Beer

Types of Beers

The craft beer movement has revitalized the beer industry, and there are now more types of beer available than ever before. As it continues to gain traction, craft brewing brings new flavors and styles to beer enthusiasts. 

Here are some of the most popular beer styles and types:

Pale Ale

Ale is a general category of beer that includes a variety of styles, such as pale ale, Indian pale ale (IPA), dark brown ale, American pale ale, wild or sour ales, and the list goes on. In general, ales tend to have a hint of sweet fruity flavor.

A pale ale is distinguished by its amber color, medium body, and malty sweetness. It is a hop-forward beer that is usually moderate in strength or alcohol content.

India Pale Ales (IPA)

India Pale Ale was created in the 18th century to withstand long boat trips from England to India. It was too hot in India to brew beer and regular beer would not survive the long journey, so English brewers began to produce heavily hopped beer that needed to be aged before it was ready for consumption. Once refrigeration was invented, IPAs were forgotten for a time until American brewers revived the style in the late 1970s. It was still a pretty niche beer style for decades, but that all changed at the turn of the century when craft breweries began producing new and interesting IPAs and their popularity skyrocketed.

The beer tastes much hoppier and more bitter than other pale ales and generally has a stronger alcohol content.

Lager

The most common style of beer, lager brewers largely rely on the fermentation process. With spontaneously fermenting yeasts at low temperatures for a long period of time, lagers have a clean and crisp taste. The most popular lagers are pale lagers, dark lagers, Vienna lagers, Pilsners, and bocks.

Wheat Beer

A type of beer that catches many taste buds by surprise, wheat beers tend to have a soft, smooth flavor with citrusy undertones. Due to the use of wheat, these beers are usually lighter in color and have a hazy appearance.

Stout

Arguably the easiest type of beer to identify is stout. With its dark, nearly black coloration, stout gets its unique flavor – which resembles coffee – from the use of unmalted roasted barley. Varieties like milk stout and Irish-style stout have low alcohol content, which makes them easy to drink. Meanwhile, American imperial stout contains a much higher alcohol percentage; up to 9%.

Blonde Ale

A popular type of ale with medium-malt sweetness, a blonde ale is typically crisp and dry, with spice and fruit notes. It is a light-bodied beer with a golden color and moderate alcohol content.

Sour Ale

Sour ale or sour beer is distinguished by its intentionally acidic and tart taste. It is actually the oldest type of beer in the world and is a true favorite among beer connoisseurs. Made with wild bacteria and yeast, sour beers can range from funky and earthy to fruity and light. Lambics, goses, and Flanders are the most common type of sour ales.

Shop With Us

Looking for new and fun types of beers to try? Here at Liquorama, it has been our passion for years to offer our customers the largest selection of beer styles available online. Whether you want an India Pale Ale, a Porter, a Belgian style, an English Pale Ale, a sour ale, or any other type of beer, we are sure to have something to satisfy your taste. We have sour beers with tangy flavors, wheat beers with citrusy notes, dark stouts with hints of chocolate, and everything in between. We take pride in offering a wide range of classic beer and unique beer from craft breweries all over the world. Find your favorite today!