As a craft beer drinker it’s easy to get lost in the many different styles of beer from around the world. Whether your palate is novice or nuanced, understanding different beer styles and what goes into their brewing should be something all craft beer drinkers choose to understand. You’re always going to have your favorite style, but maybe there’s a type of beer on this list you weren’t aware of that you’re willing to try, or look out for when traveling.

Lager

Lager is one of the most popular types of beer worldwide. Lagers are known for their crisp, clean taste and are typically light in color. They undergo a fermentation process at lower temperatures using bottom-fermenting yeast strains.

  • Helles: Helles is a traditional German lager known for its pale golden color and malty sweetness. Compared to Pilsners, Helles beers have a more subdued hop profile, with a focus on clean, bready malt flavors and a smooth, balanced finish. They are often characterized by their exceptional drinkability and refreshing qualities.
  • Vienna Lager: Vienna Lager is a style of beer that originated in Austria but gained popularity in Mexico. These beers are characterized by their copper to amber color, balanced malt sweetness, and subtle hop bitterness. Vienna Lagers often feature flavors of toasted bread, caramel, and a clean, dry finish.
  • Bock: Bock is a strong lager originating from Germany, known for its rich, malty flavor and higher alcohol content. Bocks come in various sub-styles, including Maibock (a paler, more hop-forward version), Doppelbock (a stronger, more full-bodied beer with flavors of dark fruit and toffee), and Eisbock (a concentrated, high-alcohol version achieved through freeze distillation).
  • American Lager: American Lager is a broad category that includes beers such as American Adjunct Lager (e.g., Budweiser, Coors), American Light Lager (e.g., Bud Light, Miller Lite), and American Craft Lager. These beers are typically light, refreshing, and highly carbonated, with minimal hop bitterness and a clean, crisp finish.

Pilsner

Originating from the Czech city of Pilsen, Pilsners are characterized by their pale golden color, crisp taste, and pronounced hop bitterness. Pilsners often have a slight malt sweetness balanced by a dry finish.They are particularly popular in the United States, with American craft breweries often putting their own spin on this classic style.

  • Czech Pilsner (Czech Pils): Originating from the Czech Republic, Czech Pilsners are the original style of Pilsner. They are known for their golden color, crisp taste, and pronounced hop bitterness. Czech Pilsners often feature a soft, floral hop character with a balanced malt backbone.
  • German Pilsner (German Pils): German Pilsners are similar to Czech Pilsners but tend to have a more pronounced bitterness and a drier finish. They feature a clean, crisp taste with a firm maltiness and spicy, herbal hop notes. German Pilsners are brewed throughout Germany and are known for their high-quality ingredients and precise brewing techniques.
  • American Pilsner (American Pale Lager): American Pilsners are inspired by the Czech and German styles but often have a lighter body and a more pronounced hop character. They typically feature American hop varieties, which can impart flavors and aromas of citrus, pine, and tropical fruit. American Pilsners are generally less bitter than their European counterparts and may have a slightly sweeter finish.
  • Italian Pilsner: Italian Pilsners are a newer style of Pilsner that has gained popularity in recent years. They are similar to German Pilsners but often feature more modern hop varieties and brewing techniques. Italian Pilsners tend to be lighter in body with a crisp, clean taste and a refreshing bitterness. They may also exhibit subtle floral, fruity, or herbal notes.
  • Bohemian Pilsner: Bohemian Pilsners are another variation of the Czech Pilsner style, brewed primarily in the United States. They typically adhere closely to the traditional Czech recipe, featuring a rich malt character, a balanced hop bitterness, and a clean, refreshing finish. Bohemian Pilsners may have a slightly higher alcohol content than other Pilsner styles.

Ale

Ales are brewed with top-fermenting yeast strains at warmer temperatures than lagers. They often have a more complex flavor profile than lagers, with fruity, floral, and sometimes spicy notes. Ales encompass a wide range of styles, including pale ales, India pale ales (IPAs), stouts, porters, and Belgian ales.

