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Brewing Process 15 min read

The Complete Guide to Beer Styles

By Brewmaster Sarah Chen · January 28, 2025

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Introduction to Beer Styles

Beer is one of the oldest and most diverse beverages in the world. From light, refreshing lagers to rich, complex stouts, there’s a style for every palate and occasion. Understanding beer styles helps you appreciate what you’re drinking and discover new favorites.

This guide covers the major beer style families, their characteristics, history, and how we approach them at Clarity Brewing in the non-alcoholic space.

The Two Main Families: Ales and Lagers

Before diving into specific styles, it’s essential to understand the fundamental division in beer: ales versus lagers.

Ales

Ales are fermented with Saccharomyces cerevisiae, a top-fermenting yeast that works at warmer temperatures (60-75°F / 15-24°C). This yeast produces fruity esters and other flavor compounds during fermentation.

Characteristics:

  • Fermented warm (60-75°F)
  • Typically more complex flavors
  • Fruity, spicy, or earthy notes from yeast
  • Shorter production time (2-3 weeks)

Examples: IPA, Pale Ale, Stout, Porter, Wheat Beer, Belgian styles

Lagers

Lagers use Saccharomyces pastorianus, a bottom-fermenting yeast that works at cooler temperatures (35-50°F / 2-10°C). This yeast produces fewer flavor compounds, resulting in cleaner, crisper beers.

Characteristics:

  • Fermented cold (35-50°F)
  • Clean, crisp flavor profile
  • Subtle yeast character
  • Longer production time (4-8 weeks)

Examples: Pilsner, Helles, MĂ€rzen, Bock, Dunkel

Pale Lagers

Pale lagers are the most consumed beers in the world, accounting for over 90% of global beer production.

Pilsner

Origin: Pilsen, Czech Republic (1842)

The pilsner revolutionized beer. When Josef Groll brewed the first batch in 1842, its brilliant golden color and crisp taste were unlike anything before. The style spread rapidly across Europe and eventually the world.

Czech Pilsner (Bohemian)

  • More malt-forward
  • Saaz hops provide floral, spicy notes
  • Fuller body
  • 4-5.5% ABV typically

German Pilsner

  • Drier and more bitter
  • More assertive hop character
  • Lighter body
  • Crisper finish

Our Take: Our Classic Pilsner follows the Czech tradition with Saaz hops and a fuller malt character.

Helles

Origin: Munich, Germany (1894)

Helles (“bright” in German) was Munich’s answer to the pilsner craze. It’s malt-forward but still refreshing.

Characteristics:

  • Bready, slightly sweet malt
  • Very low bitterness
  • Subtle noble hop aroma
  • Extremely clean finish

American Light Lager

Origin: United States (post-Prohibition)

Often dismissed by craft beer enthusiasts, American light lagers are actually difficult to brew well. They require precision and leave nowhere to hide flaws.

Characteristics:

  • Very light body
  • Minimal flavor intensity
  • Highly carbonated
  • Maximum refreshment

Amber and Dark Lagers

Moving beyond pale lagers, we find styles with more malt complexity.

MĂ€rzen/Oktoberfest

Origin: Bavaria, Germany (16th century)

Traditionally brewed in March (MĂ€rz) and lagered through summer for consumption at fall festivals.

Characteristics:

  • Rich, toasty malt
  • Caramel and bread crust notes
  • Medium body
  • Clean lager finish
  • Deep amber to copper color

Our Take: Our Oktoberfest MĂ€rzen is a seasonal release following traditional Bavarian methods.

Vienna Lager

Origin: Vienna, Austria (1841)

Almost extinct in its homeland, Vienna lager thrives in Mexico, where Austrian immigrants brought the style in the 1800s.

Characteristics:

  • Reddish-amber color
  • Toasty, biscuity malt
  • Light caramel sweetness
  • Moderate bitterness
  • Clean finish

Dunkel

Origin: Munich, Germany (medieval era)

Dunkel (“dark” in German) was the original Munich lager before refrigeration made pale malts practical.

Characteristics:

  • Dark brown color
  • Chocolate and bread notes
  • Surprisingly light body
  • Very smooth
  • Subtle roast character

India Pale Ales

IPAs have dominated the American craft beer scene for two decades and show no signs of slowing.

History

Despite the name, IPA was created in England. The myth that extra hops were added to survive the journey to India is largely debunked - all English beers shipped to India were strong and well-hopped.

American IPA

Characteristics:

  • Prominent American hop character (citrus, pine, tropical)
  • Medium to full body
  • Moderate to high bitterness
  • Pale to amber color
  • Balanced malt backbone

West Coast IPA

Characteristics:

  • Dry and bitter
  • Crystal-clear appearance
  • Pine and citrus hops
  • Assertive bitterness
  • Clean finish

New England / Hazy IPA

Characteristics:

  • Juicy, fruity hop character
  • Soft, pillowy body
  • Low bitterness
  • Permanent haze
  • Tropical fruit notes

Our Take: Pacific Haze IPA and Double Dry-Hopped IPA represent this style.

Session IPA

Characteristics:

  • Lower alcohol (4-5% traditionally)
  • Full hop character despite lighter body
  • Highly drinkable
  • Balance is key

Pale Ales

The father of IPA, pale ales offer hoppy character with more restraint.

English Pale Ale / Bitter

Characteristics:

  • Earthy, floral English hops
  • Biscuity malt character
  • Moderate bitterness
  • Balanced and sessionable
  • Often cask-conditioned

American Pale Ale

Characteristics:

  • American hop varieties
  • Citrus and pine notes
  • More hop-forward than English version
  • Clean malt backbone
  • Medium body

Our Take: Session Pale delivers approachable pale ale character.

