A guide to beer styles, from pilsner to stout

A beer list can read like a foreign language. Gose, Kölsch, Dubbel, Wee Heavy: each name stands for a way of brewing that a town, an abbey or a family worked out over decades, sometimes centuries. BeerCorp explains them, one style at a time.

Each style page gives you the numbers that define a beer, its strength, bitterness and colour, then how it tastes, where it comes from, how to pour it and which beers show it best. You can browse by family, colour, country or brewery, so a pilsner you already know leads you to its relatives. The history, stories and guides cover the rest, from the Bavarian beer law of 1516 to the myths around India pale ale.

The numbers follow the style guidelines of the Beer Judge Certification Program and the Brewers Association. The history comes from the breweries’ own records and the Oxford Companion to Beer, and every page lists its sources at the end. lordtime writes and edits the site. Start with a style you already like, or with the glossary if a label puzzles you.