Staying Safe Every Day

If you want to get into the craft beer scene, you are going to want to make sure you understand and know a little bit about some of the different beer styles. There are numerous styles of beer, but if you hit up a craft brewery, there are some styles you are more likely to encounter. Understanding some of the basic styles and their associated characteristics will allow you to better embrace the craft brewing scene.

1. Stout

When it comes to beer styles, the darkest ones are stouts. The term stout has been around since the 18^th century and is used to describe porters that are strong. The main defining characteristic of stouts is they are made with a malt that is deeply roasted and gives the beer a dark coloring, ranging from nearly black to a deep brown color. Most stouts have an undertone of espresso, burnt bread, or unsweetened chocolate.

Stouts come in many varieties, such as dry stout, sweet stout, oatmeal stouts, and American stouts. Sweet stouts are made with lactose, oatmeal stouts are made with oatmeal, and American stouts tend to have a little bit of a hoppy taste to them.

Stout beers are sturdy beers and stand up well with sturdy meals, such as roasts, stews, and soups. Some people enjoy stout beer as a dessert drink for after dinner.

2. Wheat

On the opposite side of the spectrum from stout beers are wheat beers. Wheat beers are a type of top-fermented ales, which basically means that the temperature used to ferment the beer results in the yeast getting carried to the top of the mixture. Top-fermenting beers tend to have lots of flavor notes.

There are many different styles of wheat beer, with most wheat styles originated originally from Belgium. Lambic, Weissbier, and Witbier are all different categories of wheat drinks. Wheat beer tends to have an orange-citrusy flavor that is countered with spices such as coriander. It has an overall more herbal flavor, and bright golden color.

They go well with a variety of lighter meals, such as salad, pasta, and fish.

3. Ale

In the middle are ales, which are a large category used to describe beer made using a warm fermentation process, which creates drinks with more of a fruity and sweet taste. Ale beer tends to have more of an aroma that you can enjoy before drinking.

There are countless styles of ale beer, with many different countries giving their own twist to this classic drink. The American Pale Ale or APA is one you are sure to run into in the craft brewing scene. It has a citrus fruity note with a medium hoppiness and usually lower alcohol levels, and it works great with grilled meats. New England India Pale Ale has more of a juicy taste and doesn't have the more subtle flavors found in an APA. Brown ale is a nice medium brown color and generally has some roasted caramel or malt flavors to it, falling somewhere between a porter and an ale in flavor and structure.

Ales are a very wide style of beer with lots of variety.

As you get into the craft brew scene, talk to your server, bartender, or even the brewmaster about their creations. They should be able to educate you on the style and family of beer and tell you about their unique beer-making process.