Brewing - Types Of Beer

Most familiar beers are barley-based beverages. In Europe and the United States, beer is usually one of two types, ale or lager. Ale is a traditional British beer that, until the latter part of the nineteenth century, was not flavored with hops. Ale is made with a variety of yeast that rises to the top of the fermentation tank, and that produces a higher alcohol content than lagers. Ales range from pale ales such as Kolsch (from a district around Cologne, Germany) which is strongly hopped and not sweet, to strong, dark, ales such as porter and stout. Lager (which means cellar in German) originated in the Bavarian region of Germany. Lager is made with bottom-fermenting yeast, and is lower in alcohol content than ales. Lagers include: pilsner, a pale beer with a distinctive hop flavor; bock, a strong dark beer; weiss, a pale beer made with wheat that is usually served with slices of lemon or flavored with fruit juices.