Beer is one of those beverages that is steeped in colourful history and many folk tales surround some of the styles that you get these days. No one knows whether these stories are true or not, but it sure makes for interesting talk while enjoying a nice craft beer in London.
When it comes to beer, there are many styles to choose from according to your personal preference in taste and richness, and in recent times many people are choosing craft beer over the mass-produced regular beers you find in the market, because of the superior experience you get from them in terms of flavour. Why spend your money on a bland tasting beer when you can have an adventure in your mouth with flavoursome and aromatic handcrafted artisan beer?
Here are some different styles of beer you can find out there, and a little bit about their history.
- India Pale Ale (IPA) – IPA’s are one of the most popular styles of craft beer in London, with its very intense hoppy flavour and aroma. The IPA’s go back to around the 18th century when these beers were sent to the British who colonised India (hence the name) and due to the warm weather there and extra-long travel time, the brewers started using additional hops in the brew in order to extend its shelf life. It offers some degree of bitterness and a strong aroma.
- Stout – Stout beer is characterised by its dark rich colour (almost mahogany black), and the first ever reference regarding this beer was somewhere in the 1670’s, and such references are found in the Egerton manuscript. These historical records portray it as a strong beer but not one that is dark in colour, since dark coloured beer was attributed to Porter. Although there are different styles of stouts these days, depending on the ingredients used in the brewing process, what they all have in common are its rich black colour and roasted coffee taste.
- Pilsner – The first reference to Pilsner is found in connection with the German city of Pilsen, where this beer was first produced and introduced in 1842 (hence the name). The birth of Pilsner happened because of the low-quality terrible beers that were available during that time, and the people protested against it by throwing them out in the streets. As a solution to the problem, a high-quality bottom-fermented beer was introduced, that turned out to be smooth and refreshing in taste, and somewhat of a pale colour.
- Lager – The origins of this style of beer is attributed to the Northern parts of Europe, more specifically Germany and Austria. In the 1400’s brewers from this area wanted to prevent the beer from spoiling and started storing their beers in caves during summer. The ale yeast used in these, slowly started fermenting into lager yeast, and thereby the lager was born (the name is the German equivalent to store). Lagers can vary in colour, from light pale to dark brown to almost black.
- Bock – Bock, as most other beers, originated in Germany, around the 1400’s, and is a very dark coloured bottom-fermented beer, that is lightly hoppy in taste. A paler version of this beer was later created around the 1600’s for use at the spring festivals in Germany.
- Witbier (Wheat Beer) – This style of beer has its origins in 14th century Belgium, where it was brewed in monasteries using local spices and herbs such as coriander. It is a very light, tarty beer, with an almost sweet malt taste to it, with the dominant flavours being that of the spices and herbs used.
- Porter – This style of beer originated in 18th century England, and was consumed and became popular among street and river porters, hence creating the name Porter for itself. These beers are very dark in colour and offer flavours of chocolate, caramel and coffee, and slight malty sweetness.
In addition to these, there are many more styles of craft beer in London and elsewhere, with varying tastes, textures and aromas, each with their own flavours that appeal to different tastebuds. Whatever type of beer you like, there is no doubt that it is a refreshing drink that people all over the world love. In recent years brewers have introduced many new varieties as well, such as vegan beer, non-alcoholic beer etc to satisfy the beer needs of different lifestyles.
There is no doubt it, craft beer will certainly become one of the most dominant types of beer very soon, because after tasting one of these hand crafted artisan beers, why would anyone go back to a tasteless mass produced beer, right?
Whether you prefer lager or pilsner or stout, you can get these delicious craft beers ordered right to your doorstep through the breweries’ own websites and online stores, or the many ecommerce stores that have come up. All you need to do is search for craft beer near me to find the very best of craft beer closest to you, and enjoy a nice cool beer as you relax and unwind after a hard day of work.
