When you’re a first-time beer drinker, you might consider lagers or ales as your entry-level drinks. Lagers are brewed with bottom fermenting yeast and a lower alcohol tolerance, making them lighter and malty in taste. Famous lagers in the US include Miller High Life, Coors, Budweiser, and Yuengling. Some lagers are even named after Jim Koch, co-founder of the Boston Beer Company, which makes Sam Adams beer.
The process used to create a beer begins with the ingredients, including grain, yeast, and water. While hops were not used in the beginning, modern brewing methods use this trifecta to create a tasty alcoholic drink. Hops, in particular, contribute a distinctive flavor to beer. Depending on how malts are processed, the finished brew will range from a rich golden color to a cloudy white liquid.
Some brewers add flavorings that aren’t listed on the labels. For example, the pale ale Hazy IPA is made with fruit juice blends. Some brewers also include notes of orange, Scotch barrel fermentation, or toasted aromas. Knowing the ingredients of a particular beer can help you better understand how to recognize its distinct taste. It can also help you identify its origins. When you drink a beer, you can take a trip to the brewpub or pub to learn more about how to order it.
Hops are the most expensive part of brewing a beer. Most batches require only a small amount of hops, but certain beer styles may need a high dose of hops. Hops impart bitterness, aromas, and preservative and antibacterial properties to a beer. Hops are classified into three main types, including aromatic, flavored, and bitter. In a nutshell, hops make beer more complex.
