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Beers
INTRODUCTION
Beer was rst made in the bible lands of Mesopotamia and Egypt around 4000 BC. The process came about by accident with some damp grain turning itself into malt and fermentation developing naturally. Even today in Belgium one style of beer is made by the spontaneous fermentation of wild yeasts. The histories of bread and ale are interlinked as they use much the same raw materials and the English poet John Taylor called beer ' a loaf out of a brewer's basket.' And although methods of brewing have changed over the years the essential process remains the same even today. In Europe, monks were the principal brewers of ale, then a sweet and glutinous drink. Not only was ale food but because it was boiled it was considerably safer to drink than water. Beer needed something extra and that was hops which not only added extra avor but also acted as a preservative.

THE BREWING PROCESS

Cereals are the raw material most commonly used in brewing. Although wheat, rice, sorghum, millet, rye, cassava, rice, maize and even green bananas are still used to produce alcoholic drinks with some resemblance to beer, the mainstay of the brewing industry worldwide is barley. Before it can be used to brew beer, barley has to be made into malt, thereby transforming its starch content into fermentable sugars. After steeping in water, it is left to germinate in a warm environment, then heated in a process called as kilning, which gives a more or less dark color to the malt and likewise to the resulting beer.

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The malt obtained in this way is milled into a ne grist, then mixed with hot water: this is the brewing operation proper, lasting between one and two hours. It is performed in large mash tuns, some of which are made of copper, with a characteristic chimney serving to evacuate steam. Once the solid residues (known as returns) have been ltered out, the liquid, or wort is heated in a copper to over 100C and hops are incorporated. On cooling, yeast is added to the liquid and it is allowed to ferment in another vessel, until the sugars have been transformed into alcohol and carbon dioxide. After further ltering the resulting green beer is left to rest and mature, before being packaged into casks or bottles and in some cases pasteurized to improve its traveling qualities. This is the basic procedure used in brewing almost all types of beer. The choice of barley, the type of malt (pale or dark), the addition of other cereals (maize, rice) or of maltose syrups, the variety of hop (more or less bitter or aromatic), the duration of the brewing process and the chosen temperature are all vital factors in determining the nal properties of a beer. The most important stage is undoubtedly fermentation, since it is this that dictates the type of beer that will result. There are two main types of fermentation. Top Fermentation The older of the two, is effected at 15 20C over a relatively short period (three to ve days), with yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) that rises to the surface of the beer. It produces beers that are dense, full-avored and long in the mouth; Bottom Fermentation The most widely practiced method nowadays, takes between seven and ten days at lower temperatures (6 8C). The yeasts (Saccharomyces carlsbergensis) remain at the bottom of the fermentation vessel. There is also a third spontaneous - fermentation process, employed in Belgium to produce lambic and gueuze beers. It relies on yeasts which occur naturally
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in the atmosphere in a restricted region to the south of Brussels. Finally, some brewers add yeast when the beer is bottled. This causes a secondary fermentation, evidenced by a sediment (the lees) which accumulates on the bottom of the bottle. Pasteurization, which requires heating the liquid to a high temperature for a very short period, has the disadvantage of sterilizing the beer and, worse, of destroying its subtle aromas. There are now more modern methods of ltering and drawing off the beer in sterile conditions so that it can travel without risk of deterioration. Depending on its duration and the kind of casks used, the conditioning stage is also very important in determining the nature of a beer. It lasts between two and twelve weeks for common or garden beers but, as practiced by some Belgian and British brewers, may extend to several months or even two years, the beer being kept in oak casks. Once bottled, beer must be stored away from sources of heat and light and cannot be kept for more than a few months, except in the case of certain abbey beers from Belgium or some special British ales.

