A B C D E F G H I K L M N O P Q R S T W SHOW ALL
AA
apparent attenuation, giving an indication of levels of residual sugar. Calculated from original gravity minus final gravity
abbey-style
ale, brewed in the monastic tradition of the low countries but by secular brewers, often under license from a religious establishment. See also enkel, double, triple, quadruple, Trappist
ABV
alcohol by volume; the most common measure of the strength of an alcoholic beverage
ABW
alcohol by weight; can be calculated from original and final specific gravities of the brew
adjuncts
unfermentable additives that add to the flavour or texture of the finished brew
ale
beer brewed with a top-fermenting yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae)
alt bier
copper coloured, top-fermented beer made almost exclusively in Dusseldorf. Hoppy, slightly bitter beer - famous example is from Zum Uerige Brauhaus
Provided by: Barry Shirfield
ambachtelijk gebrouwen
Dutch for craft-brewed
Provided by: Des de Moor
aroma hops
hops chosen for their aromatic qualities. Generally added to the brew by dry-hopping, e.g. Goldings
barleywine
an exceptionally strong style of old English ale, typically dark, rich, fruity and malty
BCA
see bottle-conditioned ale
beer engine
mechanism used in traditional British pubs to pump beer from keg to glass, avoiding false CO2 carbonation
Provided by: Craig Druitt
Berliner Weisse
traditional low-gravity wheat beer style of Berlin, with a characteristic sourness imparted by a lactic fermentation, now only brewed by two breweries; usually drunk flavoured with raspberry (Himbeer) or woodruff (Waldmeister) syrup
Provided by: Des de Moor
bière de garde
lit. 'keeping beer'; a style of strong beer from northern France, traditionally a bottle-conditioned ale though today some more mainstream examples are bottom-fermented and pasteurised
bitter
most widespread style of pale ale in England and Wales, typically a dry, fruity, draught 'real ale' of moderate gravity (3-5% ABV) for session drinking. Many regional and individual variations: 'bitter' is a relative term (see also mild) since although bitters have a notably hoppy character, especially in southern England, they are generally much less aggressively hopped than some modern beers from other countries
Provided by: Des de Moor
bittering hops
hops chosen for their bitter flavour. Generally added to the wort by boiling, e.g. Fuggles
black and tan
a layered mixture of stout and lager or ale. The stout goes on top. Exists in many vareties, Guinness and Harp or Guinness and Bass being the best known
Provided by: Tommy Forslund
black velvet
a mixture of dry Irish stout and champagne
Provided by: Des de Moor
bock, bok
a strong, seasonal beer style from Germany and the Netherlands, probably originating from Einbeck in Germany [and originally top-fermenting], with the name deriving from dialect for the town name, though it also means 'billy goat'. Modern versions are typically strong malty lagers at around 6.5% ABV, often dark in colour, released in spring and autumn. Some contemporary Dutch interpretations are now once again top-fermented.
bolleke
lit. 'little ball', the characteristically bulbous stemmed glass used for De Koninck ale, from Antwerp, Belgium
Provided by: Des de Moor
bottle-conditioned ale (BCA)
an ale that is bottled as a live product with conditioning yeast. Technically classed as a real ale
brewing
today usually used to cover the whole process of manufacture of beer, but also has a more specialised use to mean the stage when the wort is boiled in the copper with hops and/or other flavourings
Provided by: Des de Moor
Burtonising
the process of treating water in order to add calcium carbonate to it (originally to make it more similar to the water of Burton-on-Trent, UK)
CAMRA
Campaign for Real Ale; UK organisation devoted to the promotion and protection of real ale (see also Craft Brewers Guild, Les Amis de la Bière)
cask-conditioned ale
an ale that has its final fermentation in the cask from which it is dispensed
copper
vessel in which additives such as hops and adjuncts are added to the liquor from the mash tun
Craft Brewers' Guild
represents US craft brewed beers sold in and around New York. Owned by the Brooklyn Brewery (see also CAMRA, Les Amis de la Bière)
diacetyl
chemical often produced in the brewing process, with a characteristic butterscotch aroma or flavour
doppelbock
a high-gravity bock
double (dubbel)
usually, a dark, sweetish abbey-style beer of around 6-7% ABV, following the model of the renowned Westmalle Dubbel trappist beer, but may also indicate the second-weakest beer in a range, or double fermentation. See also enkel, triple, quadruple
draught (US: draft)
beer drawn into a glass or pitcher from a keg or cask, normally by electric or hand pump. Often noticeably different in character and condition to the same beer from a bottle
dry hopping
the addition of hops near the end of the brewing process to impart aroma. The hops are par-boiled (so are not strictly 'dry')
dunkelweizen
dark German wheat beer, usually served cloudy with conditioning yeast
eisbock
a strong German lager in which ice forms in the final stages of secondary fermentation, thus concentrating the alcohol
enkel
Dutch for single: rare term indicating the weakest beer in a range of abbey or monastery beers. See also double, triple, quadruple
ester
chemical sometimes produced in the brewing process, producing a characteristic pear-drop aroma or flavour
