Below are descriptions of the beer styles that can be produced in game...
Ales
Ale - A typical generic ale, sometimes called an American Amber style, this is a catch all for any lighter colored ale style beer, ranging from amber to deep red hues. The style tends to focus on the malts, but hop character can range from low to high. Expect a balanced beer, with toasted malt characters and a light fruitiness in most examples. Alcohol by volume (abv) range: 3-6%
Brown Ale - Brown Ales are malty and sweet on the palate, with a full body. Color can range from reddish brown to dark brown. English styles have a low hop aroma and bitterness while the bitterness and hop flavor in the American style has a wide range. Alcohol by volume (abv) range: 4-8%
Pale Ale - Hard water typically increases the clarity and hop bitterness. This ale can be from golden to reddish amber and typically has a good head. Use a good balance of malt and hops. American versions are cleaner and hoppier, while British tend to be more malty, buttery, aromatic and balanced. Alcohol by volume (abv) range: 4-12%
Scotch Ale - Not to be confused with Scottish Ale which is somewhat different. Scotch Ales are also sometimes known as "Wee Heavy". Scotch Ales go through a long boil for a caramelization of the wort which produces a deep copper to brown color. Compared to Scottish Ales, they are sweeter, fuller-bodied, and higher in alcohol, with a more pronounced malty caramel and roasted malt flavor. They typically have a low bitterness. Alcohol by volume (abv) range: 6-10%
Porter - Porters are complex and interesting ales. They are typically brewed using a pale malt base with the addition of black malt, crystal, chocolate or smoked brown malt. Hop bitterness is moderate and color ranges from brown to black. Alcohol by volume (abv) range: 4-8%
Stout - Stouts are uniquely styled ales that are typically dark brown to pitch black in color. Stouts typically require the use of roasted barley which gives a dry character to the beer as well as a strong roasted flavor that can range from burnt to coffee to chocolate. Hops balance ranges widely. Alcohol by volume (abv) range: 4-12%, although more typically in lower range of 4-7%
Wheat - Wheat beers are unfiltered ales made with wheat adjuncts. These beers can range within the brown to garnet range and are often cloudy with long-lasting heads. They have a light to medium body with high level of carbonation. Hop characters will usually be low with some fruitiness from ale fermentation. Most versions use of a neutral ale yeast formulatd specifically for this style. Alcohol by volume (abv) range: 4-7%
India Pale Ale (IPA) - IPAs are pale ales that are much more malty and well-hopped with a vary high bittterness, their color can range from very pale golden to reddish amber. They are moderate to medium bodied. Alcohol by volume (abv) range: 5-8%
Flavor Ale (also Holiday Labels) - These are your basic ales but augmented with flavorings, these styles are for seasonal beers and are enhanced by the addition of flavoring ingredients. The Holiday Label was originally a promotional label available for only part of the year but is now available year round.
Scottish - Scottish ales are cleanly malty with a drying finish with an occasional faint bit of peaty earthiness (smoke) but not too much. Hop flavor is low to none. Alcohol by volume (abv) range: 3-5%
Old Ale - Old Ales are usually characterized by a significant alcoholic strength and usually tilted toward a sweeter, maltier balance. Medium to high malt character with a luscious malt complexity, often with nutty, caramelly and/or molasses-like flavors. Alcohol by volume (abv) range: 6-9%
Belgian - There are a wide variety of Belgian Ales, they are generally a refreshing, elegant, tasty, moderate strength wheat-based ale with low to moderate hop bitterness. Alcohol by volume (abv) range: 5-11%
Bitter - As the name implies these ales have a medium to high bitterness with a low to medium maltiness and a dry finish. Caramel flavors are common but not required. Alcohol by volume (abv) range: 3-6%
Irish Red - Moderate caramel malt flavor and sweetness, occasionally with a buttered toast or toffee-like quality. There is a characteristic dryness to the finish. Generally no flavor hops. Alcohol by volume (abv) range: 4-6%
Lagers
Lager - Sometimes called the American Adjunct Lager, these are very light bodied, pale, fizzy lagers made popular by the large macro-breweries in America after prohibition. They have low bitterness, thin malts, and moderate alcohol. They are typically made with a large number of adjunct cereal grains, like rice and corn. Alcohol by volume (abv) range: 4-6%