  • Pale Ale: Pale ales come in various forms, including American Pale Ale (APA) and English Pale Ale. APAs typically have a more pronounced hop character with flavors and aromas of citrus, pine, and tropical fruits. English Pale Ales tend to be more balanced with a malt-forward profile and earthy, floral hop notes.
  • India Pale Ale (IPA): IPAs are known for their strong hop bitterness and aroma. Sub-styles include American IPA (typically more hop-forward with citrus and pine notes), English IPA (more balanced with earthy, floral hops), and Double IPA (or Imperial IPA, with even higher hop bitterness and alcohol content).
  • Hazy IPA (New England IPA): Hazy IPAs, also known as New England IPAs, have gained significant popularity in recent years. They are characterized by their hazy appearance, which results from the use of certain brewing techniques and the inclusion of high-protein grains like wheat and oats. Hazy IPAs often exhibit intense hop aroma and flavor, with notes of tropical fruit, citrus, and stone fruit. They tend to be less bitter than traditional IPAs, with a smoother mouthfeel and a juicy, sometimes creamy texture. The haze in these beers can contribute to a perception of increased body and a softer, more rounded bitterness. Hazy IPAs have become synonymous with the craft beer movement and are sought after by beer enthusiasts for their unique flavor profile and visual appeal.

Stout

Stouts are dark, rich beers known for their roasted malt flavors, which can include notes of coffee, chocolate, caramel, and even hints of smoke. They often have a creamy texture due to the use of ingredients like oats or lactose. Variants include dry stouts, oatmeal stouts, and imperial stouts.

  • Dry Stout: Also known as Irish Stout, this sub-style is characterized by its dry, roasted malt flavor with notes of coffee and chocolate. Guinness is a famous example.
  • Oatmeal Stout: Brewed with oats, oatmeal stouts have a smoother, creamier texture and a slightly sweeter flavor profile.
  • Imperial Stout: With higher alcohol content and a more intense flavor profile, imperial stouts feature rich, complex flavors of dark chocolate, roasted coffee, and dried fruit.

Porter

Similar to stouts, porters are dark beers with a focus on roasted malt flavors. They tend to be lighter in body and less intense than stouts, with a smoother finish. Porters can have notes of chocolate, coffee, caramel, and toffee.

  • Robust Porter: A stronger, more full-bodied version of the classic porter style, featuring robust flavors of roasted malt, coffee, and chocolate.
  • Baltic Porter: Originating from the Baltic region, this style is characterized by its higher alcohol content and smoother, lager-like characteristics compared to other porters.

Find out more about Porters in this informative blog post on Vinepair.

Wheat Beer

Wheat beers are brewed with a significant proportion of wheat in addition to barley. They are known for their light, refreshing qualities and often have a cloudy appearance. Wheat beers can be subtly sweet with notes of citrus and spice, as seen in styles like hefeweizen and witbier.

  • Hefeweizen: A traditional German wheat beer known for its cloudy appearance and flavors of banana and clove, which are produced by the unique yeast strains used during fermentation.
  • Witbier: A Belgian-style wheat beer brewed with coriander and orange peel, resulting in a refreshing, citrusy flavor profile with subtle spice notes.
  • American Wheat Beer: Typically lighter in body and less fruity than its European counterparts, American wheat beers often showcase a cleaner, more neutral yeast character, allowing the wheat and hops to shine through.

Sour Beer

Sour beers are brewed using wild yeast strains or bacteria, resulting in a tart or sour flavor profile. These beers can vary widely in intensity, from mildly tart to mouth-puckeringly sour. Varieties include Berliner Weisse, Gose, and Lambic.

  • Berliner Weisse: A tart, low-alcohol wheat beer originating from Berlin, often served with woodruff or raspberry syrup to balance the acidity.
  • Gose: A slightly sour and salty wheat beer brewed with coriander and salt, originating from Germany.
  • Lambic: A spontaneously fermented beer from Belgium’s Pajottenland region, lambics are often aged in oak barrels and can be either sweet (such as fruit lambics) or dry and tart (gueuze).

Read this great blog post from Sierra Nevada to learn more about sour beer.

Belgian Ale

Beers from Belgium encompass a diverse range of styles, including Belgian blondes, dubbels, tripels, and quadrupels. These ales are often characterized by fruity esters, spicy phenols, and complex malt profiles. Trappist ales, brewed by monks within Trappist monasteries, are a notable subset of Belgian ales.

