The Basics of Beer: The Famous Pastime

Alcohol... one of many people's famous pastimes, has grown very popular over the ages. Beer is one of the most loved and shared drinks of all times. But do we really know what goes into making beer? Or even the different kinds of beer that there is out there and what makes them so special? People have been drinking beer for centuries, and it has had plenty of time to evolve into many different types. All of the various flavor, body, and colors.

The basic ingredients of beer are water, a fermentable starch source, such as malted barley, and yeast. Barley has been a grain of choice for thousands of years. The longer the roasting of the malted barley, the darker the beer. Barley or wheat beers have a sweet taste. It is common for a flavoring to be added, the most popular being hops. Hops are herbaceous climbing vines and look like a cross between pine cores and artichokes. The bitter, dry flavor of hops counterbalance the sweetness of malt.

A mixture of starch sources may be used, with the secondary starch source, such as corn, rice and sugar, often being termed an adjunct, especially when used as a lower cost substitute for malted barley.The factors that go into deciding the style of the beer is the amount of malt that is being used, the type, and the method used when adding the hops and the yeast used to ferment the beer. Beer is the world's oldest and most popular alcoholic beverage, selling more than 35 billion gallons per year. Beer is one of the oldest human-produced beverages, possibly dating back to at least the 7th millennium BC. There are three types of beer; ales, lagers, and specialty beers.

Ales are created when the yeast gathers at the surface of the brew during the first few days before setting at the bottom and the fermentation takes place in warmer temperatures for the yeast to multiply. The main types of beer that are referred to as ales include brown ale, porter and stout. Brown ale is usually red or copper colored rather than brown. It has a milder flavor than the other types of ale beer. Cream ale is a popular sweetish, smooth, golden ale from the United States; cream ale was originally introduced by ale brewers trying to copy the Pilsner style. Some cream ales are made by blending ales with bottom-fermenting beers.

Porters are darker and more full bodied. Porters usually have a more noticeable barley flavor that is reminiscent of chocolate, along with a mild hop flavor. Stouts are the darkest type of beer, almost black in color. They are thick and taste strongly of the barley and hops that they are made from.

Lagers are created when the yeast sinks to the bottom and ferments in cool temperatures. Lagers are considered the most common beer sold in the United States. There are basically four types of beer that fall under the lager category: American style pale lager, pilsner, light lager and dark lager. Pale lager usually contains more carbonation than the other types of beer. It tends to be light in color as well as in body. The most popular brands of beer in the United States, such as Coors and Budweiser, are examples of a pale lager.

Pilsner is another type of lager that is pale in color. However, pilsners tend to have more distinct flavors and are often more bitter than American style pale lager. In the U.S., light lager beer contains less hops and barleys, which reduces the caloric content of the beer. Light beer also has a slightly lower alcohol concentration than regular beers. In Europe, a light lager is a beer that is light in color rather than calories. Dark lagers are made with roasted barley and hops, and therefore have richer flavor, a very dark color and a full-bodied taste.

Malt liquor is very popular in the United States and is a strong lager made with a high amount of sugar to produce a thin and potent brew. Malt liquors are designed to give you a strong alcoholic punch. They are considered a light beer with a kick and are often made cheaply.

Specialty Beers consist of the same elements used to make a beer but also include other ingredients that cause it not to fit into a true ale or lager style. Fruit, vegetables, spices and so on are added to both lagers and ales to create beer with flavors like cherry wheat and pumpkin spice, for example.

Abbey beers can be considered a specialty beer. Abbey beers are strong fruity ales and brewed in Belgium by commercial companies. They copy the style of the surviving beers produced in monasteries, or name their brews after a church or a saint.

Since beer has been around for ages, each culture has a different way of brewing and creating beer. Such as Honey beer. The Celts and other ancient peoples used to make mead from fermented honey. They also produced a beer, bragot, to which honey was often added as a soft sweetener. A hazy honey brew called Golden Mead Ale was produced in England by Hope & Anchor Breweries of Sheffield, and was widely exported until the early l960's. Today, a few breweries have revived the style, notably Ward's of Sheffield with Waggle Dance and Enville Ales of Staffordshire. Some new American brewers also use honey, as do the innovative Belgian De Dolle Brouwers in their Boskeun beer.

The Irish has always been known for their perfection of beer. Soft and slightly sweet, Irish Ale has a reddish tint to it and has top and bottom fermenting versions and is brewed commercially. Guinness is the best known ale in Ireland today.

Okay so now that you know some of the basics of beers and a few examples... let's ask the average beer drinker, Mike Beres, what his thoughts are on the beer world.

1. What is your favorite beer?
   Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA
2. Why is it your favorite beer?
   Because it tastes really good, is nice and strong, and doesn't have anything offensive about it. There is no nasty effect or poison tasting likeness.
3. What does a beer have to contain for you to enjoy it?
   Decent flavor and alcohol content.
4. What do you not like in a beer?
   Skunkiness, Pilsners, anything Budweiser
5. What is the worst beer you have drunk?
   King Lager, but that is probably because after purchasing it and drinking it we found it was 4 years old. But the worst beer in general is probably Bud Light or Rockman.
6. Why was it the worst beer?
   OFFENSIVE and makes me sick every time I think about them.
7. Do you drink beer just to drink it to get drunk or do you actually drink it to savor the taste of the beer?
   Depends on the mood.
8. How much would you pay for your favorite beer?
   $40 for a case. For individual about $4.
9. What beer would you suggest to those out there who have never tried a beer before?
   Hoegaarden, it's a pleasant tasting beer.
10. Any other beer comments you would like to share?
    I truly dislike Budweiser, every time I drink it, it gives me a headache. Note the beer's appearance, how it smells and tastes. Savor each beer. Drink for flavor, not for impact, and always practice moderation when drinking. Get to know your limits, and don't exceed them. There's plenty of beer to be had, with plenty of time, so pace yourself. If you feel that moment of absolute cheer, take a break; grab water and some food. Not all beers are alike, and many of today's beers can be rather high in alcohol - and not even taste it. And of course... don't drink and drive.

Moderate consumption of beer can be good for your heart; studies prove that moderate drinkers of beers, wines, and spirits reduce the risk of coronary heart disease as well as heart attacks. Beer contains more than twice as many antioxidants as wine. Beer does not contain fat or cholesterol and is low in sugars.

So drink up! But in moderation of course!