Bock - Bock beer in general is stronger than your typical lager with a robust malt character and a dark amber to brown hue. Hop bitterness can be assertive enough to balance though must not impede the overall malt flavor, most are only lightly hopped. Alcohol by volume (abv) range: 5-8%
Marzen - The common Munich Oktoberfest lager is full-bodied, rich, toasty, dark/copper in color, and has a mild hop profile. Alcohol by volume (abv) range: 5-6%
Pilsner - Pilsners are very light straw to golden in color. The head on these lagers is dense and rich. They are well-hopped, brewed using Noble hops. Alcohol by volume (abv) range: 3-6%
Dunkel - Dunkel beers are dark lagers and dark wheat beers that are characterized by their smooth malty flavour. Similar to a Hefeweizen, they are brewed as darker versions with complex malts and a low balancing bitterness. Most are brown and murky (from the yeast). Alcohol by volume (abv) range: 4-8%
Doppelbock - Doppelbocks are traditionally known as a meal in a glass. They are dark Bocks with a very full-bodied flavor. They range in color from dark amber to nearly black, and dark versions often have slight chocolate or roasted characters. The flavor is almost always rich and malty with toasty notes and noticeable alcoholic strength, and little or no detectable hops. Alcohol by volume (abv) range: 7-12%
Pale Lager - A typically American lager made without cereal adjuncts and sometimes referred to as "all-malt" lagers. Though often still yellow and fizzy, these beers will have a broader depth of malt flavor and a more complex bitterness vs. their adjunct counterparts. Alcohol by volume (abv) range: 4-8%
Lite Lager - The Light Lager is generally a lighter version of a breweries premium lager, some are lower in alcohol but all are lower in calories and carbohydrates. Typically a high amount of cereal adjuncts like rice or corn are used to help lighten the beer as much as possible. Very low in malt flavor with a light and dry body. The hop character is low with no signs of flavor or aroma. Alcohol by volume (abv) range: 3-5%
Flv Lager - Your basic lager but augmented with flavorings, this is a great style for seasonal beers and is enhanced by the addition of flavoring ingredients
Kolsch - A clean, crisp, delicately balanced beer usually with very subtle fruit flavors and aromas. Subdued maltiness throughout leads to a pleasantly refreshing tang in the finish. Like a lite lager but with subtle differences. Alcohol by volume (abv) range: 4-5%
Premium Styles
These styles have a prerequisite that must be met before they are available for purchase.
Player must already have >1 label
Extra Stout - Sometimes called 'Foreign Extra Stout' this beer is like the IPA in that it was brewed to survive long journeys. A very dark, moderately strong, roasty ale. The BJCP describes this style as either a scaled-up dry and/or sweet stout, or a scaled-down Imperial stout without the late hops. Alcohol by volume (abv) range: 5-8%
Oatmeal Stout - A very dark, full-bodied, roasty, malty ale made with oats or oatmeal and with or without a complementary oatmeal flavor and sometimes with a light oatmeal aroma. Oats can add a nutty, grainy or earthy flavor. Alcohol by volume (abv) range: 4-8%
Weizen - AKA Weiss (but not Wiesen), is a German style wheat beer. The best known style outside of Germany is the Hefeweizen. Weizen beers are a pale, spicy, fruity, refreshing wheat-based ale. By German law, at least 50% of the grist must be malted wheat. Alcohol by volume (abv) range: 4-6%
Rye Beer - Rye beers are essentially like wheat beers but with a crisp, slightly spicy and distinctinve rye flavor provided by the Rye grain. Alcohol by volume (abv) range: 4-10%
Cream Ale - An ale version of the American lager style. Pale straw to moderate gold color with brilliant, sparkling clarity. Adjuncts such as corn or rice are used to lighten the body. Alcohol by volume (abv) range: 4-8%
Vienna Lager - Vienna lager is a reddish-brown or copper-colored beer with medium body and slight malt sweetness. Alcohol by volume (abv) range: 3-7%
Malt Liquor - Although Malt Liquors can be Ales, the most typical varieties are lagers and they whould be brewed as a lager here. Malt liquors typically include sweet adjuncts to boost alcohol content. Alcohol by volume (abv) range: 5-12%
