Table of Content

Beer begins on a farm and ends up in a glass. Brewing is a simple process that can be made very complicated with the application of scientific techniques to perfectly control the process. Here the process of brewing has been divided into six major steps.

Farm-grown hops are used almost exclusively for making beer. These green, cone-shaped flowers come from tall, fast-growing vines. Dozens of different hop varieties are grown, and each contributes a unique flavor to beer. After harvest, the hops are dried, baled, and shipped to the brewery.

Barley, a grain similar to wheat, serves as the basis of most beers. Other grains, such as corn or rice, may also be used, mainly as "adjunct" ingredients. Before it can be used in brewing, barley must first be "malted." The "maltster" soaks the barley in water to awaken the tiny proto-plant inside each barleycorn, and allows it to sprout for a very short time. This activates enzymes that start to convert starches in the kernel into simple sugars, primarily maltose. This malted barley is then dried. Maltsters roast some malt to produce darker colors and flavors that vary from biscuitlike to burnt.

Brewers combine ingredients in many combinations to produce different types and flavors of beer. First the brewer combines the malt and other grains with hot water to produce a mash. This converts the complex starches of the grains into simple sugars that can be fermented by yeast. Mashing yields an amber, sugar-filled liquid called wort.

Next the brewer boils the wort for 60 to 90 minutes. Hops added at various times during the boil produce different characteristics such as bitterness, flavor, and aroma.

After boiling, the brewer cools the wort and transfers it to a fermenter. Here yeast is added. Brewers pick from scores of different brewing yeasts, each of which will produce a slightly different character in the finished beer. The yeast type dictates the exact time and temperature of fermentation, but most do best under one of two general programs. Lagers ferment at 50 to 55F for 10 to 14 days, and then cold-condition (or lager) for two to eight weeks at 35 to 40F. By contrast, ales usually ferment at 65 to 70F and are generally ready for consumption within two weeks.

These days many brewers add specialty ingredients to their beers. They may add specialty grains such as oats or rye during the mash. Other ingredients such as honey, spices, and fruit may be added during the boil or even during fermentation.

Some aromas and flavors not to find in your beer

When you purchase a 12-pack of something pale and lager like for $6 you will almost certainly not encounter any faults that could be discerned by a professional taster. The notion of "beer faults" implies a chemical by-product of fermentation that produces a strange odor, an odor that has arisen through chemical conversion after fermentation, or a normal by-product of fermentation that is present in abnormal quantities. Beer faults fall into two main categories. First, there are faults that arise through improper brewing. These are the faults that occasionally are found in beers from small operations such as brewpubs and small craft brewers. Small breweries do not have an army of quality-control scientists to detect occasional irregularities. With some of the most explosive growth in the craft brewing revolution behind us, and a much larger cadre of more experienced professional brewers in the industry, such flaws are not as common as they once were.

Condition faults: Common maladies of abused or aged beer

The second type of beer fault, much more relevant for the consumer, concerns out-of-condition beer. This is beer that apparently left the brewing vessels in tip-top condition, but due to poor handling or less than rigorous stabilization before packaging, or both, it has taken on the less noble character of age.

Light struck: Also referred to as "skunked." This flaw most commonly afflicts beers packaged in clear glass bottles. Hop oils are converted by ultraviolet light into rancid-smelling chemicals.

Oxidation: This manifests itself by telltale aromas of paper or cardboard, indicating a beer that is past its prime. It is a common problem with draft beer that has been in a half-empty barrel for too long.

Poor head formation: Head formation when a beer is poured is a property that can be controlled by a brewer, so a lackluster head is not a cause of alarm in itself. Perfectly fresh beers can form poor heads. However, when a beer is supposed to form a rich head, such as classic pilsner or Germanic lager, and fails to do so, staleness is usually the answer. A head is an emulsion of hop oil and malt proteins. If the hop oils degrade through age, the head will be proportionately poorer. (Detergent traces in the glass might equally cause lack-luster heads)

What establishes a beer style? Centuries of accumulated wisdom and trial and error, in most cases. Ever since early settled Homo Sapiens discovered that damp grains started to ferment under the right circumstances, the production of beer has been refined and formalized into styles. For many craft brewers, writers, and the industry in general, a debt of gratitude is owed to the great student of beer, Michael Jackson, the famous English beer writer and broadcaster, for lucidly illustrating all of the world's classic beer styles in their cultural context. The World Guide to Beers, first published in 1979, inspired a generation of new breweries and beer importers.

Below are about 60 conventionally accepted and classic styles. It should give you a grasp of the essential character of virtually any beer style, barring re-created examples of ancient Sumerian sour bread beer or any other such oddities.

Beer is a foodstuff. As with most foodstuffs, beer is perishable-it deteriorates as a result of the action of bacteria, light, and air. However, unlike other food products, packaged beer is not legally mandated to carry a "sell by" date. Nonetheless, some domestic beer sold in the United States does carry a freshness date. The Boston Beer Company was among the first to use freshness dating, as far back as 1985. Anheuser-Busch has followed suit with its much-publicized "born on" dates. There are still many breweries, large and small, which do not send all their beers to market with a freshness date, but the trend is certainly moving in the right direction.

Prior to bottling, a typical commercial ale or lager will undergo some form of stabilization to extend its shelf life. The two primary forms of stabilization are sterile filtration, in which the beer is passed through a microporous filter that will not let through any "crunchy bits" larger than 0.5 microns; and pasteurization, whereby the beer is heated briefly to kill any microbial wildlife. Both approaches are widely used, though a number of brewers have noted that sterile filtration strips some hop flavors from their ales. A third, traditional option for preparing a beer for its journey in a bottle to your glass, "bottle conditioning," is dealt with later.

The length of time it takes for a beer to become stale (a papery note, dulled hop character, or other off flavors) is determined by the alcoholic strength and hopping level of the beer. Both alcohol and hops help preserve beer. Thus hoppier, stronger beers keep for longer. Typically, the freshness period for a lager is four months; for stronger craft-brewed ales, five months. High-gravity, high-strength beers such as doppelbocks typically carry a six- to twelve-month freshness period. All of the preceding assumes proper handling of the beer.

How can you determine the "drinking window" of a beer? It depends on the dating system used by the brewery. Taking a typical example of Boston Beer's Samuel Adams brands, the freshness period is the time between shipment from the brewery and the freshness date, or "consume by" date, marked on the label or capsule. In the case of a beer with a "born on" date (Anheuser-Busch products, for example), the freshness period is approximately four months after the date on the label.

Imported beer can have a rough ride on its way to your local retailer. First, it must undergo a sea voyage, hopefully in temperature-controlled containers, or "reefers," in industry parlance. After sitting in the bonded customs warehouse (hopefully, air conditioned), it must pass through an importer's warehouse and then be shipped to a wholesaler's warehouse. In the best case, the local wholesaler will have temperature-controlled storage and an efficient stock control system, although this is an area of commerce that is not renowned for sympathetic handling of product or startling efficiency with stock. One thing is for sure-at any moment of time in the Byzantine system of beer distribution in the United States, a prodigious amount of imported beer is sitting in warehouses slowly undergoing the inexorable effects of aging.

This is not to suggest that many imported beers do not find their way to us in perfect condition. However, one is not reassured by the reluctance of virtually all beer importers to put freshness dating on the wares that they import. Beers produced for consumption in European Union countries are mandated to have an expiration date on the packaging. When the same breweries produce a batch for export to the United States, too often, off comes the expiration dating and on goes the Surgeon General's warning.

It must be said that some imported beers do carry a freshness date, but they are vastly outnumbered by those that do not. Thus a consumer purchasing a six pack of imported Czech pilsner or English bitter may have no idea as to how long the product has been in the chain of distribution. In both examples freshness is as important as with any domestic ale or lager. Dust or label discoloration may give a clue that a beer has been too long on a retailer's shelf, but even these are not always reliable indicators. At the Beverage Testing Institute it has been noticed that a number of bottles purchased at retail have failed the freshness test, sometimes to the point of being undrinkable. Ultimately, market pressure will be the only factor that will promote wide-scale introduction of useful freshness dating for imported beers. Until such time, consumers can use the following commonsense approaches to avoid being shortchanged with stale imported beer.

Try to purchase imports from reputable specialty stores with enthusiastic and knowledgeable staff.

Check the crown cap seal (if it is a bottled product) to see if there has been any seepage. If there has, then the bottle most likely has been subjected to heat abuse.

Dusty, discolored labels should not inspire confidence.

Always insist on returning skunky, out-of-condition beer for a refund to know what to look for). This should be no problem if you heed the first point.

What, if any, difference does packaging make? Surprisingly, it can be quite a significant factor. Following is a brief rundown of the major points of interest regarding the various "enclosures," or containers, in which beer is shipped and sold.

Clear versus colored glass bottles

If you have ever wondered why most beer bottles are amber or green, the answer is simple. The full spectrum of daylight can have undesirable effects on a beer over a period of time. The ultraviolet portion of the spectrum is especially harmful; promoting chemical reactions that produce "off flavors" that will take the edge off the freshness of a beer. Dark glass greatly inhibits this photochemical effect, whereas clear glass leaves the beer within vulnerable to being "light struck." The industry standard is for green or amber glass, but for some unfathomable reason a number of British breweries stick resolutely to their traditional practice of using clear glass bottles, with often undesirable consequences when such beers are left on a retailer's shelf for any length of time.