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Hops: Imparting the flavor

Though often thought as the main ingredient in beer, hops are really an additive. 100 to 300 grams are sufficient to flavor 100 liters, a mere hundredth of the quantity of malt required. The common hop (Humulus lupulus) is a quickgrowing plant reaching from 5 to 7 meters in height. It is the cone shaped female flowers that are mainly used in brewing, though British producers still use male hops. Small though it may be the hop cone contains a wealth of resins and essential oils; in fact more than 200 aromatic components have been identified. It is these that turn the sugary juices resulting from the brewing process into flavorsome beers. Hops contain several characteristics that brewers desire in beer. Hops contribute a bitterness that balances the sweetness of the malt; the bitterness of beers is measured on the International Bitterness Units scale. Hops contribute floral, citrus, and herbal aromas and flavors to beer. Hops have an antibiotic effect that flavors the activity of brewer's yeast over less desirable microorganisms, and hops aids in "head retention", the length of time that a foamy head created by carbonation will last. The acidity of hops is a preservative.

Types of Malt Pale malt the lightest kilned malt, this retains the maximum amount of sugar. It is used for many of the lighter beers. Lager malt this is lightly roasted and suited to lager production. Crystal malt Medium roasted and deep golden in color, this is used in the production of deeper colored and fuller bodied beers.

Chocolate or black malt deep roasted with a chocolate color and bitter avor, this is used to produce stout and porter. Water
It is one of the main ingredients in beer in brewing parlance it is called liquor. It must be biologically pure and its mineral content assured. It can be softened or hardened. Hard water is ideal for lager whereas soft water is more suitable for heavier beers. Historically, brewers have depended for their supply on local wells where the mineral composition of the water has come through natural resources.

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CLASSIFICATION OF BEER
Beer is categorized into one of three different categories: lagers, ales, and the rest fall into a category called specialty beers. The difference between a lager and an ale is the type of yeast used in fermentation. ALES An ale yeast is called top fermenting because of its tendency to occulate (gather) at the surface of the brew during the rst few days before settling to the bottom. To brew an ale, fermentation must take place in warmer temperatures for the yeast to multiply and do its magic. Ales are usually higher in alcohol and will be noticeably fuller and more complex. LAGERS The lager yeast simply occulates (not at the surface) and sinks to the bottom. Therefore it is known as bottom fermenting. Lager yeasts need cool temperatures during fermentation to perform their magic. Lagers tend to be lighter in color and usually taste drier than ales. They are generally less alcoholic and complex. This is the most common beer type sold in the U.S. SPECIALTY BEERS

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Specialty beers are either ales, lagers, or a hybrid of the two that will contain other ingredients that cause it to not t into a true ale or lager style. Examples of Ales:

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Barley Wine Barley Wine is a very intense and complex beverage with alcohol content equal to most wines. It is not for the faint of heart. It has a hearty, sweet malt avor which is offset by a strong and bitter avoring from the hops for balance. Because of the preserving qualities of alcohol, this is the best beer for storing over a long period of time. The color ranges from copper to medium brown. The strong scent of malt, hops, and even the alcohol are evident. You can even feel the warmth of the alcohol as you swallow. The bitterness ranges from medium to the highest of all beer types. Alcohol (% by volume): 6-12 Examples: Sierra Nevadas Bigfoot Barley Wine, Adnams Tally-Ho Barley Wine English Bitter There are three classic styles of English Bitters. They are the Ordinary (mild), the Special (moderate strength), and the Extra Special (a stong bitter). They are typically characterized with traditional hops such as Kent Goldings, Fuggles, or Brewers Gold. Just as they range from mild to strong, the color and alcohol percentage also follow. The information for the average Special Bitter is as follows: Alcohol (% by volume): 4.24.8 Examples: Youngs London Special Ale, Fullers London Pride Pale Ale As in the English Bitters, there are varying styles of pale ales. They all share a pronounced hop avor and aroma with low to medium maltiness. There is also a good deal of fruity esters. Among the types of pale ales are the English, the India (IPA), and the American. English have a dry character usually due the high sulfate content of the water. The India Pale Ale is usually stronger and hoppier because the higher alcohol content and hop acids acted as a preservative on the long boat journey from England to its colonies in India. The American is usually amber in color and has a bit more maltiness avor than the other two. When brewing pale ales, fresh, quality hops is a necessity. Alcohol (% by volume): 5.07.6 Examples: Anchor Brewing Co.s Liberty Ale, Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, Samuel Smiths Pale Ale Scottish Ale Scottish ales are close cousins to the English ales with the exception that they are usually darker, maltier, and have less carbonation. They range in color, maltiness and strength in the order of Scottish Light (60 Shilling), Scottish Heavy (70 Shilling), Scottish Export (80 Shilling), and the Strong Scotch (wee heavy). The term 60-80 shilling dates back to when beer was taxed by gravity and strength and is still the way to order Scottish ale in a Highland pub. The Strong Scotch is usually dark brown, high in alcohol (6-8 percent) and can have a lightly smoky character.

