BEER TERMINOLOGY

Ale
AN AROMATIC BREW THAT IS USUALLY MORE FULL-BODIED AND BITTER THAN "REGULAR" BEER PRODUCED FROM TOP-FERMENTATION.

Alt
OLD-STYLE DARK GERMAN BEER, VERY SIMILAR TO ALE.

Barley
A CEREAL GRAIN CONVERTED TO MALT THAT IS ONE OF THE BASIC INGREDIENTS OF BEER.

Bock
A STRONG, DARK, HEAVY BEER ORIGINALLY BREWED IN THE FALL AS A WINTER WARMER.

Cream Ale
USUALLY A BLEND OF LAYERED BEER AND ALE.

Dark Beer
LAGER BEER MADE BY USING ROASTED BARLEY.

Draught Beer
TRADITIONALLY MEANT TO BE KEG BEER, BUT NOW ALSO PACKAGED.

Extra Special Bitter (ESB)
FULL BODY, STRONG, HOPPY AND AMBER IN COLOR.

Hops
NATURAL, AROMATIC HERBS THAT PROVIDE THE LEVEL OF BITTERNESS IN BEER AND ACT AS A NATURAL PRESERVATIVE.

Lager
BOTTOM-FERMENTED BEER THAT HAS BEEN "LAGERED" (STORED OR AGED) AT NEAR FREEZING FOR A FEW DAYS TO SEVERAL WEEKS, DEPENDING UPON THE BREWER. MOST AMERICAN AND IMPORTED BEERS ARE LAGERS. LAGERING IMPROVES BOTH THE TASTE AND STABILITY OF BEER.

Light Beer
LAGER BEER BREWED TO HAVE LOWER LEVELS OF CALORIES. THEY ALSO GENERALLY HAVE LOWER LEVELS OF ALCOHOL.

Malt
SPOUTED BARLEY THAT IS THEN KILN-DRIED. THE TYPE OF MALT DETERMINES THE LEVEL OF SWEETNESS IN THE BEER.

Malt Liquor
A LAGER BEER BREWED TO HAVE HIGH ALCOHOL CONTENT.

Micro-Brew
HAND CRAFTED, MADE WITH ONLY TRADITIONAL INGREDIENTS WITHOUT CHEMICALS. THESE BEERS ARE BREWED AND AGED SLOWLY TO ALLOW FLAVORS TO COME THROUGH.

Pale
MEDIUM MALTINESS, HIGH HOP BITTERNESS, AND GOLD IN COLOR.

Pilsner
A TYPE OF LAGER BEER, GENERALLY MEANING LIGHT IN COLOR AND RELATIVELY LIGHT IN TASTE.

Porter
A STYLE OF DARK BEER THAT WAS POPULAR IN ENGLAND TWO TO THREE CENTURIES AGO. IT RESEMBLES A BLEND OF DARK ALE AND STOUT.

Stout
A VERY DARK TYPE OF ALE THAT IS EXTREMELY MALTY IN TASTE AND SLIGHTLY BITTER, MADE USING ROASTED BARLEY MALT.

Wheat Beer
MEDIUM-BODY, CLOUDY OR CLEAR, FRUITY AND SPICY - LOW IN ALCOHOL.