Nitrogen capsules ("widgets")

Guinness introduced the nitrogen capsule, commonly known as the widget, in cans of Guinness Stout in the late 1980s. Subsequently, this device has caused many shirts and shoes to be soaked with beer as people discover for themselves the magic of nitrogen draft flow systems. Guinness served on draft acquires its creamy head when nitrogen bubbles are flushed through the beer at the time of serving. The widget is a small plastic capsule containing pressurized nitrogen gas that rushes out of a pinhole when the can is opened and the internal pressure is lowered. Widgets have now found their way into bottles as well as cans and have jumped species from Irish stouts to other ales, though not necessarily with the same levels of critical acclaim.

Aluminum cans are more popular at the economy/supermarket/bulk package end of the market than at the premium side. Packaging in aluminum cans does necessarily imply pasteurization. Although cans do not fit the image of the craft-brewed product, there is no technical reason why high-quality beer cannot be sold in cans, and, in fact, a number of craft brewers are launching canned products. A significant impediment to craft brewers using cans instead of bottles is the high capital cost of the pasteurization and packing equipment required. Among imports, British bitters are often shipped in aluminum cans, and a certain brand of Australian lager has forged an image by being sold in a large "oil can" size.

A growler is a plastic or glass container used for selling fresh draft beer straight from the tap. Beer sold in this format, generally from a brewpub, must be refrigerated and then consumed within a day or two.

Bottle Conditioning: Living Beer

The term "living beer" can be either high praise or a slap in the face for a brewer. If the things that are "living" in the beer are microorganisms that ought not to be there, then it is bad news for a beer and its brewer.

Live beer, however, generally refers to the presence of noble yeasts left over from the brewing process. Beers that have been bottled unpasteurized and unfiltered, with a significant amount of live yeast, are called "bottle-conditioned" beers. The purpose of bottling beers in such a manner is to give them the potential to age and develop more complexity. Yeast inhibits oxidation and contributes complex flavors as it breaks down slowly in the bottle. Many Belgian ales are traditionally bottle conditioned through a secondary fermentation in the bottle, in a process similar to that which produces champagne.

An unpasteurized beer bottled with its yeast will not age in the manner of a conventionally processed beer. With age, bottle-conditioned beers develop a rounded, smoother mouthfeel, and over the course of years, often take on winey, vinous flavors. Bottle conditioning is an economical means for small-scale craft brewers to bottle ales without the need for costly pasteurization or filtration equipment. How long one cellars bottle-conditioned beers is a matter of personal taste and will also depend on the specific character of the beer in question.

The following is a list of some of the top-rated, cellarable, bottle-conditioned beers we have reviewed. All or any of these would be highly recommended for a beer cellar (e.g., a cool cupboard in the basement). Suggested cellaring periods are in brackets, though they are only approximate cellaring times based on personal experiences and in some cases, brewery recommendations. Three gueuzes have been included for the simple reason that these beers have the best cellaring potential in the beer world.

As a consequence of the craft beer revolution, there is a vast choice of beer from abroad and closer to home. When confronted by a line of tap handles stretching the full length of the bar, do not overlook your local craft brewer. Independent local breweries are the backbone of any serious beer-drinking culture and should not be taken for granted in the competitive commercial environment. Recognize that a beer brewed in smaller quantities with 100% malted barley and high-quality hops will necessarily cost a little extra. Fresh, well-brewed beer that has traveled only a small number of miles will invariably taste better than an equivalent beer that left the brewery a few months ago. Indeed, a draft beer that has traveled a great distance will certainly have been pasteurized, thus is slightly handicapped from the start. The flip side to this is that a pasteurized imported keg of beer will certainly last longer when it is tapped than an unpasteurized, "live," craft beer. The latter needs to be drunk fresh. A conscientious draft bar should keep a few tap handles devoted to local craft brews and ensure that they remain fresh.

If a beer fails to live up to its obligation of being fresh, send it back over the bar-politely of course. Beer condition must always be the primary concern of any good bar. When confronted by a long line of tap handles, your first question to the bartender should be, "What's fresh?"

Things have progressed since the Middle Ages, when beer was safer to drink than the untreated water. In those days, the prospect of being afflicted by waterborne disease was a compelling enough reason to drink beer with food. Drawing on the traditions of older beer cultures and the culinary frontier of the United States today, there are many possibilities to explore. An increasing number of good brewpubs with attached restaurants feature imaginative beer and food programs.

Serious beer and food pondering would merit a book, but the much simplified rules of thumb are easy to grasp. Sweetish paler meats such as pork or chicken often work best with beers displaying a malt accent, typically a malty lager. Red meats such as game, lamb, or beef have greater affinity with richer, fruity ales. Spicy foods are best foiled by lagers, but this is too simple. Thai cuisine, being piquant and delicate, works best with a clean, delicate lager like the Thai brand, Singha. Robust Mexican spicing invites the accompaniment of one of that country's fine, mildly sweet, Vienna-style beers such as Negra Modelo. Barbecued meats, dear to the heart of so many Americans, find a natural kinship with drier, smoky examples of American craft-brewed stouts and porters. Of course most of this advice applies equally well when actually cooking with the same beer that you propose to drink with the meal, though this is a more complicated matter.

The art of cooking with beer is dificult to address in a few short sentences. The essential principles are, as with all culinary principles, quite simple. The flavor profile of beer boils down to a balance of sweetness and dryness (a factor of malt character and residual sugars) balanced by the bitterness of hops. Beer can contribute richness-even sweetness and body-to sauces. Beware of the hops. They will change in nature in the cooking process, particularly when reducing sauces, and take on a bitter character that will dominate. One has to be sparing when cooking with American pale ales and particularly IPAs. When hoppy beers are reduced they become much more bitter. Doppelbocks, English brown ales, Belgian ales, and Scottish ales are all good culinary additions due to their lower hop bitterness and richer malt accents, when brewed in the classic styles.

Many people may have heard of classic wine pairings with food. Certain beers also have recognized pairings with foods.

Irish stout and oysters. Irish-style dry stouts are every bit the equal to any white wine when paired with oysters. Note that good draft Guinness, or an equivalent (i.e., nitrogen-flushed to give a creamy smooth head), will work better than some stronger, more acrid and much hoppier U.S. craft-brewed stouts. Oatmeal stouts with restrained hop bitterness will also work very well. The burnt barley flavors, and particularly, the smooth texture, offset the indescribable sensation of saline, slithery bi-valves. Another coupling with oysters that is greater than the sum of its parts, for very different reasons, is hoppy American pale ale. The residual iodine and brine of the oysters work well with the citrusy hop flavors of the beer.

Ploughman's lunch with bitter. The English are famously uncelebrated for their cuisine. Nonetheless, beer and cheese is a well-understood pairing in Britain that is traditionally indulged at lunchtime with the ploughman's (or plowman's) lunch. A plate of strong English cheese, such as farmhouse Cheddar or even Stilton, accompanied by pickles, relishes, and bread is available at most pubs. These cheeses, so difficult to pair with wine, work effortlessly with stronger fruity English-style ales. The earthy, toasted malt flavors and balanced hop accents of English and English-style ales have an affinity with sharp cheeses, and cope well with the salty, sharp nature of Stilton. When concluding a meal with Stilton, try a strong English-style ale or even a barley wine, instead of port and walnuts.

Bratwurst with German fest-märzen beers. The Germans have refined the art of pork and lager pairing by means of the sausage. Beer-soaked brats and fest beers probably need no introduction to readers who have had some contact with Octoberfests staged by local breweries. The general principle is that sweeter, toasty malt flavors with relatively subtle hopping (i.e., bitterness) pair well with rich though not strongly flavored pork. The brats, of course, will have been soaked in beer prior to cooking. Vienna-style lagers also work well in this situation. A hoppy pale ale, though not a culinary crime, would tend to overwhelm the pork flavors. For pale ale drinkers who desire phallic pieces of meat, the "kilbasa" or Polish Sausage is a better bet, with all the trimmings, naturally. Taking this to its basest level, the celebrated former Chicago Bears coach Mike Ditka has been quoted as saying that "a seven-course meal for a Grabowski (Chicago parlance for a blue-collar Pole) is a hot dog and a six pack." He must have been referring to an American pale lager, surely the ideal match for a hot dog.

Mussels with Belgian gueuze. This is an esoteric pairing of the tart lambic beers of the Brussels area and the national staple of Belgium, moules (mussels). If you have not tasted a lambic, specifically a gueuze, you will have no idea how beer and shellfish could possibly work in a classic manner. Gueuze is unlike conventional beer. It is tart, dry, and very acidic in the same manner that wine is. In culinary terms it can be interchangeable with acidic white wine, to the point that you can even steam the mussels in gueuze rather than white wine. Surprisingly, the Bruxelloise do not do this as often as they ought to. Given the availability of imported gueuze in major U.S. markets, this is one of the more delightful, easy, and sophisticated pairings that any beer connoisseur should be able to pull off.