  • Belgian Blonde Ale: Blonde ales are pale, golden-colored beers known for their light, refreshing character and subtle malt sweetness. They often have fruity and spicy yeast esters, with flavors ranging from citrus and pear to banana and clove.
  • Belgian Dubbel: Dubbels are medium to dark amber ales with rich malt flavors of caramel, toffee, and dark fruits like raisins and plums. They often feature spicy yeast phenols and a moderate level of alcohol warmth.
  • Belgian Tripel: Tripels are strong, pale golden ales with complex flavors and high alcohol content. They’re characterized by their fruity and spicy yeast esters, along with a noticeable malt sweetness and a dry finish. Tripels can exhibit notes of banana, pear, bubblegum, and pepper.
  • Belgian Quadrupel (Quad): Quads are robust, dark ales with a rich and complex malt profile. They’re characterized by their deep amber to dark brown color, with flavors of dark fruits, caramel, molasses, and chocolate. Quads often have a significant alcohol presence and can be quite strong.
  • Belgian Strong Ale: Belgian strong ales encompass a broad category of high-alcohol beers that can range from golden and fruity to dark and malty. These beers often have complex flavor profiles with a balance of malt sweetness, fruity esters, and warming alcohol.
  • Saison/Farmhouse Ale: Saisons are rustic, farmhouse-style ales that originated in the French-speaking region of Belgium. They’re typically pale to amber in color, with a dry finish and complex flavors of fruit, spice, and earthiness. Saisons are often brewed with a mix of grains and hops, along with unique yeast strains that contribute to their distinctive character.
  • Trappist Ale: Trappist ales are brewed by Trappist monks within Trappist monasteries, primarily in Belgium. These beers encompass various styles, including dubbels, tripels, and quads, and are known for their exceptional quality and craftsmanship. Authentic Trappist ales are brewed under strict guidelines set by the International Trappist Association.
  • Belgian Witbier: Witbiers are wheat beers brewed with spices like coriander and orange peel. They’re typically pale and hazy in appearance, with a refreshing citrusy flavor and a hint of spice. Witbiers are known for their smooth and creamy mouthfeel, making them popular choices during warmer months.

Saison

Saison, also known as Farmhouse Ale, is a diverse and historically rich style of beer originating from the French-speaking region of Belgium. Here are some of the different types of Saisons:

  • Traditional Saison: Traditional Saisons were historically brewed on Belgian farms during the cooler months and served to farmworkers during the summer harvest season. These beers were typically brewed with locally sourced ingredients, including barley, wheat, and sometimes spelt, and fermented with a mix of saison yeast and wild yeast strains. Traditional Saisons are known for their dry, effervescent character, complex yeast-driven flavors, and often showcase notes of citrus, pepper, and earthiness.
  • Modern Saison: In recent years, craft brewers around the world have embraced the Saison style, leading to a resurgence and reinterpretation of the traditional style. Modern Saisons may incorporate a wider range of ingredients and brewing techniques, resulting in a broad spectrum of flavors and aromas. While many modern interpretations still pay homage to the classic Saison profile, others push the boundaries with experimental ingredients such as fruit, spices, or barrel aging.
  • Farmhouse Ale: Farmhouse Ale is often used interchangeably with Saison, reflecting the beer’s agricultural roots and rustic character. These beers are typically brewed with a diverse array of grains, including barley, wheat, oats, and rye, and may incorporate locally sourced ingredients such as herbs, flowers, or even foraged botanicals. Farmhouse Ales often exhibit a lively carbonation, moderate to high hop bitterness, and a dry finish, making them refreshing and quenching.
  • Brett Saison: Some brewers ferment Saison-style beers with Brettanomyces yeast in addition to traditional saison yeast strains. Brettanomyces, or “Brett” for short, is a wild yeast strain known for its funky, barnyard-like aromas and flavors. Brett Saisons can develop complex and evolving characteristics over time, with flavors ranging from fruity and tropical to earthy and funky. These beers often benefit from extended aging, allowing the Brettanomyces to work its magic and develop additional complexity.
  • Spelt Saison: Spelt is an ancient grain related to wheat that has been used in brewing for centuries. Saisons brewed with spelt often have a distinctive grainy character, with flavors reminiscent of bread, crackers, and cereal. Spelt Saisons may also exhibit a slightly creamy texture and a subtle nuttiness, adding depth to the beer’s flavor profile.
  • Mixed-Fermentation Saison: Some brewers employ a mixed fermentation approach, combining traditional ale yeast with wild yeast and bacteria strains such as Brettanomyces and Lactobacillus. This results in beers with complex and sour characteristics, combining the fruity esters and spicy phenols of traditional Saisons with tartness and funkiness from the wild microbes. Mixed-fermentation Saisons can offer a wide range of flavors, from bright and citrusy to funky and rustic, often evolving over time as the beer matures.

Check out this blog post from City Brew Tours to learn more about Saison Beers.

There are nine different beer styles on this list. Whilst not exhaustive, it’s a really good primer if you’re looking to understand different beer styles and what makes them unique.

One of my favorite things to do when traveling is to visit a local brewery and sample some of their beers. I’ve done this in Scandinavia, the UK, Mexico, and even on travels across the United States. Visiting different cultures truly makes you appreciate the history and endeavor of those choosing to continue the progress of craft beer across the world.