Basic Beer Terminology

In order to begin to understand and appreciate beer, you've got to get acquainted with some basic beer terms. I'll refer these terms in my reviews and it's a great way to start learning about beer and the characteristics of its different styles. Beer is just as complex and diverse as wine, so start studying!

Beers are made from four fundamental ingredients:   *malted grains  *water  *hops  *yeast

Even though all beers are created using similar components, variations of these elements during the brewing process can lead to a myriad spectrum of beers with distinctive tastes.

Beers are categorized by shared attributes like color, flavor, strength, the process used to brew it, ingredients used, and country of origin.

Beers can be grouped into two basic types--ales and lagers, with numerous sub-types that fall under these two categories. 

To put it in simple terms, a beer's taste can be described as falling somewhere between the spectrum of malty and hoppy. Malty beers like ales tend to be sweeter, where hoppy beers like lagers tend to be more bitter. (Again, this is a very generalized introductory description--in later posts I will go into greater detail.)