Lagers & Specialty Beers

Lagers:

North American Lager: This style is the most popular style in North America with more than 95% of all beer consumed. Made with rice or corn in addition to barley malt. Budweiser would fit in this category.


Bock: Bocks are full-bodied, strong, and high in alcohol content. A regular bock usually has at least 6% alcohol content, while dopplebock has 7% or more. This bottom fermented beer should have chocolate or mocha notes, and an obvious malt and hops presence. Helles Bock, a lighter version, both in color and taste, is somewhat sweeter and softer.

Malt Liquour: A pale light-bodied lager with a slightly higher alcohol content. Regulations in some states require beers over a certain alcohol content to be labeled malt liquors.

Pilsener: Pilsner lager was first introduced in 1842 in Pilsen, Czech Republic. Medium-bodied with moderate bitterness and a unique hop flavor and aroma. Pilsener, the palest of all lagers, is the most widely brewed beer style in the world. Try the original pilsner, Pilsner Urquell.

Dunkel or Dark Lager: A dunkel should be dark in color with a malt-dominated aroma. Most good dark lagers should have caramel or chocolate flavors.

Vienna or Marzen Lager: Amber to reddish in color. A toasted malt flavor dominates. Originally, German brewers would brew beer in March (Marzen), and would be stored until October for the fall festivals.



Specialty Beers:

Abbey or Trappist Ales: Strong dark ales produced at Trappist monasteries in Europe. Only five monasteries are allowed to use the Trappist appellation. If you try ale from Chimay, you will not forget it.

Lambic: Lambics are wheat beers with fruit added to them. Fruit is blended into them giving it a distinct taste. They have low carbonation and are very dry.