Craft Beer

Preface

Open a craft beer bar’s menu, and you’ll often see a string of abbreviations: IPA, NEIPA, DIPA, ABV, IBU… The Chinese names aren’t much easier either: Pilsner, Wheat, Saison, Porter, Stout, Imperial, Barrel-aged. Before even taking a sip, it feels like you’re about to tackle a reading comprehension test.

However, you don’t need to memorize every classification before drinking beer. Knowing these names helps you find flavors you enjoy and makes your next order less of a gamble. This post starts with the most basic concepts to compile an entry-level guide that is both understandable and practical.

What Exactly Is ‘Craft Beer’?

The Chinese term ‘jingniang’ corresponds to Craft Beer, but it is not a specific beer style, nor is there a single definition used universally worldwide. The Brewers Association’s definition specifically targets American craft breweries, emphasizing small scale and independent ownership; this is an industry statistical metric and cannot be directly applied as a standard for judging all beers in all countries. ¹

In everyday conversation, ‘craft’ more often evokes exploration of flavor and recipes: different malts, hops, and yeasts, as well as changes brought by fruits, spices, or barrel aging. But the following judgments are unreliable:

Craft does not equal IPA. Craft breweries also brew Lagers, Wheat beers, and other traditional styles.
Craft does not equal bitter, strong, or high alcohol. Refreshing, low-bitterness beers can be equally interesting.
Hazy, unfiltered, or additive-free are not sufficient conditions. Clear beers can be delicious; using adjuncts reasonably does not imply poor quality.
Price and packaging cannot substitute for taste. No matter how beautiful the label, what matters is the beer in the glass.

Instead of arguing whether a bottle is ‘craft’ enough, ask: What style is it? Is it fresh? Are the flavors balanced? Do I like it?

Where Does a Beer’s Flavor Come From?

Four Basic Ingredients

Beer is typically understood through water, malt, hops, and yeast, though ungerminated grains, sugar, fruits, and spices may also be used.

Ingredient	Primary Role	Flavor or Mouthfeel to Watch For
Water	Provides the brewing base; mineral composition affects brewing and flavor expression	The same recipe can yield different levels of smoothness and bitterness
Malt	Provides starch for mashing and influences color and flavor	Grain, bread, biscuit, caramel; darker malts may also impart coffee or roasted notes
Hops	Provides bitterness, as well as various aromas and flavors	Floral, herbal, citrus, pine, or tropical fruit notes
Yeast	Converts fermentable sugars into alcohol and carbon dioxide, and creates fermentation flavors	Some yeasts impart fruity or spicy notes, while others produce cleaner profiles

Therefore, a fruity aroma doesn’t necessarily mean fruit was added; a coffee taste doesn’t necessarily mean coffee was added. Only the ingredient list can confirm whether these were truly included. ²

Simplified Understanding of the Brewing Process

After crushing the malt, it is mixed with water and undergoes mashing to convert starches into sugars. The wort is separated, boiled, and hops are added according to the recipe. Then it is cooled, inoculated with yeast, fermented, aged, and packaged before becoming the beer we drink.

Adding hops at different stages yields different effects. Hops added during the boil help develop bitterness; those added later focus more on aroma. Common dry hopping involves adding hops during or after fermentation, primarily to enhance hop aroma, not literally ‘drying the hops before adding them’. ²

First, Distinguish Ale from Lager

Ale and Lager are primarily fermentation classifications, not quality grades. For beginners, think of it this way: Ales typically use ale yeast fermented at higher temperatures, while Lagers use lager yeast fermented at lower temperatures and undergo cold conditioning. In actual brewing, exceptions exist, so conclusions shouldn’t be drawn solely based on temperature or taste.

Ales include Wheat, IPA, Porter, and Stout; Lagers include Pilsner, Munich Helles, Dark Lager, and Bock. Ales aren’t necessarily heavy, and Lagers aren’t necessarily light. ‘Top-fermenting’ and ‘bottom-fermenting’ are common terms, but don’t interpret them as yeast working only in one layer of the liquid. ³

Decoding the Label: Common Terms

How to Read the Numbers?

