| BREW BASICS |

BY JEREMY NEDELKA

The craft beer boom a few years ago drove tremendous interest in learning about different kinds of beer , stylistic differences , ingredients and every aspect of the brewing process . Whether you ’ re a beer novice just starting your journey into the category , or an aficionado who wants a refresher course , here ’ s a sample of our Beer Terminology Guide . The complete listings can be found at CheersOnline . com / beer-guide-complete-list .

ALE : A type of beer brewed with yeast strains that ferment at warmer temperatures . These strains are called top-fermenting yeasts , because their metabolic process takes place near the top of the fermentation vessel . These yeast types impart ales with fruity or spicy flavors , compared to lager ’ s emphasis on clean , crisp flavors , and are sometimes served warmer than lagers .

BELGIAN : A traditional ale , high in flavor and complexity , ranging in style from dark to light . Refers to recipes first written thousands of years ago by Old World brewers , many in Belgium , including Trappist monks who brewed this style in their abbeys .

CASCADE HOPS : The most widely used brewing hops in America . High in floral aroma and citric , fruity flavor . Developed in 1971 at Oregon State University , these are common in American Pale Ales .

DOUBLE IPA : These beers are brewed with significantly more hops . To balance the bitterness that creates , Double IPAs frequently include more malts and a greater alcohol content — often more than 6 % alcohol by volume ( ABV ).

HEFEWEIZEN : A German wheat beer , roughly translated as “ with yeast and wheat .” These beers have a yeasty , banana taste , often with spicy and vanilla notes . They ’ re unfiltered and cloudy in appearance , with a pale to light-amber color .

PILSNER : The most common beer style worldwide . Pale lagers that are often crisp , clear , low ABV and light bodied . The name derives from Pilsen , a city in Czech Republic where the style originated in 1842 .

SESSION BEER : A beer with lower ABV and lighter body that allows one to more easily consume greater volume in a single session of drinking .

WITBIER : A white beer — or witbier — is a wheatheavy ale descended from Medieval era Belgium and The Netherlands . Unfiltered with bits of yeast and wheat purposely left floating in the beer . Spiced with coriander , orange or other light flavors . Often served with an orange slice .

Beer Terminology Guide .

CHEERS @ HOME • SPRING 2021 | 13