Glassware used for beer drinking in various cultures has evolved through tradition in different ways. In England it will not be unheard of for a drinker standing at the bar to stick with the same pint glass all night long without so much as a drop of soapy water seeing the glass. This is a minimalist approach that would make a Belgian waiter's moustache lose its waxed point. Belgium is the land of the beer glass fetish. In a Belgian bar or café, each brand of beer must have its own particular glass, each with a unique size or shape. Germans still opt for traditional "mug" shaped beer steins that can hold as much as a liter when in full fest trim.

In the United States, the standard, straight-sided, 16-ounce pint glass has gained ground on the traditional 12-ounce pilsner glass. Here, the greatest concession to ceremony is usually reserved for imported weisse beers, often treated to a tall Bavarian weisse beer glass with a citrus wedge perched on the rim.

Beyond traditional practice, does glass shape and size actually influence the taste of beer when one is drinking at home? The answer is yes, up to a point. Conventional ales and pilsner style beers have no special requirement other than a glass that has an appropriate size to easily take a 12-ounce pour and leave room for the head. Life is too short to wait around for heads to settle before pouring the last dregs of the bottle. If you value a head on your beer, make sure that there are no traces of detergent in the glass. Detergent neutralizes head formation and will prematurely flatten your beer.

In the case of Belgian ales, there is no need to go to the extreme of having a different glass for each brand of beer. However, the Belgian approach is still useful when it comes to appreciation of Belgian-style beers. Belgian abbey ales and other Belgian specialty styles are meant to be constantly savored for their aromas as well as their flavors. The principal feature of specialty Belgian beer glasses is their wide, sometimes bulbous shape, with a tapered upper section that serves to keep your nose close to the beer and enveloped in aromas as you drink it. The glass must be big enough to accommodate the beer in the bottle in one pour unless you want yeast sediment clouding the second pour. If Belgian beers are going to be a part of your life, then by all means equip yourself with all-purpose Belgian abbey beer glassware.

Barley wines are best appreciated from a large brandy snifter that will capture complex vinous aromas while not making the necessarily small pours of such heady brews seem disproportionate to the glass.

Finally, the Bavarians figured out that their extravagantly frothy weiss beers need something tall to accommodate all the foam, not to mention wedges of citrus fruit beloved by Americans. If imported weiss beers are your potion at home, then the appropriately tall, slender glasses will be a wise investment.

Lager styles are a relatively recent on the global beer scene, when one considers the centuries of ale brewing that predated the production of lagers. The simple difference between a lager and an ale is that the yeast employed for fermentation of a lager works at a cooler temperature and sinks to the bottom of the fermentation vessel, while ale yeasts work at higher temperatures and rise to the top of the vessel. Hence lagers are "bottom fermented" beers. Dark lager styles began displacing ale styles in the early 1800s in Germany and Bohemia. It was only in the early 20th century that pale lagers rose to prominence when the earliest refrigeration systems, so essential for their reliable production, were introduced. Cheap electric refrigeration after the Second World War lead to pale lager styles dominating the continent of Europe.

The US brewing industry had a hand in the rise of pale lager in the early 20th Century. The American climate necessitated the advent of refrigeration for the distribution of food over long distances during scorching summer months. Such advances also permitted the establishment of breweries in climates where God never intended, a fact probably not lost on some God-fearing citizens who took matters into their own hands during the years between 1919 and 1933.

Amber Lagers. Amber lagers are a vaguely defined style of lager much favored by US lager brewers. They are darker in color, anywhere from amber to copper hued, and generally more fully flavored than a standard pale lager. Caramel malt flavors are typical and hopping levels vary considerably from one brewery to the next, though they are frequently hoppier than the true vienna lager styles on which they are loosely based. Alcohol levels are generally a maximum of 5% ABV.

Black/Schwarz Beer. Originally brewed in Thuringia, a state in eastern Germany, these lager style brews were known to be darker in color than their Munich counterparts. Often relatively full-bodied, rarely under 5%ABV, these beers classically feature a bitter chocolate, roasted malt note and a rounded character. Hop accents are generally low. This obscure style was picked up by Japanese brewers and is made in small quantities by all of Japan's major brewers. Schwarz beers are not often attempted by US craft brewers.

Bock. Bocks are a specific type of strong lager historically associated with Germany and specifically the town of Einbeck. These beers range in color from pale to deep amber tones, and feature a decided sweetness on the palate. Bock styles are an exposition of malty sweetness that is classically associated with the character and flavor of Bavarian malt. Alcohol levels are quite potent, typically 5-6% ABV. Hop aromas are generally low though hop bitterness can serve as a balancing factor against the malt sweetness. Many of these beers' names or labels feature some reference to a goat. This is a play on words in that the word bock also refers to a male goat in the German language. Many brewers choose to craft these beers for consumption in the spring (often called Maibock) or winter, when their warmth can be fully appreciated.

Dark Lager/Dunkel. Dunkel is the original style of lager, serving as the forerunner to the pale lagers of today. They originated in and around Bavaria, and are widely brewed both there and around the world. This is often what the average consumer is referring to when they think of dark beer. At their best these beers combine the dryish chocolate or licorice notes associated with the use of dark roasted malts and the roundness and crisp character of a lager. Examples brewed in and around Munich tend to be a little fuller-bodied and sometimes have a hint of bready sweetness to the palate, a characteristic of the typical Bavarian malts used.

Doppelbock. This is a sub-category of the bock style. Doppelbocks are extra strong, rich and weighty lagers characterized by an intense malty sweetness with a note of hop bitterness to balance the sweetness. Color can vary from full amber to dark brown and alcohol levels are potently high, typically 7-8%ABV. Doppelbocks were first brewed by the Paulaner monks in Munich. At the time, it was intended to be consumed as "liquid bread" during Lent. Most Bavarian examples end in the suffix -ator, in deference to the first commercial example which was named Salvator (savior) by the Paulaner brewers.

Dortmunder Export. Well balanced, smooth, and refreshing, Dortmunders tend to be stronger and fuller than other pale lagers or Munich Helles styles. They may also be a shade darker and a touch hoppier. The style originates from the city of Dortmund in northern Germany. Dortmunder Export came about during the industrial revolution, when Dortmund was the center of the coal and steel industries, and the swelling population needed a hearty and sustaining brew. The "export" appendage refers to the fact that Dortmunder beers were "exported" to surrounding regions. Today the term Dortmunder now widely refers to stronger lagers brewed for export, though not necessarily from Dortmund.

Eisbock. This is the strongest type of bock. It is made by chilling a doppelbock until ice is formed. At this point, the ice is removed, leaving behind a brew with a higher concentration of alcohol. This also serves to concentrate the flavors, and the resultant beer is rich and powerful, with a pronounced malt sweetness and a warm alcoholic finish. Alcohol levels run to at least 8%abv.

"Light" and Reduced Calorie Lagers. These are the recently popular brews which are popular in a figure-conscious society. Essentially these are pale lager styled beers with fewer calories. Like all other "diet products," the objective is to maintain flavor while minimizing calories. This achieved quite successfully by some brands, despite the implausibility of the proposition.

Maibock/Pale Bock. Maibocks are medium to full-bodied lagers whose alcohol content can vary widely though is typically between 5-6%ABV. The color of pale bocks can vary from light bronze to deep amber and they are characterized by a sweet malty palate and subtle hop character. As its name would suggest this is a bock style that traditionally makes a spring appearance in May as an celebration of a new brewing season. In a Germanic brewers portfolio it is should conventionally have a less assertive character than other bock offerings later in the year.

Munich Helles. Munich helles is a style of lager originating from Munich which is very soft and round on the palate with a pale to golden hue. These beers traditionally tend to be quite malt accented with subtle hop character. They are generally weightier than standard pale lagers though less substantial than Dortmunder Export styles. All the finest examples still come from the brewing center of Munich and are relatively easy to find in major US markets.

Malt Liquor. This category is BATF-mandated in as much as any lager stronger than 5% alcohol by volume cannot call itself a lager beer. There are a number commercial brands that have been created to fill this category, many of which do not have great merit from the connoisseur’s perspective. Some strong European lagers adopt this labeling moniker for the US market.

Pale Lagers. Pale lagers are the standard international beer style as personified by products from Miller to Heineken. This style is the generic spin-off of the pilsner style. Pale lagers are generally light to medium-bodied with a light to medium hop impression and a clean, crisp malt character. Quality, from a flavor point of view, is very variable within this style and many cheaper examples use a proportion of non-malt additives such as rice or corn to reduce the production costs. Alcohol content is typically between 3.5-5% ABV, with the upper end of the range being preferable if one is to get a true lager mouthfeel.

Pilsner. Pilsner styles of beer originate from Bohemia in the Czech Republic. They are medium to medium-full bodied and are characterized by high carbonation and tangy czech varieties of hops that impart floral aromas and a crisp, bitter finish. The hallmark of a fresh pilsner is the dense, white head. The alcohol levels must be such as to give a rounded mouthfeel, typically around 5% ABV. Classic pilsners are thoroughly refreshing, but they are delicate and must be fresh to show their best. Few beers are as disappointing to the beer lover as a stale pilsner. German pilsner styles are similar, though often slightly lighter in body and color. Great pilsners are technically difficult to make and relatively expensive to produce.