Player must already have >1 label and must have reached the micro brewery level
Milk Stout - Milk Stout is a very dark, sweet, full-bodied, slightly roasty ale. Often tastes like sweetened espresso. Also called sweet stout or cream stout, the style contains lactose, a sugar derived from milk. Because lactose is unfermentable by beer yeast, it adds sweetness, body, and calories to the finished beer. Alcohol by volume (abv) range: 4-8%
Altbier - AKA Alt, Alts are old style Ales that are fermented cold and sometimes using lager yeast. Similar to brown or perhaps even dark ales, with more body, mouth-feel and effervescence making for a full-bodied beer with a creamy long lasting head. Alcohol by volume (abv) range: 4-7%
Rauchbier - Rauchbier is a wood aged beer somewhat like a Marzen/Oktoberfest style but with a sweet, smoky aroma and flavor and a somewhat darker color. This is a very clear beer, with a large, creamy, rich, tan- to cream-colored head. Alcohol by volume (abv) range: 4-7%
Imperial IPA - AKA Double IPA, basically a stronger, hoppier version of an IPA. An intensely hoppy, very strong pale ale without the big maltiness and/or deeper malt flavors of an American barleywine. Alcohol by volume (abv) range: 7-14%
Blonde Ale - Similar to the German style Kölsch a Blonde Ale is pale straw to deep gold for color. Most have a subdued fruitiness, a Blonde is a balanced, easy-drinking beer, light bodied and sometimes lager like. Alcohol by volume (abv) range: 4-7%
Munich Helles - "Helles" is German for "bright" and this style is Germany's answer to light Pilsner style beers. This style is slightly sweet with a malty profile. Alcohol by volume (abv) range: 4-6%
Dark Lager - Sometimes mis-labeled as "Bock" by the brewer, these dark colored lagers lack the rich maltiness of true Bock beers. These lagers are gaining in popularity and have a maltier character then typical pale lagers. Alcohol by volume (abv) range: 4-8%
American Barleywine - Barleywine is one of the strongest and most intense beer styles. Lively and fruity, sometimes sweet or bittersweet, but always alcoholic. The American version is intensely hopped with a high ABV. Alcohol by volume (abv) range: 8-15%
English Barleywine - The richest and strongest of the English Ales, the English Barleywine is lively and fruity, sometimes sweet or bittersweet. The English versions tend to be more rounded and balanced between malt and hops, with a slightly lower alcohol content. Alcohol by volume (abv) range: 7-12%
Player must have reached the full brewery level
Witbier - AKA a Belgian Witbier, is similar to the German Hefeweizen. Witbier is a refreshing, elegant, moderate-strength wheat-based ale with a light, fluffy body and a tart lemony finish. It is optional to use lactic acid to increase the tart/sour character of the beer. Alcohol by volume (abv) range: 4-7%
Saison - AKA Farmhouse Ale. A saison is a dry, refreshing, sometimes tart or fruity, sometimes peppery, Belgian ale. Saisons were originally brewed to quench the thirst of field workers and are a gernerally low alcohol session beer. Saisons are usually lightly sour with a distinctive yellow-orange color. Alcohol by volume (abv) range: 5-8%
Belgium Dubbel - The Belgian Dubbel is a deep reddish, moderately strong, malty, complex Belgian ale with some spicy / phenolic and mild alcoholic characteristics. Alcohol by volume (abv) range: 7-9%
Belgium Tripel - Tripels are bright yellow to gold in color. Head should be big, dense and creamy. The lighter body and complex flavors come from the use of Belgian candy sugar. Tripels are very alcoholic, yet the best crafted ones hide this character quite deceivingly. Alcohol by volume (abv) range: 8-12%
Abbey beer - Only 8 monasteries on the planet are permitted to use the term Trappist beer, the rest of us must call our beer in this style by the name Abbey Beer. This style attempts to capture the non-Dubbel and non-Tripel Belgian beers in the Trappist or monastic style. Alcohol by volume (abv) range: 6-11%
Sour Ale - The American Wild Ale or American Sour Ale style refers to a wide range of beers brewed using wild yeast or bacteria. The flavors of these beers ranges from a slight sour tang to a complex Brettanomyces barnyard flavor, and often a wood-aged character as well. Alcohol by volume (abv) range: 4-6%
Eisbock - An extremely strong, full and malty dark lager with an exceptionally strong alcohol content and taste. Similar to Dopplebock, these beers are made stronger through the process of freezing and concentrating the beer. Alcohol by volume (abv) range: 7-33%
