All About Beer

Beer is a fermented beverage which traditionally is made from malted barley, hops, yeast, and water. Most beer styles are derivatives of lagers and ales.

Lagers

Lagers are brewed at relatively low temperatures using a "bottom-fermenting" yeast, meaning a yeast that works mostly from the bottomof the barrel. Lagers are aged for a longer time than ales. When ready, the brewer drains the lager off the top, leaving the yeast in the tank. Types of lager include: Light-colored lager, Dark Lager, Pilsner, Light Beer, Malt Liquor, Bock, and Ice Beer.

Properties

Light Beer, many of which are Pilsners, are brewed with extra enzymes and therefore have lower calorie, carbohydrate, and alcohol content.

Malt Liquor is a lager that has a high alcohol content. It tastes hoppier than other lagers, yet is lighter than ale.

Book Beer is sweet, heavy, amber to dark colored.

Ice Beer is slow brewed and super chilled until ice crystals form. It is then cold filtered.

Ales

Ale, reputed to be the first kind of brew known to man, is brewed at higher temperatures than lagers. A brewer uses a "top-fermenting" yeast, meaning a yeast that floats on the top of the brewduring fermentation and then must be skimmed off. Ale tastes hoppier (bitter) than lager and has a higher alcohol content. Types of ale include Pale Ale, Brown Ale, Porter, and Stout.

Properties

Porters are sweet, dark brown ales.

Stout is a sweet, dark brown ale, like Porter, however Stout tastes hoppier than Porter, has a thicker texture and a lighter alcohol content.