Latest features Glossary of beer styles

Date Published:

27/06/2008

Don't know your ales from your elbow? Get up to speed on popular UK beer styles with this handy guide from Marc Stroobandt, Master Beer Sommelier at All Bar One

Beer is defined by types and styles, similar to how we look at wine. Beer types are determined by the yeast used and method of fermentation. Beer styles, however, are determined by the beer's origin, ingredients, brewing method and in some cases packaging, colour and appearance. Here we list a few of the different beer styles currently available in the UK.

Lagers

Lagers, first brewed in 1842 in the town of Plzeň or Pilzen, now in the Czech Republic, are bottom fermented and cold matured or ‘lagered’ using a yeast which works at lower temperatures to create a crisp, clean and refreshing beer. Lager is mostly blonde, however, it can be amber and even dark.

Pilsner style lagers are blonde or pale beers brewed in the style of lagers from the town of Pilzen (now in the Czech Republic) where they were first brewed in 1842. Following the German Purity Law or ‘Rheinheitsgebot’ only 4 ingredients are used in the brewing: malted grain, water, yeast and hops.

e.g. Staropramen, Becks, Pilsner Urquell, Budweiser Budvar, Gambrinus

Pils is a Pilsner-style; bottom fermented, blond coloured, filtered Lager beer, brewed in Central, Eastern and Southern European countries, with a lower hop count and more pronounced malty sweetness.

e.g. Holsten Pils, Stella Artois, Jupiler, Heineken, Amstel, Kronenbourg 1666

Vienna style lagers, named after the city they originated from, are brewed like most lagers but have their own unique brewing techniques, with sometimes added ingredients like wheat. This creates a darker amber-reddish colour and more pronounced malty, caramel sweetness with a subtle hoppiness.

e.g. Hirter Privat Pils, Ottakrager Pils, Okocim, Dos Equis

North American blond, amber or dark coloured, Craft lager beers come from micro breweries (started in the 1970–80's) and are inspired by European styles of bottom fermented lager beers, but have evolved into a style of their own.

e.g. USA & Canada: Samuel Adams Boston Beer
Vienna-style Pils: Brooklyn Lager, JW Dundee Honey Brown, Sleemans Honey Brown

Bock is full bodied, stronger (above 6%) amber to dark lager style beer, sometimes bottle conditioned, originally brewed in Northern Germany in a place called Einbeck, hence the name Bock. Dark roasted caramel malts are used which deliver a distinct roasted malty sweetness and intense yet subtle bitterness. Bock was originally brewed by monks in Germany for Lent, as it replaced solid food during the two annual periods of fasting.

German style Doppelbock is a stronger version of the Bock–style lagers with an even more pronounced malty sweetness and alcoholic character.

e.g. Paulaner Salvator, Andechser Doppelbock, Augustiner Maximator

Similar to the Lambiek Fruit beers fruit is added to the sour Flemish Brown Ales from East Flanders to create a softer and sweeter version whilst maintaining the distinct refreshing tartness of this style of beers.

e.g. Liefmans kriek, Liefmans Frambozen, Bacchus, Vichte Echte kriek