Beer Category

There are two types of beer: lager, which is pale, light, and effervescent, and ale, which is heavier and more bitter. Types of ale include pale ale, porter, and stout.

Most beers are brewed from malted barley and flavored with hops, which makes them slightly bitter. Beer is good with salty and spicy foods, like pretzels, pizza, and hot dogs, but it can also be used as a cooking ingredient, adding a pleasant bitterness to chili, stews, and soups, and softening the texture of baked goods. If a recipe calls simply for beer, use a lager beer; a strong ale can easily overpower a dish. De-alcoholized beers are also available.

This is a sweet, strong-tasting lager beer that's heavy on the malt and light on the hops. It's not as bitter as most beers.

This is a style of beer that's sweeter, darker, and less bitter than the typical American lager beer.

This refers either to beer that's stored in a keg or to unpasteurized beer in bottles or cans

This is a bitter, full-bodied ale that's relatively high in alcohol. It can be identified by the letters IPA on the label. Don't confuse this with American pale ale, which is much tamer.

These are the light-bodied, effervescent beers that are so popular in America. They're brewed from malted barley, hops, and water, and then stored (or "lagered") until the sediment settles. The beer is then clarified and carbonated. Dark lager beers are brown in color and sweeter than the more popular pale lagers. Pilsner Urquell beer is a famous lager that's made in the Czech Republic. Producers elsewhere sometimes call their better brews Pilsner beer = Pilsener beer, but they're not as good as their namesake. Light beer = lite beer has fewer calories and less alcohol than conventional beer.

This is similar to lager beer, only it's higher in alcohol.

These golden brown ales are somewhat bitter and fruity.

This is a dark beer with a heavy foam and a bitter flavor

This dark beer tastes strongly of malt and hops. Guinness is a popular brand.

This somewhat sweet beer is made with wheat malt.