faro
a sweetened young lambic, or a young lambic served with sugar that can be added 'to taste'
fermentation
the process by which yeast turns sugar (malt) into alcohol. One by-product (in the brewing process) is carbon dioxide, which gives many beers their fizz
fermentation haute
French for top fermentation
Provided by: Des de Moor
finings
added to the brew to aid clarity by causing the yeast particles to coagulate. Common types are made from fish scales or seaweed
framboise, frambozen
beer flavoured with raspberries: the best-known versions are lambics
goblet
glass that is bulbous so as to allow warming from the hand, which releases the fine aromas and flavours of the beer
golden ale
a strong Belgian style of ale, of which Duvel is the best-known example
grist
dry mixture of grains before brewing has taken place
Provided by: Des de Moor
gueuze
a mixture of an old and a young lambic, combining the complexity of the old lambic with the spriteliness of the young lambic
heavy
see shilling
Provided by: Des de Moor
hefeweizen
cloudy German wheat beer, originating from Bavaria
hergist in de fles
Dutch for 'fermented in the bottle': see bottle conditioned
Provided by: Des de Moor
hoge gisting
Dutch for top fermentation
Provided by: Des de Moor
IBU
international bittering units. Measured as parts per million of isomerised hop resins.
IPA
India Pale Ale. Heavily hopped strong pale ale originally brewed in the UK for shipping to the colonies. Nowadays it is a hoppy, light-coloured ale
kettle
see copper
Kölsch
a light, fruity, golden ale style from Cologne (Köln), western Germany. An appellation of origin recognised under EU law
Provided by: Des de Moor
Kräusening
the addition of a little wort to the fermented product to add some body and sweetness, but chiefly live yeast to restart the fermentation process in order to generate carbon dioxide.
kriek
beer flavoured with (usually sour) cherries: the best-known versions are lambics
lacework
mark left on side of glass by head as the beer is drunk, resembling lace
lager, lagering
beer that has undergone a period of lagering, i.e. a long fermentation in a cold environment; brewed using bottom-fermenting yeast (Saccharomyces carlsbergensis, now classified as Saccharomyces uvarum)
lambic
a fruity and characteristically sour Belgian style of ale, which uses stale hops to avoid bitterness and ferments with wild yeast (e.g. Brettanomyces lambicus and Brettanomyces bruxellensis). The term is correctly used as an appellation of origin, with the producing area centred on the Zenne/Senne Valley on the outskirts of Brussels (the term is believed to derive from the name of a village in the producing area, Lembeek)
Les Amis de la Bière
French beer-promoting body. Partly responsible for launching seasonal styles in France (see also CAMRA, Craft Brewers Guild)
liquor
water before it has malt or hops added to it
Lovibond (L)
colour index measured in degrees; higher number equals darker colour
mash tun
vessel in which mashing takes place
mashing
the first stage of the brewing process, when the grains and other fermentables (grist) are steeped in warm water (liquor) to extract their sugars
Provided by: Des de Moor
mild
sadly rare British style of usually draught ale, mild in comparison to the hoppier bitter though never very sweet, often brown or dark in colour ('dark mild') though pale examples ('light mild') are also found, usually moderate in alcohol (3-4% ABV) but some stronger examples (up to 6%) are brewed
Provided by: Des de Moor
milk stout
originally a stout brewed with lactose, which only partially ferments, producing a very sweet, nutritious, beer. The term 'milk stout' was outlawed in the UK because of its misleading name
nagisting in de fles
Dutch for 'secondary fermentation in the bottle': see bottle-conditioned
Provided by: Des de Moor
nitrokeg (creamflow, smooth)
draught beer served under mixed gas pressure with nitrogen as well as CO2, giving a creamier texture with smaller bubbles. Established method of dispense for Irish stouts, but frowned upon by many beer lovers when extended in the 1990s to more delicate, bitter-style ales
Provided by: Des de Moor
old ale
a vague UK style, covering various traditional strong, rich ales. Overlaps somewhat with barley wines
original gravity
specific gravity of the wort before fermentation
oud bruin
Dutch for 'old brown', a style of sweet brown beer from the Netherlands, today usually a bottom-fermented beer
Provided by: Des de Moor
oyster stout
reflecting the well-known affinity between Irish stout and shellfish, usually a dry stout brewed to be drunk as an accompaniment to oysters, though a few brewers offer stouts that actually contain oysters or are filtered through their shells
Provided by: Des de Moor
parti-gyling
making two or more beers of differing strengths from the same mash by selectively diluting the wort before fermentation. Best-known exponent of the technique is London brewer Fullers, in their regular range of draught bitters
Provided by: Des de Moor
phenol
chemical sometimes produced in the brewing process, producing a characteristic cooling, medicinal or menthol lightness on the palate
pilsner
the original clear, pale lagers (and originally from Pilsen). Nowadays characterised by the citrusy Saaz hops and bubbly body
plato
a system used to measure alcohol content, relating to the ratio of fermentable malts to water.
