Beer Styles

So many styles, so little time! It's funny how many kinds of flavors can be found within the simple recipe of water, malt, hops, and yeast. Learn more about beer styles and browse our list of reviews below.

Beer glass illustration by Chris Weibring

Adjunct Lager

The unfortunate results of Prohibition and WWII. Straw colored and fizzy with minimal taste. Made to drink in quantity ... think macrobrewery.

Altbier

This lagered ale is popular in Dusseldorf, Germany for its rich malt profile and “old” school brewing technique.

American / Robust Porter

A darker rendition of the generic porter with a heavier mouthfeel. Bigger, bolder flavors and ABV.

American Amber / Red Ale

Toasty caramel malt notes with a moderate to strong hop quality. A hearty, well-balanced beer.

American Barleywine

Rich and assertive malt quality with a substantial hop presence and warming ABV.

American Brown Ale

Nutty, roasty, and chewy with some chocolate flavors. Lighter than a porter and packed with flavor.

American IPA

Bright fruity, citrus, and floral notes in both aroma and taste. Hops rule.

American Pale Ale (APA)

Give some props to Ken Grossman (Sierra Nevada) for getting this hoppy, refreshing brew on the map. A true classic.

American Pilsner

A favorite of the American brewpub, this light and often corn-containing lager is kin to its European counterparts.

American Stout

A classic US twist on this old style incorporates a more aggressive hopping with bold, roasty flavors.

American Strong Ale

Close to a Barleywine, these brews are amped up in the malt, hop, and ABV departments.

American Wheat Ale

No banana or cloves here! Pure grain qualities, bready yeast, and clean hops make this hazy brew a great choice.

Baltic Porter

This lager found its place in the countries surrounding the Baltic Sea. Brewed strong with deep coffee, licorice or molasses flavors.

Belgian IPA

A hoppy twist and dry finish to a golden ale.

Belgian Pale Ale

A session beer for Belgians’ with a lower ABV. It is toasty and light on the hops.

Berliner Weisse

A sour beer that displays some great tart fruity notes within a light wheat body. Napoleon called it the “champagne of beers.”

Biére de Garde

A French brew with malty sweetness of rich, earthy, caramel notes. Don’t keep it around long.

Blonde Ale

A lighter, sweeter ale perfect for those exploring the craft beer scene. An easy crowd pleaser.

Bock

A malt-centric lager. Sweet caramel and some biscuit notes. Has a smooth mouthfeel.

Bohemian / Czech Pilsner

The first light, clear brew that won the world over in 1842. Uses Saaz hops, bready malts and has a bubbly personality.

Coffee Beers

Brewed with the addition of coffee, or aged on coffee beans.

Cream Ale

The only craft beer where a corn flavor or ingredient is acceptable. Light, crisp, slightly fruity and sweet.

Doppelbock

An uber-malty brew with double the strength: chocolatey, jammy, and hearty. This famous "liquid bread" is the antonym of IPA.

Dortmunder / Export Lager

Native to the city of Dortmund, Germany, this style combines the hopping of a Pilsner with the malts of a Helles.

Dry Stout

Smooth and chalky with coffee notes. A step up from a Porter. How does it finish? The name says it all.

Dubbel

Moderate ABV of 6-8% with a rich malt backbone. Can possess some spicy aroma, fruity and yeasty flavors.

Dunkel Lager

A “dark” version of a Helles Lager. Known for its depth of toasty and roasty goodness. Dry finish.

Dunkelweizen

The dark version of a normal Weizen. Contains dark fruit flavors and chocolaty notes.

English Barley Wine

Unlike its American cousin this beer displays great malt character and depth. Toasty and warm.

English Bitter (ESB) / Pale Ale

Three variations: Ordinary, Best, and Special/Strong are based on hopping and ABV. Burtonizing contributes smooth mouthfeel.

English Brown Ale

A rich, malty beer. Three variations: Mild (soft mouthfeel), Southern (darker toffee notes), and Northern (nutty and dry).

English IPA

Floral and earthy hops with toffee and caramel malt notes. More balanced than American versions.

Flanders Oud Bruin

Brown to dark red brew made in East Flanders, Belgium. Similar to its Red sister, minus the oak.

Flanders Red Ale

A ruby red or burgundy fruity brew and slightly sour. Common to West Flanders, Belgium, and aged in oak barrels.

