Beer 101 - What is Beer?

"He was a wise man who invented beer." - Plato

The first ever beer in the world was brewed by the ancient Chinese around 7000 BC. However, the process recognized as beer brewing began in Mesopotamia around 3500 - 3100 BC. With that being said, beer is one of the oldest known beverages produced by mankind and while it may be impossible to get the exact count, historians say there are over 20,000 different types of beer brands around the world.

Beer has always been the beverage of choice for many adults when compared to wines and spirits and is a continuously growing industry (approximately 600 billion globally). Yuengling is the oldest American beer (been around since 1829) and is deemed "America's Oldest Brewery".

Beer was originally bottled in stoneware, clay, and eventually glass. Glass bottles help block out some light, but not all. While brown or amber glass blocks a significant amount of UV light, green and clear bottles are much less effective.

Canned beer became popular after 1935 shortly after the Prohibition (which is a fancy name for a nationwide constitutional ban on the production, importation, transportation, and sale of alcoholic beverages from 1920 to 1933). The American Can company approached Krueger Brewing Company on an idea of canned beers, however it was rejected by Krueger executives. The American Can offered to install the equipment for free and would assume all losses if the idea wasn't successful. Needless to say, people loved the idea and gave it a 91% approval rating. Krueger Brewing company released the Krueger’s Cream Ale and Krueger’s Finest Beer in cans for slightly over $1 for a six-pack. Compared to glass, the cans were lightweight, cheap, and easy to stack and ship. It also stored better than glass because it blocked out light, which is beer's main enemy for maintaining freshness and quality. In addition, cans create a better airtight seal than beer bottles. Additionally, the purchase of cans, unlike bottles, did not require the consumer to pay a deposit. Today, canned beers make up 62% of the beer volume produced and sold in the United States.

What is Beer?

"Fermentation may have been a greater discovery than fire." - David Rains Wallace "He who drinks beer sleeps well. He who sleeps well cannot sin. He who does not sin goes to HEAVEN. AMEN." - Some Monk who loved beer.

"I need a Beer." - Average Joe

So what is beer? Beer, in simple terms, is defined as an alcoholic beverage made from yeast-fermented malt flavored with hops. There are really only two main types of beer; lagers and ales. The category a beer falls into after brewing is generally determined by the fermentation process, though some beers are hybrids and some fall into a completely different category of their own design.

Lagers are produced with yeasts primarily fermented at the bottom of the fermenter. Temperature plays a big role in this. Lager yeasts do their thing at colder temperatures than top-fermenting strains, usually at temperature ranges between 7 to 15°C. Lager beers range from darker pilsners and bocks to pale American lagers, such as Bud Light (one of our 10 best domestic beers). Perhaps unsurprisingly, this makes lagers the best-selling beer type in the world. Ales, on the other hand, range from super hoppy IPAs to super malty stouts. They are made with yeasts that rise to the top of the fermenter during fermentation. You’ll notice that this yeast creates a thick, yeast head at the top of the carboy in early fermentation.

Before we break down the different beer styles, let’s discuss two important technical terms; Alcohol by Volume (ABV) and International Bitterness Unit (IBU).

ABV

You probably are familiar with ABV, or alcohol by volume, as it tells you how much alcohol is in your beer. Beers typically have an ABV of 3%–13%, with the majority around 4%–7%. For reference, wine is about 8%–14% and liquor is about 15%–50% ABV.

IBU

IBU is a measurement that tells you how bitter a beer tastes. Beer can range from 0 (no bitterness) to above 100 IBUs. However, just because a beer has a high IBU count doesn’t mean that you’ll actually perceive the bitterness. Things like high amounts of malt can mask the taste of bitterness without altering the number of IBUs. Plus, we all have different palates and perceive bitterness differently. Nonetheless, we’re including IBU counts in our beer list because they can still give you a general idea of how bitter each style of beer might be.

Note: All ABV and IBU ranges listed below are typical of that style of beer, though there are exceptions that fall outside of those ranges.

Types of Beer

Although all beers are primarily either ales or lagers, both of these main beer types can be brewed in batches of different styles. In fact, there are now more than 100 different types of beer, and this number is constantly growing. That’s why you’ll seldom hear a craft brew fanatic discussing their favorite “ale”; it’s usually something more complex, such as a West Coast IPA (a regional variant of the American IPA), a barrel-aged stout (a dark ale that derives extra flavor from liquor barrels) or something in between.

Here, we will discuss some of the more notable high-level styles, explaining what makes them unique. A lot of the other brews you’ll see at your typical beer store are simply subcategories of these types. The following are the main types of beer.

