One of the hottest trends in craft beer recently has been sour beers, and specifically, the introduction of fruited sours into the world of artisan suds.

Sour beers have a tart and/or acidic taste which is rare in the world of beer. While they may sound strange at first, this unique twist on beer is one of the most delicious creations that anyone in the craft beer industry has come up with.

When you add fruit flavors to the mix, the result is a crisp and refreshing beer that is truly second to none.

Brewers these days are beginning to take a sour beer base, which is made by using wild yeast strains or bacteria to give the beer a tart flavor and adding fruit pulp or juice to turn it into a fruited sour. This works especially well with fruits that have a bit of tartness such as blueberries and cherries.

Have you tried a fruited sour beer yet? What did you think?

The post Fruited Sours are All the Rage in the Craft Beer World appeared first on falafelandcaviar.com.

Here are four unique beer glasses that you should get to know and love!

Tulip Glass

Tulip glasses have a wide, bulbous shape that tapers towards the top before flaring out at the rim. They are especially popular for Belgian Trappist varieties as well as strongly aromatic beers like imperial IPAs.

Stange Glass

Ever wondered what those tall and skinny beer glasses are called? Well, the name is a Stange glass, and they are best used for light German styles such as Kolsch and pilsners.

IPA Glass

One of the world’s most popular beer styles has its own glass. The aromatic, hoppy, and bitter IPA style is best enjoyed in its namesake glass, which helps with aeration and head retention.

Goblet Glass

Ever wanted to feel like a medieval king while drinking a beer? Try using a goblet glass, which is especially perfect when paired with heavy, high-alcohol beers like heavy Belgian ales and German doppelbocks that are best enjoyed sipped.

The post These Unique Glasses Complement Your Beers appeared first on falafelandcaviar.com.

It can be a little overwhelming to start off in the craft beer world, but fortunately, there are tons of resources that can help you learn more and make informed decisions when buying these products. One fantastic resource that I use is Cory Smith’s Instagram account, @cory_s_smith.

Smith is a writer for Good Beer Hunting, Punch, and VinePair and is considered one of the world’s leading craft beer writers. On his Instagram account, he does a fantastic job of sharing the most exciting beers that he finds with his followers.

Smith’s account has a little bit of everything related to craft beer. Are you looking to pair food with beer? He offers plenty of advice on that. Searching for information about a new and trending style? You can count on Smith posting about it.

Anyone who likes craft beer, from total newbies to seasoned veterans, will learn something by following Smith. He’s an indispensable resource for anyone looking to find out more about this trending drink.

The post If You’re a Craft Beer Enthusiast, You Have to Follow Cory Smith appeared first on falafelandcaviar.com.

So, what is a craft lager and how do they differentiate from the lagers that most of us are probably familiar with?

At its essence, a lager beer is a beer that is brewed using a different technique than ales, which are the more popular craft beer option. Instead of using yeasts that work via top fermentation, which occurs at warm temperatures, lagers are brewed using bottom fermentation at low temperatures.

This process results in a smooth, crisp, and clear beer. Instead of being big and flavor-forward like ales such as IPAs and stouts, they are simpler and more refreshing.

Craft lagers have started to encroach on the territory of more traditional lagers such as Budweiser and Coors.

Now, tons of craft breweries throughout the world have started to put their twist on this classic beer option. Here are some that you should check out.

• Hi-Wire Lager: This North Carolina beer combines the sweetness of pilsner malt with floral hops.
• Rheingeist Brewery Cheetah: Love American-style lagers that are heavy on corn and carbonation? Check out this refreshing lager from Rheingeist.
• Oskar Blues Mama’s Little Yella Pils: Straight out of Colorado comes this fantastic pilsner lager. Its straw color and creamy texture makes it perfect for warm weather.

The post Craft Lagers Prove That Classic Beers Can Be Exciting appeared first on falafelandcaviar.com.

Craft beer is a field that allows for tons of creativity and novelty, so it’s no surprise that coffee and beer have begun to join forces here. While most of us will probably have trouble picturing what this mixture might taste like, the result is surprisingly delicious.

Coffee is generally added to beer to lend a roasted, nutty flavor to the final product. Of course, lots of times, this also adds caffeine and a distinct coffee note to beer, which can be surprising for first-time drinkers.

The most popular beer styles that lend themselves to the addition of coffee are stouts and porters. These heavier ales already have a heavy, nutty, and roasty characteristic due to the use of certain malts and barleys, so coffee pairs naturally with them.

However, many craft brewers are now stepping out of the box and also using coffee in other more non-traditional beer styles. To Ol Brewery in Denmark, however, has received acclaim for its “Black Malts and Body Salts” double IPA.

Despite being an IPA, this beer utilizes black coffee to impart a truly unique hoppy and roasty flavor to one of its top beers.

Are you brave enough to try a coffee beer?

The post Coffee Beer Styles are Gaining Traction appeared first on falafelandcaviar.com.

Lagers

Although lagers can be any number of colors from light to dark, they are generally somewhere in the middle of even lighter. Lagers are often associated with tasting lighter and crisper than other types of beer, so this is perfect for someone who doesn’t drink beer often.

Ales

Ales are a beer that is darker in color than one like a lager, and they also have a stronger, hoppier, and generally more fruity tasting. They are all around a fuller taster beer, but at the same time are not heavy like other types of beer.

Porters and Stouts

You can definitely tell when a beer is a porter or a stout because they are both super dark in color and have notes of chocolate, coffee, and with porters, sometimes a little smokiness. Although they are two different kinds of beer, they often taste similar to someone who isn’t a beer connoisseur.

The post A Quick Guide to Different Types of Beer appeared first on falafelandcaviar.com.