Label	Meaning	How It Helps with Ordering
ABV (Alcohol by Volume)	Alcohol by Volume	For example, 5% ABV means alcohol makes up about 5% of the total volume. Combined with serving size, it determines total alcohol intake
IBU (International Bitterness Units)	International Bitterness Units	Describes the level of bittering compounds, but does not equal perceived bitterness; sweetness, body, and other factors also influence perception
OG / FG (Original / Final Gravity)	Original Gravity / Final Gravity	Correspond to the specific gravity of wort before fermentation and beer after fermentation, commonly used in brewing logs and alcohol estimation
°P (Degrees Plato)	Degrees Plato	Often used on labels to indicate original extract concentration, reflecting the extract content of wort before fermentation, not alcohol content
SRM / EBC	Two color scales	Higher values generally mean darker color; the two scales cannot be used interchangeably; darker color does not imply higher alcohol content

For most consumers, checking the style, ABV, and packaging date is sufficient. IBU can help inform your choice, but there is no need to treat it as a flavor ranking list. ²

How to read flavor and process?

Body: How light or full the beer feels in the mouth; it is not about the beer’s color.
Dry: Usually describes lower sweetness and a clean finish; it does not mean bitter, nor does it imply the complete absence of sugar.
Esters and Phenols: In flavor descriptions, esters often evoke fruit, while phenols may suggest spices like cloves. Whether they are appropriate depends on the specific style.
Carbonation: The prickly sensation caused by carbon dioxide. It is a different dimension from body and smoothness.
Finish / Aftertaste: The sensation left after swallowing, such as roasted notes, bitterness, or dryness.
Barrel-aged: Aged in wooden barrels, which may introduce wood flavors or flavors from the wine or spirits previously held in the barrel; it is not an independent base style.
Bottle-conditioned: Fermentation continues in the bottle after packaging, usually to create carbonation, and may leave yeast sediment. ²

There are also terms often found in beer names: Session usually emphasizes lower alcohol and drinkability; Double / Imperial typically indicates a stronger version; DDH (Double Dry Hopped) refers to double dry hopping, but the specific number of additions, quantities, and naming conventions vary by brewery. These names are not a unified ruler; especially, “Double” does not mean the alcohol content is exactly doubled. ⁴, Dry hopping reference ²

Common styles: How do they taste different?

Below, common styles are introduced by flavor direction. They serve as signposts to help understanding, not templates that every bottle must strictly follow; even within the same style, there can be significant recipe differences.

Lagers and Pilsners: Crisp with layers

Lager is a broad category, and Pilsner (Pilsner / Pils) is a specific style within it. Pilsners often have a more distinct hop bitterness and expressions of herbal or floral notes on top of crispness; Munich Helles leans more toward a soft malt character. Dark lagers also exist, so color alone cannot determine if a beer is a lager.

When drinking these, pay attention to whether the malt and bitterness are balanced and whether the finish is clean. “Light” may simply mean the flavors are not assertive, not that there is no brewing skill involved. ³

Wheat beers: German and Belgian styles differ

German Wheat Beer (Weissbier / Hefeweizen) commonly features fermentation aromas reminiscent of banana and cloves, with rich foam and low bitterness. The banana flavor here usually comes from the yeast, not from adding actual bananas. ⁵

Belgian Witbier also uses wheat but is often paired with spices like coriander seeds and orange peel, resulting in a generally crisp profile with citrus and spice notes. The “white” in the name refers to the style, not the actual color of the liquid. ⁶

If you find standard lagers a bit monotonous but do not want to immediately face strong bitterness, both of these directions are worth exploring. When ordering, specifying German wheat beer or Belgian witbier is more accurate than simply saying “wheat beer.”

Pale Ale: An intermediate stop for understanding hops

Pale Ale is not a fixed recipe. Common American Pale Ales (APA) emphasize hop aroma while retaining malt support; compared to American IPAs, they are typically more restrained in strength and hop expression.