Ambers

This beer can be an ale or lager, but both styles are so named for their amber color. They’re also both known for their toasty, caramel-tasting malts and low to medium-high hop bitterness. They often have notes of citrus or pine to balance the sweetness of the malt.

• ABV: 4.4% - 6.1%

• IBU: 18 - 45

• Color: Gold to copper to reddish brown.

• Taste: Toasty and caramel flavored malts with low to medium-high top bitterness.

• Examples: Bell's Amber Ale and Sam Adams Boston Lager.

Bock

This lager beer, which translates to “goat” in German, is a dark, malty beer first brewed in Einbeck, Germany. It is traditionally sweet and strong.

• ABV: 6.4% - 9.5%

• IBU: 15 - 38

• Color: Dark brown.

• Taste: Toasted malt sweetness with light hops.

• Examples: Shiner Bock, Karbach Crawford Bock, and Samuel Adams Chocolate Bock.

IPA

An IPA beer, or India pale ale, is a hoppy brew that is popular among craft beer drinkers. IPAs have a distinct bitter flavor and aroma.

• ABV: 5.1% - 10.6%

• IBU: 50 - 70

• Color: Light gold to coppery brown.

• Taste: Bitterness mixed with fruity, citrusy, floral and piney notes.

• Examples: New Belgium Voodoo Ranger Imperial IPA & Goose Island IPA.

Pale Lager

Almost all the most popular beers in America are pale lagers. They’re known to be easy-drinking beers with light to medium hops and a clean malt taste.

• ABV: 4.1% - 5.1%

• IBU: 5 - 19

• Color: Pale gold.

• Taste: Light & crisp with a mellow flavor.

• Examples: Bud Light, Heineken, Corona Extra & Miller Lite.

Pale Ale

American pale ales are a spin-off of English pale ale and utilize American hops. There are a wide variety of pale ale flavors based on the type of hops used, but pale ales are particularly known for their balance of malt and hops.

• ABV: 4.4% - 5.4%

• IBU: 30 - 50

• Color: Deep gold to light brown to copper.

• Taste: Medium to medium-high hoppy bitterness with a variety of flavor notes, from floral to citrus.

• Examples: Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, and Yards Philadelphia Pale Ale.

Pilsner

This lager originated in the city of Plzeň, Czech Republic, and has since become one of the most popular beers in the world because of its well-balanced taste. Bohemian pilsners (a.k.a. Czech-style pilsners) are generally darker and with less hoppy bitterness than their counterparts, German-style pilsners.

• ABV: 4.1% - 5.3%

• IBU: 25 - 50

• Color: Straw to pale gold to light amber.

• Taste: Medium to high hop bitterness tempered by sweeter malts.

• Examples: Pilsner Urquell, and Lagunitas Pils.

Porter

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 name originated from its popularity with street and river porters.

• ABV: 4.4% - 6%

• IBU: 20 - 30

• Color: Dark brown.

• Taste: Medium hop bitterness with sweet notes of caramel & chocolate.

• Examples: Deschutes Black Butte Porter, and Breckenridge Vanilla Porter.

Stout

Stout is a dark, top-fermented beer with a number of variations, including dry stout, oatmeal stout, milk stout, and imperial stout.

• ABV: 3.2% – 12%

• IBU: 15 - 80

• Color: Dark brown.

• Taste: Malty with roasted notes of caramel, coffee & chocolate plus a medium to high hop bitterness.

• Examples: Guinness Draught, and Deschutes Obsidian Stout.

Wheat

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; other types include Lambic (made with wild yeast), Berliner Weisse (a cloudy, sour beer), and Gose (a sour, salty beer).

• ABV: 2.8% – 5.6%

• IBU: 10 - 35

• Color: Straw to light amber.

• Taste: Wheat; also light and often fruity, typically with low to medium hop bitterness.

• Examples: Blue Moon, and Shock Top Belgian White.

The following is a table of summary of the type of beers mentioned.

