Savor a well-made brew without upsetting your tummy by reaching for a gluten-free beer! Beer usually consists of water, yeast, hops, and wheat or barley, a recipe that has existed for thousands of years. Barley and wheat, however, contain gluten. If you have celiac disease, as I do, then gluten-free craft beer represents a welcome … Read more
The weather is warming up, and it’s time for barbecues and picnics, and nothing refreshes the average beer drinker more than a nice cold lager. Not everyone enjoys beer, but you’ve taken it on yourself to convert your beer-hating friends into beer lovers. Where do you start on your beer adventures? If you’re looking for … Read more
Beer is one of the most popular and oldest drinks known to man, dating back to the 5th millennium in Iran. There are records of beer in historical documents from ancient Egypt. If you are reading this, you’re a beer lover, like us. The stronger the beer, the better. If you are looking for a … Read more
Note: in the current (2015) BJCP Style Guidelines, Belgian Pale Ale is Style 24B in Category 24 Belgian Ale which contains the maltier to balanced, more highly flavored Belgian and French ales. Cheers!! Belgian Pale Ale Description Information on Belgian Pale Ale is somewhat difficult to find on the internet. There are so many different categories for Belgian beer that the lines between … Read more
Belgian ales are made in Belgium. Belgian style ales are made everywhere else; sometimes they are made well, and sometimes not. In the new 2015 BJCP Style Guidelines, these beers are roughly categorized based on alcohol content and their balance. The stronger, less malty and more bitter, well-attenuated beers with more yeast character are grouped in Category 25 Strong Belgian … Read more
NOTE: In the 2015 BJCP Style Guidelines, English IPA is now Style 12C in Category 12 Pale Commonwealth Beer which contains pale, moderately-strong, hop-forward, bitter ales from countries within the former British Empire. The information below is still valid for the style, but when studying for the current BJCP exam, use this article as reference in conjunction with the current description. … Read more
Bohemian Pilsners Description Bohemian Pilsners (sometimes called Czech Pilsners) are what all other pils are compared to. In 1842 it was the clear and pale colored beer. Today, these beers tend to be somewhat darker than the typical “Modern” style pilseners. These beers are crisp, well-balanced but complex and refreshing. What characterizes the style is … Read more
Another light lager, in gravity only, is the Munich Helles. It is a malt-forward German lager with a bready malt character with some sweetness from the pilsner malt. This beer was produced around the beginning of the 20th century in Bavaria to compete with the Pilsners which were becoming extremely popular at the time. It … Read more
Note: in the current (2015) BJCP Style Guidelines, Baltic Porter is style 9C. Category 9 Strong European Beer, contains more strongly flavored and higher alcohol lagers from Germany and the Baltic region. Most are dark, but some pale versions are known. The information below is still valid, but for those studying for the new BJCP exam, it may … Read more
Standard American Lagers are the “regular” strength versions of the lite American lagers. The style guidelines for this beer are almost identical as those for the lite versions. The only difference is that the hop bitterness may go up to the medium-low level, the body is light instead of very light, and of course the … Read more