What are the main beer styles?

Dozens of different beers burst onto the market every few months. This is one of the most visible consequences of craft beer as a developing phenomenon. In this whirlwind of brands, labels, and names, there are beers of every kind. Styles allow us to classify the different varieties.

We group beers into styles according to their characteristics. This way, brewer and consumer share a frame of reference in which both can distinguish the product’s particular features. Among the possible classifications, the most widespread is that of the Beer Judge Certification Program, hereafter BJCP.

The BJCP is a U.S. organization founded in 1985 that publishes a beer style guide which is updated over time. The latest version of this document covers around one hundred beer styles. Although the BJCP guidelines were originally created to regulate homebrewing competitions, today they have become a universal reference.

Within beer styles, we find two major families. On the one hand, Lager beers are bottom-fermented beers. That is, the yeast ferments at a temperature of around 5–10ºC for at least two months. It’s a slower process than brewing an Ale, the other great beer family. Ales ferment in a few weeks at 18–23ºC.

In addition, the yeast responsible for Lager beers is called Saccharomyces carlsbergensis, while the yeast used for Ales is called Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Generally speaking, Ales are more flavorful and fruity than Lagers, although it depends on the specific style.

Apart from these two major families, there are spontaneously fermented beers. In these special beers, wild yeasts, bacteria and fungi are involved in fermentation, resulting in distinctive flavors and aromas. These beers are also known as lambics.

The beers we usually drink also belong to a style. For example, the typical Spanish caña is a lager; most of the German wheat beers that reach our country are Weissbier; and the dark beers from the British Isles are called stout or porter.

Thanks to style classification, consumers and brewers share a common frame of reference for understanding each type of beer. Next time you don’t know what a beer is like, it’s easy. Just look at the label, find the style, and search for it on the Internet.