Thousands of Beers but Only Two to Choose From

Stout, Pilsner, IPA, Belgian, Porter, Weisse, Bock, Dortmunder, Witbier, Lambic…..the list goes on. Brewers throughout history have graced beer aficionados with a wide variety of beer types, from dark and creamy, to bitter and amber, to crisp and light.

I sat down for a few minutes with Mac, a bartender at the Sunset Grille and Tap in Allston the other day to talk about just how many types of beer there are. I figured, what better source on beer than a tender at a bar that serves more than 110 beers?

What he said surprised me.

“There are really only two,” he told me.

TWO? Then why does the Sunset have such a huge menu?

That’s because most beers fall under the category of ALE or LAGER. It all depends on how the yeast (that little microorganism that creates the alcohol content) is fermented. Any brew that falls under these two categories has been subsequently named to distinguish it for its taste, hue, and other factors like the country it was brewed in.

ALES are a beer that are fermented at warmer temperatures (between 60-75 degrees Farenheit, according to Beer Advocate,) with the yeast fermenting at the top of the batch.

LAGERS are fermented at cooler temperatures (closer to 34 degrees Farenheit. Thanks Beer Advocate guys!) and the yeast ferments on the bottom of the batch.

Mac went on to tell me that lager beers are relatively new, considering the fact that people have been brewing ales for thousands of years. The reason lagers are “new” (created in the past few hundred years) is the fact that they are fermented at cooler temperatures. Before pasteurization and refrigeration were invented, brewers could only ferment beers that could withstand warmer temperatures without becoming “skunked,” or bad. Those are the richer, darker, stronger- tasting ales we know and love.

Since lagers are brewed at cooler temperatures, they come out “crisper” and “cleaner,” according to Mac. Many of the mass-produced American beers fall under the lager category.

Judging from the Sunset’s menu, there are far more ales to choose from than lagers. Yum! I’m getting thirsty just thinking about it!

So if you’re in the area, stop by the Sunset Grille and Tap, have a chat with a very knowledgeable bartender and enjoy a cold one. Good luck trying to pick your sampler from all those beers!

Cheers!