Beer 101 | Glossary of Beer

If you’re going to learn about beer and talk about beer, you have to understand the beer terminology. Take some notes and before long, you’ll be able to make everybody think that you know what you’re talking about.

• ABV: Alcohol by Volume. A measure of the alcohol content in a beer by volume.
• ABW: Alcohol by Weight. A measure of the alcohol content in a beer by weight.
• Adjuncts: Fermentable additives used in the brewing process that makes lighter and cheaper beer.
• Ale: Type of beer fermented with top fermenting yeast.
• Barley: A grain that is kilned creating a malt.
• Beer: The name that is given to alcoholic beverages that are made by fermenting a grain.
• Boiling: A step of the beer making process that causes isomerization in the hops. The longer a brew is boiled, the more hop bitterness it will have.
• Bomber: A 22-ounce bottle of beer.
• Brettanomyces (Wild Yeast): A special yeast that is used to give a different flavor to the beer; these flavors are sometimes described as barnyard, horse-blanket, or leather. These types are yeast are typically undesirable, but are popular in some Belgian beers.
• Dry Hopping: The addition of hops to a beer after fermentation to increase the hop flavor of the beer without affecting its bitterness.
• Fermentation: The conversion of fermentable sugars into ethyl alcohol and carbon dioxide by yeast.
• Gravity: The amount of sugar in a beer.
• Growler: A glass jug-like container that is used to carry draft beer.
• Head: The foam that sits on top of a poured beer.
• Hoppy: Used to describe a beer with a strong aroma or flavor of hops.
• Hops: Blossoms of a hops vine that is used in the fermentation of beer to contribute bitterness and aroma.
• IBU: International Bittering Units. A measure of the bitterness of a beer.
• Imperial: A style of beer that contains more alcohol or more hops.
• Keg: A 15.5 gallon container that holds beer.
• Lager: Type of beer fermented with bottom-fermenting yeast.
• Lagering: The storing or aging of certain beers.
• Malt: The main ingredient in beer, made from the germination of barley.
• Malty: Used to describe a beer with qualities of malt.
• Mash: The mixture of water and grist that releases sugars for brewing.
• Mouthfeel: How a beer feels in your mouth.
• Session: Essentially the opposite of an imperial. A beer with a lighter body and alcohol content.
• Wort: The sugar solution obtained from mash that is boiled prior to fermentation.
• Yeast: An essential part of the beer making process. A micro-organism that converts the sugars to alcohol and carbon dioxide.