Beer Styles – 1

All the main types or "styles" of beer are now easily available to fans. Behind these varieties lie ancient and complex cultures and technologies. It is legitimate to want to know more! This article is the first in a series in which we will discuss the most important varieties of beer, describing the geographical origins, the raw materials and the most important peculiarities of the manufacturing process.

Since the various styles of beer are, like wine, inextricably linked to the region from which they come, the ideal would be to try them on the spot: a Guinness drunk in Dublin, or a Paulaner, consumed at the Oktoberfest, can be fully appreciated.

At this time when travelling has become difficult if not impossible for most of us, however, we can console ourselves by buying beers online and also taking advantage of the wide variety of choice and excellent interpretations of traditional styles by the best Italian microbreweries such as Birra Eretica and El Issor.

The differences between the various styles of beers depend mainly on the types of ingredients used, and on the production process. Each style is now defined by a precise specification, and must also respect defined parameters such as bitterness, the content of alcohol, certainly also the color.

In order to understand the differences between the various styles of beer, it is necessary to first acquire some notion about the production process and possible variations of the same.