Crisp, delicate and oh-so-drinkable, the German-style Kolsch is a beer hybrid, meaning that its production and subsequent beer drinking experience saddles qualities of both lager beers and ale beers. These light and refreshing ale-lager hybrids are perfect for warm summer days and have become a favored style by American craft brewers and beer lovers alike. In addition to their thirst quenching ability, they also are a fun beer to enjoy with food, including traditional German sausages and kraut.
The German-style Kolsch is light in color and malt character. Ale yeast is used for fermentation, though lager yeast is sometimes used in the bottle or final cold-conditioning process. Craft beer connoisseurs have been enjoying American Kolsch style beers during the warm seasons since the Kolsch was introduced to the American craft scene. This beer style pairs best with bratwurst, nutty cheeses, and even lighter desserts like apricot cake.
We want to help you find a brewery that makes your next favorite Kolsch beer. We want to help you find your next favorite craft beer — which could be a Kolsch style beer — and our map is designed to do that.
If you enjoy the website and are interested in a convenient way to learn more about German beer, sign up to have our newsletter delivered directly to your inbox. Irish red ale is known for its unique malty taste and is on the lower side of the bitterness and alcohol content scales.
If you love American craft beer, the Irish red ale beer remains a great style for beer lovers to seek out and appreciate. The Irish-style red ale is a balanced beer that uses a moderate amount of kilned malts and roasted barley in the recipe, which gives the beer the color for which it is named.
Featuring an approachable hop bitterness which rests on the palate, this typically amber-colored beer is brewed as a lager or an ale, and can often have a medium, candy-like caramel malt sweetness. It also often contains roasted barley, lending low roasted notes, darker color and possible creation of a tan collar of foam on top.
With notes of caramel, toffee and sometimes low-level diacetyl butter , think of the Irish red ale beer style as a cousin to lightly-toasted and buttered bread. Irish-style red ales are an approachable style for people who are new to craft beer, but are also enjoyed and appreciated by even the most discerning of craft connoisseurs.
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Medium caramel and cocoa-like sweetness is present, with complementing hop character and malt-derived sweetness. The Baltic-style Porter is a smooth, cold-fermented and cold-lagered beer brewed with lager yeast.
This style has the malt flavors of a brown porter and the roast of a schwarzbier, but is bigger in alcohol and body. Low to medium malt sweetness, caramel and chocolate is acceptable. Softer, sweeter and more caramel-like than a robust porter, with less alcohol and body. Porters are the precursor style to stouts. The Robust Porter features more bitter and roasted malt flavor than a brown porter, but not quite as much as a stout.
Robust porters have a roast malt flavor, often reminiscent of cocoa, but no roast barley flavor. Their caramel and malty sweetness is in harmony with the sharp bitterness of black malt.
Hop bitterness is evident. With U. Yet many deliberate examples of these styles do exist. Diacetyl is acceptable at very low levels. Typically the base for the smoke porter beer style is a robust porter that is given smoky depth thanks to wood-smoked malt. Traditionally, brewers will cite the specific wood used to smoke the malt, and different woods will lend different flavors to the finished product.
Smoke flavors dissipate over time. The American-style imperial stout is the strongest in alcohol and body of the stouts. Black in color, these beers typically have an extremely rich malty flavor and aroma with full, sweet malt character.
Bitterness can come from roasted malts or hop additions. American stout beer is perhaps one of the most identifiable creations of the American beer world. Stout beer is about as dark of an American beer as can be, and has a very noticeable of appearance, aroma and flavor.
As one of the thicker, darker American beers on the craft beer scene, American stout beer is perfect for the colder seasons.
Strikingly bold and undeniably beautiful, the American stout beer style blends generous amounts of dark malts with American hops to offer an adventurous experience that is unmatched by other styles of beer. Are you afraid of the dark? Allow your senses to run wild with this deceivingly sophisticated take on a European staple. Like many other beer styles that have become prized by American brewers and beer lovers alike, American stout is a distinct variant of a European stout beer counterpart.
True to style, American stouts showcase generous quantities of the American hops fans have come to expect, and much like other stout beer types, American stout can be enjoyed year-round but is commonly considered a beer for the fall or winter months.