If you want to understand what “hop aroma” is but worry that IPA is too intense, you can start with Pale Ale. Here, “Pale” is relative to traditional dark beers and does not guarantee that every pour will be particularly light in color. ⁷

IPA: Not just one kind of “bitter beer”

IPA stands for India Pale Ale. Today’s IPA has branched into many directions; just looking at these three letters cannot accurately predict the taste in the glass.

American IPA / West Coast IPA: Emphasizes hops, with possible expressions of citrus, pine resin, floral notes, etc. The typical West Coast direction is usually drier with more distinct bitterness. If you enjoy grapefruit-like bitterness and a clean finish, look in this direction. ⁷

Hazy IPA / New England IPA (NEIPA): Emphasizes tropical fruit-like hop aromas and a soft, full mouthfeel; perceived bitterness is usually more restrained than in traditional IPAs. “Juiciness” does not mean juice was added, nor does it imply the absence of alcohol or bitterness; haze level is not a quality score. ⁸

Double IPA (DIPA) / Imperial IPA: Typically have higher alcohol content and stronger hop expression. Liking a standard IPA does not guarantee you will enjoy the stronger version; alcohol presence, body, and drinking rhythm will all change. ³

When ordering, saying “I want a beer with prominent hop aroma, but not too bitter, and not too high in alcohol” is often more helpful than saying “Give me an IPA.”

Porters and Stouts: Coffee, Chocolate, and Roasted Notes

Porters and Stouts are both common dark style families, often featuring roasted, coffee-like, or cocoa-like flavors. However, in modern recipes, they overlap, and you cannot draw an absolute boundary between them based solely on color or a single ingredient. ³

Take Irish Stout as an example: it can have a distinct roasted character and a relatively dry finish, yet not necessarily have a high alcohol content. Black does not equal strong, and a thick head does not equal sweet. ⁹

Some stouts incorporate ingredients like lactose, coffee, cocoa, or vanilla, moving toward a sweeter, dessert-like expression. When you see “Milk Stout” or “Milk Stout,” check the ingredients: lactose is not always fully fermented by standard beer yeast, so those with lactose intolerance should pay special attention. ²

If you enjoy coffee or dark chocolate, you can start by exploring roasted flavors; but be sure to distinguish whether you prefer a dry roastiness or a rich, dessert-like mouthfeel.

Belgian Styles: Let the Yeast Take Center Stage

Belgian styles are not a single flavor profile. Take Tripel as an example: it is typically pale in color but has a high alcohol content, along with fruity and spicy notes from fermentation and a relatively dry finish. The “three” in the name does not mean three fermentations, nor does it represent triple the alcohol content. ¹⁰

Other common styles include the darker, malt-forward Dubbel, and the typically dry, yeast-aromatic Saison. These names describe different traditional styles, not different sizes or strength levels of the same beer. ³

These beers remind us that beer aroma doesn’t come only from hops. When you smell spices or fruit, it’s worth thinking about the yeast first.

Sour Beers and Fruit Beers: Distinguish Sour, Sweet, and Fruity Notes

Sour beers are a group of beers with diverse flavors and brewing methods, not a fixed recipe. For example, Gose typically has a sour note, restrained saltiness, and coriander character; it is not “fruit soda with salt added.”¹¹

Fruit beers can be built on various base styles, and they may or may not be sour. “Fruit sour” and “fruit puree / smoothie” on a menu cannot be directly equated: the latter often describes products with more fruit puree and a thicker mouthfeel, but naming conventions vary across breweries. ³

If you enjoy fruity aromas, it’s best to confirm when ordering: How high is the acidity? Is it sweet? Is the mouthfeel crisp or thick? Just naming your favorite fruit may still result in a beer that is completely different from your expectations.