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Alcohol (% by volume): 5.07.6 Examples: Samuel Smiths MacAndrews Stock Ale, Scottish Courages McEwans Export Belgian Strong Dark Ale Belgium is known for having hundreds of unique styles of beer. Though very diverse, they are usually medium to dark in color with a high alcohol content. They are very malty and with a low hop avor and aroma. The most important ingredient in this style of beer is the strain of yeast. The yeast and warm fermentations create a unique biscuity avor with fruity and spicy overtones and a good deal of carbonation. These beers are usually very aromatic and are best served in a goblet so as to better smell the beer while drinking. Often considered the champagne of beers, the Belgian Strong Ale is denitely a beer to be savored. This is also one of the harder beer styles to try to achieve at home. Alcohol (% by volume): 7.0-11.0 Examples: Bires de Chimays Chimay Grand Reserve, Brouwerij Westvleterens Westvleteren Abt 12 (Yellow Cap) Porter The Porters name comes from the Porters at Londons Victoria Station. They would frequently mix several styles of beer into one glass and drink large quantities of the mixture. A style was eventually created to approximate this blend and came to be known as a Porter. Arthur Guinness and Sons was one of the earliest brewer (the rst being the Whitbreads of London) to offer a Porter commercially. Later on, they increased the alcohol content of the Porter and the new drink became known as the Stout Porter (which eventually became Stout). The Porter is a good beer for those who want a full avored, dark beer without the bitterness from the roasted barley that a Stout now possesses. Alcohol (% by volume): 4.5-6.0 Examples: Anchor Brewing Co.s Anchor Porter, Samuel Smiths Taddy Porter, Fuller Smith and Turners Fullers London Porter Imperial Stout The Czarist rulers of Russia so loved the English Stouts that they would have it shipped to them from England. The beer didnt hold up too well on the long journey, so the English increased the gravity and alcohol content just as they did when creating the India Pale Ale, thus the birth of the Russian Imperial Stout. An Imperial Stout is dark copper to very black in color. It has a rich and complex maltiness with noticeable hop bitterness. The two main ingredients are the dark