The stout is a terrific companion to bold, hearty foods. Look for hearty game meats, as well as soups and strong cheeses to be particularly suitable for pairing for American stouts, in addition to a variety of after-dinner desserts. Reading about American stout is great, but we encourage you to seek out the style at a local brewery. The addition of oatmeal adds a smooth, rich body to the oatmeal stout. This beer style is dark brown to black in color.
Roasted malt character is caramel-like and chocolate-like, and should be smooth and not bitter. Coffee-like roasted barley and malt aromas are prominent. This low- to medium-alcohol style is packed with darker malt flavors and a rich and oily body from oatmeal. Sweet stout, also referred to as cream stout or milk stout, is black in color. Malt sweetness, chocolate and caramel should dominate the flavor profile and contribute to the aroma. Milk sugar lactose lends the style more body.
This beer does use lactose sugar, so people with an intolerance should probably avoid this style. Dry stout is black beer with a dry-roasted character thanks to the use of roasted barley. The emphasis on coffee-like roasted barley and a moderate degree of roasted malt aromas define much of the character.
Hop bitterness is medium to medium high. This beer is often dispensed via nitrogen gas taps that lend a smooth, creamy body to the palate. Traditional bock beers are all-malt brews and are high in malt sweetness.
Malt character should be a balance of sweetness and toasted or nut-like malt. Originally made by monks in Munich, the doppelbock beer style is very food-friendly and rich in melanoidins reminiscent of toasted bread. Color is copper to dark brown. Malty sweetness is dominant but should not be cloying. Malt character is more reminiscent of fresh and lightly toasted Munich-style malt, more so than caramel or toffee malt.
Dark fruit flavors such as prune and raisin may be present. Doppelbocks are full-bodied, and alcoholic strength is on the higher end. The German-style Weizenbock is a wheat version of a German-style bock, or a bigger and beefier dunkelweizen. Malt mellanoidins and weizen ale yeast are the star ingredients. If served with yeast, the appearance may appropriately be very cloudy. With flavors of bready malt and dark fruits like plum, raisin, and grape, this style is low on bitterness and high on carbonation.
Balanced clove-like phenols and fruity, banana-like esters produce a well-rounded aroma. The Scotch ale is overwhelmingly malty, with a rich and dominant sweet malt flavor and aroma. A caramel character is often part of the profile. Some examples feature a light smoked peat flavor. This style could be considered the Scottish version of an English-style barley wine. Overly smoked versions would be considered specialty examples. Scottish-style ales vary depending on strength and flavor, but in general retain a malt-forward character with some degree of caramel-like malt flavors and a soft and chewy mouthfeel.
Hops do not play a huge role in this style. These unique beers vary in color and can take on the hues of added fruits or other ingredients. Horsey, goaty, leathery, phenolic and some fruity acidic character derived from Brettanomyces organisms may be evident, but in balance with other components of an American Brett beer.
Brett beer and sour beer are not synonymous. Despite Brettanomyces presents in sour beer, American Bret beers do not exhibit the level of sour taste that sour beers do, thus, Brett beers should not be mistaken for a sour beer.
The acidity present in sour beer is usually in the form of lactic, acetic and other organic acids naturally developed with acidified malt in the mash, or produced during fermentation by the use of various microorganisms. These beers may derive their sour flavor from pure cultured forms of souring agents or from the influence of barrel aging. The Belgian-style Flanders is an ale with character and balance, thanks to lactic sourness and acetic acid.
Cherry-like flavors are acceptable, as is malt sweetness that can lend bitterness and a cocoa-like character. Oak or other wood-like flavors may be present, even if the beer was not aged in barrels. Overall, the style is characterized by slight to strong lactic sourness, and Flanders reds sometimes include a balanced degree of acetic acid. Brettanomyces-produced flavors may be absent or very low. This style is a marvel in flavor complexity, combining malt, yeast, microorganisms, acidity and low astringency from barrel aging.
Often known as cassis, framboise, kriek, or peche, a fruit lambic takes on the color and flavor of the fruit it is brewed with. It can be dry or sweet, clear or cloudy, depending on the ingredients.
Notes of Brettanomyces yeast are often present at varied levels. Sourness is an important part of the flavor profile, though sweetness from fruit may diminish the perceived intensity. These flavored lambic beers may be very dry or mildly sweet. Belgian-style Lambic or Gueuze beers are naturally and spontaneously fermented with high to very high levels of esters, plus bacterial and yeast-derived sourness that sometimes includes acetic flavors. Lambics are not blended, while the gueuze style blends old and new lambics which are re-fermented in the bottle.
