Introduction

The craft beer industry has boomed in the past three decades all over the world and the trend is not slowing down anytime soon. Every year new varieties of craft beer spring up delighting serious beer drinkers

Bengaluru has fast caught up with the trend, true to its epithet beer capital of India, given the number of microbreweries that have mushroomed all across the city offering innovative and delicious beers, from Indian pale ales and stout to lager and Belgian-style wheat beers  to its globe-trotter denizens. These microbreweries have become hotspots of the city to hangout offering the mix of local and international ingredients. If you are one of them, let’s delight you with many more varieties of craft beer available on the table than you are aware. For the newbies, get started with more information on hand.

Types of beer

Beers are categorized as either ale or lagers. There are three types of yeast that make it either ale or lager

Top fermenting beers

The yeast that used in ale production is a top-fermenting yeast that works best at warm temperatures and it has higher tolerance to alcohol. It ferments throughout the beer and settles at the top of the liquid. IPAs, stouts, and wheat beers are all examples of top fermenting ales.

Bottom fermenting beers

The yeast used in lager production is more fragile than the ale yeast. It settles at the bottom of the beer vessel after fermentation. It ferments more slowly and at cooler temperatures, and it has a lower tolerance to alcohol. Pilsners, bocks, and Okerberfests are examples of bottom fermenting beers.

Spontaneous Fermentation Beer

In this type of fermentation beer is exposed to wild bacteria and yeast. Although originated in Belgium, brewers all over the world have found ways to replicate this process to create sour, funky-tasting beers in their own style. The American sour, Belgian gueuze, and Flanders red ale are some examples of this type.

The yeast impacts the overall flavour of the beer. Ales are denser and have higher alcohol content. But it’s hard to make sweeping statements about its flavour as there are a great varieties of ales, from hoppy IPAs to dark, dense porters and stouts. On the other hand, Lagers are usually light with crispy flavours, such as American pale beers, Mexican beers, German bocks, and pilsners.

Styles of beer

There are hundreds of beer styles, all with unique flavours, aromas and colour. The Two characteristics alcohol by volume (ABV) and international bitterness unit (IBU). are used to describe styles of beer in general.

Alcohol by volume (ABV)

It represents the percentage of alcohol in the beer. The taste of the beer is actually affected by the amount of alcohol in the brew. Beers with a higher ABV have a more bitter flavour. The alcohol in very strong beers can numb the tongue and neutralize the taste, hence additional flavors are added to compensate. ABV is used by brewers to achieve the right balance between sweetness and bitterness.

International bitterness unit (IBU)

It is a measurement of the number of bitter flavour compounds in a beer. The IBU scale starts at zero and has no upper limit, but most beers are between 5 IBUs and 120 IBUs. Anything higher than 120 can’t be detected by the average palate.

Types of lager

Light lagers

Light flavour beers include Pale lager and pilsners that are golden-coloured. There are popular in Germany and Czech Republic.

American lager produced in large quantities with ABV: 3.2-4.0% IBU: 5-15 is light in colour and flavour, and low in alcohol content.

German helles is in a bright gold colour and maltier than a traditional pilsner and with ABV: 4.8-5.6% IBU: 18-25.

German pilsner is in pale gold colour with a medium hop flavour and slightly malty with ABV: 4.6-5.3% IBU: 25-40

With ABV: 4.1-5.1% IBU: 30-45 Czech or bohemian pilsner is in straw colour with a noticeable bitter hop flavour. These beers can sometimes have a floral aroma.

Dark Lagers

This type of lagers is malty, smooth with toasted caramel flavors. They have mid-range alcohol content and lower bitterness.

Amber American Lager is characterized by a darker colour, caramel aroma, and smooth taste. ABV: 4.8-5.4% IBU: 18-30

Named after the Oktoberfest celebration in Munich, Oktoberfest is a full-bodied beer with a rich, toasted flavour and a dark copper colour. It’s ABV: 5.1-6.0% IBU: 18-25

German Schwarzbier is a dark beer that is light in flavour. It is less malty with a slight sweetness.
ABV: 3.8-4.9% IBU: 22-30

Vienna lager is reddish in colour with a sweet malty flavour. It has a subtle hop flavour and crisp to drink with ABV: 4.5-5.5% IBU: 22-28

Types of Ale

Brown Ales

Brown Ales such as American Brown Ale and English Brown Ale feature malty overtones and tend to have toasty, caramel flavors. They typically feature mid-range alcohol content and hop bitterness.

Pale Ales

Pale ales such as American Amber Ale, Blonde Ale, English Bitter,  English Pale Ale, and American Pale Ale are generally hoppy but lower in alcohol content than IPAs. They are typically light, drinkable beers. India Pale Ales (IPAs) boast strong hop bitterness with piney and floral flavors. These beers also have high alcohol content. American IPA, Imperial or Double IPA, English IPA, are very popular worldwide.

Types of Porter

Porters are all dark in colour, and their flavors reminiscent of chocolate, coffee, and caramel. In their chocolatiness they are between brown ales and stouts. Examples are American Imperial Porter, English Brown Porter, Robust Porter.

Types of Stout

They are dark beers similar to porters but with stronger roasted flavors. They have mid to high alcohol levels. American stouts, American imperial stouts, American imperial stouts, milk stouts, Irish dry stouts are some of the popular types of stouts.

Conclusion

This is not all. Still more innumerable types of beers such as Belgian style, wheat beers, and wild and sour beers are available and it is getting better by every year. More and more styles of beer is crafted all over the world and brewers are adept at replicating them in their localscape with their own style to the delight of beer lovers.