Beers are loved by many. Some are hugely popular and some are certainly an acquired taste. This article looks at the different types of beer, including any healthy or gluten-free options.
Introduction
There are different types of beer for different occasions. Cooking a roast on a cold, winter’s day? Stout. Need your thirst quenched during the summer heatwave? Grab a lager. Beer is a big business. As humans we use beer to celebrate, commiserate, relax, party…if there’s an occasion then there’s a beer. What are your beer tastes though? Have you always played it safe with a Heineken in your local? Have you thought about perhaps venturing out and grabbing a stout or darker style ale? Let this article inform you of the different types of beer that are out there and maybe next time you won’t play it so safe when you head to the bar, or you might consider trying your own brew.
What are the different types of beer?
There are many different types of beer, and now with the microbrewery and craft beer boom, brewers are coming up with more and more ways to stretch the boundaries and introduce new ways to challenge and delight our taste buds. One thing that will never change though, are different types of beer that will remain mainstream. The most mainstream types of beer are:
Lager beers – The most popular type of beer in the world. All of the major players in the world have lager as their premier offering. Stella Artois, Heineken and Budweiser are just three extremely popular lagers. Lagers have a slower fermentation process and often at cooler temperatures. You simply can’t beat a cold lager on a hot summer’s day!
Stout beers – Stouts are roasted and dark ales known for coffee and chocolate notes. They often come with a very thick and creamy head. There are different types of stout such as dry stout and milk stout. Vine Pair have written a full stout 101 guide here to explain all things stout.
Ale – Ale is super versatile and comes in many types. You may have heard of pale ales, brown ales, sour ales, amber ale, XPAs, etc. There are also specific pale ales such as India pale ale, English pale ale and American pale ale. Newcastle Brown Ale is a particularly popular offering in the USA. The opposite to lager, fermentation is short and done at warmer temperatures, making home brew ales particularly popular amongst hobbyists!
Porter – Porter is a dark type of beer/ ale that can often have quite a fruity flavor or even dry in its flavour. Porter was discovered in London and popular Porters include English Brown Porter and Baltic Porter.
Blonde Ale – Blonde Ales are a light and easy to drink type of beer, especially after a long day in the sun if you’re needing to quench your thirst. Blonde ales are light and clear in appearance, a lot like lager, and have quite a mellow taste rather than bitter flavors.
“Fermentation may have been a greater discovery than fire”
David Rains Wallace
What types of beer are dark?
There are different types of beer that are dark but the most usual dark beer is a nice stout. One of the most famous dark beers in the world is of course Guinness, which is an Irish dry stout. Porter is a different type of beer that is dark. Both stouts and porters are usually full-bodied drinks that are rich in flavor. Chocolate and coffee are often two tasting notes that come through strongly in darker beers. This article by Dan Murphy’s takes a really deep dive into the different beer styles that fall into the dark category.
What is the healthiest beer?
Now, unfortunately, I can’t be the bearer of exceptional news here and say that all beer types are healthy. The fact is, they aren’t. However, in moderation, beer can actually have some surprising health benefits. This article by NBC states seven reasons why beer could actually be healthy for you, working off the premise that you have one pint a day. What makes this better? The fact that these claims are backed by science! Some of these claims made are that drinking beer in moderation can actually lower your risk of heart disease and build stronger bones. Now, it is worth noting before you treat this as gospel, that this article is not medical advice!
In truth though, there’s no way of substantiating if one beer is the healthiest of them all. Most medical professionals and nutritionists however would say that 0% alternatives are the healthiest of them all. Heineken 0 is a very popular offering that is beginning to sprout up in bars more and more often. A healthy alcoholic version, however, is Guinness. Known as ‘liquid bread’ by many, Guinness is actually high in iron and other nutrients, as well as high in fibre. Not to mention, absolutely delicious!
What types of beer are gluten-free?
In this WebMD article it is stated that beer typically has a gluten content of 20 ppm (parts per million). This would make wheat beers problematic for those with an intolerance to gluten. Fear not if you are on a gluten-free diet, however. There is a website for you (of course). Best Gluten Free Beers is a website that showcases an enormous range of gluten-free or gluten-reduced beers from around the world. The different types of beer that are gluten-free are anything from a dark stout to your normal lager. So, if you are gluten intolerant, there are still a lot of gluten-free options out there for you! The beer gods have your back!
What is the most popular type of beer?
Lager is undoubtedly the most popular type of beer in the world. It is most prevalent in mainstream bars, bottle shops, etc. Whether it’s a nice Corona with a slice of lemon, or a Heineken, lager is synonymous with ‘having a beer’ the world over. This graph by Statista breaks down the most popular lagers in the world, ranked by brand value.
“Beer, if drank with moderation, softens the temper, cheers the spirit and promotes health”
Thomas Jefferson
Conclusion
There are many different types of beer that suit taste buds all over the world. Some beers are seasonal and some are evergreen. A nice stout over an open fire while it’s bitterly cold outside is some folks’ idea of heaven. The same goes with a nice pale ale or lager on a warm summer’s day. One thing is for sure, there is a beer style for every occasion, weather, event, celebration…you name it!
Beer is a big industry in the world today. There are many bars, microbreweries, restaurants, etc. that profit from beer, some entirely so. It is recommended to always drink in moderation, however, with excessive beer (and alcohol) consumption owing to many complications such as addiction and poor health. That being said, in moderation, there’s nothing better than cracking open a beer at the end of the day and enjoying that liquid gold.
So, what’s on your beer list? Do you prefer sour flavors, bitter flavors, sweet notes or fruity flavors?
Have you tried a malty beer or a sour beer? Let us know your top pick!