Vienna Style Lagers and Marzen/Fest Beers. The classic amber to red lager which was originally brewed in Austria in the 19th century has come to be known as the Vienna style. These are reddish-amber with a very malty toasted character and a hint of sweetness. This style of beer was adapted by the Munich brewers and in their hands has a noted malty sweetness and toasted flavor with a touch more richness. The use of the term Marzen, which is German for March, implies that the beer was brewed in March and lagered for many months. On a label, the words "fest marzen" or "Oktoberfest" generally imply the vienna style. Oktoberfest beers have become popular as September seasonal brews among US craft brewers, though they are not always classic examples of the German or Austrian style.

Brewing with wheat instead of barley is an ancient tradition that stretches back to the earliest days of brewing. Although not an easy grain to work with, beers brewed with a proportion of wheat do not require maturation, as is the case with lagers, and can be drunk soon after brewing. Most importantly wheat ales are very refreshing. Traditionally they are cloudy or hazy, though with modern filtration they can easily be made clear. Bavarian "weizen" beers are the best known examples of wheat ales and are widely imitated.

Dunkel/Dark Weizen. These dark wheat beers derive their character from the use of darker malts in the non-wheat ingredients, so that a richer, darker colored beer can be achieved, along with fuller malt flavors. Dunkel weizens still display the floral, estery qualities of a pale weizen. Dark weizens are produced with or without a secondary fermentation in the bottle, with the corollary that these styles can be yeast sedimented or unsedimented depending upon the preference of the brewer.

Flavored Wheat Ales. Turning wheat beer into a cocktail has precedent in Europe where alcoholic cordials or fruit syrups can be used to help beer slide down more easily. Flavored wheat ales are an increasingly popular specialty category covering a number of flavoring options that brewers have adopted, particularly in the USA, the home of "throw-the-rule-book-away" hybrid beer styles. The two most significant additives are fruit and honey, usually employed separately. Raspberry is a common choice of fruit to flavor these styles and the best examples have faithful fruit essence and avoid any sweet cloying character. Honey can add richness to the palate and give a hint of sweetness. Herbs and spices are also encountered, but the possibilities are endless. Chocolate dunkel raspberry weisse anyone?

Hefe Weizen. Weizen bier is a top fermenting beer style that originates from southern Germany, particularly Bavaria, and is brewed with at least 50% wheat in the mash. Hefe weizens are refreshing, highly carbonated beers ideal for quenching summer thirsts. They undergo secondary fermentation, often in the bottle, and the yeast strains used for this purpose impart a spicy, clove-like flavor. Hefe (the German word for yeast) on the label denotes that the bottle contains yeast sediment. Alcohol content is typically 5-5.5% ABV, giving these beers a medium to medium-full body. Hop flavors play a very insignificant role in the flavor profile. The best examples to be found are still authentic Bavarian imports, although some good domestic examples are produced and are often available as a draft option.

Kristall Weizen. A Kristal weizen is a non-hazy weizen ale. Kristall on the label of a weizen specifically denotes that a weizen has been filtered prior to bottling to remove the protein haze and yeast often suspended in such beers. Kristall weizens lack the yeasty and spicy complexity often associated with hefe weizen beers, and have a cleaner and more delicate flavor. Floral, fruity aromas are often noted in classic examples of this style, though healthy alcohol content of 5-5.5% will give a medium to medium-full bodied character.

Weizen Bock. Weizen bocks are essentially winter wheat beers, originally brewed in Bavaria. The color can be pale gold to brown. They are of higher alcoholic strength, as high as 7% ABV, showing a warming personality, though they should still have a significant ‘rocky’ head when poured. These beers combine the character of hefeweizens and dopplebocks and as such are rich and malty with estery, yeasty qualities and show a note of wheaty crispness through the finish.

Wheat Ale. As the name would suggest these are ales that use a proportion of wheat in the mash to add a protein haze. Wheat ales, inspired by the German weizen tradition were popular before prohibition in the US and are enjoying a resurgence in popularity. This generic category encapsulates the diverse interpretation of the classic German Weizen styles brewed in America and elsewhere. A host of variables ranging from the wheat/malt ratio, hopping and filtration/non filtration all contribute to wide variations on the theme. Generally US examples feature a more marked hop accent than classic German weizen styles and are often dryer.

White/Wit Beer. Wit beer is a style of flavored wheat. It is distinctly Belgian in origin and is still very closely associated with this low land country. Wits employ a proportion of unmalted wheat in the mash but also have flavor added in the form of curaçao, orange peel and coriander, among other ingredients. Their appearance is marked by a hazy white precipitate and these beers generally have some sedimentation. Typically these are very refreshing summer thirst quenchers. They are not widely produced in the US but some notable examples can be found.

Stouts are very dark, almost black beers, and feature a heavily roasted flavor profile. This is achieved by brewing with malt that has been kilned until it resembles burnt toast. Although not always considered ales by consumers, these beers use top fermenting yeasts and as such are members of the ale family. Porter was originally an English, specifically London dark beer style that was the drink of the masses long before lagers were conceived or modern ales were fashionable. In the heyday of Porter in London, during the eighteenth century , the term "Stout" was used to denote the strongest and weightiest beers in a brewers portfolio. The same relationship still holds true to this day, with porters generally being lighter in body and color than stouts. Stouts and Porters are enormously popular among US craft brewers and virtually all brewpubs and regional microbrewers produce one or both as year round brews.

Dry Stout. Dry stout is closely associated with Ireland in general, and Guinness in particular. These brews tend to be rich and dark with a definitive bitter note and a drying palate feel. They are classically paired with oysters, although any Irish Stout drinker will tell you that a pint it is a meal in itself. Draught (draft) Irish Stout is nitrogen-flushed to give it that tell-tale white creamy head that has made Guinness so recognizable. This process is also effected in cans and bottles with a nitrogen "widget." The style is widely emulated throughout the world and is particularly popular with US microbrewers and brewpubs, often as a more full bodied and dryer interpretation.

Flavored Porter. Flavoring traditional beer styles is a particular feature of the ever creative US craft brewing scene. Flavorings used in porters are typically dark berry fruits and coffee, and when skillfully done the effect can be greater than the sum of its parts.

Flavored Stout. Flavored stouts are stouts, be they sweeter or drier, which have been flavored in some way. Dark fruits, coffee and chocolate are particularly popular, and the marriage of flavors should at best be greater than the sum of its parts.

Imperial Stout. Imperial Stout is an extra strong version of stout which was originally brewed by the British to withstand the rigors of export to Russia and the Baltic states. This style is dense, opaque black and strong in alcohol (6-7%), with a note of sweetness. Burnt cocoa and dried fruit flavors are typical. Russian Imperial Stouts originate from recipes that British brewers tailored to the tastes of the Imperial Russian court. Imperial stout was almost extinct until recreated by the British brewer Samuel Smiths in the early 1980s. The style has now been embraced by US craft brewers as a winter specialty.

Oatmeal Stout. This brew is a variation of sweet stout which has a small proportion of oats used in place of roasted malt, which has the effect of enhancing body and mouthfeel. They were originally brewed by the British in the earlier part of this century, when stouts were thought of as a nutritious part of an everyday diet. After having fallen from favor, the style was revived by the Yorkshire brewer, Samuel Smith, in 1980. They tend to be highly flavorful with a velvety texture and sometimes a hint of sweetness. Oatmeal stouts are now a very popular staple of the US craft brewing scene.

Porter. Porters are red-brown to black in color, medium to medium-full bodied, and characterized by a flavor profile that can vary from very subtle dark malts to fully roasted, smoky flavors. Being a centuries old style, there are differences of opinion with regard to what a "true" porter was actually like and there can be wide variations from one brewer's interpretation to the next. Roasted malt should provide the flavoring character, rather than roasted barley as is used with stouts. Stronger, darker versions and lighter more delicate versions are equally valid manifestations of the style. The influence of hops can often be notable in the richer craft brewed examples of the style. Although Porter was the drink of the masses of the 1700s London, it is not a significant factor in the British market today, despite the production of a few outstanding English examples. In the US it is enjoying new found popularity among US craft brewers and many fine US examples are produced.

Sweet Stout. Sweet stouts are largely a British specialty. These stouts have a distinctive sweetness to the palate and often show chocolate and caramel flavors, They are sometimes known as milk or cream stouts. These beers obtain their characters by using chocolate malts and lactic (milk) sugars in the brewing process.

Draft Cider. Cider is made from fermented apple juice. As with wine, the character and quality of the resulting product will bear heavily on the variety and quality of the fruit used. The cooler climate of Vermont is well suited to high quality apple production, and produces a sizeable amount of quality sparkling hard cider. The finest ciders in North America may well emanate from the province of Quebec in Canada, which has an established artisinal cider industry with historical ties to Normandy cider. These Quebecois ciders are slowly starting to appear on the US market.

Herb-spiced and fruit beers. These are lagers or ales to which herbs, fruits, or spices have been added in order to impart flavor or color. Depending on whether or not the seasonings have been used in the fermentation or as an addition of juice or extract, the beer will have more or less of the desired character. These beers are highly individualistic, and allow the brewers great creativity in their formulations. They will range from mild aromatic overtones to intense and pungently flavored concoctions.