Wheat Beers

Wheat beers use a significant portion of wheat in addition to barley, creating distinctive characteristics.

German Hefeweizen

Characteristics:

  • 50%+ wheat
  • Banana and clove from yeast
  • Hazy appearance
  • Light, refreshing
  • Highly carbonated

Our Take: Summer Wheat follows this tradition.

Belgian Witbier

Characteristics:

  • Spiced with coriander and orange peel
  • Unmalted wheat
  • Light and refreshing
  • Subtle spice character
  • Slightly tart

American Wheat

Characteristics:

  • Clean fermentation (no banana/clove)
  • Light and approachable
  • Sometimes features American hops
  • Very refreshing

Berliner Weisse

Characteristics:

  • Sour wheat beer
  • Very low alcohol
  • Tart and refreshing
  • Often served with fruit syrup
  • Highly carbonated

Belgian Ales

Belgian brewing is defined by its yeast-driven complexity.

Belgian Dubbel

Characteristics:

  • Dark brown color
  • Rich malt with dark fruit
  • Moderate sweetness
  • Complex yeast character
  • Moderate alcohol (6-7.5% traditionally)

Belgian Tripel

Characteristics:

  • Pale golden color
  • Spicy, fruity yeast character
  • Deceptively strong
  • Bone-dry finish
  • Complex despite light color

Our Take: Our Belgian Tripel captures this complexity in NA form.

Belgian Strong Golden Ale

Characteristics:

  • Pale and effervescent
  • Fruity, spicy yeast
  • Very dry finish
  • Champagne-like qualities
  • High carbonation

Saison

Characteristics:

  • Originally a farmhouse ale
  • Peppery, spicy yeast
  • Dry and highly carbonated
  • Fruity esters
  • Often slightly funky

Dark Ales

Dark doesn’t mean heavy - many dark beers are remarkably drinkable.

Porter

Origin: London, England (1700s)

Porter was the first industrially-produced beer style, beloved by street porters and dock workers.

Characteristics:

  • Dark brown to black
  • Chocolate and coffee notes
  • Medium body
  • Moderate roast character
  • Historically, slightly smoky

Our Take: Dark Roast Porter features locally-roasted coffee.

Stout

Origin: England/Ireland (1800s)

Originally “stout porter” meaning a stronger porter, stout eventually became its own style.

Dry Irish Stout

  • Light body despite dark color
  • Roasty, coffee-like
  • Low alcohol
  • Often nitro-served
  • Clean, dry finish

Oatmeal Stout

  • Silky, creamy body
  • Subtle sweetness
  • Oat-derived smoothness
  • Medium roast character

Imperial Stout

  • Full body and high alcohol (traditionally)
  • Intense roast and chocolate
  • Sometimes barrel-aged
  • Complex and sippable

Our Take: Breakfast Stout and Midnight Stout represent this family.

Amber and Red Ales

These styles sit between pale and dark, offering malt complexity without heavy roast.

Irish Red Ale

Characteristics:

  • Amber to reddish-brown
  • Caramel malt focus
  • Dry finish
  • Low hop character
  • Very smooth

American Amber Ale

Characteristics:

  • More hop character than Irish Red
  • Caramel and toast malts
  • Medium body
  • Balanced between malt and hops

Our Take: Copper Trail Amber represents this style.

Specialty and Hybrid Styles

Radler/Shandy

Characteristics:

  • Beer mixed with citrus soda or juice
  • Very light and refreshing
  • Low alcohol
  • Perfect for hot weather

Our Take: Citrus Radler blends wheat beer with fresh citrus.

Cream Ale

Characteristics:

  • Light-bodied ale with lager-like character
  • Very smooth
  • Subtle corn sweetness
  • Highly sessionable

California Common

Characteristics:

  • Lager yeast fermented at ale temperatures
  • Woody, minty Northern Brewer hops
  • Amber color
  • Moderate bitterness

How Styles Apply to Non-Alcoholic Beer

Creating NA versions of classic styles presents unique challenges:

Body Concerns

Alcohol contributes body and mouthfeel. Without it, beers can taste thin. We address this through:

  • Higher proportion of specialty malts
  • Addition of oats or wheat
  • Specific dealcoholization methods

Flavor Intensity

The dealcoholization process can strip delicate flavors. We compensate by:

  • Using more hops and adding them post-dealcoholization
  • Cold-steeping coffee for dark beers
  • Adding back fresh hop oils

Yeast Character

Belgian and wheat beer yeast flavors largely survive dealcoholization, making these styles particularly successful in NA form.

Tasting and Evaluating Beer

Appearance

  • Color (pale straw to opaque black)
  • Clarity (brilliant to hazy)
  • Head (retention, texture, color)

Aroma

  • Malt (bread, toast, chocolate, coffee, caramel)
  • Hops (floral, citrus, tropical, herbal, dank)
  • Yeast (fruity esters, spicy phenols, clean)
  • Other (smoke, wood, fruit additions)

Taste

  • Malt sweetness vs. hop bitterness balance
  • Flavor intensity
  • Specific flavor notes
  • Alcohol warmth (minimal in NA)

Mouthfeel

  • Body (light to full)
  • Carbonation (low to high)
  • Texture (thin, creamy, silky)
  • Finish (dry, sweet, lingering)

Conclusion

Understanding beer styles opens up a world of appreciation. Whether you’re reaching for a crisp pilsner on a hot day or a rich porter with dessert, knowing what to expect - and what makes each style unique - enhances the experience.

At Clarity Brewing, we’re committed to representing the full diversity of beer styles in non-alcoholic form. We believe you shouldn’t have to sacrifice variety or complexity when choosing NA beer.

Cheers to exploring the world of beer, one style at a time.