the brewing process, adding a unique briny character to the beer’s profile.

Key Features:

• Dark, roasted malt flavor
• Coffee or chocolate notes
• Creamy mouthfeel
• Stronger alcohol content (5-10% ABV)

Porters

Porters are dark ales that predate stouts, offering a complex flavor profile with notes of chocolate, caramel, and coffee. They are less intense than stouts, making them more approachable for those new to dark beers. The history of porters dates back to 18th-century London, where they were favored by street and river porters, hence the name.

Key Features:

• Dark, but less intense than stouts
• Chocolate, caramel, and malt flavors
• Medium body and carbonation
• Moderate strength (4-6% ABV)

Lagers

Lagers are the world’s most widely consumed type of beer, known for their clean and crisp flavor profile. They are fermented and conditioned at lower temperatures than ales, resulting in a smoother taste. Pilsners, a subcategory of lagers, offer a more pronounced hop bitterness and are lighter in color, while traditional lagers tend to be maltier and more balanced.

Key Features:

• Clean, crisp taste
• Light to medium body
• Pale gold color
• Lower alcohol content (4-5% ABV)

Pilsners

Pilsners are a type of pale lager that originated in the Czech city of Pilsen. They are characterized by a golden color, crystal clarity, and a balance between malty sweetness and hop bitterness. Pilsners are often the benchmark for the lager style, offering a refreshing and accessible beer that’s enjoyed worldwide.

Key Features:

• Crisp and refreshing
• Light body with golden color
• Moderate hop bitterness
• Floral or herbal aroma

Sours

Sour beers are a broad category that includes styles like Berliner Weisse and Gose. They are known for their tart and tangy flavors, achieved through various fermentation techniques involving wild yeasts and bacteria. Sours have a long history in Europe, with modern craft brewers experimenting with fruit additions and barrel aging to create complex, refreshing brews.

Key Features:

• Tart and acidic flavor
• Fruity and funky notes
• Light to medium body
• Variable alcohol content

Wheat Beer

Wheat beers, including styles like Hefeweizen and Witbier, are brewed with a significant proportion of wheat in addition to barley. This imparts a light, refreshing character with a hazy appearance. These beers often have notes of banana and clove, resulting from the specific yeast strains used in fermentation. Wheat beers are a staple of German and Belgian brewing traditions.

Key Features:

• Made with significant wheat content
• Light, refreshing taste
• Cloudy appearance
• Fruity and spicy notes

Fruited Beer

Fruited beers are a playful and diverse group, often based on traditional beer styles with the addition of fruit during the brewing process. These beers can range from tart and refreshing to sweet and dessert-like, with the fruit complementing or contrasting the base beer’s flavors. They are a testament to the creativity and innovation in the craft beer industry.

Key Features:

• Beer with fruit flavors
• Sweet or tart profile
• Often light in color
• Can vary in alcohol content