How to Order at a Craft Beer Bar for the First Time

Start by describing your preferences, then choose a style. Below are suggested directions based on the flavor characteristics discussed earlier; these are not guaranteed recommendations for everyone:

What you want to drink	Directions to explore first	Add this when ordering
Crisp, clean, not too heavy	Helles, Pilsner	A bit of bitterness is okay, but keep it low?
Aromatic, but not too bitter	German Wheat Beer, Belgian Witbier	Do you prefer banana and clove, or citrus and spice?
Want hop aroma	APA, Hazy IPA	Prefer lower alcohol, and confirm the bitterness level
Like dryness and distinct bitterness	West Coast IPA	How strong a bitterness and alcohol presence can you accept?
Like coffee or cocoa	Porter, Stout	Do you prefer it dry, or sweet and full-bodied?
Like sourness or fruit	Sour Beer, Fruit Beer	Confirm acidity, sweetness, and fruit puree presence

If the bar offers small pours or tasting flights, choose a few distinctly different styles to compare. There’s no need to try every style on your first visit, and you shouldn’t force yourself to accept flavors you dislike just because it’s your “beginner” experience.

Rather than memorizing beer names, it’s more practical to note three pieces of information: style, ABV, and the reason you liked or disliked it. For example, “I like the citrus aroma, but the finish is too bitter” gives you a clear direction for next time.

How to Drink to Better Distinguish Flavors

You don’t need a complex ritual. Use a clean glass free of detergent residue, pour a moderate amount, and observe in the following order:

Look: Color, clarity, and foam. These help identify the style but cannot determine quality on their own.
Smell: First, identify the most obvious impression: bread, citrus, banana, or coffee? No need to write down ten adjectives at once.
Taste: Pay attention to sweetness, bitterness, sourness, body, carbonation, and alcohol presence.
Wait: Focus on the finish and aftertaste, then decide if you want another sip.

Temperature also changes the experience. When too cold, aromas and flavors are often harder to distinguish; crisp styles can start at lower temperatures, while rich styles can be compared as they naturally warm in the glass. Prioritize the brewery’s serving recommendations; there’s no need to chase a single “standard temperature” for all beers. ²

There is no standard answer for describing taste. Saying “I think it tastes like grapefruit peel,” “It’s too bitter after drinking,” or “This reminds me of toasted bread” is more valuable than forcing a string of technical terms.

Storage and Common Misconceptions

After buying, check the storage instructions on the label, especially for products requiring refrigeration. Beers with prominent hop aroma are usually more sensitive to freshness; fruit puree products that require refrigeration must follow the brewery’s guidelines. Avoid prolonged exposure to high temperatures or direct sunlight, and don’t automatically assume “craft beer” means it’s suitable for aging. ²

Finally, here are a few commonly confused terms:

“Original gravity of 12° means an alcohol content of 12%.” These are two different metrics; alcohol content must be checked via ABV.
“If IBU doubles, it will definitely taste twice as bitter.” Perceived bitterness is also influenced by sweetness, body, and overall balance.
“A banana aroma means bananas were added.” The characteristic banana note in German wheat beers can come from yeast fermentation.
“Dark beer always means high alcohol.” Dark ingredients affect color, but they cannot substitute for alcohol content labeling.
“The cloudier, the better.” Some styles should be cloudy, others clear; judgment should be based on the specific style.
“If it tastes fruity like a soda, I can drink it freely.” Easy drinkability doesn’t change the alcohol content; you still need to watch the ABV and actual consumption.

This discussion focuses on flavor and drinking experience, not on providing health advice regarding alcohol. Do not drive after drinking; not drinking at all does not prevent you from understanding these concepts.

Conclusion

The most interesting thing about craft beer is that while they are all called “beer,” they can lead to vastly different flavors: from fresh malt notes, to banana and clove, citrus and pine resin, to roasted and sour profiles.

Terminology and classification help us communicate more easily, but ultimately there is no need to turn drinking into an exam. Being able to articulate what you like and dislike, and choosing your next beer with more intention, is where this introductory knowledge becomes useful.

Craft Beer

Preface

What Exactly Is ‘Craft Beer’?