Berliner Weisse - A very pale, sharply sour, refreshing, low-alcohol wheat ale. Berliner Weisse is a top-fermented, bottle conditioned wheat beer made with both traditional warm-fermenting yeasts and lactobacillus culture. The style has a rapidly vanishing head and a clear, pale golden straw-coloured appearance. Alcohol by volume (abv) range: 3-5%
Flanders Red Ale - A complex, sour, red wine-like Belgian-style ale aged in oak. Flanders' brewers use corn grits or maize in the mash, first boiled to achieve gelatinization to smooth out the beer. Alcohol by volume (abv) range: 4-8%
Lambic - Complex, sour/acidic, pale, wheat-based ale fermented by a variety of microbiota. Lambic beer is produced by spontaneous fermentation, traditionally it is exposed to the wild yeasts and bacteria native to the Senne valley. Attempts to recreate the microbiota of this highly specific style have varying degrees of sucess. Alcohol by volume (abv) range: 4-6%
Fruit Lambic - Complex, fruity, pleasantly sour/acidic, balanced, pale, wheat-based ale fermented by a variety of microbiota. This style means a lambic beer with fruit, not just a fruit beer. The fruit which has been added to the beer is usually the dominant aroma. Alcohol by volume (abv) range: 3-8%
Below are descriptions of the beer styles that can be produced in game...
Ales
Ale - A typical generic ale, sometimes called an American Amber style, this is a catch all for any lighter colored ale style beer, ranging from amber to deep red hues. The style tends to focus on the malts, but hop character can range from low to high. Expect a balanced beer, with toasted malt characters and a light fruitiness in most examples. Alcohol by volume (abv) range: 3-6%
Brown Ale - Brown Ales are malty and sweet on the palate, with a full body. Color can range from reddish brown to dark brown. English styles have a low hop aroma and bitterness while the bitterness and hop flavor in the American style has a wide range. Alcohol by volume (abv) range: 4-8%
Pale Ale - Hard water typically increases the clarity and hop bitterness. This ale can be from golden to reddish amber and typically has a good head. Use a good balance of malt and hops. American versions are cleaner and hoppier, while British tend to be more malty, buttery, aromatic and balanced. Alcohol by volume (abv) range: 4-12%
Scotch Ale - Not to be confused with Scottish Ale which is somewhat different. Scotch Ales are also sometimes known as "Wee Heavy". Scotch Ales go through a long boil for a caramelization of the wort which produces a deep copper to brown color. Compared to Scottish Ales, they are sweeter, fuller-bodied, and higher in alcohol, with a more pronounced malty caramel and roasted malt flavor. They typically have a low bitterness. Alcohol by volume (abv) range: 6-10%
Porter - Porters are complex and interesting ales. They are typically brewed using a pale malt base with the addition of black malt, crystal, chocolate or smoked brown malt. Hop bitterness is moderate and color ranges from brown to black. Alcohol by volume (abv) range: 4-8%
Stout - Stouts are uniquely styled ales that are typically dark brown to pitch black in color. Stouts typically require the use of roasted barley which gives a dry character to the beer as well as a strong roasted flavor that can range from burnt to coffee to chocolate. Hops balance ranges widely. Alcohol by volume (abv) range: 4-12%, although more typically in lower range of 4-7%
Wheat - Wheat beers are unfiltered ales made with wheat adjuncts. These beers can range within the brown to garnet range and are often cloudy with long-lasting heads. They have a light to medium body with high level of carbonation. Hop characters will usually be low with some fruitiness from ale fermentation. Most versions use of a neutral ale yeast formulatd specifically for this style. Alcohol by volume (abv) range: 4-7%
India Pale Ale (IPA) - IPAs are pale ales that are much more malty and well-hopped with a vary high bittterness, their color can range from very pale golden to reddish amber. They are moderate to medium bodied. Alcohol by volume (abv) range: 5-8%
Flavor Ale (also Holiday Labels) - These are your basic ales but augmented with flavorings, these styles are for seasonal beers and are enhanced by the addition of flavoring ingredients. The Holiday Label was originally a promotional label available for only part of the year but is now available year round.
