From lagers to IPAs and stouts: a beginner's guide to the most common beer styles

Beer can seem deceptively simple. One of the world’s oldest drinks, it’s made from little more than water, grains, hops and yeast. Yet step into any bar or bottle shop and the variety on offer can overwhelm even confident drinkers.

The differences between an IPA, a stout and a pilsner aren’t just about colour or strength—they reflect centuries of brewing tradition and subtle decisions that influence flavour, texture and aroma. Understanding these key styles is the best way to navigate a crowded tap list with confidence.

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Lager

Clean, crisp and refreshing, lager is the world’s most popular beer style.

Lager is the world’s most widely consumed type of beer, and for good reason. It’s brewed with bottom-fermenting yeast at cool temperatures, which slows the fermentation process and produces a clean, crisp finish. Most lagers are pale and golden, though darker versions exist. Classic examples include the Czech Pilsner Urquell and German helles, both admired for their gentle balance of malt sweetness and hop bitterness. Their restrained flavour makes lager a versatile match for food—from roast chicken to spicy noodles—without overpowering the palate.

Ale

Ale beer is a full-bodied and aromatic brew.

Ales predate lagers by centuries and are defined by warm fermentation, using yeast that rises to the top of the tank. This method creates beers that are often fuller-bodied with complex aromas ranging from fruity to spicy. The category is broad, encompassing everything from light golden bitters to deep brown ales. A British pale ale, for instance, leans toward earthy, floral hops, while a Belgian dubbel shows caramelised malt and a slightly peppery yeast character. Ale brewing traditions have evolved over time, but the focus remains on character rather than clarity.

IPA (India Pale Ale)

Hop-forward and bold, the IPA is a versatile beer style.

Few beer styles have inspired as much debate as the IPA. Originally brewed in 19th-century Britain with extra hops to survive the long voyage to India, it has since evolved into countless interpretations. British IPAs are usually copper-hued and balanced, while American craft brewers pushed the style towards bold, aromatic extremes—think grapefruit, pine and tropical fruit. Today’s IPAs range from hazy and juicy to dry and bracingly bitter. The constant reinvention of the IPA reflects how flexible hops can be, altering not only flavour but aroma, mouthfeel and strength.

Stout

Stout brings roasted notes and has a smooth, velvety finish.

Dark, opaque and rich, stout owes its colour and flavour to roasted barley. It often carries notes of espresso, dark chocolate and burnt sugar. Irish dry stout, exemplified by Guinness, is smooth with a velvety head, created by using nitrogen instead of carbon dioxide. Other substyles, such as oatmeal stouts or milk stouts, add texture or sweetness through ingredients like oats or lactose. Imperial stouts, on the other hand, are strong, intense and often aged in barrels, resulting in layers of smoke, toffee and dark fruit. Despite their heft, stouts can be surprisingly balanced when brewed well.

Porter

Porter balances roasted malt sweetness with subtle cocoa and caramel tones.

Porter shares stout’s dark profile but tends to be softer and slightly sweeter. Originating in 18th-century London, it was the drink of dockworkers who needed something nourishing and affordable. Its malt base gives flavours of cocoa, caramel and toasted nuts without the sharper bitterness found in stouts. Some modern porters use chocolate malt for depth, while Baltic porters—fermented with lager yeast—are smoother and higher in alcohol. This flexibility makes porter one of the more approachable dark beer styles, bridging the gap between easy-drinking ales and richer stouts.

Wheat beer

Wheat beer is light, hazy and gently spiced.

Wheat beers use a higher proportion of wheat to barley, resulting in a pale, cloudy appearance and soft, pillowy texture. The style has two main expressions: the German hefeweizen and the Belgian witbier. Hefeweizens rely on yeast to deliver distinctive banana and clove notes, while witbiers often include coriander and orange peel for a citrusy lift. Both are highly carbonated and refreshing, especially in warmer weather. Their light body and subtle spice make wheat beers a gentle entry point into the world of craft brewing.

Pilsner

Bright and golden, pilsner is a refreshing blend of sweetness and bite.

Pilsner, a type of pale lager from the Czech city of Plzeň, transformed beer when it was first brewed in 1842. Its hallmark is clarity—a golden hue with a frothy white head—and a delicate balance of malt sweetness and herbal, floral hops. Czech pilsners are slightly maltier, while German pilsners lean drier and more bitter. The style’s precision demands technical skill; any flaw shows immediately. It’s also one of the few beer styles that manages to be both complex and easy to drink, making it a global standard for consistency and quality.

Sour beer

Sour beer stands apart for its sharp acidity and vibrant fruit flavours.

Sour beers are brewed with wild yeast or bacteria, introducing acidity that ranges from a gentle tang to mouth-puckering tartness. Belgian lambics and gueuzes, aged in oak barrels, develop earthy, funky notes, while Berliner weisse and gose offer lighter, more citrus-driven flavours. Some modern brewers experiment with fruit additions—raspberry, cherry or passionfruit—to balance the acidity. The result is a diverse category that challenges assumptions about what beer should taste like. Sours are less about bitterness and more about complexity, highlighting how fermentation can create entirely different dimensions of flavour.

Understanding beer styles isn’t about memorising rules but about recognising patterns. Each style has a story shaped by geography, climate and innovation—from the cool cellars of Bavaria to the warm breweries of London. The next time you order a pint or open a bottle, knowing which beer style it belongs to can deepen appreciation for how a few simple ingredients continue to yield so many distinctive results.

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