Lambics. Geueze, Fruit Lambic, Faro. Lambic beers are perhaps the most individualistic style of beer in the world. Lambics are produced in tiny quantities immediately south of the Belgian capital, Brussels. Lambic brewers use native wild yeasts in the open-air fermentation process to produce these specialties. This unusual fermentation, in conjunction with extended aging in ancient oak barrels, imparts a unique vinous character with a refreshing sourness and astonishing complexity. Lambics labeled as Gueuze are a blend of young and old beers. Such blending results in a sharp champagne-like effervescence and tart, toasty flavors. Those labeled as Faro have had sugar, caramel, or molasses added in order to impart a note of sweetness. Lambic beers, however, are more often seen in the US when they have been flavored with fruits. Kriek (cherry) and Framboise (raspberry) are the most popular and traditional fruits employed. Other exotic fruits are widely used in juice form in the more commercial examples of lambic beer, much to the consternation of purist connoisseurs.

Rauchbier. The origins of Rauchbier lies with breweries in the region of Franconia in northern Bavaria which traditionally dried the barley over fires fueled by beech trees from local forests. The resulting pungent malt imparted an assertively smoky aroma and flavor to the beer from which it was made. These smoked lagers generally feature a very malty framework on which the intensely smoky character will not become overbearing. Rauchbiers are still brewed in the traditional manner by many of the breweries centered around the town of Bamberg, though enterprising brewers in other parts of the world have begun to make similarly styled beers.

Austria is a confirmed beer-drinking nation, although the Austrians do not drink with quite the enthusiasm of the Germans. Still, they consume on average approximately 200 pints a year for every man, woman, and child. It is logical that Austria should have a long and noble brewing history, as they have had the essential prerequisite since the dawn of time: pure alpine water. Currently, 73 Austrian breweries turn out about 400 brands of beer, though most of these do not find their way into the export market.

Austria gave rise to the Vienna-style lager, though the Bavarians popularized the style with their Oktoberfest beers. Austrians still produce classic Vienna lager, but nowadays a US consumer will more easily find a Vienna lager from Mexico than from Austria. While there is a diverse range of beer available to the consumer within Austria, most exports are pale lagers or pilsners and feature a clean, malty character that make them close cousins to Bavarian lagers. The largest exporter of beer is the Styrian brewer, Gosser, which exports a pilsner-style beer of the same name. In the United States, Stiegl beers from the Stiegl brewery in Salzburg are the next-best-known Austrian brands.

Whoever serves beer or wine watered down, he himself deserves in them to drown. - Medieval exhortation for pure beverages

Belgium is a unique beer-producing country where beer, culture, and religion coexist in greater harmony than any other place in the world. The history of beer in this flat, culturally divided part of Europe dates back more than two millennia. When Julius Caesar led his conquering Roman legions through the land of the Belgae in the first century b.c., he found that the natives were already producing a variety of simple beers. Brewing continued through the Middle Ages when self-sufficient monasteries established their own breweries. Six of these monastic breweries are still in operation in Belgium and Holland. In the 15th and 16th centuries, as part of the cultural empire of Burgundy, this corner of Europe spread brewing technology and tradition to the whole of northern Europe. Unsurprisingly, more than a few Belgian breweries can trace their foundation back further than 300 years. For example, Liefmans of Oudenaarde in East Flanders was founded in 1679.

A small country (about the size of Maryland), Belgium presents to the connoisseur a treasure trove of exotic ales. This range of flavors can send beer critics spiraling off into the wilder reaches of inflated winespeak in an effort to capture on paper the sheer complexity of Belgium's finest beers. Such diversity is not achieved by German adherence to purity laws that proscribe any ingredients other than yeast, malted barley, water, and hops. In addition to these ingredients, such exotica as barley sugar, herbs, fruits, and spices are all part of an ancient Belgian brewing tradition that would make a Bavarian brewer run for his Reinheitsgebot parchment.

Fewer than 100 breweries are currently active in Belgium, compared to approximately 3,000 at the beginning of the 20th century. Industrialization, mergers, takeovers, and the post-World War II trend to pilsner-style beers have had their effects. Nonetheless, Belgium remains a country of strikingly diverse beer styles. It must be remembered that Belgium is a relatively modern contrivance of two principal cultures, Dutch-speaking Flemish to the north and French-speaking Walloons to the south. Flems and Walloons are a touch chauvinistic about drinking their own beers, a fact that only serves to enhance diversity.

The great monastic brewing tradition survives in six Trappist monasteries-five located in Belgium and one in Holland. In all, Trappist breweries produce about 15 labels. The Trappists are part of the Benedictine order of Catholic monks. European Union law has reserved the use of the words "Trappist Ale" only for these beers. This double trinity of holy beers, the Grand Cru Classés of the beer world, upholds the tradition of "nutritional" beverages whose original purpose was largely to nourish monks with "liquid bread." Modern-day monks continue this tradition. Brother Theodore, the octogenarian guiding figure behind the Chimay Trappist brewery, still takes a bottle of sustenance after morning prayer.

It may prove difficult tracking down many of these beers in the United States, especially outside large urban areas, although beers from Chimay are widely distributed.

From this select group of Trappist beers, a separate category of "abbey" beers has developed. These beers are brewed in commercial secular breweries. Some are produced under license and in accordance with original recipes from abbeys that have ceased their brewing operations. Others are fanciful creations, or named after local ruins. The law offers little guidance in the naming of abbey beers, or the printing of the actual brewer in an obvious manner on labels. This label proliferation is a source of minor frustration in correlating brands to actual breweries in Belgium.

Lambic beers are esoteric and quite distinctive in the world of brewing. They are rare, even in and around their home city of Brussels, where the local airborne wild yeasts allow this tart specialty style to spontaneously ferment. Modern tastes have veered away from tart, acidic flavors. A handful of producers persevere with the artisanal, slow, and inefficient methods that yield the most striking examples of geueze lambic beer. With negligible exceptions, lambic beer in Brussels and throughout Belgium has become synonymous with the Bellevue range from the giant Interbrew company. Although very drinkable, these beers have a rather mild lambic affectation. Short of a sharp upturn of interest in these beers in Belgium or abroad, artisanal lambics will not be truly known and appreciated outside a relatively small but devout group of enthusiasts. Do not hold back-a good selection of lambics may be found in the United States, albeit in small quantities.

Another noteworthy style of Belgian beer is wit (white) beer, a cloudy wheat ale spiced with coriander and orange peel. A classic example is Hoegaarden, which has resurfaced on the U.S. market. Despite its increasing sales volume domestically and abroad, it is tasting as good as ever. Interbrew's considerable investment in the De Kluis brewery, founded by Pierre Celis (who later went on to found yet another wit brewery in Austin, Texas, of all places), is yielding beers worthy of the historic name of Hoegaarden, a town famous for its wit beers in centuries past. Hoegaarden and other Belgian wit beers should prove increasingly popular with U.S. beer consumers who have become accustomed to drinking cloudy wheat ales during summer months.

Despite its beer culture, Belgium has not proven to be an easy environment for young artisan brewers to start a new venture. Distribution is difficult to achieve without the acquiescence of the country's dominant brewing conglomerates, who control distribution to bars and cafés in a subtle and not so subtle manner. Shining successes such as Brasserie d'Achouffe, founded in 1982, looked at the outset to the export market to build sales volumes for their strong, spicy ales. Sixty percent of their production is now exported, and other breweries are taking note and casting a hungry look at the difficult to penetrate, but rewarding, North American market.

From the U.S. consumers' viewpoint, Belgian beers generally represent styles that the domestic craft-brewing industry has not yet addressed in a convincing manner, with a few notable exceptions. Strong Belgian Ales represent a step up the sophistication ladder and often are priced accordingly. They invite contemplative, less hurried drinking (if only because of the alcohol content), and can bridge the gap between the proletarian perception of beer and the more cerebral one of wine.

British ale styles captured the imagination of the craft brewing revolution in the US more than those of any other country. Much of this may owe to the close cultural ties between the US and Great Britain, though a large factor is undoubtedly that British ales lend themselves relatively easily to home brewing, the starting point for many now successful brewers. High quality home brewed Germanic or Bohemian lagers are a rare species.

Amber Ales. Many North American brewers are now producing ales that are identified by the term "Amber Ale." This is a more modern, non-traditional style, and many of these beers borrow heavily from the characteristics associated with more classical styles such as "Pale Ales" or "Bitters." Amber ales are light to medium bodied and can be anywhere from light copper to light brown in hue. Flavorwise they can vary from generic and quaffable to serious craft brewed styles with extravagant hoppy aromas and full malt character. Typically amber ales are quite malty but not heavily caramelized in flavor. For our purposes amber ales will also include ales commonly identified as "Red Ales," and "American Ales" as, from the consumers viewpoint, the dividing line between these styles can often be a more a marketing concern than a consistently observed brewing convention.

American Ale. These brews are golden to light copper in color with a more subtle overall character and lighter body than typical Pale Ales. English ale fruitiness will probably not be observed. However, the most important qualification is that they are brewed domestically and will have less body and hop and malt character than a pale ale from the same brewery.