Scottish - Scottish ales are cleanly malty with a drying finish with an occasional faint bit of peaty earthiness (smoke) but not too much. Hop flavor is low to none. Alcohol by volume (abv) range: 3-5%
Old Ale - Old Ales are usually characterized by a significant alcoholic strength and usually tilted toward a sweeter, maltier balance. Medium to high malt character with a luscious malt complexity, often with nutty, caramelly and/or molasses-like flavors. Alcohol by volume (abv) range: 6-9%
Belgian - There are a wide variety of Belgian Ales, they are generally a refreshing, elegant, tasty, moderate strength wheat-based ale with low to moderate hop bitterness. Alcohol by volume (abv) range: 5-11%
Bitter - As the name implies these ales have a medium to high bitterness with a low to medium maltiness and a dry finish. Caramel flavors are common but not required. Alcohol by volume (abv) range: 3-6%
Irish Red - Moderate caramel malt flavor and sweetness, occasionally with a buttered toast or toffee-like quality. There is a characteristic dryness to the finish. Generally no flavor hops. Alcohol by volume (abv) range: 4-6%
Lagers
Lager - Sometimes called the American Adjunct Lager, these are very light bodied, pale, fizzy lagers made popular by the large macro-breweries in America after prohibition. They have low bitterness, thin malts, and moderate alcohol. They are typically made with a large number of adjunct cereal grains, like rice and corn. Alcohol by volume (abv) range: 4-6%
Bock - Bock beer in general is stronger than your typical lager with a robust malt character and a dark amber to brown hue. Hop bitterness can be assertive enough to balance though must not impede the overall malt flavor, most are only lightly hopped. Alcohol by volume (abv) range: 5-8%
Marzen - The common Munich Oktoberfest lager is full-bodied, rich, toasty, dark/copper in color, and has a mild hop profile. Alcohol by volume (abv) range: 5-6%
Pilsner - Pilsners are very light straw to golden in color. The head on these lagers is dense and rich. They are well-hopped, brewed using Noble hops. Alcohol by volume (abv) range: 3-6%
Dunkel - Dunkel beers are dark lagers and dark wheat beers that are characterized by their smooth malty flavour. Similar to a Hefeweizen, they are brewed as darker versions with complex malts and a low balancing bitterness. Most are brown and murky (from the yeast). Alcohol by volume (abv) range: 4-8%
Doppelbock - Doppelbocks are traditionally known as a meal in a glass. They are dark Bocks with a very full-bodied flavor. They range in color from dark amber to nearly black, and dark versions often have slight chocolate or roasted characters. The flavor is almost always rich and malty with toasty notes and noticeable alcoholic strength, and little or no detectable hops. Alcohol by volume (abv) range: 7-12%
Pale Lager - A typically American lager made without cereal adjuncts and sometimes referred to as "all-malt" lagers. Though often still yellow and fizzy, these beers will have a broader depth of malt flavor and a more complex bitterness vs. their adjunct counterparts. Alcohol by volume (abv) range: 4-8%
Lite Lager - The Light Lager is generally a lighter version of a breweries premium lager, some are lower in alcohol but all are lower in calories and carbohydrates. Typically a high amount of cereal adjuncts like rice or corn are used to help lighten the beer as much as possible. Very low in malt flavor with a light and dry body. The hop character is low with no signs of flavor or aroma. Alcohol by volume (abv) range: 3-5%
Flv Lager - Your basic lager but augmented with flavorings, this is a great style for seasonal beers and is enhanced by the addition of flavoring ingredients
Kolsch - A clean, crisp, delicately balanced beer usually with very subtle fruit flavors and aromas. Subdued maltiness throughout leads to a pleasantly refreshing tang in the finish. Like a lite lager but with subtle differences. Alcohol by volume (abv) range: 4-5%