Fruit Beers

As the name suggests, these brews can have wonderful flavors with the addition of various fruits.

Fruit Lambic

Popular fruits are Peche (Peach), Framboise (Raspberry), Kriek (cherry), and Foune (apricot).

German Pilsener

While close to its Czech relative, this golden crisp brew is adapted for natural brewing resources.

Gueuze

A blending of an old Lambic (2-3 years) and a new Lambic. Great balance between acidic and fresh flavors.

Hard Cider

A slightly tart and sweet fermented beverage using apples or pears as the main ingredients.

Helles Lager

Gabriel Sedlmayr wanted in on the Pilsner craze so he created its light refreshing cousin in 1895.

Imperial / Double IPA

Bigger is better! A huge hop bomb that has a pungent, bitter blast and minor malt profile. Hello flavor!

Imperial Beers

Larger than your average brew in a particular style. More flavor, malts, hops, and alcohol.

India Pale Ale (IPA)

Originally brewed with more hops to preserve the beer on its voyage from Britain to India. Hoptastic!

Irish Red Ale

Rich toffee, toasty, jammy and slightly buttery taste. Clean and smooth dry roasted finish.

Kölsch

Unique brew to Cologne (Köln), Germany. A grassy, sweet, crisp, golden straw colored ale that is cold lagered.

Lambic

A sour beer with high acidity, complex of flavors, and a bubbly mouthfeel. These are straight and unblended.

Light Lager

A reduced calorie beverage that also uses adjunct grains.

Maibock / Helles Bock

A late spring brew on the lighter, hoppier spectrum of Bocks. This may or may not be the beer for you?

Malt Liquor

A lager that was brewed pre-prohibition. Generally full-bodied and higher in ABV.

Märzen / Oktoberfest

The older cousin of the Vienna Lager, Märzen has a rich toasty sweetness with a clean finish. Pröst!

Milk / Sweet / Cream Stout

Creamy, silky, almost velvety. The addition of lactose (milk sugar) gives this one its sweet quality.

Oatmeal Stout

It's like diving into a bag of oats: on the sweeter side with a slick, chewy mouthfeel and dry finish.

Old Ale

A deep, malty brew that has molasses, toffee, and rich caramel notes. These are strong and deep.

Pale Lager

Not to be confused with its European counterpart, this lager is brewed with integrity and contains no adjunct grains.

Porter

Originally the working man’s beer in England and predecessor to the Stout. Chocolate and coffee notes abound.

Pumpkin Ale

Thanksgiving-time brew made with pumpkin and can include some additional spices.

Quadrupel

Four times the flavor of your average beer. Quads are full bodied and full of rich flavors.

Russian Imperial Stout

A massive beer that is bold and complex. Get ready to experience deep burnt flavors with a high ABV.

Rye Beer / Roggenbier

Brewed with a portion of rye malt, resulting in a spicy flavor. Originated in Regensburg, Germany.

Schwarzbier / Black Lager

The antithesis of a lager in color and flavor. Roasty, burnt grains with smooth, clean drinkability.

Scottish Ale

A variety of strengths (60, 70, 80, 90...) originally paid in schillings based on ABV. Strong, robust, malty ales.

Smoked Beer / Rauchbier

An interesting style from Bamberg, Germany, that uses smoked, dried malts to impart flavor.

Spirit-Aged Beers

Beers that have been aged in barrels that once held Bourbon, Whiskey, Scotch, Rum, or another spirit.

Tripel

A golden Belgian ale slightly higher in ABV than a Dubbel. Peppery, bubbly, sweet and hoppy.

Vienna Lager

Thank Anton Dreher for this malty, clean, amber-colored brew. Roasted grains with noble hop finish.

Weizenbock

A reaction to Dopplebocks with a higher ABV and deeper fruity notes. Banana and clove undertones can be found.

Wet/Harvest Hop Beers

Brewed seasonally during the hop harvest when freshly picked hops are used. Gives great hop flavor.

Winter Ale / Warmer

These cold weather beers have additional spices and robust flavors to pair with meals and keep you warm.

Witbier

A light mouthfeel, refreshing finish, and fruity aroma. Brewed with dried orange peel and coriander seeds.

Wood-Aged Beers

Beers that have been aged in wood barrels or on wood chips. They are earthy with smooth flavors.