The Basics of Beer: A Beginner's Guide

Beer is an alcoholic beverage that has been enjoyed for thousands of years. It was a staple food in ancient civilizations and continues to be a popular drink worldwide. As a bartender, familiarity with beer is essential, encompassing its production, types, pouring methods, tasting notes, and vocabulary.

 

The Brewing Process

Brewing beer is a relatively straightforward process involving cooking water, a grain (typically malted barley, potentially wheat), and hops to create a sugary liquid called wort. The wort is then transferred to a fermenter, cooled, and introduced to yeast.

Yeast, a single-celled bacteria, converts the sugar in the wort into alcohol, carbon dioxide, and energy. This process continues until all the sugar is consumed. Afterward, the beer may undergo further processing, including filtering, bottling, or kegging. Unfiltered beers are common among microbreweries, craft brewers, and home brewers due to the ease of production and the rich flavor they offer.

 

Essential Ingredients

  • Barley: The primary grain used in beer production, most often in the form of malted barley. Malting increases the sugar content of the grain, leading to a stronger alcoholic beverage.
  • Hops: The female flowers of the hop plant, which contribute a tart crispness, aroma, and help preserve the beer. The plant oils in hops balance the sweetness of beer, creating a more complex taste.
  • Water: Water is also a main ingredient in beer.

 

Talking About Beer

When serving beer, using the correct vocabulary helps guests understand the flavors they can expect. Here are some common beer buzzwords:

  • Malty: Describes the sweetness in a beer, indicating that the sweet flavor is more dominant than the bitterness from hops.
  • Hoppy: Indicates that the bitterness from hops is the dominant flavor.
  • Dry: Conveys a lack of sweetness, suggesting that most sugars have been converted to alcohol during fermentation.
  • Sweet: Describes beers with a significant amount of remaining sugar after fermentation, often used for fruit-infused beers.
  • Undertone: A subtle, secondary flavor that often appears as an aftertaste.
  • Light: Describes beers that are refreshing and not syrupy.
  • Crisp: Describes beers with a bitter taste from hops and a light body, like an IPA.
  • Finish: The taste sensation after swallowing the beer, similar to "aftertaste".

 

Types of Beer

The two main types of beer are ales and lagers, which are produced using different strains of yeast. Ales are made with top-fermenting yeast, while lagers are made with bottom-fermenting yeast. Ales often have lighter, fruitier flavors, while lagers are generally crisper.

Lagers

  • Pilsners: Light, hoppy, golden-colored beers that originated in Bohemia. They are among the most popular and widely sold beers, with an alcohol content of around 5%.
  • Bock: A darker ale style generally associated with Germany, Austria, and the Netherlands, often brewed for colder months. These beers have a strong amber tone and a higher alcohol content, around 6.5%. Doppelbocks are made by freezing the beer and removing some of the water to increase the strength.

Ales

  • Pale Ale: A quintessential English beer, amber in color, light in body, with a crisp, hoppy finish.
  • IPA (India Pale Ale): An ale with high hop levels added to preserve the beer during long sea voyages. Generally around 6% alcohol, IPAs are popular for their very crisp taste.
  • Bitter: The most popular draft beer in England, milder in hops than pale ales or IPAs, and often sweeter. It typically has a reddish-amber color and an alcohol content of 3-5%. ESB (Extra Special Bitter) is a variant with a higher alcohol content.
  • Brown Ale: A traditional English beer ranging from medium amber to dark brown, characterized by a sweet maltiness and little hop flavor.
  • Porter: A dark brown to black ale originally brewed in London in the early 18th century. It generally has a mild and malty flavor with less emphasis on hops.
  • Stout: A very dark ale made with dark malted barley and heavily hopped for a dry quality and thick, creamy consistency. The most popular form is Irish stout, but other styles include oatmeal stout, Russian Imperial stout, and chocolate stout.
  • Wheat Beers: Ales made from a grain mix of malted barley and wheat, resulting in a softer, often sweeter flavor. Hefeweizen beers are often served with a lemon.

 

Pouring Beer

The head, the foam on top of the beer, is a crucial element because it is responsible for most of the flavor a person will taste. The volatile oils, especially from the hops, evaporate in the head, creating a vapor that is smelled while the beer is tasted.

When pouring, leave a head of between .5-1.00 inches. To pour from a carbon dioxide tap, hold the glass close to the tap at a sharp angle, open the tap fully, and gradually reduce the angle as the beer fills the glass to create the head. Avoid letting the beer foam into an unangled glass. If too much head is produced, scoop out the excess with a spoon and repeat the pouring process.

 

Expanding Your Knowledge

  • Visit Local Breweries: Sample the range of products, learn about food pairings, and have fun.
  • Explore International Beers: Discover and taste beers from around the world to broaden your understanding.
  • Try Home Brewing: Experiencing the brewing process firsthand can greatly enhance your knowledge.

By mastering these basics, bartenders can confidently serve beer and guide guests through the diverse world of beer.