A beginner's map of world beer styles

Two big groups: ale and lager

Beer divides first by yeast. Ale yeasts ferment warm, around 15 to 24 °C (59 to 75 °F). They often produce fruity or spicy notes. Lager yeasts ferment cold, around 8 to 13 °C (46 to 55 °F). Fermentation is followed by cold conditioning that gives a clean taste. Some ale strains, such as Norwegian kveik, ferment cleanly in the 30s °C.

Everything else is a variation on these two themes: the malt, the hops, the water and the fermentation. Our beer styles guide goes into more detail.

Pale lagers

Pilsner from Bohemia, helles from Munich and many international pale lagers are the world's most common beers. They are light in colour, crisp, with gentle malt sweetness and a clean bitterness. Rice and maize lagers are common in Asia and Africa, where lighter grists suit the climate. Start here if you want a refreshing, easy beer.

Dark lagers such as dunkel and schwarzbier add roast and caramel while staying smooth.

Czech pilsner has a rounder malt body and a soft, spicy hop. German pilsner is drier and crisper. Even within one style, regions differ, which is why tasting beats reading.

Pale ales and IPAs

This family is built on hops. English pale ales are balanced and earthy. American versions use citrus and pine hops. India pale ale, or IPA, is stronger and more bitter. It has many local variations. Hazy IPAs use hops for juicy aroma and low bitterness. Start here if you like bold aroma.

Freshness matters most here. Hop aroma fades with time and warmth.

Wheat beers

German hefeweizen is cloudy with banana and clove notes from the yeast. Belgian witbier is spiced with coriander and orange peel. American wheat is cleaner. These beers are soft in the mouth and good in warm weather.

Dunkelweizen adds a bready, toasty depth. Weizenbock is stronger and richer. In very hot places a wheat beer served cold is hard to beat, because the soft body and low bitterness never feel heavy.

Wheat beers rely on yeast character, so freshness matters. Check the date on the pack.

Stouts and porters

Roasted malt or barley gives dark colour with coffee and chocolate flavours. Irish dry stout is light in body despite its colour. Imperial stouts are strong and rich. Porters are similar and often a little lighter. Colour does not tell you strength or body, so taste before you assume.

Milk stouts add lactose, a sugar that yeast cannot ferment, for a sweet, round finish. Oatmeal stouts are silky. Some stouts are aged in barrels. Taste a dry one and a sweet one side by side to see the range.

Serve them a little warmer than lagers, around 10 to 13 °C (50 to 55 °F), so that the roast and chocolate notes show.

Belgian ales and sours

Belgian styles use special yeasts that give fruit and spice. Dubbel, tripel and saison are examples. Sour beers, such as gose, Berliner weisse and Flemish red, get their tartness from lactic acid bacteria. Some are tart and light, others complex and aged. Try a small glass first.

Strong Belgian ales hide their alcohol well, so check the strength on the label and pace yourself. Many are meant to be sipped with food.

Traditional and local beers

Many regions have their own traditions. In Africa, sorghum and millet beers are brewed at home and commercially; see traditional African beers. Sorghum needs a cereal cook, since its starch gelatinises at a higher temperature than barley's. Japan, Southeast Asia and Latin America have rice and maize lagers. Wherever you go, ask what locals drink.

Non-alcoholic beer has its own styles too; see non-alcoholic beer styles explained. Warm climates call for beers designed for them; see designing a lager for hot countries.

A tasting plan

Pick one beer from each family. Taste them cold, in small pours, over a week. Write three words about each. Drink water, eat something and never drive after tasting. After a month you will know which families you like and which names to search for next.

If you would like a short guided start, the Beer for Starters course takes an hour online and walks through the basics.

Common questions

How many beer styles are there?

Style guides list dozens to over a hundred. Brewers keep inventing hybrids. Learning families is easier than memorising names.

What is the difference between ale and lager?

The yeast and the fermentation temperature. Ales ferment warm, lagers cold.

Which style should a beginner try first?

A pale lager or wheat beer is easy. A pale ale shows hops. A stout shows roast.

Is dark beer stronger?

Not necessarily. Colour comes from malt, not from alcohol.