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roasted barley and black malts. The Imperial Stout is like the espresso of beer styles, full avored and intense. Alcohol (% by volume): 7.0-9.0 Examples: Grants Imperial Stout, Samuel Smiths Imperial Stout Examples of Lagers: Here are a few of the more popular lagers. Most of these types can be faithfully reproduced in your own home. American Lager This is basically the main style of beer in America. It is a mass produced, inexpensive product thats aimed at the broadest possible demographic. Since it is very watery and has little avor characteristics, it is the least likely to offend a large number of consumers. In the health craze of the 70s brewers started offering Light Beer. Light Beer is simply an American Lager with an even lower gravity. American Lagers achieve a low gravity by adding corn or rice syrup which is highly fermentable. This means that a higher percentage of sugars ferment into alcohol leaving behind less avor. Alcohol (% by volume): 3.5-4.5 Examples: Anheuser Buschs Budweiser, Coors Brewing Cos Coors Light Pilsner Pilsner style beer originated in Plzen, Czechoslovakia in 1842. It was the very rst light colored beer. Today, it is the worlds most popular style of beer. The original Pilsners dening elements were the extremely soft water that was pumped locally and the unique aromatic hops that were also grown nearby. Pilsners are malty sweet, and well hopped. Caramel avors are often noticed accompanied by medium to high bitterness. Pilsners have a good amount of carbonation and are clean and crisp. Alcohol (% by volume): 4.0-5.0 Examples: Plzensky Prazdrojs Pilsner Urquell, Pivovar Velke Popovices Kozel Pilsner Bock Originating in Germany, Bock beer is a hearty beer with high alcohol content. Contrary to the rumor, bock beer is not whats cleaned out of the bottom of the vats at the end of the year! Bock beer has a pronounced malt avor with just enough hop bitterness to tame the sweetness. The German word for lager lagern means to store.
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This being said, Bock beer is a well lagered. In other words, the beer is matured for a long period of time during the second fermentation. A variation on Bock beer is the Doppelbock. A Doppelbock has a higher gravity and slightly higher alcohol content. Traditionally, most all breweries end the names of their Doppelbocks in ator (such as Optimator or Salvator) which makes them easy to nd. Alcohol (% by volume): 4.0-5.0 Examples: Pennsylvania Brewing Co.s St. Nick Bock, Spaten-Franziskaners Optimator Oktoberfest (Marzen) Marz, the German word for March, is when the last batch of beer was brewed before the warm summer months (before refrigeration). This beer was stored in Alpine caves to keep cool and consumed throughout the summer. At harvest time and the beginning of the new brewing season (around October), the remaining beer in storage was taken from the caves and consumed during a celebration. This celebration still takes place in Munich for 16 days and ends on the rst Sunday in October. This beer is amber in color and is slightly heavy. It is malty sweet as typical with beer from southern Germany and Austria. There is low to medium bitterness but enough to offset the sweet. This is a favorite of many home brewers because its fairly easy to make. Alcohol (% by volume): 5.0-6.0 Examples: Paulaner-Salvators Paulaner Oktoberfest-Bier, Great Lakes Brewing Co.s Eliot Ness Helles The main beer consumed in Bavaria. Helles is a pale lager that is light in color, not taste or calories. It is low in alcohol and intended to be an everyday or session beer. The main quality that separates a Helles from a Pilsner or Pale Lager is a less potent hop aroma and avor. Only a mild, short lived bitterness should be expected. Alcohol (% by volume): 3.8-5.0 Examples: Brauerei Weihenstephaners Weihenstephaner Original, Hofbrauhaus Hofbrau Original Dunkel Commonly known as German dark beer. Its basically a Helles with additional roasted malt added for color and a toasty, chocolate-like taste. Contrary to its reputation, it is really not as heavy or strong as many would think. It is slightly more bitter than a Helles, but the bitterness is a result of the roasted barley rather than from hops. Alcohol (% by volume): 4.5-5.4 Examples: Hacker-Pschorr Braus Munchner Dunkel, Pennsylvania Brewing Co.s Penn Dark

