Types of Beer
Discovering the wide variety available
The dynamism of the brewing sector helps offer consumers a specific type of beer for each moment of their lives and adapted to the tastes and needs of each consumer.
In order to distinguish between different beer styles and learn how to enjoy them to the full, you need to know that brewers use two types of classification, according to original gravity or fermentation or according to fermentation.
In order to distinguish between different beer styles and learn how to enjoy them to the full, you need to know that brewers use two types of classification, according to original gravity or fermentation or according to fermentation.
According to original gravity
Under this distinction we find beers whose organic ingredients form wort before fermentation, without water. This is expressed in grams of original gravity for every 100 grams of wort.
- Alcohol-free beers: Original gravity variable, between 2 and 4
- Traditional beers: Original gravity 11 and above
- Special beers: Original gravity 13 and above
- Extra special beers: Original gravity 15 and above
According to fermentation
Categorised according to the conditions during fermentation.
- Low fermentation beers: known as Lager, these beers ferment at between 0º and 4º, they are light, gentle and frothy. They can be classified according to their place of origin (Pils/Pilsen, Munich, Vienna or Dortmunder Export…) or also according to production features (smoked, Bock, Steam, Rauchbier, barley, black, seasonal…).
- High fermentation beers: they ferment at higher temperatures, up to 24º. We can distinguish between several subcategories:
- Ale: can also be classified according to its place of origin (Althier, Trapenses…) or according to its production features (Mild Ale, Bitter Ale…)
- Stout: black beer, creamy, bitter and sour. Can be either dry or sweet (milk, oats…) depending on how it is made.
- Porter: light, toasted and black beer
- Beers with spontaneous fermentation: ferments via wild yeast strain. We can differentiate between Lambic, Gueuze and Faro beers.