Barley Wine. "Barley wine" is the evocative name coined by British brewers to describe an extremely potent ale that can range from golden copper to dark brown in color. They are characterized by extravagant caramel malt flavors and bittering hops that prevent the malt sweetness from cloying. Rich and viscous, they can have in their most complex manifestations winey flavor profiles, with a hint of sweetness. Some examples are vintage dated and can improve with extended bottle age. These powerful brews are classically sold in small "nip" bottles and can be consumed after dinner or with dessert. The style has become popular among US craft brewers who often produce them as winter specialties.

Black & Tan. Black & Tan was originally conceived as British pub concoction of Stout and IPA mixed in a pint pot. Variations on the similar are still blended in some English pubs but in the US the term is used by a small number of brands to loosely refer to a dark amber to brown colored beer with a malt accent, relatively light in alcohol and low in hop character.

Bitter. Bitter is an English specialty, and very much an English term, generally denoting the standard ale--the "session" beer --in a English brewers range. They are characterized by a fruitiness, light to medium body and an accent on hop aromas more than hop bitters. Colors range from golden to copper. Despite the name they are not particularly bitter. Indeed, British brewed "bitters" will often be less bitter than US craft brewed amber ales. A fuller bodied bitter is labeled as "Extra Special Bitter" (ESB). These weightier versions of bitter often stand up better to the rigors of travel overseas than the lower gravity standard versions. An important element of faithful bitters are English yeast cultures used in fermentation. These impart a fruity, mildly estery character that should be noted in examples of the style. Bitters are now widely emulated in North America, sometimes with domestically grown hops imparting a rather more assertive character than seen in traditional English bitters.

Cream Ale. Cream Ale is a North American specialty that is somewhat of a hybrid in style. Despite the name, many brewers use both ale and lager yeasts for fermentation, or more often just lager yeasts. This style of beer is fermented like an ale at warm temperatures, but then stored at cold temperatures for a period of time, much as a lager would be. The resultant brew has the unchallenging crisp characteristics of a light pale lager, but is endowed with a hint of the aromatic complexities that ales provide. Pale in color, they are generally more heavily carbonated and more heavily hopped than light lagers.

English Style Brown Ale. The precise definition of English Brown Ale would depend on where you are in England. It is nowadays much more closely associated with Northern England, specifically Tadcaster and Newcastle, home to Newcastle Brown Ale. These medium-bodied reddish-brown beers are malt accented with a nutty character, a gentle fruitiness, and low bitterness. Alcohol is moderate, a maximum of 5%ABV. The much less prevalent Southern English style, not seen abroad, is much darker in color, sweeter on the palate, and made in a lighter style. English style brown ales of the former type have become very popular with US brewers, no doubt for the same reason as they took hold in England. Namely they offer great drinkability.

India Pale Ale (IPA). India Pale Ales are deep gold to amber in color, and are usually characterized by floral hop aromas and a distinctive hop bitterness on the finish. India Pale Ales were originally brewed by British brewers in the 19th Century, when British troops and colonizers depended upon supplies of beer shipped from England. Standard ales did not survive the journey, hence brewers developed high gravity, highly hopped ales that survived shipment in casks to their largest market, India. This style, probably not anywhere near as bitter as it was when destined for India, continues to be brewed in a toned down manner in the UK and is undergoing a mini-revival at present. However, US craft brewers have claimed the style as their own, and often brew them with assertive Pacific Northwestern hop varieties that give such examples a hugely aromatic hop accent.

Irish Style Ale. Irish ales are characterized by their reddish color, malt accents, slightly sweet palate, and low hopping. They are not generally bitter if true to style and in this they reflect the historical fact that the Irish have never taken to huge amounts of hops in their traditional beers. In their native land they have long played second fiddle to stout, and prior to that porter. Lacking a truly indigenous character, many versions being revived in the USA owe more to Celtic marketing than to a distinct character, although the color and high drinkability are the usual reference point.

Mild Ale. Mild ale is a traditional style of English ale that is characterized by darker colors, sweetish malt flavors, subtle hopping levels all within a lower alcohol frame (typically 3.5%). Their purpose is to allow the drinker to get a full quotient of flavor in a "session" beer--a trick to which English ale brewing lends itself readily. In the 1940's Mild was more popular than bitter in English pubs, though it is less common now. US craft brewers occasionally pay homage to this style.

Pale Ale. Pale ales tend to be fuller-bodied with a more assertive character on the palate the standard bitter in a English brewer’s portfolio. In England it is generally a bottled, as opposed to being sold on draft. Despite the name, pale ales are not pale but, in fact, more of an amber hue. The original designation was in reference to this style of beer being paler than the brown and black beers which were more popular at the time of the style’s inception. In the US pale ale styles have become one of the benchmarks by which craft brewers are judged. The US version of pale ale is crisper and generally much more hoppy. Indeed this style is well suited to assertive domestic Pacific Northwestern hop varieties that give the US examples inimitable character. A good US example should be available on tap in any bar worth frequenting for its beer selection.

Scottish Ale. Scottish ales are typically full-bodied and malty, with some of the classic examples being dark brown in color. They are more lowly hopped than the English counterparts and often have a slightly viscous and sweet caramel malt character due to incomplete fermentation. Scottish style ales can be found in far flung corners of the world where faithful versions are brewed, this being a legacy of its popularity in the British Empire. In the US many craft brewers produce a Scottish style ale.The "Export" versions produced by Scottish brewers, the type mostly encountered in the US, are considerably stronger and more malty than the standard versions made available to Scottish beer drinkers.

Strong Ale. Strong Ales are sometimes referred to as old ales, stock ales or winter warmers. These beers are higher alcohol versions (typically between 5.5-7%ABV) of pale ales, though not as robust or alcoholic as barley wines. Usually a deep amber color, these brews generally have a sweet malty palate and a degree of fruitiness. If "bottled conditioned," strong ales can improve for some years in bottle, in some cases eventually obtaining Sherry-like notes.

Winter Ales. Spiced winter ales are popular hybrids among US craft brewers. Typically they are strong ales that have had some spice added during the brewing process. True to their name, they make ideal sipping beers with which to ward off winters chill and get a dose of seasonal spices. This style is usually brewed before Christmas and brewers frequently make annual adjustments to their often secret recipes in an effort to obtain that perfect symbiosis between spices, hops and malt.

Canada, for all its geographic proximity, has a very different beer scene when compared to that of the United States. Most beer connoisseurs will attest to the fact that the mass-market Canadian pale lagers, if not the world's greatest examples of the brewer's art, are somewhat stronger and more full-bodied than their U.S. counterparts. Many also swear that they are better when sampled in Canada than when exported south of the border.

Many of Canada's provinces are subjected to a provincial government monopoly on beer distribution and retail beer sales. This can, however, allow for the rapid growth of microbreweries, as a successful relationship with the only show in town, a provincial liquor board, permits instant market penetration. It is interesting to note, however, that Quebec, one of the provinces with an independent retail sector, boasts the liveliest and most colorful craft-brewing scene in Canada, with British Columbia, similarly unregulated, not far behind. Unibroue from Chambly, Quebec, has been recognized by the Beverage Testing Institute and many other critics internationally for their outstanding range of Belgian-style ales. McAuslan of Montreal boasts an excellent range of more Anglo-styled ales, which are also found in a number of U.S. markets.

Beyond the artisanal products that are only a drop in the bucket of Canadian beer exports, most consumers encounter Canadian beer in the form of Labatts, Molson, or Moosehead, the three best-known Canadian brands in the United States. Additionally, a considerable amount of beer from other countries is brewed under license in Canada: Foster's of Australia and Carlsberg of Denmark are two well-known brands. Consumers may often not be aware that they are drinking Canadian-brewed beer, as, typically, these brands have the word "Import" emblazoned in larger characters than the words "Brewed in Canada." Such are the subtleties of international beer brands.

Home of Pilsner.You can't be a real country unless you have a beer and an airline. It helps if you have some kind of football team, or some nuclear weapons, but at the very least you need a beer. - Frank Zappa

The Czech Republic (consisting of Bohemia and Moravia) has played an important role in the development of the type of beer that we commonly drink today. To this day Bohemian beer is revered the world over for its quality and character. Czech consumers certainly give their own beers the thumbs-up.

By all accounts the Czechs drink more beer per capita, overwhelmingly Czech in origin, than any other nation in the world-Germans and Irish included. The Bohemians were pioneers in the development of the pale beers that we commonly refer to as Pilsners-a style that we now associate with pale, well-hopped lagers with crisp carbonation. The name comes from the town of Pilsen in the Czech Republic where this style of beer was first produced early in the 19th century. The popularity of the beer earned it the name "pilsner beer" and the rest is history. Pilsner Urquell, the leading beer in Pilsen, is still one of the most popular Czech beer exports, and a fine benchmark of the style.

The history of Czech beer, or at least Czech beer styles, does not end here. In the latter part of the 19th century a certain American brewery owner named Adolphus Busch was traveling in Bohemia when he tasted and was impressed by the local style of beer in a town named Ceské Budejovice. The beer, better known elsewhere in Europe by the German version of the name of the town, Budweis, was none other than Budweiser Budvar, the original Czech "Bud." It was known in Bohemia as the "Beer of Kings" because King Ferdinand of Bohemia had made it the beer of choice in his royal court in the 16th century. Mr. Busch liked the name and slogan so much that he used variations of both when he returned to his own brewing enterprise in St. Louis. "Budweiser: King of Beers" (the brand and slogan) now belongs, in the U.S. market, to the Missouri-based brewing giant Anheuser-Busch. U.S. consumers, unfortunately, cannot sample the Czech version (so it is not reviewed here) without visiting one of a number of European countries where it is still very popular, and can be legally sold under its own name.

