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.

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  1. Flavour Profile
    Hops
    Malt
    • Dry
    Tasting notes
    Strate & Amarillo hops impart subtle notes that, if in a wine, might be expressed as barnyard. Finishes dry and crisp.
    11 Days Pale Ale
    11 Days Pale Ale
    Australian Pale Ale
    Jervis Bay Brewing Co
    Sold By Jervis Bay Brewing Co
    Pay as little as $43.00
    8 pack
    $51.00
    16 pack
    $84.00
    4 pack
    $26.00
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  2. Flavour Profile
    Hops
    Malt
    • Delicate
    • Clean
    • Light
    Tasting notes
    Crisp mouthfeel with a moderate degree of clarity. Strong aroma and taste of a fruit salad from the hops, particularly stone fruits and citrus. Little aftertaste as the hops and malt burst in the mouth and dissipate rapidly
    All Australian Pale Ale
    All Australian Pale Ale
    Pale Ale
    Aether Brewing
    Sold By Aether Brewing
    Pay as little as $38.00
    8 pack
    $45.00
    16 pack
    $75.00
    4 pack
    $23.00
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  3. Flavour Profile
    Hops
    Malt
    • Dry
    Tasting notes
    Light, refreshing finish
    Astro Punk
    Astro Punk
    XPA
    Blackflag Brewing
    Sold By Blackflag Brewing
    Pay as little as $44.00
    8 pack
    $48.00
    16 pack
    $73.00
    4 pack
    $24.00
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  4. Flavour Profile
    Hops
    Malt
    • Thin
    Tasting notes
    Refreshing cider, medium dry, fresh apple notes and balanced acidity,
  5. Flavour Profile
    Hops
    Malt
    • Dry
    • Light
    Tasting notes

    Subtle malt sweetness upfront, balanced by a crisp & dry finish.

    Boxer Cerveza
    Boxer Cerveza
    Cerveza
    Boxer Brewing Co
    Sold By Boxer Brewing Co
    Pay as little as $24.00
    4 pack
    $28.00
    8 pack
    $56.00
    16 pack
    $83.00
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  6. Flavour Profile
    Hops
    Malt
    • Dry
    Tasting notes
    Bright citrus, lemon peels and myrtle herbaceous. Present malt backbone and smooth body.
    Citronium
    Citronium
    Pale Ale
    The Zythologist
    Sold By The Zythologist
    Pay as little as $28.00
    8 pack
    $35.00
    24 pack
    $75.00
    4 pack
    $18.00
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  7. Flavour Profile
    Hops
    Malt
    Tasting notes
    Our Lager is late hopped to add an extra aromatic character to what is a clean, simple style.
    Coastie Lager
    Coastie Lager
    Lager
    Six String Brewing Company
    Sold By Six String Brewing Company
    Pay as little as $51.00
    12 pack
    $60.00
    24 pack
    Special Price $84.00 Regular Price $100.00
    4 pack
    $20.00
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  8. Flavour Profile
    Hops
    Malt
    • Thin
    Tasting notes
    Crisp. Refreshing. Light.
    Cracking Lager
    Cracking Lager
    Lager
    The Mill Brewery
    Sold By The Mill Brewery
    Pay as little as $28.00
    8 pack
    $32.00
    24 pack
    Special Price $70.00 Regular Price $78.00
    4 pack
    $16.00
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  9. Flavour Profile
    Hops
    Malt
    • Smooth / Velvety
  10. Flavour Profile
    Hops
    Malt
    • Smooth / Velvety
    Tasting notes
    Crisp. Refreshing. Hoppy.
  11. Flavour Profile
    Hops
    Malt
    • Clean
    Tasting notes
    The palate enjoys a smooth offering of darker malts, toasted flavours and creamy hops. A slight dryness near the end with a low carbonation
  12. Flavour Profile
    Hops
    Malt
    • Clean
    Tasting notes

    Bold, robust, bitter, clean, crisp.