Premium Styles
These styles have a prerequisite that must be met before they are available for purchase.Player must already have >1 label
Extra Stout - Sometimes called 'Foreign Extra Stout' this beer is like the IPA in that it was brewed to survive long journeys. A very dark, moderately strong, roasty ale. The BJCP describes this style as either a scaled-up dry and/or sweet stout, or a scaled-down Imperial stout without the late hops. Alcohol by volume (abv) range: 5-8%
Oatmeal Stout - A very dark, full-bodied, roasty, malty ale made with oats or oatmeal and with or without a complementary oatmeal flavor and sometimes with a light oatmeal aroma. Oats can add a nutty, grainy or earthy flavor. Alcohol by volume (abv) range: 4-8%
Weizen - AKA Weiss (but not Wiesen), is a German style wheat beer. The best known style outside of Germany is the Hefeweizen. Weizen beers are a pale, spicy, fruity, refreshing wheat-based ale. By German law, at least 50% of the grist must be malted wheat. Alcohol by volume (abv) range: 4-6%
Rye Beer - Rye beers are essentially like wheat beers but with a crisp, slightly spicy and distinctinve rye flavor provided by the Rye grain. Alcohol by volume (abv) range: 4-10%
Cream Ale - An ale version of the American lager style. Pale straw to moderate gold color with brilliant, sparkling clarity. Adjuncts such as corn or rice are used to lighten the body. Alcohol by volume (abv) range: 4-8%
Vienna Lager - Vienna lager is a reddish-brown or copper-colored beer with medium body and slight malt sweetness. Alcohol by volume (abv) range: 3-7%
Malt Liquor - Although Malt Liquors can be Ales, the most typical varieties are lagers and they whould be brewed as a lager here. Malt liquors typically include sweet adjuncts to boost alcohol content. Alcohol by volume (abv) range: 5-12%
Player must already have >1 label and must have reached the micro brewery level
Milk Stout - Milk Stout is a very dark, sweet, full-bodied, slightly roasty ale. Often tastes like sweetened espresso. Also called sweet stout or cream stout, the style contains lactose, a sugar derived from milk. Because lactose is unfermentable by beer yeast, it adds sweetness, body, and calories to the finished beer. Alcohol by volume (abv) range: 4-8%
Altbier - AKA Alt, Alts are old style Ales that are fermented cold and sometimes using lager yeast. Similar to brown or perhaps even dark ales, with more body, mouth-feel and effervescence making for a full-bodied beer with a creamy long lasting head. Alcohol by volume (abv) range: 4-7%
Rauchbier - Rauchbier is a wood aged beer somewhat like a Marzen/Oktoberfest style but with a sweet, smoky aroma and flavor and a somewhat darker color. This is a very clear beer, with a large, creamy, rich, tan- to cream-colored head. Alcohol by volume (abv) range: 4-7%
Imperial IPA - AKA Double IPA, basically a stronger, hoppier version of an IPA. An intensely hoppy, very strong pale ale without the big maltiness and/or deeper malt flavors of an American barleywine. Alcohol by volume (abv) range: 7-14%
Blonde Ale - Similar to the German style Kölsch a Blonde Ale is pale straw to deep gold for color. Most have a subdued fruitiness, a Blonde is a balanced, easy-drinking beer, light bodied and sometimes lager like. Alcohol by volume (abv) range: 4-7%
Munich Helles - "Helles" is German for "bright" and this style is Germany's answer to light Pilsner style beers. This style is slightly sweet with a malty profile. Alcohol by volume (abv) range: 4-6%
Dark Lager - Sometimes mis-labeled as "Bock" by the brewer, these dark colored lagers lack the rich maltiness of true Bock beers. These lagers are gaining in popularity and have a maltier character then typical pale lagers. Alcohol by volume (abv) range: 4-8%
