My friend Laurie worked with me and she'd listen to me talk about beer a lot! One afternoon I was bragging about a barrel aged stout I bought and how great it was. She asked me what a stout was. As I described stout beer I thought "Styles" would be a great topic to blog about. What types of craft beers are there? So in my own way, I will try to explain some over the next several blogs.
Most of us grew up on Bud, Coors, Miller, Pabst Blue Ribbon and other 5% ABV (alcohol by volume) beer products. My parents drank Genesee Cream Ale from New York State. If you are trying to convince someone to try craft beer, it's good to know what they are familiar with to start. A majority of my female friends started out claiming they didn't like beer. Have a little patience. Don't start them or you out with IPA or Pale Ale. Go with low hopped beers. You can purchase beer by the 12 ounce bottle at most good beer stores so buy a six pack assortment. Even ask for help in selecting if you aren't sure what to get. Pour enough in your clear, clean glass for at least 4 good sips. Keep notes. Have fun.
In college, many years ago, I would drink just about any icy cold beer with my friends. But when I was home I really loved a darker beer called Spaten Doppelbock, This lightly hopped, malty. dark lager beer had a plastic goat around the neck. It is believed in ancient times that bock beer was brewed in the winter months under Capricorn, the sign of the goat. As a student, if I could afford to buy a case of it a semester, I would savor each bottle. All lager beers are fermented at cooler temperatures than ales. Lager means to store so the ancient brewer would store it, many times in a deep cellar or cave for months to let the yeast work it's magic. Some companies still do.There are so many different kinds of bock beers. Go to a site like Beeradvocate.com. You can read the reviews from other tasters and see the rankings.
After my college days, I seldom drank beer. But then I went with my husband Tim to Germany for a few weeks about ten years ago. We stayed in Homberg in a beautiful, old hotel across the street from a tavern. This was my first trip abroad and I was excited to see and try everything! We met up with Tim's friends from work and they started ordering food and beer. They brought me a lemony hefeweisen that they brew themselves. I'm not sure there were any other beers on tap because this was all I drank. Served in tall glasses at around 55 or so degrees, it was like nothing I had ever tasted. In the German language, weisen is the word for wheat. So it's a wheat beer with hefe. Hefe means yeast. Usually this beer is unfiltered so it's on the cloudy side. It has a medium body, is lightly hopped and although I'm not sure, this particular beer's lemon flavor may have come from the yeast.
While traveling, we always went to a brewery with a restaurant. This was my introduction to great beer! Although Germany has some amazing beers, you can find great ones all over the world!
Craft breweries are popping up in the USA and offer a vast range of choices and specialties. Support your local breweries by stopping by and trying a flight or a pint!
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