Em Sauter is a beer educator, cartoonist, author, and Certified Cicerone® known for her unique approach to beer education through illustrations and comics. She runs the popular blog Pints and Panels, where she uses her art to explain beer styles, brewing processes, and tasting notes in a fun, accessible way.
She has published books like Beer is for Everyone! and Hooray for Craft Beer!, which blend humor, education, and illustration to break down beer styles and culture.
Beer styles are the key to understanding the incredible diversity of flavors, aromas, and traditions that make beer such a beloved drink worldwide. From crisp lagers to rich stouts, every style has its own history, brewing process, and sensory profile, each shaped by the regions, ingredients, and cultures that created them.
Dive into what makes each style unique along with examples to seek out. Whether you’re new to beer or a seasoned enthusiast, you’ll find easy-to-understand breakdowns of classic styles, modern innovations, and lesser-known gems. We’ll explore everything from the light, refreshing snap of a pilsner to the complex layers of a barrel-aged stout. Along the way, you’ll pick up tips on tasting, food pairings, and how to navigate the ever-expanding landscape of craft beer.
So grab a glass, and get ready to uncover the stories behind the styles in this journey through beer’s past, present, and future. Cheers!
Ales
Step into the world of ale—a lively, complex branch of the beer family that is brimming with flavors and aromas from fruity to spicy! Throughout history, ales have been cherished across the globe. Many countries are traditionally ale brewers. Belgium ales (ex. tripel witbier) are known for spritzy character, usually higher ABVs, and yeast strains that exhibit fruity and spicy flavors. England (ex. best bitter, dark mild) is also known for its ales, which are usually lower ABV and whose yeast strains showcase flavors of pear and apple. Most American beer styles (ex. blonde ale, American porter) are ales as well although these have less organic byproducts than England or Belgium.
What makes an ale an ale? Technically ale is a group of beers made with ale yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) and fermented at around 55-70F+ for 10-14 days. Ale yeast releases more organic byproducts than lager yeast, resulting in fruity esters (pear/apple/banana) and, depending on the strain, sometimes phenols (clove/pepper). Ales can be any color from light straw to black and ABVs can range from NA upwards to 16%+ depending on the style. Ales can be a range for flavors depending on ingredients used. Ales can have subsections including IPAs and stouts.
IPAs
Get ready for a hop-fueled adventure! India Pale Ales, or IPAs, are the ultimate hop showcase in the beer world, featuring bold aromas and flavors that have captured the taste buds of adventurous beer drinkers. Originally crafted in 19th-century England, the IPA has since spread and transformed into one of the most diverse and popular beer styles, boasting over two dozen unique varieties today. Ranging from pale gold to nearly black, IPAs can be light and refreshing or dark and intense, with ABVs stretching from non-alcoholic to 13% and beyond.
What really defines an IPA, though, is the hops—those magical, aromatic flowers that grow best between latitudes 35-55°. Whether it's the tropical, citrusy punch of U.S. favorites like Citra and Mosaic, the juicy kick of Australia’s Galaxy, or the vibrant notes of New Zealand’s Riwaka and Nelson Sauvin, hops are the stars of the IPA show. Different styles bring out different hop characteristics, from the bitterness of a double IPA to the lush, fruity haze of a New England IPA. No matter where you go, you’re bound to find IPAs on tap, with breweries around the world serving up their own hop-forward creations for beer lovers to enjoy.
Lagers
In the beer world, the easy-going, refreshing go-to is lager. These smooth, crisp brews are crafted with a special yeast, Saccharomyces pastorianus, and are fermented at cooler temperatures than ales, between 48-60°F. After fermentation, they’re cold-matured at near-freezing temperatures for weeks or even months, creating a clean and refreshing taste that lets the other ingredients—like malt and hops—shine. Unlike ales, lagers are known for their subtlety, as their yeast doesn’t produce the fruity flavors or spicy notes that define many ales. This makes lagers wonderfully diverse, ranging from light straw hues to deep, rich black, with ABVs from non-alcoholic up to a bold 14% or more.
Germany, Poland, and the Czech Republic have a long tradition of brewing lagers, from Munich’s malty helles to crisp German pilsners and robust Baltic porters. In fact, the pale lager—famous for its easy-drinking appeal—is the world’s most popular beer style, with countless versions crafted around the globe. North America also has a rich lager tradition, thanks to the German, Austrian, and Czech immigrants who brought their brewing techniques to America and Mexico in the 19th century. Today, lagers continue to be celebrated and enjoyed in endless varieties, proving that sometimes, less is more when it comes to flavor.
Stouts
Welcome to the dark side—of beer that is. Stouts are a bold, black brew with a signature roasty character, thanks to the rich, dark malts like chocolate and black patent malt that give them their deep color and flavors. While stouts can be anything from hoppy and bitter to smooth and sweet, they’re always packed with character. Interestingly, the word "stout" originally just meant a stronger version of a porter (think “stout porter”), but today, the two styles can even overlap in strength.
Stouts are most often brewed with ale yeast and can range from non-alcoholic versions to boozy pours that exceed 16% ABV. What’s especially fun about stouts is that they’re a perfect base for creative additions, known as adjuncts. Breweries have experimented with all sorts of twists on the style, from oatmeal stouts to the surprisingly tasty oyster stout (yes, it’s a real thing!). One popular twist is the milk stout, made with lactose, an unfermentable sugar that adds a silky sweetness and fuller body, paving the way for decadent pastry stouts.
Famous stout-brewing countries include Ireland, America, Jamaica, and England—each putting its own spin on this classic, inky brew. So, whether you’re after something rich and creamy or dark and bold, there’s a stout out there ready to surprise and delight.
A closer look at two related Belgian beers.