American Barleywine - Barleywine is one of the strongest and most intense beer styles. Lively and fruity, sometimes sweet or bittersweet, but always alcoholic. The American version is intensely hopped with a high ABV. Alcohol by volume (abv) range: 8-15%
English Barleywine - The richest and strongest of the English Ales, the English Barleywine is lively and fruity, sometimes sweet or bittersweet. The English versions tend to be more rounded and balanced between malt and hops, with a slightly lower alcohol content. Alcohol by volume (abv) range: 7-12%
Player must have reached the full brewery level
Witbier - AKA a Belgian Witbier, is similar to the German Hefeweizen. Witbier is a refreshing, elegant, moderate-strength wheat-based ale with a light, fluffy body and a tart lemony finish. It is optional to use lactic acid to increase the tart/sour character of the beer. Alcohol by volume (abv) range: 4-7%
Saison - AKA Farmhouse Ale. A saison is a dry, refreshing, sometimes tart or fruity, sometimes peppery, Belgian ale. Saisons were originally brewed to quench the thirst of field workers and are a gernerally low alcohol session beer. Saisons are usually lightly sour with a distinctive yellow-orange color. Alcohol by volume (abv) range: 5-8%
Belgium Dubbel - The Belgian Dubbel is a deep reddish, moderately strong, malty, complex Belgian ale with some spicy / phenolic and mild alcoholic characteristics. Alcohol by volume (abv) range: 7-9%
Belgium Tripel - Tripels are bright yellow to gold in color. Head should be big, dense and creamy. The lighter body and complex flavors come from the use of Belgian candy sugar. Tripels are very alcoholic, yet the best crafted ones hide this character quite deceivingly. Alcohol by volume (abv) range: 8-12%
Abbey beer - Only 8 monasteries on the planet are permitted to use the term Trappist beer, the rest of us must call our beer in this style by the name Abbey Beer. This style attempts to capture the non-Dubbel and non-Tripel Belgian beers in the Trappist or monastic style. Alcohol by volume (abv) range: 6-11%
Sour Ale - The American Wild Ale or American Sour Ale style refers to a wide range of beers brewed using wild yeast or bacteria. The flavors of these beers ranges from a slight sour tang to a complex Brettanomyces barnyard flavor, and often a wood-aged character as well. Alcohol by volume (abv) range: 4-6%
Eisbock - An extremely strong, full and malty dark lager with an exceptionally strong alcohol content and taste. Similar to Dopplebock, these beers are made stronger through the process of freezing and concentrating the beer. Alcohol by volume (abv) range: 7-33%
Berliner Weisse - A very pale, sharply sour, refreshing, low-alcohol wheat ale. Berliner Weisse is a top-fermented, bottle conditioned wheat beer made with both traditional warm-fermenting yeasts and lactobacillus culture. The style has a rapidly vanishing head and a clear, pale golden straw-coloured appearance. Alcohol by volume (abv) range: 3-5%
Flanders Red Ale - A complex, sour, red wine-like Belgian-style ale aged in oak. Flanders' brewers use corn grits or maize in the mash, first boiled to achieve gelatinization to smooth out the beer. Alcohol by volume (abv) range: 4-8%
Lambic - Complex, sour/acidic, pale, wheat-based ale fermented by a variety of microbiota. Lambic beer is produced by spontaneous fermentation, traditionally it is exposed to the wild yeasts and bacteria native to the Senne valley. Attempts to recreate the microbiota of this highly specific style have varying degrees of sucess. Alcohol by volume (abv) range: 4-6%
Fruit Lambic - Complex, fruity, pleasantly sour/acidic, balanced, pale, wheat-based ale fermented by a variety of microbiota. This style means a lambic beer with fruit, not just a fruit beer. The fruit which has been added to the beer is usually the dominant aroma. Alcohol by volume (abv) range: 3-8%