Ales vs. Lagers
One of the first distinctions to make when we look at beer is the difference between ales and lagers.Within each, there are numerous styles, and most of what the average drinker will recognize will fall into one of these two categories.
Several brewing techniques will traditionally categorize a beer as either an ale or a lager, but the main difference is the use of either Ale Yeast or Lager Yeast, respectively.
Ales typically ferment at warmer temperatures, and flavors tend to be more forward, robust, and funky.
Lagers ferment cooler and are often characterized as being crisp, clean, and balanced.
Ales
Withing the Ale category, you will find some of the world's most loved craft beers and some less familiar favorites.
Stouts and Porters
On the darker end, you have beers such as stouts and porter. These are beers typically brewed with darkly roasted malts that tend to be full-bodied with malt-forward flavors. These often have a higher alcohol content, but you will learn that few things about these styles are objective as you start looking at them.
A good example of a porter is the fantastic Fat Nerd Vanilla Porter from Yulli's Brews, which is backed by a lovely chocolate & roasted malt character.
The Catchment Brewing, is offering Cow Tipper a creamy smooth stout to enjoy during winter.
Browns, Ambers, and Reds
These beers are lighter in color than stouts but still carry a leading malt presence. More often than stouts and porters, you will also find these beers will some noticeable bitterness, depending on the style. Flavors of toffee, biscuit, and caramel are common, and these beers can find a good balance between the darker, malt-heavy beers and more hop-forward brews.
Sour Beers
Sour beers are brewed with bacteria and wild yeast, which gives way to a funky, acidic beer. Sours like the Berliner Wiess are tart and often mixed with fruit, will the Gose is brewed with salt for a distinctive flavor.
Among all the sours available from our brewers, Smokey Sour from Frexi has been inspired from a mexican mezcal cocktail.
Wheat Beers
Wheat Beers have a full body and medium color. Beers like the Hefeweizen and Belgian Witbier are brewed with a distinctive yeast that has flavors of banana and clove.
The Witbier is commonly brewed with spices and orange zest.
Pale Ales/IPAs
When it comes to bitter beers, color is subjective, but the defining quality is the hop-forward bitterness. Pale Ales and Bitters are lighter in color, low-ABV beers with a strong hop flavor and aroma.
However, Imperial Pale Ales(IPAs) range from golden to black and have a much higher alcohol percentage. IPAs are also known for their hefty hop profile.
You could find a huge range among our brewers as they are one of the most common types brewed.
Lagers
Lager is both an umbrella style and a style in itself, and lager beers are the most commonly consumed beers worldwide.
American Lagers/Light Lagers
These are very light, easy-drinking beers that have a low ABV. These are often brewed with rice for a more mild malt flavor, and they also have moderate to low bitterness.
Pilsner
One of the most common beer styles in the world is the Pilsner. It comes in several varieties but is primarily characterized by a golden color and a very even balance between malt sweetness and hop bitterness.
Bocks and Other Lagers
There are several other lagers that all range in color, body, and ABV.
For example, the German Doppelbock is a strong, sometimes dark lager with low bitterness and dark fruit flavors. While the Mai Bock is a light-bodied lager with malt sweetness and moderate to low bitterness. Malt Liquor also falls into the Lager category and is known for being a high-ABV light-bodied beer with moderate-to-low hop presence and an overall mild flavor.