Historically, they are dry and completely attenuated, exhibiting no residual sweetness either from malt, sugar or artificial sweeteners.
Sweet versions may be created through the addition of sugars or artificial sweeteners. Many examples of this style are made to resemble the gueuze lambic beers of the Brussels area, where it originated. Straw to medium amber, the contemporary Gose is cloudy from suspended yeast. A wide variety of herbal, spice, floral or fruity aromas other than found in traditional Leipzig-Style Gose are present, in harmony with other aromas.
Salt table salt character is traditional in low amounts, but may be perceptible in varying intensities. Body is low to medium-low. Low to medium lactic acid character is evident in all examples as sharp, refreshing sourness. American lager has little in the way of hop and malt character. A straw to gold, very clean and crisp, highly carbonated lager. The Bohemian pilsener has a slightly sweet and evident malt character and a toasted, biscuit-like, bready malt character. Hop bitterness is perceived as medium with a low to medium-low level of noble-type hop aroma and flavor.
Classic examples of this style used to be conditioned in wooden tanks and had a less sharp hop bitterness despite the similar IBU ranges to German-style pilsner. Low-level diacetyl is acceptable. Bohemian-style pilseners are darker in color and higher in final gravity than their German counterparts. This lager is all about balance, with medium hop character and firm but low malt sweetness.
Look for toasted malt flavors and spicy floral hop aromas. A beer for beer lovers, the German-style helles is a malt accented lager beer that balances a pleasant malt sweetness and body with floral Noble hops and restrained bitterness.
The helles is a masterclass in restraint, subtly and drinkability which makes it an enduring style for true beer lovers and an elusive style for craft brewers to recreate. The German helles reminds beer lovers that the simple things in life are usually the most rewarding and worth pursuing. The German-style helles lager is a bit rounder or fuller-bodied than light lager and even all-malt pilsners. Helles lager beers offer a touch of sweetness that balance a measurable addition of spicy German hop flavor and light bitterness.
The malt character is soft and bready, making it a terrific complement to light dishes such as salad or fresh shellfish, like clams. Clean and crisp, this is a refreshing beer with substance. Low levels of yeast-produced sulfur aromas and flavors may be common.
While the German helles is highly versatile for pairing with food, helles lager is designed for refreshment and makes for the ideal beer on a hot day. Today, small and independent craft brewers offer their own takes on this classic German beer, many following the German tradition exactly, including German malts, spicy German hops and expertly controlled fermentation, offering a balanced yet subtly sweet lager beer. Others have added their own American twist on the helles variety by adding American hops and making this lager beer available in aluminum cans so beer lovers can enjoy this style while out and about.
If you have not had the pleasure of tasting and appreciating this beer brewed for beer lovers, do yourself a favor and seek out a brewery near you that offers the style as a taproom option. By allowing the map to use your specific location, searching by state or searching for a specific brewery, we want to help you find your next favorite craft beer, which could be a helles beer. Quite possibly the most iconic beer style in modern history, the pilsner captured the attention of beer drinkers across the world and inspired a myriad of regional imitations.
This lightly colored, exquisitely balanced lager remains one of the most loved beers to enjoy, and one of the most challenging for the brewer to create. Pilsner are characteristically light in color and have a very short finish. The world over, pilsner -style lagers have become the standard beer for many reasons, and American craft brewers have worked hard to put their own unique spin on this classic German beer. A classic German-style pilsner is straw to pale in color with a malty sweetness that can be perceived in aroma and flavor.
Perception of hop bitterness is medium to high. Noble-type hop aroma and flavor are moderate and quite obvious. Distinctly different from the Bohemian-style pilsner , this style is lighter in color and body and has a lower perceived hop bitterness. German pilsner lagers have a rich history in the United States. Some of the first breweries in the United States were started in the s by German immigrants and specialized in brewing pilsner beer.
Since then, American craft brewers have continued to experiment with the classic style pils. We want to help you find the next pilsener beer to keep you refreshed on a hot summer day. American craft brewers have worked hard to create their own versions of pilsner beers over the years. If you are a big fan of pilsner , we want to help you find nearby breweries where you can try all the new pilsner beers on the craft scene. By entering your precise location, searching for a brewery, or searching by state, we can help you find your next favorite place to grab a pilsner or another German beer.