    El Toro IPA
    El Toro IPA
    IPA
    The Mill Brewery
    Sold By The Mill Brewery
    Pay as little as $35.00
    8 pack
    $42.00
    24 pack
    $105.00
    4 pack
    $21.00
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  13. Flavour Profile
    Hops
    Malt
    • Clean
    Tasting notes
    A clean crisp finish makes this fruity hop forward beer an ideal thirst quencher.
    Enigma
    Enigma
    Australian Pale Ale
    Sunday Road Brewing
    Sold By Sunday Road Brewing
    Pay as little as $50.00
    12 pack
    $57.00
    24 pack
    $87.00
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  14. Flavour Profile
    Hops
    Malt
    • Clean
    Tasting notes
    El Jefe is simply the boss of drinkability.
    Mexican Lager
    Mexican Lager
    New World Lager
    Aether Brewing
    Sold By Aether Brewing
    Pay as little as $35.00
    8 pack
    $40.00
    16 pack
    Special Price $57.00 Regular Price $67.00
    4 pack
    $20.00
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  15. Flavour Profile
    Hops
    Malt
    • Sharp
    Tasting notes
    Crisp. Refreshing. Hoppy. Malty.
    Mosaic Pale Ale
    Mosaic Pale Ale
    American Pale Ale
    The Mill Brewery
    Sold By The Mill Brewery
    Pay as little as $34.00
    8 pack
    $40.00
    24 pack
    $98.00
    4 pack
    $20.00
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  16. Flavour Profile
    Hops
    Malt
    • Clean
  17. Flavour Profile
    Hops
    Malt
    • Sharp
    • Clean
    Tasting notes
    Norman Australian Ale is an approachable session beer made from all local ingredients. With a light malt base that makes way for an abundance of hop character
  18. Flavour Profile
    Hops
    Malt
    • Dry
    Tasting notes
    A dry refreshing ride ending in a crisp finish ... A Classic Redefined.
    Old School Cool
    Old School Cool
    Lager
    Blackflag Brewing
    Sold By Blackflag Brewing
    Pay as little as $38.00
    8 pack
    $42.00
    16 pack
    Special Price $58.00 Regular Price $70.00
    4 pack
    $21.00
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  19. Flavour Profile
    Hops
    Malt
    • Dry
    Tasting notes
    A beer lower in alcohol and calories, but with all the malted barley flavours and characters.
  20. Flavour Profile
    Hops
    Malt
    • Dry
    • Light
    Tasting notes
    Easy drinking, light and fruity.
    Pacific Ale
    Pacific Ale
    Australian Pale Ale
    7th Day
    Sold By 7th Day
    Pay as little as $39.00
    8 pack
    $44.00
    16 pack
    $72.00
    4 pack
    $22.00
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  21. Flavour Profile
    Hops
    Malt
    • Light
    Tasting notes
    Super crisp, light & easy drinking Lager
    Pilsner
    Pilsner
    Pilsner
    7th Day
    Sold By 7th Day
    Pay as little as $39.00
    8 pack
    $44.00
    16 pack
    $72.00
    4 pack
    $22.00
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  22. Flavour Profile
    Hops
    Malt
    • Smooth / Velvety
    Tasting notes

    We have shaped a refreshing, well-balanced lager with a unique twist. Using NZ hop Nelson Sauvin, a hop that was a little innovator itself with its unique Sauvignon Blanc and gooseberry characters, we pay homage to those who can take something seemingly relevantly every day and elevate it to new heights.

    Our Pintail Lager does just that.

    Pintail Lager
    Pintail Lager
    Lager
    SURFCRAFT BREWING CO.
    Sold By SURFCRAFT BREWING CO.
    Pay as little as $70.00
    16 pack
    Special Price $70.00 Regular Price $85.00
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  23. Flavour Profile
    Hops
    Malt
    • Dry
    Tasting notes
    Cool fermented with European yeast for a dry, crisp finish but with flavour and aroma imparted through delicate use of New Zealand Motueka hops, this pils has plenty to interest craft beer enthusiasts yet is accessible to all. Just like the famous Jervis Bay climbing mecca it’s named after, this beer is straight up and heaps of fun.
    Point Perp Pilsner
    Point Perp Pilsner
    Pilsner
    Jervis Bay Brewing Co
    Sold By Jervis Bay Brewing Co
    Pay as little as $43.00
    8 pack
    $51.00
    16 pack
    $84.00
    4 pack
    $26.00
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  24. Flavour Profile
    Hops
    Malt
    • Dry
    • Clean
    Tasting notes
    Classic Helles style lager with a low hop profile and crisp finish.
    Pony Lager
    Pony Lager
    Lager
    Prancing Pony Brewery
    Sold By Prancing Pony Brewery
    Pay as little as $67.00
    24 pack
    Special Price $67.00 Regular Price $79.00
    12 pack
    $48.00
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