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Examples of Specialty Beers: Here are a few of the more popular specialty beers. Most of these types can be faithfully reproduced in your own home. Weizenbier (Weissbier) Weizen is the German word for wheat. Weizenbier is an ale made from wheat. The German word weiss means white. This ale, is a golden color but is cloudy and sometimes casts a whitish appearance. A Weizenbier is a very refreshing, effervescent beer. The taste has hints of cloves and banana. If when bottling, a little yeast is added, the Weizenbier is referred to as a Hefeweizen. Hefe means yeast. A Weizenbier has to have at least 50% wheat malt to be considered a Weizenbier. Many times, a Weizenbier is enjoy with a twist of lemon. Try this light bodied, spicy beer in the summertime. Alcohol (% by volume): 5.0-5.6 Examples: Brauerei Weihenstephans Weihenstephaner Hefeweisbier, Hacker-Pschorr Braus Hacker-Pschorr Weisse Smoked Beer One of the more unusual beers is the smoked beer. In Bamberg Germany this style is very popular and referred to as Rauchbier. In this style, a brewer will res his malt over a wood re and lets the smoke absorb into the grains. This imbues a smoky character in the taste of the brew. Many home brew recipes call for duplicating this smoky taste with liquid smoke. A Porter is a good beer for making a smoked beer because of its high malt, low hop ratio. Alcohol (% by volume): 4.3-4.8 Examples: Alaskan Brewing Co.s Alaskan Smoked Porter, Stone Brewing Co.s Stone Smoked Porter Fruit/Vegetable Beer Adding fruit to beer is a relatively new concept in America. However, in Belgium this has been done for centuries. Just about any beer can have fruit extracts or syrups added and they are readily available at home brew supply shops. With fruit or vegetable beers, theres no telling what you might nd because the different recipes are so varied. Examples: New Glarus Brewing Co.s Wisconsin Belgian Red, Weyerbacher Brewing Co.s Raspberry Imperial Stout Herb/Spice Beer Herb or Spiced Beer is very similar to Fruit Beers in that its a fairly new trend for American brewers. With the amount of spices available, there are a
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myriad of recipes to satisfy any urge. As in Fruit Beer, any type of beer can be used as a base for selected herbs or spices. With these types of beers, you can really let you imagination run wild. Examples: Highland Brewings Cold Mountain Winter Ale, Smuttynose Brewing Co.s Smuttynose Pumpkin Ale

BEER STRENGTH
Beer ranges from less than 3% alcohol by volume (abv) to around 14% abv. The pale lagers that most consumers are familiar with fall in the range of 46%, with a typical abv of 5%. The customary strength of British ales is quite low, with many beers being around 4% abv. The alcohol in beer comes primarily from the metabolism of sugars that are produced during fermentation. The quantity of fermentable sugars in the wort and the variety of yeast used to ferment the wort are the primary factors that determine the amount of alcohol in the nal beer. Additional fermentable sugars are sometimes added to increase alcohol content, and enzymes are often added to the wort for certain styles of beer (primarily "light" beers) to convert more complex carbohydrates (starches) to fermentable sugars. Alcohol is a by-product of yeast metabolism and is toxic to the yeast; typical brewing yeast cannot survive at alcohol concentrations above 12% by volume. Low temperatures and too little fermentation time decreases the effectiveness of yeasts and consequently decreases the alcohol content.

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BEER MEASURES
Nips: 7-8 oz Half Pint: 10 oz Pint 20 oz. Draught beer containers 1 pin: 4 gallons 1 rkin: 9 gallons 1 keg: 10 gallons 1 kilderkin: 18 gallons 1 barrel: 36 gallons 1 hogshead: 54 gallons 2 barrel tanks: 45 gallons 5 barrel tanks: 90 gallons

SERVICE OF BEER
To allow for a good attractive head, glasses should be larger than the amount of beer that is to be dispensed. Glasses should be clean and brilliant in appearance, free from chips, cracks, smudges such as lipstick marks and other blemishes. They should be handled by the base, around the center or by the handle never by the rim. Draught beers are dispensed in four ways:

By a manual pull-beer engine; Through a free ow tap; Through a measured beer dispensers; Through taps with a back action creaming device.

Beers are usually served within the temperature range of 10-14 deg C, with lager beers generally served cooler than other beers at around 8-10 deg C. Some ales and stouts are also served at room temperature. (18-22 deg C)

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Glassware All glasses should be spotlessly clean with no nger marks, grease or lipstick on them. Examples of glassware are:

Half pint/ Pint tankards for draught beer. Pint tumblers for draught beer. Tumblers for any bottled beer. Short stemmed beer glass for Bass/Worthington/ Guinness. Lager glass for lager. Paris goblets or Draught tumblers for brown, pale, strong ales.

Bottled beers are available in the following sizes:

Nips: 7-8 oz. Half pints: 10 oz. Pints: 20 oz. Quarts: 40 oz.

