Beer Style

Belgian-style tripel is an approachable and easy-drinking beer style with high carbonation and complex flavors. They traditionally have high alcohol content, falling between a 7 to 10% ABV range, and are often classified as very strong al... READ MORE

Dubbel is a rich and well-balanced Trappist beer that originated in Belgium and whose modern version is often associated with Henrik Verlinden who created the prototype at Westmalle brewery in 1926. This version was named Dubbel Bruin, an... READ MORE

Lambic is a traditional beer style that has its roots in Brussels and the region of Pajottenland. This style must be made with a minimum of 30% wheat, and the wort is always spontaneously fermented with local and naturally occurring wild ... READ MORE

Chodské pivo has been produced in the historic Chodsko region (Plzeň) since the 12th century. It is made from locally sourced water with low mineral content, hops, malt, and yeast. Only Žatecký poloraný červeň&aac... READ MORE

Weissbier is a classic Bavarian wheat ale that is top-fermented and characterized by its mousse-like foam and cloudy appearance—which is a result of a large proportion of wheat and a small amount of barley malt used in its productio... READ MORE

Belgian blond ale is a beer style with vague boundaries that probably emerged as a response to popular European pilsners. The examples of the style are typically golden-colored and medium-bodied with moderate strength that varies between ... READ MORE

Pilsner is a beer style that originated in Pilsen (Plzeň), a city in western Bohemia. It was first brewed in 1842, making it one of the youngest beer styles to appear in modern brewing. The style originated when the citizens of Pilsen, wh... READ MORE

Imperial stout is a strong and opaque dark beer that was first brewed in London, but which is mostly associated with Russia, Baltic countries, and recently with the United States. Modern imperial stouts will typically range from deep red ... READ MORE

Helles is a German-style lager that first appeared in Munich in 1894. It was a Bavarian answer to light Czech pilsner. Although Bavaria heavily relied on strong and dark lagers, the popularity of crisp and golden pilsner beers in... READ MORE

Witbier is a traditional wheat beer style that has ancient origins, but which was only revived in the 1960s by Pierre Celis from Hoegaarden. This beer is usually brewed with unmalted wheat, and it is traditionally unfiltered. Most varieti... READ MORE

Traditionally produced in Brussels and Pajottenland, these fruit beers are made with the addition of cherries. Initially, they were made with Schaarbeekse cherries, but nowadays, other Morello cherries may be used as well. Whole, macerated, or cru... READ MORE

Irish dry stout evolved from stout porters—slightly stronger and fuller porters that were popular in England in the 1800s. It grew as a separate style due to the use of roasted barley, and though the style was common in Ireland and ... READ MORE

Märzen is a German beer style from Bavaria that is closely connected with Oktoberfestbier and shares some similarities with Vienna lager. This style officially appeared in 1841 when it was brewed by Spaten brewery, but a similar styl... READ MORE

Belgian pale ale is an approachable and easy-drinking beer style with a medium body that shows a good balance of malt, hops, and alcohol. It is a malt-forward style with a toasty and biscuity aroma and flavor. The examples will often have... READ MORE

Native to East Flanders, Oud Bruin or Flanders Brown is a Belgian-style brown ale with a distinctive sour character. These beers are usually blended and aged in steel vats. As they age, they develop complexity, and aged ... READ MORE

Flanders Red is a type of aged sour ale hailing from West Flanders that is often described as a wine-like beer style. The examples are typically medium-bodied and have a distinctive sour character that can vary from balanced to i... READ MORE

This beer style evolved from the British porter, and it was partially influenced by imperial stouts. The beers that fall under this category will typically have high alcohol content, usually between 5.5 and 9.5% ABV, while their color ranges from ... READ MORE

Kriek is a beer with a tart and sharp taste. It a made by blending different lambics and adding sour cherries. The difference between a Kriek and Vieille Kriek is that Vieille Kriek has to undergo a secondary fermentation in bottles. The term oude... READ MORE

Dunkel is a German dark lager that is mostly associated with Bavaria and Munich. This dark beer, which can range from copper to dark brown, is mainly brewed from Munich malt which gives the beer its typical caramel-like and toasty charact... READ MORE

Scotch ale is a beer style distinguished for its malty character and rich caramel flavors. These big, bold, and full-bodied beers are typically light copper to dark-brown and mostly have a high alcohol content, usually falling between 6 t... READ MORE

