WE'RE HERE TO LISTEN

Beer styles and terms

to start you on your journey.

Light-Medium-Dark: In reference to color of the beer only. Light beers can be straw-colored, yellow, gold, tan. Medium-colored beers can be amber, red, copper, orange. Dark beers can be brown, black, opaque, coffee-like.

Light-Medium-Heavy: In reference to the body and mouthfeel of the beer. Light-bodied beers tend to be clean and crisp. Heavy-bodied beers tend to cling to the mouth, feel oily, rich, or full.

Malty: Malted barley (or malt) is a main beer ingredient of beer. The level of kilning or roasting determines the color and flavor (like how roasting affects coffee beans). Lighter malts taste nutty, biscuity, like cereal; medium roasts like toffee or caramel; and dark roasts like coffee, dark chocolate, dried dark fruits.

Hoppy: Another main beer ingredient that imparts flavor and aroma. Hops can be fruity: apple, citrus, tropical fruits; or piney: resin, pine needles, wood; or floral, earthy, spicy, grassy.

Bitter: Bitterness comes from hops, but not all hoppy beers are bitter. It all depends on when you add the hops. When balanced with strong malt character, bitterness can be quite pleasant.

Fruity: Common fruity flavors and aromas are lemon, banana, grapefruit, apricot, plum, cherry.

Spicy: Not spicy like chilies – though adventurous brewers use those too – but spicy like coriander, clove, pepper, star anise.

IBU or BU – International Bittering Unit are a unit of measurement for the amount of bittering compounds in a beer.

SRM – Standard Reference Method refers to the color of beer measured 1-40 the higher the number the darker the beer

ABV – Alcohol by Volume how we measure alcohol content of beer

Chit – initial root growth in the grain seed during the malting process, often harvested for animal feed.

Brussels lace – the latticework of foam from the head of the beer that is left on the glass after a drink has been taken.