Pouring Hold the glass at an angle and control the head of the beer by pouring against the inside of the glass. Lower and straighten the glass when a head needs to be encouraged. Never allow the tap or bottle neck to come in contact with the beer when pouring. Certain bottle beers such as light ales and pasteurized beers can be poured straight into the glass. Others that have been bottle conditioned have to be poured carefully. A typical example of a sediment beer is Worthington White Shield. The skill is not to disturb the sediment when pouring so that only the brilliance of the beer can be seen in the glass: hold the glass tilted at eye level and pour the beer very carefully down the inside of the glass, keeping the bottle absolutely steady. As the glass lls lower it from

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the bottle to ensure an attractive head. When the sediment reaches the shoulder of the bottle, stop pouring. The perfect glass of beer should look good enough to photograph; it should be star bright in appearance, taste true to type and lace the glass (with froth) as it is drunk. Faults in Beer Cloudy Beer This may be due to low temperature in the cellar, or may often result from the beer pipes not cleaned properly. Flat Beer When the cellar temperature is too low, beer often becomes dull and lifeless. Dirty glasses and those that have been relled for a customer who has been eating food will also cause beer to go at. Sour Beer This may be due to lack of business resulting in the beer left on ullage for too long. Sourness may also be caused by the lth habit of adding stale beer to a new cask or by beer coming in contact with old deposits of yeasts which have become lodged in the pipeline from the cellar.

BOTTLED/CANNED BEER STORAGE

The best temperature for storing package beer is between 40 and 70 Fahrenheit. At higher t e m p e r a t u r e s, e s p e c i a l l y a p p r o a ch i n g 1 0 0 Fahrenheit, the aroma and avor of beer deteriorate rapidly. At lower temperatures, below 32 Fahrenheit, there is always the danger of freezing. If beer is frozen or exposed to multiple freezings, ingredients break down and separate, rendering it unt for sale. When beer is lightly frozen only once, the water in beer separates to form ice crystals. Such beer can usually be saved if it is clear after thawing. After it thaws, gently turn the can, bottle or barrel over -- end to end -- to remix the contents. The beer can then be sold.

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There are three words to remember when it comes to storing beer -- clean, dry and dark. Your storage area must be clean to keep cartons, bottles and cans attractive, presentable, and dust free. Beer stored in a dirty area loses sales appeal. Beer cartons/packages must also be protected from dampness. Damp cartons can cause bottle breakage or can damage due to wet cartons or secondary packaging. A dark storage place is especially important for bottled beer to prevent it from becoming light-struck and from taking on an undesirable avor and aroma. Exposure to direct sun rays will noticeably affect beer avor in only a few minutes. Beer that is light-struck will have an odor similar to that of a skunk. This condition is known as "skunky beer." While beer in cans is not affected by light, direct sun rays cause overheating, which may change the aroma and taste.

HOW AND WHEN TO SERVE DIFFERENT STYLES OF BEER

STYLE ORIGIN France Belgium Germany France Belgium Belgium Germany CHARACTERISTICS Bottom Fermentation SERVING GOES WITH

Pilsner

8 C

Aperitifs, light sauces, sorbets

Brown Beers

Well roasted malts 12-14 C

Meats and games with sauces

White Beers

Top fermentation, barley and wheat

8 C

Aperitifs, sauces for white fish

Abbey Beers

Belgium

Top fermentation

10-12 C

Meats prepared with sauces, Cheese Meats prepared with sauces, digestive Aperitif, grills, sorbets Aperitif, red meat

Bieres de garde

Flanders

Top fermentation Spontaneous fermentation Top fermentation Top fermentation

10 C

Gueuzes Ales Stouts

Belgium Britain Ireland, Britain

10-12 C 10 C

12-14 C Afternoon, excellent with oysters.

