In days gone by, if you went to a bar and ordered a beer, you'd receive a watery, amber-colored drink that tasted a little stale, but still filled your belly. Well, as you know, the world of beer has vastly changed in the last few decades. Today, breweries specialize in a wide array of artisan drafts that range in flavor and color. Below are a few tips for better understanding the different kinds of beers out there.

Ales are brewed with top-fermenting yeasts. This gives the beer a robust and complex aroma and flavor. Today, ales are extremely popular among craft brewers. Inside this over-arching category, there are a number of subcategories, that often depend on the content of hops in the beer. More hops, like you’ll find in an India Pale Ale, give the beer more “bite” and acidity. Fewer hops will get you a white beer, which is often a bit more fruity and mellow. Stouts are made with roasted malt and barley, giving the beer a dark chocolate color and a heavier mouthfeel. They tend to be heavier, and are great in the fall and winter.

The other main category for modern beer is lager. Lagers rely on bottom-fermenting yeasts to yield a crisper, less flavorful beer. Many modern lagers are made from the original Pilsner style (invented in Austria). This style of brew is more popular in Germanic countries, but many classic American beers, such as Budweiser, are lagers.

As you would expect, there are also an array of hybrids and experimental beers. But the terms above will cover 90% of the beers you’ll run into on your typical trip to the bar.

Cheers!