Today, as well as being a major beer exporter, the Czechs still produce the finest hops for pilsner-style lager beers. These hops are imported in volume by large U.S. brewers, even if they are not generally used quite so liberally in the brewing process as by their Czech counterparts. The lack of a huge diversity of beer styles in the Czech Republic should not be taken as a sign of its brewing stagnation. When fresh, Czech Pilsners are among the finest examples of the style to be found in the United States, as most domestic lager producers have never aspired to achieving Czech levels of flavor.

The United Kingdom is still very much an ale-drinking culture at heart, although "international-style" lagers brewed under license are much in evidence on many bar tap handles. Britain has had such a long history that the notion of what "beer" is has undergone numerous transformations. "Ale" was a fermented malt beverage seasoned with herbs until English brewers, learning from the Dutch, introduced the notion of hops as a preservative in the 15th century, and thus transformed it into "beer." The 1600s brought the change from home-brewed old-fashioned ale to commercially brewed beer, and thus commercial brewing became a major business activity. Darker ales such as porters and stouts were the mainstays of the brewing industry in the 1700s, until the advent of pale ales, which supplanted dark beers in public favor.

Beer has had its rivals as the tipple of the masses in England. In the 1700s claret (red wine of Bordeaux) was as much in evidence in English taverns as beer, and for a brief, unfortunate period gin was much favored by the masses in London until punitive taxes forced the poor to improve their drinking habits.

The 20th century has seen its fair share of change in the British brewing industry, and most of it has occurred in the latter half of the century. Despite the collective will of the big brewers in the 1970s to dominate the British beer scene, "real ale" continues to survive and prosper in Britain. Real ale, in a British context, is what people generally mean when they talk about "warm" English beer. Such beer is hand pumped, by pulling on a large tap handle at the bar to bring the beer up from a cooled cellar where casks of unfiltered, unpasteurized, natural beer reside peacefully. Real ale is a living beer that must be handled carefully and fussed over by a good pub owner.

The continued existence of real ale, which all right-minded corporate brewers wanted to replace with carbonated, stable beer, can be attributed to the success of organized consumer resistance in the form of CAMRA (the Campaign for Real Ale), a British consumer body with a passionate membership. CAMRA, organizers of the Great British Beer Festival (GBBF), a celebration of real ale, inspired a similar festival in the United States, the Great American Beer Festival (GABF), as well as numerous smaller festivals that focus on real ale as well as microbrewed and craft-brewed beers.

Buyouts and rationalization in British brewing have taken their toll on the independent regional brewers, who are a dwindling presence in the United Kingdom. Large brewing concerns dominate the U.K. market and the climate is not favorable for microbrewers as it is in the United States. Nonetheless, the large concerns have become more serious about good beer, as the public has demanded it and voted with their wallets. Whitbread PLC, a giant concern that has gobbled up many regional breweries only to close them down, has been steadily reintroducing real ales from their library of dormant brands: it now has 26 regional and national cask-conditioned real ales.

It is hard for a U.S. consumer to understand British beer without tasting a good British ale. British ales are generally fruitier, softer, and more delicate than their U.S. counterparts, and often have more nuanced hop character. Getting a feel for what CAMRA has been able to preserve in Britain involves going further than just seeking out a pint of the ubiquitous Newcastle Brown Ale or Bass Pale Ale. In many major U.S. markets there is a thriving niche market supported by smaller importers of bottle-conditioned British ales. King and Barnes, Young & Co., and Fuller's are independent British brewers with bottle-conditioned (containing live yeast) products represented in the U.S. market. Many other labels from more eclectic, outstanding small brewers are also sporadically available.

France is not one of Europe's major brewing nations, yet brewing is still an important activity in some regions. Most of the pale, vaguely pilsner-like beers that are so widely consumed in cafés throughout the land come from the region of Alsace, along the German border in northeastern France. Alsace produces most of the beer brewed in France, a logical consequence of its strong German influence. Fischer and Kronenbourg are the most popular brands of bière d'Alsace that consumers will encounter in the United States.

Northern France, encompassing French Flanders, Picardy, and the Pas de Calais, is home to a style of beer, bière de garde (literally, "keeping beer"), that is treasured by beer connoisseurs. Bière de gardes, once an endangered species, have undergone a revival in the latter half of the 20th century. Spicy, strong,

malt-accented, and packaged in 750-ml bottles with a wire-caged cork stopper, these beers can cosmetically pass themselves off as Belgian ales. They are France's greatest and most distinctive beers. At least half a dozen of the 20 or so producers of bière de garde export to the United States.

It takes beer to make thirst worthwhile. - German Proverb

There is good evidence that grain beverages were brewed by ancient cultures in Egypt and the Middle East, but Europeans commonly credit the form of beer that we recognize today as having been developed by Bavarian brewers in the 16th century. Many stereotypes are founded on a grain of truth: In this spirit it is fair to say that Germans are "beer chauvinists" who consider "auslander" (foreign) beers with suspicion. Beer purity is a German obsession that is close to the heart of German beer-drinking culture. To quote Richard Von Weizsaecker, former President of the German Federal Republic, in showing early environmental concerns: "We could be happy if the air was as pure as beer."

The Reinheitsgebot, or Beer Purity Law as it is better known, has guided German brewers since 1516 when Duke Wilhelm IV of Bavaria enacted it. Originally it stipulated three ingredients (yeast was at that stage an unexplained phenomenon)-water, barley, and hops. Subsequently, yeast has been harnessed and understood, and it has been tacked on as the fourth respectable ingredient. Although no longer on the statute books, this "law" still has enormous currency in Germany among brewers and consumers. German-brewed beer is still almost exclusively produced in this manner. Being good Europeans, the Germans have relented to the European Union (E.U.) and allowed the importation of foreign beer brewed with adjuncts such as rice, corn, and other un-Germanic additives. Since their introduction to the market, such beers have not made dramatic inroads into the German beer market, thus demonstrating the fact that beer in Germany has remarkably strong cultural connotations.

The Germans have recently lost their position as the European Union's most enthusiastic drinkers of beer. According to industry figures (Plato Logic, U.K.) they consumed a 30-year low of 136 liters (239 pints) per head in 1996, just behind the Irish. As a result of this un-Germanic restraint in beer drinking, Germany has overcapacity in its brewing industry. Nonetheless, even after the ongoing rationalization of Germany's 1,200-some commercial breweries, it will still be a brewing giant, with a prodigious number of breweries varying in scale from the miniscule to the large regional concern. Germany will remain the world's largest beer exporter by a wide margin. Despite its scale of beer production, Germany does not have national brewing concerns in the same manner as the United States and other countries. Breweries are local or regional in nature, which reflects the federated regional composition of Germany.

Germany's strong regional brewing traditions have given rise to recognized styles of beer. Some of these styles are widely exported and are familiar to habitual consumers of German beer, while others are rarely seen outside their region of production. Hamburg in the north is known for its dry pilsner styles of lager. Berlin specializes in tart Berliner weisse beers, a local specialty occasionally mimicked by U.S. brewpubs. Dortmund is world famous for its rich "export" lagers, which are widely distributed beyond Germany's borders. Dusseldorf still clings to traditional alt beers, a few authentic examples of which are on the U.S. market. Cologne has legally protected the name of its refreshing kölsch beers, though they are not known much beyond the city region. (kölsch-style beers are produced in some U.S. brewpubs in the spring, though use of the name outside Cologne is illegal within E.U. countries.) Bavaria is world famous for its malty Munich helles-style lagers and refreshing weizen beers.

When U.S. consumers encounter German beer, it will most likely be from a large Northern producer such as Becks, brewers of the best-selling German beer in the world. However, the sleepy backwater of Bavaria is becoming increasingly fashionable for its outstanding weizens and fest-styles. Many a light beer drinker has experienced their first favorable encounter with a specialty beer from a foaming stein of weizen bier. In this section many of the most highly rated lagers and weizens hail from the rural south of Germany.

Two beers could sum up the Dutch brewing industry for the U.S. consumer: Heineken and Amstel, two rather similar pale lager-style beers that dominate the Dutch market. Both are made by the same brewing conglomerate of Heineken, the world's second-largest brewer of beer, after Anheuser-Busch in the United States. The Dutch are a confirmed beer drinking nation, though they lack the historic richness of brewing culture that has characterized their Belgian neighbors. This decade has, however, seen some progress. There are now 20 independent craft brewers of ale in Holland, but none has an export presence of note in the United States. The best-known independent brewer at home and abroad is Grolsch, who produces a pale lager of the same name, sold in eye-catching flip-top bottles.

The main alternative to pale lager lies with bokbiers, a toned-down interpretation of the German bock style, though these domestic specialties have yet to be exported. Grolsch produces an amber lager for export, and Heineken brews Heineken Dark for the U.S. market. With a solid presence in the U.S. market, Heineken and Amstel are likely to be the face of Dutch beer here for the foreseeable future.

