Types

The four major ingredients in craft beer are malt, water, yeast and hops. Each of these ingredients play an important role in how the beer looks, smells and, of course, tastes. Ultimately, the major difference between winemaking and beer brewing is that brewers have much more control in every stage of the brewing process than winemakers.

The basic types of beers include ales and lagers. Ales have been around a long time while lagers are relatively new, only a few hundred years old. While these two beer types have similar brewing methods and the same basic ingredients, they utilize different types of yeasts and fermentation styles to make the beer. For clarity, also included in this section of our website are hybrid beers and ciders.