The Basics of Beer

Beer is usually composed of four, and only four, ingredients: malted barley, yeast, hops and water. But these four ingredients can produce wildly different tastes depending on the types of yeast, malt, hops and even water used. The combinations of these magic four ingredients produce a wide variety of styles, colors and tastes. Let's start at the very beginning...

The History of Beer

No one is really sure where beer came from, but it is one of the oldest recorded beverages, etched upon stone tablets as old as 1800 BC. Beer may have evolved from bread making, where loaves of bread and their ingredients, such as barley, were stored in less than ideal conditions. Barley, when dampened, sprouts and becomes "malted". When water is run over this malted barley and wild yeast blends with it, fermentation occurs. Was beer an accident? No one knows for sure, but we're all glad it happened.

Beer arrived in America via the Mayflower. History shows that the Mayflower put ashore at Plymouth Rock to replenish supplies, "our victuals being spent, especially our beer." according to a Mayflower diary entry from 1620. Our founding fathers were notable brewers, such as Thomas Jefferson, William Penn, George Washington and some guy named Samuel Adams. Beer has always been an American tradition, and with the resurgence of craft brewing in the late 80s, beer selection and variety has never been wider.

Types of Beer

There are really only two types to consider: ales and lagers. Ales are produced using top-fermenting yeast at warmer temperatures while lagers use bottom-fermenting yeast at colder temperatures. Ales are typically produced quicker than lagers, which require long periods of fermentation at colder temperatures. And finally, ales typically have a richer depth of character to the beer, while lagers produce cleaner finishes and lighter bodied beers.

How do you tell if a beer is an ale or a lager? Which is better? Isn't lager a style of beer? These questions and more are answered in our Beer School article, Ales vs. Lagers, if you want to learn more in-depth information.

Styles of Beer

There are many styles of beer, and styles evolve into styles of their own. Some styles have been around seemingly forever, like porters and stouts, while others are unique to America and only have been recognized over the last 20 years or so, like Imperial IPA. Styles are a way of categorizing a beer so that you can expect a certain type of taste. The Beer Judging Certification Program offers a complete guide to styles. Here's the list of the top 23 styles of beer from the BJCP. You can click the links to learn the subcategories and further classifications:

How to Drink a Beer

You wouldn't think you'd need help with this would you? But if you drink your beer by slamming it down as cold as possible, straight from the can, you're missing out on quite a bit.

First things first: bottle, can, or glass? If you have a quality beer, you really need to drink it out of a glass. But not the "cold, frosty mug" that seems to be a favorite idea among advertisers. Nope, cold mugs or glasses are not your friend. Cold hides the taste of beer - which may be a good thing if you're drinking really bad swill. But if you're ordering anything from the Southwestern Distributing selection, you'll want to get a room temperature glass. Another reason you don't want a cold glass: cold keeps carbonation at a higher level, so you swallow lots of gas. That gas has to come out somewhere later on, doesn't it?

The other reasons for using a glass are aroma and taste. Beer that is poured into a glass can "open up" and release all types of pleasing aromas. The activity of pouring a beer helps the beer revive itself from storage in a bottle and releases trapped gas, allowing the natural carbonation and effervescence of the beer to come to life. Finally, different types of glasses focus the nose (aroma) and taste of the beer. There are many types of glasses and we'll get to them in future articles.

There are five things to consider when you drink a beer: Aroma, Appearance, Flavor, Mouthfeel and Overall Impression. These are also the five critieria used by beer judges.

• Aroma: What does the beer smell like? Citrusy, piney, roasty, tangy? Beer has many different aromas. If you're of the "smells like beer" persuasion, you're in for a treat.
• Appearance: The totally clear with a hint of yellow beer you may have seen is a weak entry into the palette of beer colors. Ranging from a lemon yellow to an opaque black, with a million shades of red, yellow, orange, and more in between. And what about the head? Foamy, rocky, pudding-like. Does the beer "ring" or "lace"? There's more than meets the eye with beer appearance.
• Flavor: This is definitely where the beer is judged highest. The tastes run the gamut from hoppy to malty, with spice notes and aftertastes (or not) galore.
• Mouthfeel: Something you don't get with fizzy yellow wannabe beers. A craft beer can feel effervescent, grainy, thick, thin, etc. and adds to the taste.
• Overall impression: The sum of the parts. What does the experience of drinking this beer bring to mind? Do the combinations of aroma, appearance, flavor and mouthfeel make this beer a winner?

Beer Today, Beer Tomorrow

We're glad you took the time to read this article and we hope we've helped set you an a road to beer enjoyment and enlightenment. Please check back for future articles and feel free to contact us with any questions. Cheers!