One of the hottest trends in craft beer recently has been sour beers, and specifically, the introduction of fruited sours into the world of artisan suds.

Sour beers have a tart and/or acidic taste which is rare in the world of beer. While they may sound strange at first, this unique twist on beer is one of the most delicious creations that anyone in the craft beer industry has come up with.

When you add fruit flavors to the mix, the result is a crisp and refreshing beer that is truly second to none.

Brewers these days are beginning to take a sour beer base, which is made by using wild yeast strains or bacteria to give the beer a tart flavor and adding fruit pulp or juice to turn it into a fruited sour. This works especially well with fruits that have a bit of tartness such as blueberries and cherries.

Have you tried a fruited sour beer yet? What did you think?

The post Fruited Sours are All the Rage in the Craft Beer World appeared first on falafelandcaviar.com.

Here are four unique beer glasses that you should get to know and love!

Tulip Glass

Tulip glasses have a wide, bulbous shape that tapers towards the top before flaring out at the rim. They are especially popular for Belgian Trappist varieties as well as strongly aromatic beers like imperial IPAs.

Stange Glass

Ever wondered what those tall and skinny beer glasses are called? Well, the name is a Stange glass, and they are best used for light German styles such as Kolsch and pilsners.

IPA Glass

One of the world’s most popular beer styles has its own glass. The aromatic, hoppy, and bitter IPA style is best enjoyed in its namesake glass, which helps with aeration and head retention.

Goblet Glass

Ever wanted to feel like a medieval king while drinking a beer? Try using a goblet glass, which is especially perfect when paired with heavy, high-alcohol beers like heavy Belgian ales and German doppelbocks that are best enjoyed sipped.

The post These Unique Glasses Complement Your Beers appeared first on falafelandcaviar.com.

It can be a little overwhelming to start off in the craft beer world, but fortunately, there are tons of resources that can help you learn more and make informed decisions when buying these products. One fantastic resource that I use is Cory Smith’s Instagram account, @cory_s_smith.

Smith is a writer for Good Beer Hunting, Punch, and VinePair and is considered one of the world’s leading craft beer writers. On his Instagram account, he does a fantastic job of sharing the most exciting beers that he finds with his followers.

Smith’s account has a little bit of everything related to craft beer. Are you looking to pair food with beer? He offers plenty of advice on that. Searching for information about a new and trending style? You can count on Smith posting about it.

Anyone who likes craft beer, from total newbies to seasoned veterans, will learn something by following Smith. He’s an indispensable resource for anyone looking to find out more about this trending drink.

The post If You’re a Craft Beer Enthusiast, You Have to Follow Cory Smith appeared first on falafelandcaviar.com.

So, what is a craft lager and how do they differentiate from the lagers that most of us are probably familiar with?

At its essence, a lager beer is a beer that is brewed using a different technique than ales, which are the more popular craft beer option. Instead of using yeasts that work via top fermentation, which occurs at warm temperatures, lagers are brewed using bottom fermentation at low temperatures.

This process results in a smooth, crisp, and clear beer. Instead of being big and flavor-forward like ales such as IPAs and stouts, they are simpler and more refreshing.

Craft lagers have started to encroach on the territory of more traditional lagers such as Budweiser and Coors.

Now, tons of craft breweries throughout the world have started to put their twist on this classic beer option. Here are some that you should check out.

• Hi-Wire Lager: This North Carolina beer combines the sweetness of pilsner malt with floral hops.
• Rheingeist Brewery Cheetah: Love American-style lagers that are heavy on corn and carbonation? Check out this refreshing lager from Rheingeist.
• Oskar Blues Mama’s Little Yella Pils: Straight out of Colorado comes this fantastic pilsner lager. Its straw color and creamy texture makes it perfect for warm weather.

The post Craft Lagers Prove That Classic Beers Can Be Exciting appeared first on falafelandcaviar.com.

Craft beer is a field that allows for tons of creativity and novelty, so it’s no surprise that coffee and beer have begun to join forces here. While most of us will probably have trouble picturing what this mixture might taste like, the result is surprisingly delicious.

Coffee is generally added to beer to lend a roasted, nutty flavor to the final product. Of course, lots of times, this also adds caffeine and a distinct coffee note to beer, which can be surprising for first-time drinkers.

The most popular beer styles that lend themselves to the addition of coffee are stouts and porters. These heavier ales already have a heavy, nutty, and roasty characteristic due to the use of certain malts and barleys, so coffee pairs naturally with them.

However, many craft brewers are now stepping out of the box and also using coffee in other more non-traditional beer styles. To Ol Brewery in Denmark, however, has received acclaim for its “Black Malts and Body Salts” double IPA.

Despite being an IPA, this beer utilizes black coffee to impart a truly unique hoppy and roasty flavor to one of its top beers.

Are you brave enough to try a coffee beer?

The post Coffee Beer Styles are Gaining Traction appeared first on falafelandcaviar.com.

Lagers

Although lagers can be any number of colors from light to dark, they are generally somewhere in the middle of even lighter. Lagers are often associated with tasting lighter and crisper than other types of beer, so this is perfect for someone who doesn’t drink beer often.

Ales

Ales are a beer that is darker in color than one like a lager, and they also have a stronger, hoppier, and generally more fruity tasting. They are all around a fuller taster beer, but at the same time are not heavy like other types of beer.

Porters and Stouts

You can definitely tell when a beer is a porter or a stout because they are both super dark in color and have notes of chocolate, coffee, and with porters, sometimes a little smokiness. Although they are two different kinds of beer, they often taste similar to someone who isn’t a beer connoisseur.

The post A Quick Guide to Different Types of Beer appeared first on falafelandcaviar.com.