Explore the different types of beer - 101 beer guide
Who fancies a pint? A nice, crisp, refreshing one, poured to perfection, with beads of condensation rolling down the sides. The satisfaction from that first sip – it really is the stuff of dreams. Rich, malty, hoppy dreams.
But here's the real question – what are you going for? Perhaps a light, refreshing lager? Maybe a rich, deep stout? There are over a hundred different types of beer, so we'll let you have a moment to decide.
Here at Hungry Horse, we're passionate about beer in all its wonderful forms, so we thought we'd take a little trip into the beer-o-sphere. A virtual tasting session, if you will (the imagination is a powerful tool, trust us). So come with us as we discover the many different types of beer. It's by no means an exhaustive list, but it's a cracking start!
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What makes a great beer?
Before we get started, we need to ask the all-important question – what makes a great beer?
Of course, the answer is always going to be subjective, but there are a few things we can all agree on:
Balance – a balanced beer with no overwhelming flavours is crucial. The malt sweetness, hop bitterness, alcohol and yeast character should all harmonise and complement one another, creating an enjoyable brew that goes down a treat.
Quality ingredients – any experienced brewer worth their salt will highlight the importance of sourcing top-quality ingredients. In short, quality ingredients result in a quality beer: clean water, fresh hops, well-malted grains and healthy yeast.
Consistency – we all want a beer we can rely on. A tasty brew that never disappoints and always hits the spot every time. If you're setting up a home-brewing system, maintaining consistency will come with time and experience, but for commercial brewers, they already have this and it's the key to a successful product.
Attention to detail – from the recipe itself to the packaging it comes in, we all appreciate craftsmanship, even if we don't realise it at first. Small details often separate a good beer from a great one.
More to the point, where can you enjoy a really great beer? Glad you asked! Our pubs are a fantastic place to start, considering you'll find so many great beers among our selection of drinks. Now, let's take a look at some different types of beer.
Pale ales
The word "ale" might conjure images of medieval taverns, but Pale Ale is actually an umbrella term, covering a wide spectrum of beers, mainly renowned for their balanced flavour profiles and golden to deep amber colours. You may have heard the terms IPA, EPA and Session IPA. You might even be partial to a pint of Hazy Day or Level Head, so let's look at a few different types.
EPA (English Pale Ale)
EPA, or English Pale Ale refers to traditional pale ale that emerged in the UK during the 18th century, when brewers began experimenting with lighter malts thanks to revolutionary malt-kilning technology. It was popularised by breweries in Burton-on-Trent, also known as the Brewing Capital of Britain (sometimes, the world).
IPA (India Pale Ale)
Arguably the most popular form of pale ale, IPA stands for India Pale Ale. Bright, refreshing and hoppy, IPA was created in the 1700s specifically for British soldiers and settlers. Regular pale ale would spoil during the long voyage at sea, so brewers began adding extra hops and increasing the alcohol content to preserve it. Today, IPAs still average at 6%, sometimes lower for more sessionable IPAs, such as Greene King IPA, and higher for Imperial IPAs.
Bitter
"Bitter" and "pale ale" were once interchangeable terms, pale ale being the brewery term and bitter the term used by pubs. Many still use them as synonyms. However, the name "bitter" is self-explanatory – it's renowned for its pleasant, bitter taste and easy-drinking alcohol content, ranging from 3% and under to 7% for premium varieties.
Lagers
The word "lager" actually comes from the German word "largen", meaning "to store". This refers to the cold caves in which the beer was traditionally stored, y'know, back before the invention of the handy-dandy refrigerator. Unlike ale, its stronger, more complex counterpart, lager is made with bottom-fermenting yeast strains at much cooler temperatures. Lower temperatures mean a slower fermentation process, resulting in a smoother and clearer brew.
Pilsner
Pilsner means 'from Pilsen', or Plzeň, the city of its origin, in what is now the Czech Republic. This region has a rich history of brewing, and pilsner quickly became one of the most influential beer styles in the world. Clear, golden and refreshing, pilsner has a distinct aroma and pronounced hop flavour that isn't quite as bitter as an IPA.
