For the past two weeks, we have explored what beer is, how it’s made and how to taste and judge it. The next step is to learn what the different kinds of styles are, how they taste and how they differ from one another.

Ale vs. Lager

Ales are made with cultured yeast, which ferments at the top of the vessel at high temperatures. This means a quick fermentation process occurs (about a week). The smell is strong, and there will likely be residual sugars not eaten by the yeast and turned to alcohol.

Lagers are essentially the opposite. The word means ‘warehouse’ in German, and the yeast ferments at the bottom of the barrel at lower temperatures, where the lagering process takes several weeks to months. This produces a brew with a clean, refreshing taste.

Some of the oldest beer styles are German, such as Bock, Pilsner, Hefeweizen and Dunkel. Since 1516, the German Purity Law has been in effect, stating beer could only be brewed with barley or wheat, hops and water. (Yeast’s function was unknown, and it was totally wild at this time.) All German beers are still brewed to these stipulations, but the United States has led the way in extreme brewing by including adjuncts (or beer additives), such as oats, rice, corn, rye, fruits, spices, coffee beans or chocolate, as well as adding more hops and malt to increase the alcohol content.

Pale Ale: English style ale that is usually more alcoholic and hoppier than most pilsners. They are slightly bitter, crisp and refreshing. (A popular brand is Sierra Nevada Pale Ale.)

India Pale Ale: Created by Brits who sent their pale ales to India. They added more alcohol to pale ales and increased the hops, making it bitterer. Flavors and smells are citrus, evergreen, floral and herby (Harpoon IPA).

Hefeweizen (wheat beer): Ale or lager brewed with malted wheat. These are light and fruity, and the wheat is unfiltered in the bottle, creating breadiness. Think citrus, and even bread (Blue Moon).

Stout: Because of the success of porters in England (dark, low-alcohol ales), extra stout porters were made (shortened to stout) with more alcohol, sweetness and bitterness than standard porters, which are traditionally lightly sweet and chocolatey (Guinness).

There are many variations on these styles. Most European versions are very traditional, and many American versions are higher in alcohol and bolder in flavor. It’s up to you to figure out what tastes best and whether you like sweet, bitter, balanced, added flavors or pure beer. Try as many kinds as possible and be open to suggestions! Cheers!

— Compiled by Lucas Sacks, staff writer, ldsacks@syr.edu

Published on March 9, 2011 at 12:00 pm