Between the eclectic names and the varying colors, choosing a craft beer can be a tricky exercise.
There are light beers, dark beers and beers of every shade in between. There are smoke-flavored and wood-aged beers, as well as fruit beer and sour ales.
The most popular craft beers are described below, but feel free to reach out to your local vendors to find out more about their varieties. Brewers are known to experiment with seasonal offerings and local ingredients to set their beer apart from the competition.
India Pale Ale
Brewed in a variety of ways, the color of an American IPA can range from pale golden to amber.
Generally bitter and high in citric content, IPAs offer a balance of brightness and bite. Their average content of alcohol content is higher than your standard beer.
Light Lager
Much lighter and very low in malt flavor, light lagers are brewed to satisfy the less adventurous beer drinker.
Brewers infuse high amounts of rice or corn to bring down the color. They are typically lower in alcohol content by volume, offering the perfect drink for casual drinking.
Stouts
Stouts offer the exact opposite drinking experience than light lagers. Strong and meant to be enjoyed gradually, stouts are typically dark brown to pitch black and hard to see through when filling a glass.
The roasted barley used to create coffee or chocolate flavorings is the distinct ingredient in most stouts.
Seasonal Varieties
From the fall to the spring, every season calls out creativity in local brewers. Pumpkins make their way into many craft beers in the fall months, while cherries and wheat are integrated in the summer months.
Spring time is perfect for a honey beer and winter ales are generally made with higher alcohol contents to provide a warming kick.