Beer Styles
A brief guide to the most common beer styles.
This is by no means a comprehensive list of beer styles. It paints broad brush strokes without going into too many specifics. There isn’t enough time or space in this blog for that.
“Fashions fade, style is eternal.”
That is truer no less in brewing than anywhere else. there are a number of ‘fashions’ in brewing these days, but the classic styles have been around for hundreds of years and will continue for hundreds more. Brown Ales, Porters, Pale Ales all have brewers trying to spin them, but fads don’t last long - not as long as the OG.
So here is a short list, that may get updated over time.
Ale. Ales are beers fermented with top fermenting yeast. Ales typically are fermented at warmer temperatures than lagers, and are often served warmer. The term ale is sometimes incorrectly associated with alcoholic strength. Styles can include British, Irish, American, Belgian and Australian. The classic Australian Ale is, of course, Coopers Sparkling Ale. And to answer the age-old debate, yes, you should roll the bottle before opening.
Lager. Lagers are fermented with bottom-fermenting yeast at colder temperatures. Lagers are most often associated with crisp, clean, malty flavors and are traditionally fermented and served at colder temperatures than ales. Styles can include European, American and Australasian. Early Australian examples include XXXX, VB and Toohey’s New, but recent recipes from Stone & Wood and James Squire might suit a more modern palate.
Real Ale. A style of beer found primarily in England, generally defined as beers that have undergone a secondary fermentation in the container from which they are served and that are served without the application of carbon dioxide.
Brown Ale. They range from deep amber to brown in colour. Caramel and chocolate flavours are evident. Brown ales from northeastern England tend to be strong and malty, often nutty, while those from southern England are usually darker, sweeter and lower in alcohol.
Pale Ale. Pale ale is a golden to amber coloured beer style brewed with pale malt. The term first appeared for beers made from malts dried with high-carbon coke, which resulted in a lighter colour than other beers popular at that time. Foods best eaten with a Pale Ale is anything you can eat with one hand… pizza, tacos or the classic Aussie pie.
India Pale Ale. India pale ale (IPA) is a hoppy beer style within the broader category of pale ale. These heavily hopped beauties can display a fruity, citrusy, floral or tropical nose and palate. Styles within the style can include West Coast, East Coast, NEIPA (New England) and DIPA (Double). If the bitterness is too much for you, then maybe try a red IPA, RIPA, which is softer and sweeter with caramel undertones.
Extra Pale Ale. An Extra Pale Ale (XPA) is a beer style similar to a Pale Ale. An XPA has a larger amount of pale malt than a conventional Pale Ale, which gives the beer a paler, brighter colour and crisper flavour. Extra Pale Ales usually have more hop bitterness standard Pale Ales. Do yourself a favour and try a Balter XPA or Bridge Road Brewers XPA.
American Pale Ale. American pale ales (APA) are generally around 5% abv with significant quantities of American hops, typically Cascade. Although American brewed beers tend to use a cleaner yeast, and American two row malt, it is particularly the American hops that distinguish an APA from British or European pale ales. The style is close to the American India Pale Ale (IPA), and boundaries blur, though IPAs are stronger and more assertively hopped.
Australian Pale Ale. Australian pale ales are much like the traditional British varieties, which have a malty profile and just enough woody or light floral hops to create an elegant balance. Compared to American pale ales, the Aussie equivalents have a maltier flavour and contain less hops, making them less bitter and aromatic.
Wheat Beer. Originating in Bavaria, wheat beer is a top-fermented beer which is brewed with a large proportion of wheat relative to the amount of malted barley. The two main varieties are German Weizenbier and Belgian Witbier. White Rabbit do an awesome wheat beer (and at the other end of the spectrum, stout), as do Erdinger and 4 Pines.
Amber Ale. Amber ale is an emerging term used for pale ales brewed with a proportion of amber malt and sometimes crystal malt to produce an amber colour generally ranging from light copper to light brown.
Sour Beer. Sours have an intentional sour, tart or acidic taste. The most common microbes used to intentionally sour beer are the bacteria Lactobacillus and Pediococcus, while the fungus Brettanomyces can also add some acidity. Another method for achieving a tart flavour is adding fruit, which directly contributes organic acids such as citric acid. Additionally, lactic acid can be directly added to beer or added by the use of unusually large amounts of acidulated malt. If you take a sour to a party you can usually be assured that no bludgers are going to steal your beer. Local examples of a good sour include Pirate Life and Young Henry’s.
Porter / Stout. Porter is a style of beer that was developed in London, England in the early 18th century. It was well-hopped and dark in appearance owing to the use of brown malt. The history of stout and porter are intertwined. The name "stout", used for a dark beer, came about because strong porters were marketed as "stout porter", later being shortened to just stout. Guinness Extra Stout was originally called "Extra Superior Porter" and was not given the name "Extra Stout" until 1840. Today, the terms stout and porter are used by different breweries almost interchangeably to describe dark beers, and have more in common than in distinction. If you want to step outside the well worn path of Guinness then I personally recommend Young Henry’s Motorcycle Oil, Squire’s Jack of Spades or Shepherd Neame & Co Double Stout.
Session Beer. I once saw it written “A beer of lighter body and alcohol of which one might expect to drink more than one serving in a sitting”. I didn’t know a six pack could be called a serving.
Be sure to keep an eye out for our beer reviews on YouTube where we work our way through the various beer styles and review them for you. It’s a tough job, and I volunteer for it.