Holland is host to the one Trappist brewery outside Belgium, Trappistenbier-brouwerij de Schaapskooi, or, more simply, Koningshoeven, which produces four beers under the La Trappe and Koningshoeven labels. La Trappe is currently available in the USA.

Ireland now sports a handful of microbreweries, but it cannot be said that one goes to Ireland, metaphorically or literally, to discover diversity in brewing styles. This is not a bad thing if one likes dry stout, and particularly the most important one of all, Guinness. Guinness is brewed in a number of other locations in the world, but Guinness exported to the U.S. market all comes from the original St. James Gate brewery in Dublin. Good though it can be, it will never be quite as creamy as the Guinness found in Irish pubs. The kegs of U.S.-bound Guinness contain pasteurized beer, a necessary procedure for any beer that will travel great distances. Bottle-conditioned Guinness is available on the U.S. market, as are "widget" cans. Ireland's other two stouts, Murphy's from Lady's Well Brewery in Cork, and Beamish from Scottish and Newcastle, are available in the U.S. market in "widget" cans and bottles.

Scotland has managed to preserve a distinct brewing identity, seperate from that of England, in much the same manner as it has successfully retained its own culture. The Scottish preference is for soft, sweetish malt-accented ales with low hop bittering. However, Scotland has all but lost the thriving independent breweries that made Edinburgh one of Britain's greatest brewing centers in the days when Scotch ale was shipped to all corners of the Empire. The giant brewer, Scottish and Newcastle (now merged with Courage of England), and The Caledonian Brewing Company, both of whose products are exported to the United States, are the only two remaining breweries of any scale in Edinburgh. U.S. consumers will more easily encounter domestic renditions of craft-brewed Scottish-style ale than the real thing. However, the export version of McEwan's Scotch Ale (from Scottish & Newcastle) can still be considered a benchmark for the style in the United States.

"A man without beer is like a lawnmower without grass." - American suburban proverb

Beer has long occupied a central position in American culture. This was true even immediately before the craft-brewing revolution, which has dramatically increased the beer choices available to consumers.

Strictly speaking, beer predated the arrival of Europeans to the New World. Columbus noted on one of his expeditions to Central America that the inhabitants drank a fermented corn beverage. Of more direct relevance to the beer-drinking history of the Americas is the fact that the Pilgrims on the Mayflower were well provisioned with beer when they set off toward the New World. Indeed, their landing choice of Plymouth Rock was dictated by an onboard crisis-the beer was running low.

Beer has been and is a staple of American life, albeit with an ill-conceived pause during National Prohibition. One might argue that many things, including beer, suffered in the headlong dash for the ever more processed and stable foods that defined the post-World War II world of prosperous America. By the mid-1970s, if an ale with flavor was your choice of beer, there was not much alternative to a British import. The market was clearly ready for the revival of ales with substance, brewed with 100% malted barley, when the pioneers of the craft-brewing revolution first established their breweries at the close of the 1970s and early 1980s. Such pioneers such as the Boston Beer Company of Boston, Massachusetts, and Sierra Nevada of Chico, California, are now thriving businesses and familiar brands to anyone who has occasion to visit a bar on either coast or much of the rest of the country.

"Craft brewing" is a "warm-fuzzy" term that simply implies that a beer has been produced without the use of cheaper adjuncts (e.g., rice and corn). Although it has overtones of local artisans in small breweries, rather large breweries can and do produce craft-brewed beer in multiple locations.

The rapid growth of craft brewing spread from California and the Pacific Northwest, where interest in high-quality foodstuffs has always been closer to the cultural mainstream. The American beer renaissance was, and essentially remains, centered around the production of ales. This can likely be explained by a number of factors. The first and succeeding generations of home brewers who "went commercial" were inspired by the ales of England, which by happy coincidence had been easy to reproduce at home. Home brewing ale requires none of the costly cooling and storage vessels required for high-quality lager production. In a market well supplied with pale lager, it was a much surer marketing prospect to introduce an amber-colored, hoppy ale rather than a pale-hued lager, even if brewed to exacting German-style purity laws.

Craft-brewed ales in today's beer market

On a national basis, craft-brewed beers are not in any danger of becoming a national staple-yet. According to recent figures compiled by the Institute of Brewing Studies (IBS) in Boulder, Colorado, craft-brewed beers amounted to a not-so-whopping 2% of the total volume of beer sold in the United States in 1998. Even in the strongest craft-brewing market, the Pacific Northwest, this figure rises to only 5%. Marketing muscle and the economic inertia of a distribution system heavily influenced by the giant brewing companies have slowed the rapid growth of craft-brewed beer. Craft brewing is no longer a fast route to easy money, as many recently shuttered breweries have found. Good beer alone is not enough to make it in today's market. A good dose of business savvy is also required. The growth in the craft beer market has leveled off to the point where new start-ups in many states will be taking market share from existing microbreweries and not from the large mass-market brewers. According to figures published by the Institute for Brewing Studies, the same amount of craft-brewed beer was brewed in 1998 as 1997, a total of 5.6 million barrels. The flip side of all this competition for a currently fixed-size market is good news for the craft beer consumer-quality, in the sense of getting high-quality, fresh beer to consumers-is becoming a greater factor in the success of microbreweries and brewpubs.

In a world where beer distribution is a tough business that has broken the heart of many a start-up brewer, the brewpub can still offer the rewards of good profitability. Brewpubs, of course, do not have to distribute their beer beyond their premises. In this commercial setting, brewing can be immensely profitable in the right location, and virtually all major cities now boast a number of thriving brewpubs. Typically, you can expect a standard range of an amber ale, an English-style brown ale, a pale ale, a stout, and/or a porter. (It would be less than libelous to note that brewpubs tend to do a much better job at brewing ales than lagers. For a whole host of technical reasons, good lagers are more exacting to brew and condition properly than good ales.) All such beers may or may not be named after the brewer, his mood at the time of brewing, his dog, or his first-born child-the naming of beers being possibly the greatest exertion of creativity in a brewer's working life. The savvy beer hunter should always keep an eye out for cask-conditioned, hand-pumped ales at brewpubs. A brewpub that has made the effort to set up this style of English beer-dispensing system, not as exotically rare as it once was in the United States, is demonstrating a serious approach to ale dispensing that should show itself in the beer that is being brewed.

Brewpub brewmasters typically have a lively seasonal schedule that can traverse the entire spectrum of beer styles. Expect to find imperial stouts and barley wines in winter, kölsch and wheat ales in summer, a mandatory Octoberfest in September, and possibly a maibock in springtime.

Though not within the scope of this site (yet), the kitchen, and how intelligently it matches and uses beer in the preparation of food, is a factor that is essential for a satisfactory brewpub experience.

A niche of the U.S. market, primarily on the East and West Coasts, is finally warming to the notion of Belgian ales, as increasingly sophisticated consumers seek to broaden their palates. A few craft brewers, most notably New Glarus Brewing in Wisconsin and New Belgium Brewing in Colorado, have already made a splash with their homages to the Belgian styles. However, 1998 saw the successful introduction of the first Belgian-style brewery devoted entirely to the production of authentic Belgian-style ales. Brewery Ommegang of Cooperstown, New York, was conceived by Don Feinberg and Wendy Littlefield, proprietors of the pre-eminent Belgian-ale import company, Vanberg & Dewulf. The quick market success of Ommegang's beers proves that some consumers are ready to spend an extra few dollars and take their beer to the dinner table. This is an interesting albeit miniscule niche that, hopefully, will continue to develop in the coming years.

Beer is a universal beverage and a commodity that can be manufactured to a specification. This specification usually calls for a proportion of malted barley, mixed with cheaper grains

of local availability such as rice, wheat, barley, and maize. Often the malt and hops will be imported, as well as the brewing technology and industrial plant. The rest of the countries that follow in this section are not among the historical brewing nations, but they all produce beers that importers have decided to bring in from their home countries. In many cases it will be for the simple reason that there is enough of an emigrant population in the United States that yearns for a beer that reminds them of home. In other cases the beer in question may in fact be an outstanding specialty brew that will appeal to connoisseurs. Such examples can be produced in unexpected places. For instance, outstanding examples of Schwarz ("Black") beers, a style that originated in the Thüringen region of Eastern Germany, are brewed in Japan (Sapporo Black Beer) and Brazil (Xingu).

However, the majority of beers in this section are pale lagers, brewed in a distinctly international style that will be instantly familiar to any beer drinker. Beer does transcend many cultures. In most parts of the world, even if the local cuisine might lean heavily on animals not normally considered a source of dietary protein, one can generally console oneself with a pale, lightly hopped, and refreshing lager to quench one's thirst.

The imported beer that U.S. consumers will be most likely to drink will come from Mexico, and may well be drunk with a piece of lime wedged in the neck. Corona is the largest selling imported beer in the U.S. The well-established large-scale Mexican brewing industry has found a receptive market for its wares among both the Hispanic population and mainstream beer drinkers.

Canada has become a popular staging post for some brands from abroad. For example Carlton and United Breweries of Australia produces its popular Foster's brand of lager in Canada for the U.S. market. This confers a distinct advantage over producing the same beer in the U.S.: such beers may carry the words "Imported" emblazoned across the packaging. Many Americans will pay a premium for an "import" in the belief such beers have a cachet that domestic beers do not.