Munich Helles
Helles was developed in Munich in the late 19th century, as Bavaria's answer to the growing popularity of pilsner. Slightly sweet and malty with just enough bitterness to keep it balanced, helles is a smooth, sessionable beer, excellent on its own or enjoyed alongside light dishes like Caesar salad and seafood pasta.
International Pale lagers
International Pale lager, another spin-off of pilsner, is a pretty broad category of international mass-market lagers (i.e., you'll be familiar with plenty of big names). While pilsner is very hop-forward, pale lagers are generally mild and mellow. In short, they're designed to be light, refreshing and drinkable – real crowd-pleasers.
Dark ales
Dark ales are made with darker malts that have been kilned or roasted longer, resulting in richer flavours and deeper colours ranging from amber to almost black. You know when a pint feels like a full meal? That'll be a dark ale. You'll likely detect sweet, nutty flavours of chocolate, molasses and coffee balanced by a subtle bitterness. Some dark ales can be traced back to the Middle Ages, whereas others were developed as late as the 20th century.
Porter
Porter is rich and intense, with sweet notes and a hint of bitterness. First brewed in London during the 18th century, porter is named after the working-class porters who favoured it, but back then in the Big Smoke, it was simply known as “brown beer". However, it soon became the most popular beer in Georgian England and remained as such for 130 years, according to CAMRA.
Stout
Stout was essentially born from porter and originally called "stout porter", meaning a stronger, bolder version of an already popular type of beer. Creamy, full-bodied and decadent, stout is very dark in colour and almost opaque. Of course, we're all familiar with Guinness, but there are plenty of other varieties to try, including Belhaven Black, from Scotland’s oldest working brewery.
British brown ale
British brown ale sits at the lighter end of the dark ale range, usually amber or (as the name suggests) brown in colour. Compared to porter and stout, British brown ale is malt-forward and less intense with notes of toasted nuts and caramel. It's lighter in character, lending itself well to food pairings, particularly roasted meats and rich cheeses.
Wild cards
We thought we'd give a few honourable mentions to the slightly more "out there" types of beer, often found in pop-up craft ale bars and in brightly coloured cans. Great if you want to try something new and exciting.
Fruit beers
Perfect for heady summer days spent wiling away the hours in your favourite beer garden, fruit beers take a classic base and add a delicious, fruity twist. Often bright, refreshing and balanced, fruit beers are a great alternative to fruity ciders if you want something a little drier and less sweet.
Sour beers
From sweet to sour! Sour beers get their characteristic flavour from lactic-acid-producing bacteria, which may sound disgusting, but trust us, it's all just science – in fact, the same type of good gut bacteria is found in yoghurts! If you love flavours that make your taste buds tingle, this zesty and refreshing type of beer is definitely worth a try.
Hybrid styles
Now we're talking! If there's one thing independent breweries love doing, it's experimenting and pushing boundaries. When it comes to hybrid styles, there are no rules. Brewers experiment with different yeasts, fermentation techniques and ingredient combinations to create unique beers that break the mould.
What about cask and craft?
Although "cask" and "craft" might be familiar terms in the world of brewing, they're not actually types of beer. These terms refer to how the beer is made and served. For example, cask ale, also known as "real ale", is unfiltered, and slightly fermented in casks causing natural carbonation, often served from a hand-pulled pump.
Craft beers, on the other hand, are usually created by independent breweries (although many larger breweries also produce craft beer), with emphasis on quality and innovation over mass production. You could even start your own craft brewery in your garage or spare room!
Sample some different types of beer with Hungry Horse
You might have gathered by now that beer is our thing, and we take it seriously (in a fun way). That's why our bars are chock-full of different types of beer, ready and waiting to be sampled. And the best part? You don't have to be an expert, just pop into a Hungry Horse pub near you and discover something new.