During the past few years, craft breweries have been popping up all over the country. If you have driven down the road recently, there is a good chance that you have spotted a lot of new ones in your backyard as well. What has defined the craft beer industry is that they generally make beer in smaller batches. In general, craft beer is more hands-on and in many cases uses different ingredients in order to produce unique flavors. If you want to find the right craft beer for your taste, you need to learn about the different types. Matt R. Coben is here to discuss them.
Lager Beers
If you walk into a brewery and do not know exactly what to get, you may want to start with a larger. A lager is a very basic type of beer made from wheat. There are typically a few other flavors added to it. For example, if there is banana or clove flavor when you taste it, it is most likely a hefeweizen. When a brewery first opens, this is typically how it starts. Matt R. Coben believes that anyone who is looking to play it safe may want to start with this type of beer. In addition, when trying a new brewery, if they do a lager well, it is a pretty good indicator of their overall skills as brewers.
IPAs
One of the most popular types of beers is an IPA. Matt Coben knows that some people might be a bit shocked at just how bitter some varieties might taste, but eventually, the flavor of hops will grow on you! One way to try IPAs without bitterness is to look for East Coast styles that tend to have more citrus. West Coast IPAs are more hop-forward and can give you that bitterness or bite. Typically, IPAs are rated based on something called an international bitterness unit, which is usually abbreviated as IBU. The higher the number is, the more bitter it is. If you are looking for something really hoppy, you may want to try a double IPA or a triple IPA.
Sour Beers
Finally, the fastest growing trend in the craft beer industry is the development of sour beers. Sour beers are typically made with fruit. Matt Coben understands that lots of people love sour beers and they can be dynamically different from very tart to very fruity in flavor. If you like something sweet, you will want to give this option to try. There are lots of different flavors of sour beers. For example, you might be interested in a blueberry sour. Or, you might be interested in a raspberry sour. If you want to try everything available to you, you may want to ask for a flight the next time you go to one of your local breweries!
Find the Right Craft Beer for Your Taste Buds
Of course, these are just a few of the many types of beers available. We haven’t even touched on darker beers like Porters or Stouts which tend to be more popular as the weather cools. One of the great parts about having a lot of breweries in the local area is that they are always experimenting, trying to find a delicious new flavor. If you are curious about what type of beer is best for your preferences, Matt R. Coben believes that the best way to do so is to visit a few breweries and try a few options! You might be surprised at what you like.