porter
thought to originate from the mix of sour and young beer drunk by porters working in the London stations and docks. Nowadays taken to mean a dark bitter beer, half way between a bitter and a stout
quadruple (quadrupel)
Abbey style definition. Very strong (around 10%+ abv), chewy, dark and fruity beer
Rauchbier
a German style of beer originating from the town of Bamberg. The beers are lagers that are brewed using beechwood-smoked malt, which imparts a very distinctive smoky taste
real ale
ale which is a live product at the point of delivery, i.e. still containing live yeast. This includes both cask- and bottle-conditioned ales
refermentée en bouteille
French for bottle conditioned
Provided by: Des de Moor
Reinheitsgebot
1516 Bavarian purity law, still adhered to: only water, hops, malt and yeast may be used in the brewing of beer
saison
strong pale ale traditional in rural areas of Wallonia (French-speaking Belgium), originally as a harvest time quencher; related to, but distinct from, French bičre de garde
Provided by: Des de Moor
schooner
type of glass tapering from top to bottom. Generally used for lagers. (Also a sherry glass and a boat)
session beer
British term for beer of moderate alcohol content (up to around 4.5% ABV) suitable for drinking in quantity over long sessions
Provided by: Des de Moor
shilling
obsolete unit of currency still used in Scotland in distinguishing beers of different strengths which in the past fell into different tax bands: in ascending order, 60/- ('light', around 3% ABV); 70/- ('heavy', 3.5-4% ABV); 80/- ('export', 4-5% ABV); 90/- ('wee heavy' (qv) 6%+ ABV). Few brewers now brew the full range
Provided by: Des de Moor
single (singel)
see enkel
Provided by: Des de Moor
small beer
relatively low-gravity beer made from the 'second runnings' of the mash, when the first runnings are used to make a stronger beer. Common in the past when beer was safer to drink than water; rare today though some brewers maintain the tradition
Provided by: Des de Moor
snakebite
a mixture of lager and cider, attributed with especially intoxicating properties
Provided by: Des de Moor
sour red ale
a Belgian style of ale, of which the best-known example is brewed by Rodenbach
sparging
spraying hot water (liquor) over the mash tun after mashing has taken place, in order to extract the maximum amount of fermentable material from the grist
Provided by: Des de Moor
spéciale belge
term sometimes used in Belgium to distinguish old-style ales from lagers, most often used to indicate pale ales of a type similar to English bitters, for example De Koninck or Palm
Provided by: Des de Moor
specific gravity
density of a liquid expressed as a ratio to that of water
stout
originally 'stout porter', a stronger version of porter, but now indicates a number of distinct styles of dark beer, of which the best known is the dry, creamy Irish stout typified by Guinness, with a roastiness imparted by roasted barley. Other, rarer, styles are sweeter stouts from mainland Britain such as milk stout and oatmeal stouts, and the very strong Imperial Stouts, originating from England but so called because of their popularity at the Russian court in the 19th century
summer ale
in Britain, relatively new style of ale that combines traditional bitter with the lighter colour, flowery hop character and refreshing quality of a premium lager, at around the same gravity (4.5-5% ABV), typified by the highly successful Hopback Summer Lightning
Provided by: Des de Moor
sur lie
French for 'on lees', with a deposit, in other words bottle conditioned
Provided by: Des de Moor
top fermentation
see ale
Provided by: Des de Moor
Trappist beer
beer brewed in Trappist monasteries, usually (but not always) under the supervision of the monks. Only six breweries now qualify for the term, all in Belgium (until recently there was one in the Netherlands, but it no longer qualifies). Their products are all strong, complex unpasteurised ales, often including candy sugar in the recipe
Provided by: Des de Moor
triple (tripel)
usually, a pale, dry and spicy abbey-style beer of around 7-9% ABV, following the model of the renowned Westmalle Tripel trappist beer, but may also simply indicate a strong, premium ale, or the third-lowest strength beer in a brewery's range. See also enkel, double, quadruple
warm fermentation
same as top fermentation: see ale
Provided by: Des de Moor
wee heavy
very strong (6-10% ABV), malty Scottish beer, equivalent to a barley wine. See also shilling
Provided by: Des de Moor
weissbier
cloudy, pale German wheat beer
wit bier
see wheat beer, weissbier. Wit bier is the Benelux version, brewed with added curacao zest and coriander
wort
mix of water, malt and additives ready for fermentation