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GLOSSARY OF TERMS
Abbaye A Belgian top fermented beer, relatively strong and dense, often subject to a secondary fermentation in the bottle. In color, an abbey beer may be blond, amber or brown. Alcohol free The term used for any beer containing less than 1 percent abv. Beers of this type may be blond, amber or brown in color. Ale A British top-fermentation beer, of only average alcoholic strength which may be amber colored, light or dark. The different varieties are pale ale, mild, which is sweeter and lower in alcohol and hops; bitter; stout and barley wine. Alt The German term for top-fermentation beers. Alt means old, as contrasted with the more recent bottom-fermentation pilsners.The Dsseldorf breweries specialize in beers of this kind. Barley wine Term used for strongest and densest British ales. Bitter The most popular type of British ale, drunk mainly in pubs. It has a distinctly hoppy avor. Color ranges from amber to orangey. Blanche A Belgian wheat beer often avored with spices. As it is not ltered, a white beer can be distinguished by its cloudy appearance. It also has a rather acidic taste. Bock The German term for strong beer. A Doppel Bock is even stronger and brand names often end in ator To confuse the issue, in France the term bock is used to describe a very light beer (under 3.5% ABV) and the small 12.5 cl glasses used in cafes. Bier de Garde This term indicates that the beer has been kept longer than is normally the case. It is also used to describe a style of beer specic to Frenchspeaking Flanders.
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Draught/ Draft Beer - Any beer that is stored in a cask or a keg and served by tap. Gueuze A Belgian beer obtained by blending old and young lambic beers. It is refermented in champagne style bottles. Hell The German term for the most commonly drunk type of pilsner. It refers to their pale color, as compared with the darker Munich beers. Kriek A lambic in which cherries have been steeped for several months. The success of these fruit beers has led to experiments with raspberries, blackcurrants, plums and even bananas. Lager A German word, whose primary meaning is to store with reference to the practice of bottom-fermentation beers in cool conditions. Nowadays, it describes any ordinary bottom-fermentation beer. Though most are blond in color, Germany has some dark varieties. Lambic A Belgian beer made with barley, wheat and hops, which is left to ferment spontaneously, then aged for between one and two years. A specialty of the Brussels area, limbic is served in its natural state only in a few Belgian bars. It is blended to give gueuze, and sugar is added to obtain faro. Lie The yeast sediment found in beers which undergo a secondary fermentation in the bottle. Many of these come from Belgium. Luxe An ofcial term used in France to indicate beers with an ABV rating of between 4 and 5 percent. It has nothing to do with quality. Pils This term derives from the Czech town of Plzen (German: Pilsen), where the rst bottom-fermentation blond beers were brewed. Virtually synonymous with the word
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lager, it is nowadays generally used to describe any blond beer of this type. In Germany, the term Pilsener or Pilsner, is more likely to describe a well-hopped beer. Porter A British top-fermentation beer (associated mainly with London), dark in color and well hopped. It has been dying out, but fortunately some micro-breweries have come to its defense. Premium In the U.S, this term is used to describe a quality lager, denser and more golden in color than the average. The term is used commercially and in advertising to suggest something stronger than run-of-the-mill beers. Pure Malt In France, particularly, this term describes beers brewed solely from malted barley. No maize, rice or maltose syrup is added, as happens with most bottomfermentation beers. Rauchbier A German beer with a smoky avor, obtained by drying the malt over beech chippings. A specialty of the Bamberg region. Special An ofcial term used in France to describe beers with and ABV rating in excess of 5 percent, whatever the style. In Belgium, the term describes all beers other than pilsners and gueuzes. Stout A British top fermentation beer; brewed with heavily roasted malts to give a completely black color. The Irish style is dense and dry in taste, though not particularly strong, while the British version is sweeter and more rounded. Trappiste A Belgian top-fermentation beer brewed by monks of Trappist monasteries. There are ve of them in Belgium and one in the Netherlands. Weisse-Weizenbier A German beer brewed from wheat and barley, a specialty of Berlin, Bremen, Bavaria and the Baden regions. It differs somewhat from Belgian

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white beers, being more golden in color and in some cases quite dark. A thirstquenching beer, it is drunk mainly in summer.

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