Getting to know the lingo

When I started drinking beer, I had no idea that there were so many different types of beers. I just knew them as beer.  In this post, I will give a breakdown on the type of beers and what to expect. I won’t however bore you with the history of beer or give you too much details of how a beer came to be.  If you want to order a beer, you should be able to know the different types because sometimes, ordering beer can be stressful like ordering a coffee at Starbucks.  So many options!

Lager – Lagers are usually a good starting point when you are introducing yourself to beer.  Lagers typically taste light and has a lower alcohol content.   They can come in either light, amber or dark in colouring.  

Pilsner – Pilsner’s fall under the lager category.  It was originated in Czech Republic.  They tend to be light in colour depending on the brand you are drinking.  Pilsner’s can have a strong hop flavor but are crisp and is easy to drink.

IPA – This stands for Indian Pale Ale.  Most IPA’s are hoppy, which means it can be bitter.  Sometimes you will get an IPA beer that contains citrus or fruity flavours.  IPA’s are usually the first kind of beer you try when you decide to enter the wonderful world of craft beer. 

Double IPA – Double IPA’s can also be known as Imperial IPA.  It basically means that the brewery has used double the hops in their beer, which makes it double hoppy.

Pale Ale – Pale Ales are usually considered hoppy but carries a lower alcohol content compared to the IPA’s and Double IPA’s.  Normally this kind of beer is malty, medium-bodied and easy to drink.  

Stout –   Stouts are typically a more sweet and full-bodied beer.  Most would say that it’s a slightly roasted ale and people who drink stouts typically say that they get a hint of a coffee taste.  Stouts are normally dark in colour.

Porter – Porters are very similar to stouts because of the like chocolate or other dark-roasted malts in the beer.  They are also dark in colour like stouts.  What makes porters different is that it tastes less like coffee but more of a chocolaty flavor.

Belgian – Belgium beer tend to follow in the path of pale ales than lagers.  They are traditionally brewed with coriander and orange peel which give is low bitterness taste. 

Wheat – Wheat beer rely on wheat for their malt ingredient to give the beer a light colour.  It’s a lighter beer.  Some wheat beers have funky and tangy flavours.

Sour – Sour beer is highly tart.  Most of them are created with fruits like cherry, raspberry or peach.  It has a more of a sweet and sour taste.

Cider – What makes ciders different then beer is simply one ingredient.  In most cases, beer is made with malted barley and ciders are mostly produced with apple juice.

Just a side note, in each type of beer, there are other subcategories and types, but these are the main types of beers.  So now that we got the boring stuff out of the way, let’s start drinking!!

If you want more information on the beers listed above head to Time Magazine’s Special Edition: Beer.