Sweet stout is a beer style that is usually brewed with the addition of milk sugar (lactose). It is also known as cream or milk stout, and it emerged in England sometime in the early 1900s. Sweet stouts are dark and full-bodied beers that... READ MORE

Doppelbock is a German beer style that was first brewed in Munich by Paulaner monks. As the name might suggest—doppel translates as double—this style developed as a slightly stronger version of traditional Ge... READ MORE

Weizenbock is a German beer style that was introduced in 1907 by the Schneider Weisse Brauhaus brewery located in Munich. Weizenbock was supposed to be a middle-ground between the rich and malty doppelbock and wheat beer (weissbierREAD MORE

Saison, which translates as season, is a Belgian style ale that originated in the French-speaking region of Wallonia as a seasonal thirst-quenching beer that was mainly brewed during winter or fall, and it was then left to fermen... READ MORE

Along with ale, lager is one of the two main beer categories, and in terms of production, it is the most common beer style in the world. The main distinction between lagers and ales depends on the type of yeast. Lagers use Saccharomyc... READ MORE

Stouts are top-fermented beers that are typically dark and have distinctive roasted flavors. Their introduction is closely connected to British porter—a style that was developed in London sometime in the 18th century. Stout evolved ... READ MORE

Contrary to its name, barley wine is a beer style that is best known for its dominant malty character. It is a type of extra-strong ale that has originated in England, but it is now produced worldwide. Although the name first came into us... READ MORE

Altbier, meaning old beer, is a German beer style which originated in Düsseldorf. The style falls somewhere between a lager and an ale—the beers are fermented warm like ales but are then aged cool like lagers. The name altbier,... READ MORE

Bock beer is a German bottom fermenting lager that nowadays comes in a wide range of sub-styles. Traditional versions may range from golden to amber, and sometimes even dark brown. They are typically lightly hopped, rich, creamy, smooth, ... READ MORE

Porter is a beer style that was created in London sometime in the 18th century, but well-balanced and aromatic modern varieties do not share many similarities to the original version. Roughly defined, porter is a versatile dark ale made f... READ MORE

Grodziskie is a historical beer style that originated in Grodzisk. When it was under Prussian rule, the city was also known as Grätz, which is why the style is known as Grätzer. The style disappeared in the early 1990s, and thou... READ MORE

Dunkelweizen is a moderately dark, wheat-based German ale that is often described as a cross between a dunkel and a hefeweizen (weissbier). These refreshing beers typically range from copper to dark brown and ar... READ MORE

Gose is a German beer style that is usually brewed with the addition of salt, and it is traditionally spiced with coriander. It is characterized by medium sourness, malt and yeast aromas, as well as fruity and salty nuances. It is not kno... READ MORE

This Belgian beer style falls in the category of lambics—traditional beers made with spontaneous fermentation. As evident from the name, fruit lambics are made with the addition of fruit. Traditional and the most popular ve... READ MORE

Českobudějovické pivo is a moderately bitter beer produced in the Czech Republic. The water used in the preparation process must come from the underground lake of the České Budějovice Basin, the hops come from the Žatec area... READ MORE

Znojemské pivo is a beer produced in several varieties in the Znojmo area in the Czech Republic. It can be produced as a light or dark draught beer and a lager. Only three ingredients are used in the production process – barl... READ MORE

Kölsch (the Low German name for Cologne) is a specialty beer brewed only in Cologne. A document known as the Kölsch Convention was signed in 1986 by the directors of two dozen Kölsch breweries, ensuring that Kölsch beer can onl... READ MORE

Rauchbier is a German beer style that is associated with Franconia and the city of Bamberg. Translated as smoked beer, the style is made with smoked malt, and it initially appeared in the 14th century. At the time, using smoked m... READ MORE

The hazy New England IPA is a modern beer style that originated in 2011. The examples of the style will usually have less hop bitterness than standard American IPA and a character dominated by intense and juicy tropical hop aromas and fla... READ MORE

This sub-style of the classic stout is brewed with the addition of oatmeal. The style first became popular in England, sometime in the late 19th century. The beers falling in this category are typically dark and smooth, with a roasted malt charact... READ MORE

Schwarzbier is a German dark lager style. These beers are not overly powerful or harsh, and they tend to be smooth and refreshing. The use of malted barley will give them a lightly roasted malt backbone that is accompanied by hints of cho... READ MORE

American India pale ale originated from the standard British version—but the use of American hops and different brewing practices gave birth to a new style with distinctive characteristics. The beers that fall into this versatile ca... READ MORE