The American black ale is characterized by the perception of caramel malt and dark roasted malt flavor and aroma. Hop bitterness is perceived to be medium-high to high. Hop flavor and aroma are medium-high. Fruity, citrus, piney, floral and herbal character from hops of all origins may contribute to the overall experience. This beer is often called a black IPA or Cascadian dark ale.
A wood- or barrel-aged beer is any lager, ale or hybrid beer, either a traditional style or a unique experimental beer, that has been aged for a period of time in a wooden barrel or in contact with wood. Beer may be aged in wooden barrels new or previously used to age wine or spirits , or chips, spirals and cubes may be added to the conditioning tanks that normally house beer.
A variety of types of wood are used including oak, apple, alder, hickory and more. The interior of most barrels is charred or toasted to further enhance the flavor of the wood. Merchants were worried the beer may arrive infected or stale so additional hops and an increase in alcohol level were initiated.
Then, when the beer arrived it had become a hoppier version of the pale ales they had known. From their inception to now, Pale Ales are known for having a balanced flavor profile with a medium body. While there is a bit of hop flavor, they tend to have more biscuit, cracker or bread notes. American Pale Ales tend to be a bit more bitter, while Blonde Ales are bit more malty in flavor. IPAs have also grown from their first brew.
The hop varietal can create a citrus note, fruity flavor or herbal taste. The thing all these types have in common is each possess a hint of fruit or citrus with pronounced hop flavor.
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Our comprehensive guide to beer types and styles has the answers. Variety is just one of the great things about beer.
The type of yeast is what makes ales and lagers different, technically speaking. Lagers are made with strains that do their fermenting at cold temperatures. For drinkers, however, taste is the key distinction. Unlike ales , lagers tend to be crisp and dry, with a special ability to quench thirst. Here are some of the key players in this delicious arena.
Pale lager : This brew is refreshingly crisp, light-bodied and moderately hoppy, and it pairs easily with a wide variety of foods. Perfect pairing: Simple pizza, such as a classic margherita Pilsner : This term refers to a particular kind of light-coloured, crisp lager that was invented in 19th-century Europe. It took the world by storm, thanks to its thirst-quenching powers. Pilsners are noticeably hoppy and pale gold in colour. They pair deliciously with lots of foods, especially lightly fried dishes such as tempura, calamari and crispy cutlets.
And it makes a difference to the flavour, too: Amber and red lagers can taste light and crisp like their paler cousins but also contain caramel, toffee and toast aromas like darker beers. There are so many examples of this style that the fun is in finding one that strikes the right balance for you. Perfect pairing: Tacos Tip: Look for mild reddish Vienna lager, which has delicious toasty notes. Dark lager : These beauties add depth to Team Lager. So if you like refreshment and complexity, a dark lager can give you the best of both worlds.
Unlike lagers, ales are made with yeast strains that prefer to ferment in a warmer environment — closer to room temperature, actually. The yeast floats on the surface while it does its work, so ales are sometimes called top-fermented beers. Why not sample a range and see for yourself? Cream ale : These suds are pale in colour, light in flavour and not too bitter. Perfect pairing: Salad with grilled chicken Tip: Kolsch is another kind of pale, light-bodied ale that could pose as a lager.
Pale ale : English-style pale ales also known as bitters are malty and earthy. American-style pale ales have more of a hoppy bite, sometimes with citrus overtones. Belgian-style pale ales are sweeter and less hoppy than the other two, but they can be spicy. So what do all pale ales have in common?
They can be bitter and contain high alcohol levels, though the final product depends on the variety of hops used. Some IPAs can taste like pure citrus, while others are strong and bitter. West Coast IPAs appear to stand somewhere in the middle, with a balance between the fruitiness and bitterness. The best way to figure out your preference would be to figure out which IPA style goes best with your tastebuds. He suggests trying out a variety of IPA types before eventually settling on a couple of favorites.
Pale ales are usually hoppy but carry a lower alcohol content than IPAs. Most types of pale ale, which can include American amber ale, American pale ale, blonde ale and English pale ale, are malty, medium-bodied and easy to drink.
Pilsners, which originate from the Czech Republic, fall under the lager category. German pilsners give off a pale gold color and crisp flavor , while Czech pilsners are a little darker with higher bitterness. A dark beer, the flavor of stouts depend on where they come from. Sweet stouts largely originate from Ireland and England and are known for their low bitterness. Stouts produced in the U.