Hello there fellow beer aficionados, 

Considering the extreme diversity of styles that are being shipped out in the BeerMasons Winter Pack, we thought it was high time for a little refresher - a bit of Beer 101 revisited.

Take some time to read through this and it helps to have a Lager and an Ale within arms reach – purely for educational purposes of course.

Enjoy your weekend.

The BeerMasons

When exploring the vast, diverse and endlessly delicious world of beer, it’s easy to become disoriented… sometimes somewhat blissfully.

Fortunately, you are dabbling in an orderly world that is primarily divided into three streams: Ales, Lagers and Others.

To navigate this terrain without steering too far off course, it is best to start by learning how to recognise the difference between an Ale and a Lager. We will get to the ‘Others’ in a later email - in particular we will cover Lambics.

Contrary to popular belief, the differences do not directly relate to colour, alcohol content or bitterness.

The answer is simple and fortunate – to discern the difference, you must taste it!

The Ale versus Lager story is a tale of rich complexity versus elegant simplicity. Whereas Lagers tend to be mellow-flavoured, clean and smooth with a crisp and refreshing finish, Ales have a fuller or more robust, fruitier taste. Ales also tend to be quite viscous with lingering finish.

In a nutshell… Lagers should taste clean, smooth and crisp and the flavour should not hang around too long, it’s all at the front of your mouth. Ales should have bigger flavours with a more coating body and you should taste it more towards the back of your palate. The flavour should stay with you and you’ll most likely want to smack your lips together.

Here's a Cheat Sheet - Get Sipping!

Why is it so?

Ales and Lagers use different yeast strains and temperatures for fermentation and undergo a different maturation process. It is largely the yeast, what we like to call the invisible army, dictating many of your favourite beers’ unique characteristics.

For more on Beer 101 and all things to do with this admirable beverage! Visit www.beermasons.com

Until next time here's to better beer!

The BeerMasons

www.beermasons.com