Type of Beer	ABV	IBU	Color	Taste	Examples
Amber	4.4 - 6.1	18 - 45	Gold, copper, reddish brown	Toasty, caramelly flavored malts with low to med-high bitterness	Bells Amber Ale, Sam Adams Boston Lager
Bock	6.4 - 9.5	15 - 38	​Dark brown	​Toasted malt sweetness with light hops	Shiner Bock, Samuel Adams Chocolate Bock
IPA	5.1 - 10.6	50 - 70	Light gold, coppery brown	Bitterness mixed with fruity, citrusy, floral, piney notes	New Belgium Voodoo Ranger, Goose Island IPA
Pale Lager	4.1 - 5.1	5 - 19	Pale gold	Light and crisp with a mellow flavor	Bud Light, Heineken, Corona Extra
Pale Ale	4.4 - 5.4	30 - 50	Deep gold, light brown, copper	Medium-High hoppy bitterness with a variety of flavor notes from floral to citrus	Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, Yards Philadelphia Pale Ale
Pilsner	4.1 - 5.3	25 - 50	Pale gold, light amber	Medium to high hop bitterness tempered by sweeter malts	Pilsner Urquell, Lagunitas Pils
Porter	4.4 - 6	20 - 30	Dark brown	Medium hop bitterness with sweet notes of caramel and chocolate	Deschutes Black Butte Porter, Breckenridge Vanilla Porter
Stout	3.2 - 12	15 - 80	Dark brown	Malty with roasted notes of caramel, coffee & chocolate plus a medium to high hop bitterness	Guinness Draught, and Deschutes Obsidian Stout
Wheat	2.8 - 5.6	10 - 35	Light amber	Wheat; also light and often fruity, typically with low to medium hop bitterness	Blue Moon, and Shock Top Belgian White

The Rising Cost of Beer

Over the years we have seen the brewery boom in the U.S grow tremendously from 1976 to 2019 (Figure 1). In addition, many craft beers (beer made by a small independent brewery where craftsmanship is key) have since joined the beer market. These craft beers are brewed using unique brewing techniques using various fruits, coffee, and other flavors.

Figure 1 - America's Brewery Boom

As the beer market continues to boom, so does the price of beer. Inflation is public enemy number one and according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for beer, ale, and other malt beverages were 565% higher in 2021 ($9.84) versus 1952 ($1.57) which is a $8.27 difference in value.

Beer, ale, and other malt beverages at home experienced an average inflation rate of 2.70% per year. This rate of change indicates significant inflation. In other words, beer, ale, and other malt beverages at home costing $1.57 in the year 1952 would cost $9.84 in 2021 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 3.41% during this same period, inflation for beer, ale, and other malt beverages at home was lower.

From the figure below (Figure 2), we can see that inflation has increased the price of beer since 1952. What this means is since 1952, we would increase the price of beer each year based on the CPI. For example, if a six pack of beer in 1952 was $1.57 and in 1953, the CPI was 1.24%, that means that the price of beer in 1953 was $1.59. That was a small increase, but over time, inflation continued to increase the price of a six pack of beer. Factor in the CPI increases all the way to 2021 and we have a whopping price of $9.84 for a six pack of beer.

Figure 2 - Inflation of Beer from 1952 to 2021

Full Mind-Blowing Beer Tasting Experience

Now that we’ve learned some history about beer, the different types of brews, and the ugly inflated cost of beer, let’s move on to the fun part of this article. This is where we discuss the most beneficial way to fully experience enjoying beer.

No judgement here if you would rather happily sip your beer or chug it after a long day, but if you truly want to appreciate what you’re drinking, we suggest tasting your beer properly.

A proper beer tasting is similar to a wine tasting and includes steps like swirling the beer and sniffing the beer. The Craft Beer Channel on YouTube has an in-depth video on How to Taste Beer Like a Beer Judge that we recommend checking out. But here are the basics:

1. Pour Your Beer Into an Appropriate Glass: You won’t be able to do a proper tasting out of a beer bottle or can, so pour your beer into a glass, but make sure it’s one with a narrower rim, which helps concentrate the aroma. Avoid pint glasses and instead choose a tulip glass—stemmed so you can swirl it.
   

2. Sniff the Beer: Start by swirling the beer glass to release the aromas. We recommend doing three sniffs: the distance sniff, the Bloodhound sniff and the long sniff. Each sniff should help you discover the flavor nuances of your beer.
   

   1. Distance sniff: Hold the glass level with the underside of your chin. Pass the glass back and forth under your chin and inhale.
      

   2. Bloodhound sniff: Swirl the glass again and stick your nose in it. Take three short, quick sniffs, like a Bloodhound picking up a scent on a trail.
      

   3. Long sniff: Stick your nose in the glass and take a 2-second sniff. This deep inhale should give you a bit of a head rush.
      

3. Taste the Beer: Take a sip of the beer, enough to coat your entire tongue. Don’t swallow it immediately; rather, let it wash back and forth over your tongue a few times. This helps you taste all of the aromas you just inhaled. You’ll notice the hops at first, perhaps a fruity or piney taste. Then you’ll get the malts and yeast, typically a caramel-like or baked-good taste. When you swallow, you’ll notice the bitterness. Finally, when you breathe out after swallowing, you’ll get another wave of aromatics. Once you’ve completed that first initial “in-depth” beer tasting experience, we recommend consuming it however you enjoy most.

After discussing all of this, I need a beer!

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