The Brewing Enthusiast鈥檚 Guide to 25 Beer Terms
06/26/2023
Beer is one of those beverages that unites people from almost all walks of life. Whether you only enjoy it freezing cold and golden on a hot day or you鈥檙e obsessed with trying all kinds of brew, understanding some basic beer terminology could come in handy.
So, if you want to brew at home or impress your friends at the bar 鈥� or even make a career out of beer 鈥� familiarize yourself with the following 25 beer terms.
Descriptive Beer Terminology
Most people鈥檚 relationship with beer starts as a consumer. Let鈥檚 start by covering some basic words and phrases used to accurately describe beer鈥檚 unique tastes, styles, and qualities.
1. ABV
ABV stands for 鈥渁lcohol by volume鈥� and varies significantly according to beer style 鈥� and even within styles. This is a universal measurement that indicates the 鈥渟trength鈥� of the beer, describing the total volume of liquid in a beer that is made up of alcohol.
2. Maltiness
Maltiness refers to how sweet a beer tastes 鈥� more malt means more 鈥渟weetness.鈥�
3. Body
鈥淏ody鈥� refers to a drink鈥檚 mouthfeel. A low-body brew feels thinner and goes down easily, while a high-body beer coats your mouth and lingers.
4. Head
The 鈥渉ead鈥� of a beer is the foamy, frothy white top that appears when poured. It is caused by the carbon dioxide bubbles rising to the top. A robust head is desirable because it prevents the beer from going flat and contains much of the aroma from the brew.
5. IBU
This stands for 鈥渋nternational bitterness units.鈥� IBU measures the parts per million of isohumulone in the beer, which is the acid that gives it its bitter bite. The higher the IBU, the more bitter the beer will taste.
Brewing Terms for Beginners
Maybe you鈥檙e ready to take a deeper dive into the world of beer and want to learn how to make your own. Brewing science can be incredibly complicated and involves a lot of precise measurements, careful biochemistry and impeccable sterilization methods. Keep reading for some basic brewing terminology to help you get started.
6. Mash
鈥淢ashing鈥� is the process of soaking malted grains in water to release their sugar. And mash refers to the slurry mixture itself.
7. Hops
During the brewing process, flowers from the hop plant are added to enhance bitterness, flavor and aroma to the beer.
8. Yeast
This is a microorganism that 鈥渆ats鈥� sugars and produces alcohol as a result.
9. Wort
Wort is the liquid extracted from the mashing process. It contains all the sugars that will be turned into alcohol with the help of yeast and fermentation.
10. Fermentation
is the process by which yeast consumes the sugars in wort and produces alcohol and carbon dioxide.
11. Gravity
In brewing terms, 鈥済ravity鈥� is a measurement of density. It indicates the number of dissolved sugars in a beer wort before fermentation. Brewers measure the original gravity (OG) to understand how much alcohol will be produced and approximate the final ABV for the batch.
12. Conditioning
After fermentation is complete, the beer must go through a 鈥渃onditioning鈥� period where it is allowed to mature and carbonate.
13. Lautering
This is the process of separating sweet liquid wort from spent grains after mashing.
Common Beer Styles
Generally speaking, most beer falls into one of two main styles: ale and lager. But what鈥檚 the difference between ale and lager?
Ales ferment in warmer environments (60鈥�75掳F). Because the yeast works faster at high temps, ales are often faster to produce 鈥� some take as little as two weeks. Lagers, on the other hand, ferment in 鈥渓ow and slow鈥� environments (40-50潞F) and are typically ready in two to five weeks.
There are thousands of kinds of beer in the world 鈥� every culture puts its own twist on this ancient beverage. Below are just a few popular beer styles commonly found in the U.S.
14. Pale ale
Pale ales are typically golden in color and have a pleasing balance of malty and hoppy flavor.
15. India pale ale (IPA)
IPAs are easily one of the most popular beers in the U.S., and these ales pack a punch of bitter hops. Many brewers choose to add fruity notes to their IPAs to round out the strong taste.
16. Wheat beer
These beers stand out because their main grain is wheat rather than barley. They have a heavy mouthfeel, are low in bitterness, and are often flavored with juicy fruits.
17. American lager
American lagers are slightly malty, with low IBU and smooth body that makes them very drinkable.
18. Sour beer
As you can guess from the name alone, this type of beer is noticeably sour and acidic. To attain this signature taste, brewers add bacteria that eat up the sugar in the brew. Many sour beers have a 鈥渇unky鈥� taste that is complemented by fruits of all kinds, including citrus and berries.
19. Dunkel
This smooth lager comes in many shades of brown and is dependably high in malty flavor. Many brewers add notes of coffee or rich, sweet additives like chocolate and caramel.
20. Porter
Porters are noticeably dark in color because the malted grains are roasted before brewing. They are typically heavy-bodied and sweet.
21. Stout
Stouts are another wonderful that may look similar to porters but are made with un-malted roasted barley and are typically more bitter.
Popular Marketing and Promotion Terms for Beer
Even if you don鈥檛 end up brewing and selling your own beer, the following terms can help you make informed decisions about your beverage choice at the store or the bar.
22. Craft beer
as being produced in small, independent breweries that emphasize quality, flavor and innovation.
23. Microbrewery
A small brew operation that typically produces less than 15,000 barrels of beer per year.
24. Session beer
A 鈥渟ession鈥� beer typically has low alcohol content (around 5% ABV or less) and is very refreshing and light-bodied. The goal is to make a beer that is extremely drinkable and can be enjoyed 鈥渋n a quick session.鈥�
25. Seasonal beer
are designed to coincide with holidays (or the changing of the seasons). You might see eggnog-inspired stout for the winter or summer shandy during hot months.
Take Your Brewing Enthusiasm to the Next Level
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