If you take beer seriously you have to know almost everything about beer. Reading regularly our newsletter you will sure become a beer expert.

Moreover being an expert in beer you will better savour the taste of beer. So, let’s start with the very first notion: “beer”. "Beer" refers to any fermented beverage made from grain. Lagers and ales are the two families of beer, distinguished by the type of yeast and the temperature of fermentation.

Lagers are fermented at cooler temperatures by so-called "bottom fermenting" yeast. Beers in the lager family need to be conditioned-or "lagered"-somewhere cool for a number of weeks before they are ready to drink. Ales are fermented at warmer temperature by top-fermenting yeast strains, and are ready to drink sooner.

There are many distinct styles of beer within the lager and ale families: for example, pilsner is one of the most popular lager styles; and porter and stout are examples of ale styles. And in both families, beers can run the gamut from light to dark-colored, and from weak to strong alcohol.