Hey everyone! Great to see you again! This week we are going
to talk about beer styles. I won’t overwhelm you! We will just touch on the
basics. Before we get started, you should know that all beer has 4 very
specific ingredients. They are as follows: Grains, hops, yeast, and of course
water. Three of the items come in different varieties, which is how you get
your beer styles!
There are literally hundreds of styles of beer, you can even
become certified in knowing all of the styles! So let’s get started and talk
about a few. We’ll limit this to 3 so no one gets confused. We will talk about
IPA’s, Pilsner’s and Stout’s.
IPA’s: Well, if you drink craft beer, you have probably
heard all the rage that is an IPA. IPA
stands for Indian Pale Ale. IPA’s tend to be yellow to orange in color, but can
come in other color varieties as well. They range from session ale, which claim
to be drinkable in large sessions, such as being on a boat; You can also get
imperial IPA’s. Those tend to have higher alcohol content, and are more of a
treat than something you would drink all the time. IPA’s are known for their
strong hop characteristics. They tend to be very citrusy, and very bitter. If
you are new to craft beer, and new to IPA’s a good one to try is Founders All
Day IPA.
Pilsner’s: This is the style of beer most people are most
familiar with. This is going to be a “standard” beer, the Coor’s, the Miller’s,
The Budweiser’s, those are all pilsners. These have a very neutral flavor, that
is meant to appeal to a large number of people. According to www.bizjournals.com Bud light is the most
popular beer in the US with 19.2% of the market share. Pilsners are known for
being light, drinkable, and going with just about anything.
Stouts: Stouts are a lesser known beer, and among beer drinkers they are said to be heavy and malty. Some people like that, some don’t. If you have ever celebrated Saint Patricks’ day, chances are you have drunk Guinness. Stouts tend to be creamy and dark, with flavors of chocolate and coffee in them. Just like IPA’s these too, come in a large number of varieties. I personally think stouts are the best. There is even a proper way to pour it! Check out this video:
Good info!
ReplyDeleteDonna, loved reading your blog post. My topic i chose was eight locations in Pure Michigan you must visit...and grand rapids was one of them. They are known as the "beer city" of the USA. They have so many amazing craft beers! Reading this, definitely made me think of the many beers that Grand Rapids has to offer. Also it is funny that you posted a video of Guinness because i work at a bar and this is the only beer where you customers get mad if you don't pour it correctly! They tell me all the time that it does taste different if you pour it the wrong way.
ReplyDeleteDonna,
ReplyDeleteYou delivered your information about as well as any beer connoisseur could ask for. I love that you touched on all my favorite beers and also talked about specific ingredients one would need to brew. It is great to see others noticing the wider range of beers available to the consumer now a days. If you haven't yet, you should check out some of the local beer festivals in the area.
Richard E.
This has helped me more than you know! I'm not a beer person at all so when I'm out with friends and they start talking about beers I usually just have to sit there quietly because I have no idea what they're talking about! Thanks!
ReplyDeleteSuper informative, I have been dabbling with the idea of starting to home brew. I want to try crafting a few different fashions, but I cant seem to commit to starting. I want to try a heffeweisen, but I think that may be far ahead of my novice status.
ReplyDelete