Shop by Style
-
Flavour ProfileHopsMalt
- Sharp
Tasting notesCrisp. Refreshing. Hoppy. Malty.Mosaic Pale AleView BeerAmerican Pale AleSold By The Mill Brewery8 pack$40.0024 pack$98.004 pack$20.00 -
Flavour ProfileHopsMalt
- Clean
Tasting notesVery Limited! -
Flavour ProfileHopsMalt
- Dry
- Light
Tasting notesEasy drinking, light and fruity.Pacific AleView BeerAustralian Pale AleSold By 7th Day8 pack$44.0016 packSpecial Price $65.00 Regular Price $72.004 pack$22.00 -
Flavour ProfileHopsMalt
- Clean
Tasting notesClean, bitter and sweet -
Flavour ProfileHopsMalt
- Dry
Tasting notesMedium to light bodied with a moderate carbonation and a smooth refreshing dry finish makes this a desirable and pleasant drinking beer.View Beer -
Flavour ProfileHopsMalt
- Smooth / Velvety
-
Best price onlineFlavour ProfileHopsMalt
- Smooth / Velvety
Tasting notesCitrus and flowers aroma greet the nose. On the Palate, more fruitiness comes through with citrus and lime rounded by the caramel malt. Perfect food pairing: Comté, Anything from the grill -
Flavour ProfileHopsMalt
- Light
Tasting notesA very drinkable pale ale with flavours of stone fruit, tropical fruit and light spice, balanced by a subtle malt sweetness. -
Flavour ProfileHopsMalt
- Clean
Tasting notesThis Brewi is refreshingly easy to drink and will have you coming back for more! -
Flavour ProfileHopsMalt
- Clean
Tasting notesTropical hop flavours, low bitterness. -
Flavour ProfileHopsMalt
- Smooth / Velvety
Tasting notesAmerican style Amber Ale, delicately floral and slightly spicy hops. The star of the beer is the caramel malt.Prancing Pony Amber AleView BeerAmerican Pale AleSold By Prancing Pony Brewery24 pack$107.0012 pack$59.00 -
Flavour ProfileHopsMalt
- Smooth / Velvety
Tasting notesThe all malt ale is warm fermented which adds complexity to the beer and leads to a fruity aroma. -
Flavour ProfileHopsMalt
- Smooth / Velvety
- Soft
Tasting notesUnique bouquet of fruit and floral aromas - passion fruit, white grape and stone fruit. -
Flavour ProfileHopsMalt
- Round / Fat
Tasting notesSessionably low bitterness, Juicy drinkability pale ale. -
Flavour ProfileHopsMalt
- Smooth / Velvety
Tasting notesA citrus & stone fruit aroma is balanced with a malty drive and hoppy bitterness. -
Flavour ProfileHopsMalt
- Creamy
Tasting notesPerfectly balanced by a creamy mouthfeel and clean, modest bitterness. -
Flavour ProfileHopsMalt
- Dry
- Light
Tasting notesA subtle bitterness, crisp and sessionable. -
Flavour ProfileHopsMalt
- Dry
- Light
Tasting notesCitrus notes as well as a touch of pineapple with a neutral, clean yeast character to finish. -
Flavour ProfileHopsMalt
- Smooth / Velvety
Tasting notesEl Dorado & Simcoe provides lovely passionfruit and tropical aromas, the addition of oats allows for great mouthfeel when drinking and the last minute punch of hops means its all tied in together seamlessly. The subtle use of hops and light malt bill means it really is a sunny day when drinking, no matter the weather. -
Flavour ProfileHopsMalt
- Smooth / Velvety
- Delicate
- Light
Tasting notesPineapple, lychee and honeydew melon shining through from the hop, with a delicate biscuit malty finish. -
Flavour ProfileHopsMalt
- Smooth / Velvety
Tasting notesSuper refreshing and easy to drink, perfect as a thirst quencher on a hot day.TPA (Tropical Pale Ale)View BeerPale AleSold By Six String Brewing Company12 pack$55.0024 pack$92.004 pack$18.00 -
Flavour ProfileHopsMalt
- Smooth / Velvety
Tasting notesWith 23.5kg of hops in every batch, this beer is packed with tropical flavours that will take you back to a sunny afternoon at the beach.
Take it hazy.
-
Flavour ProfileHopsMalt
- Delicate
- Clean
Tasting notesCrisp Clean Ale -
Flavour ProfileHopsMalt
- Smooth / Velvety
Tasting notesUsing a variety of Aussie and American hops, we’ve developed a beautiful pale gold beer with notes of apricot on the palate, and an aroma of lemon zest, wrapped up in that classic Urban Alley taste you love.