If you are new to the world of craft beer, you may feel slightly intimidated. Don’t worry: that’s a totally natural feeling! Don’t let the stress of a beginner’s bank of knowledge keep you from trying some great beers. Instead, take a look at the following terms and arm yourself with a bit of information today:
Craft Brewery
Let’s start with the basics: What exactly is a craft beer? Most breweries are corporately owned on a large scale. That’s well and fine for many beers, but it doesn’t leave much for invention and diversity. Craft breweries are smaller and independently owned. They vary in the brewing methodologies greatly and the result is a wonderful mix of beers as varied as the owners. Many brewers are fanatical about the methods used and can engage is some feisty conversations. To understand the brewing techniques, you should brief yourself on a few of the terms related to the actual beer itself.
Body
Think of the term “body” as the taste of the beer. “Body” refers to the consistency of the craft beer and the thickness of the brew. Lighter beers should have a lighter body while heavy beers, like Guiness, should have a full, thick body. Crisp, light, heavy, and robust are all terms used to describe the taste.
Hops
This is a climbing vine plant used to flavor beer. The practice began in Germany, and most German beers are described as very “hoppy.” The hops are responsible for the bitterness of a brew. Regions all over the world now partake in cultivating hops, and each area has a distinct taste. The world of hops can become quite complicated quite quickly and is a whole study unto itself. The hops is also responsible for the aroma of the beer. When sampling your craft beer, be certain to inquire as to the hoppiness so that you can continue to learn which beers you enjoy.
Interested in trying some craft beer? Check out FlixBrewHouse.com in Carmel, Indiana today for more information!