Beer style

Rauchbier, a smokey style of beer

Beer styles differentiate and categorise beers by colour, flavour, strength, ingredients, production method, recipe, history, or origin.

The modern concept of beer styles is largely based on the work of writer Michael Jackson in his 1977 book The World Guide To Beer.[1] In 1989, Fred Eckhardt furthered Jackson's work publishing The Essentials of Beer Style.[2] Although the systematic study of beer styles is a modern phenomenon, the practice of distinguishing between different varieties of beer is ancient, dating to at least 2000 BC.

What constitutes a beer style may involve provenance,[3] local tradition,[4] ingredients,[5] aroma, appearance, flavour and mouthfeel. The flavour may include the degree of bitterness of a beer due to bittering agents such as hops, roasted barley, or herbs; and the sweetness from the sugar present in the beer.

  1. ^ Michael Jackson's Beer Hunter - How to save a beer style
  2. ^ Eckhardt, Fred (1993). The Essentials of Beer Style: A Catalog of Classic Beer Styles for Brewers and Beer Enthusiasts. Fred Eckhardt Communications. ISBN 978-0-9606302-7-1.
  3. ^ Michael Jackson (1997). Michael Jackson's beer companion:the world's great beer styles, gastronomy, and traditions. Running Press, 1997. p. 45 & 118. ISBN 9780762402014. Retrieved 1 May 2011.
  4. ^ Chris Boulton, David Quain (2008-04-15). Brewing yeast and fermentation. John Wiley and Sons, 2001. p. 22. ISBN 9780470999400. Retrieved 1 May 2011.
  5. ^ Marty Nachel (2008-06-23). Homebrewing For Dummiess. For Dummies, 2008. p. 14. ISBN 9780470374160. Retrieved 1 May 2011.