Beer styles is such a broad term that it barely scratches the surface of what this extraordinary drink encompasses. Most people know the difference between a blonde and a dark beer — but far fewer can name all the major beer styles. Beyond colour, beer divides into distinct families, each with its own brewing tradition, flavour profile, and history.
Here are the four great families of beer styles:
Lagers
Lagers are arguably the world’s most widespread beer style. Produced through bottom fermentation, they are typically blonde, relatively low in alcohol, and highly refreshing. Their origins trace back to Bavaria, where the cool local climate allowed brewers to store beer for weeks after brewing — the word “lager” itself comes from the German lagern, meaning “to store.” Once refrigeration became available, lagers spread across the globe. Fro more informations: https://winesandspirits.ch/imperial-stout-barleywine-guide/
Pils / Pilsner Considered a premium lager style, Pilsners originate from the Czech city of Plzeň (Pilsen), with Pilsner Urquell as the definitive example. Bottom-fermented, pale golden, dry, and beautifully hopped with a floral aroma. German Pilsners tend toward more bitterness and less malt character.
Bock Originating in northern Germany, Bocks range from 6.5–7% ABV but remain relatively mild in taste — low bitterness, modest malt, medium body.
Doppelbock Any beer in the Bock category exceeding 7.5% ABV. Ranging from pale to very dark, it offers more bitterness than a standard Bock.
Eisbock A Bock that has been partially frozen, with the ice (water) removed — pushing alcohol content up to 10–14% ABV.
Vienna Lager An amber lager, fairly smooth and malty with a medium body.
Märzen / Oktoberfest Lager The Bavarian equivalent of the Vienna Lager, brewed in March (März) for autumn festivals.
American Standard Lager Brewed with 25–40% rice and corn adjuncts, resulting in very low malt aroma, light body, and mild flavour. Lightly hopped.
Malt Liquor Produced like American standards but with higher alcohol content. Some US states require this classification for any beer exceeding 5% ABV.
Wheat Beer Brewed with at least 50% wheat malt using top fermentation. Lively carbonation, lightly hopped. German versions (Weissbier, Weizen, Hefe) often carry notes of clove, cinnamon, or nutmeg. Belgian Witbier uses unmalted wheat for more body and a citrusy, spiced character. American and Canadian wheat beers tend to be lighter and less spiced.
Ales
A richly diverse family of top-fermented beers originating in Great Britain, available in an enormous range of colours and flavour profiles.
Bitter A quintessentially English style, hoppy and relatively light at 3.5–4.5% ABV, ranging from pale gold to deep copper.
Pale Ale An evolution of the Bitter (sometimes called Premium Bitter), slightly stronger and refined in quality.
Blonde Ale Close in character to a lager — moderately malty with a gentle hop aroma.
Brown Ale Dark in colour, low in alcohol, soft on the palate with understated flavour.
India Pale Ale (IPA) Originally brewed for export to British India, heavily hopped and higher in alcohol to survive the long voyage. Clearer than a Pale Ale, typically 5.5–7% ABV. American IPAs push the malt profile further.
Mild Ale A classic of English mining communities — malt-forward, low bitterness, low alcohol (around 3% ABV).
Porter A dark London classic loved by dock workers, with a pronounced malt character and good body.
Scottish Ale More malt-forward than its English counterparts, reflecting Scotland’s brewing tradition.
Stouts
Originally a variant of the London Porter, stouts are produced by top fermentation using roasted barley malt — giving them their characteristic deep, near-black colour.
Dry Stout The style most people know through Guinness. Pronounced to strong bitterness, sometimes softened with unmalted barley.
Imperial Stout Originally brewed for the Russian Imperial court — dry, powerful, high in alcohol (7–9%+), with fruit and coffee notes and a warming alcohol presence.
Milk Stout The British take on stout — softened with lactose and chocolate malt, unhopped, and light at around 3% ABV.
Oatmeal Stout A Milk Stout enriched with oat flour — more aromatic, fuller-bodied, with notes of caramel and hazelnut.
Specialty Beers
Born from unique brewing techniques, unusual ingredients, and distinctive fermentation methods — these beers offer flavour profiles unlike anything in the above families.
Bière de Garde From northern France, brewed in winter and “kept” (gardée) for summer drinking. Fruity and spiced with moderate alcohol. Originally top-fermented; now often produced industrially, though artisan breweries in Nord-Pas-de-Calais and southern Belgium still produce authentic versions.
Trappist Beers Top-fermented, moderately to highly alcoholic, aromatic, fruity, and smooth. Produced exclusively by Trappist monks in certified monasteries: Chimay, Orval, Rochefort, Westvleteren, and Westmalle in Belgium; Koningshoeven in the Netherlands.
Abbey Beers Traditionally Belgian, brewed by monks of non-Trappist religious orders — today largely produced industrially under abbey licence. Include Dubbel (double malt), Tripel (triple), and Quadrupel (quadruple) — each representing 2×, 3×, or 4× the base malt quantity, delivering progressively more body, aroma, and alcohol.
Lambic A spontaneously fermented Belgian wheat beer, native to the Brussels region. Aged for three years in oak barrels, it develops a second fermentation. Sour, lightly carbonated, around 5% ABV. For more Cantillon Piacere, Nath, Drogone, La vie est Belge or Gueuze lambic : https://winesandspirits.ch/cantillon-belgian-lambics-the-ultimate-guide/
Gueuze A blend of young and aged lambic, bottle-conditioned for several years. Gains carbonation over time — hence the Champagne-style bottle. Typically 5–8% ABV.
Faro A sweetened lambic, softened with molasses and brown candy sugar, sometimes spiced. Pasteurised to halt further fermentation.
Kriek & Fruit Lambics Young lambic blended with whole fruit — most famously sour cherries for Kriek. The fruit skin, stone, and wild yeasts contribute to a uniquely tart flavour. Authentic Krieks are barely sweet; industrialised versions often use syrups.
Altbier Open-fermented with wild yeasts, cold-conditioned at 0–8°C for 3–8 weeks. Light and hoppy, copper to brown in colour, 4.5–5% ABV. A traditional style from northern Germany.
Kölsch The sibling of Altbier in technique, but filtered for a more delicate flavour. Brewed exclusively around Cologne under a protected European designation of origin (Kölsch Konvention). Golden, lightly fruity, gently bitter, around 4.8% ABV.
Rauchbier A dark lager brewed with barley malt dried over a beechwood fire — the same smoking technique used in Scotch whisky production — giving it a distinctive dry, smoky character. Produced by a handful of breweries in Poland and Germany.
Steam Beer Brewed primarily in the San Francisco Bay Area in shallow open vessels, using lager yeast at ale temperatures for rapid cooling. Lively carbonation, aromatic, around 5% ABV.
Seasonal Beers Christmas Beer — brewed in November, full-bodied, smooth, and relatively strong. Spring Beer / Bière de Mars — limited production from spring-sown barley, brewed in early winter. Top-fermented, amber, 4.5–5.5% ABV, available exclusively in March.