Beer Styles

Styles are defined by the Beer Judge Certification Program, visit BJCP.org for more information.

Click on a style link for description and commercial examples.

Lagers

Lagers are beers that are brewed and fermentedusing bottom fermenting yeasts at cool temperature (as opposed to the warmer temperatures of ales). Lagers are fermented for comparatively longer periods of time, anywhere from 3 weeks to 3 months. The word lager itself in German means "to store". This style of beer is usually associated with Northern and Eastern European countries such as Germany, Denmark and the Netherlands. Most of the commercially produced beers are also Lagers and there is a wide variety of styles available.

Light Lager	Pilsner	European Amber Lager
Light American Lager	German Pilsner (Pils)	Vienna Lager
Standard American Lager	Bohemian Pilsner	Oktoberfest/Marzen
Premium American Lager	Classic American Pilsner
Munich Helles
Dortmunder Export
Dark Lager	Bock
Dark American Lager	Maibock/Helles Bock
Munich Dunkel	Traditional Bock
Schwarzbier	Dopplebock
	Eisbock

Ales

Ales are beers that are fermented with top-fermenting yeast at warm (by beer brewing standards) temperatures for relatively short periods of time. Ales are primarily associated with England, Ireland and Scotland, but are, obviously, also produced in other countries. Ales also have been produced in the United States since colonial times.

Light Hybrid Beer	Amber Hybrid Beer	English Pale Ale
Cream Ale	North German Altbier	Standard/Ordinary Bitter
Blonde Ale	California Common	Special/Best/Premium Bitter
Kölsch	Düsseldorf Altbier	Extra Special/Strong Bitter (Pale Ale)
American Wheat or Rye Beer
Scottish And Irish Ale	American Ale	English Brown Ale
Scottish Light 60	American Pale Ale	Mild
Scottish Heavy 70	American Amber Ale	Southern English Brown
Scottish Export 80	American Brown Ale	Northern English Brown
Irish Red Ale
Strong Scotch Ale
Porter	Stout	India Pale Ale
Brown Porter	Dry Stout	English IPA
Robust Porter	Sweet Stout	American IPA
Baltic Porter	Oatmeal Stout	Imperial IPA
	Foreign Extra Stout
	American Stout
	Imperial Stout
German Wheat and Rye	Belgian and French Ale	Sour Ale
Weizen/Weissbier	Witbier	Berliner Weisse
Dunkelweizen	Belgian Pale Ale	Flanders Red Ale
Weizenbock	Saison	Flanders Brown/Oud Bruin
Roggenbier(German Rye)	Bière de Garde	Straight Unblended
	Belgian Specialty Ale	Lambic
		Gueuze
		Fruit Lambic
Belgian Strong Ale	Strong Ale	Smoke Flavored & Wood Aged
Belgian Blond Ale	Old Ale	Classic Rauchbier
Belgian Dubbel	English Barleywine	Other Smoked Beer
Belgian Tripel	American Barleywine	Wood-Aged Beer
Belgian Golden Strong Ale
Belgian Dark Strong Ale

Mead and Cider

Traditional Mead	Melomel(Fruit Mead)	Other Mead
Dry Mead	Cyser(Apple Melomel	Metheglin
Semi-Sweet Mead	Pyment(Grape Melomel)	Braggot
Sweet Mead	Other Fruit Melomel	Open Category Mead
Standard Cider & Perry	Specialty Cider & Perry
Common Cider	New England Cider
English Cider	Fruit Cider
French Cider	Apple Wine
Common Perry	Other Specialty
Traditional Perry

Other Beer

Fruit Beer	Spice, Herb or Vegetable
Christmas/Winter Spiced	Specialty Beer