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Beer Basics 101

Beer Basics is the best place to learn all about beer, from the brewing and malting processes to understanding basics such as: Color, Bitterness (IBU), Taste, Flavor, Aromas, Gravity (FG, OG, SG), Alcohol Content (ABV, ABW) , and what glass to use.

Beer

Beer Basics

Primary Ingredients

The German Purity Law (also known as the Reinheitsgebot) of 1516 declared that Water, Malt, and Hops, are main ingredients required to call a beer a beer. Once yeast was discovered (1857 Louis Pasteur and Emil Hansen 1883) it was included as a main ingredient.

ingredients

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Other Ingredients

Other than the four primary beer ingredients, brewers are often using other ingredients ranging from fruits, spices, herbs, coffee, adjuncts, and many more. Recently, brewers have brewing with some exceptionally unusual ingredients that could surprise and horrify you.

ingredients

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Beer Styles

The Brewers Association Beer Style Guidelines are compiled by the Brewers Association. The Brewers Association’s beer style guidelines reflect, as much as possible, historical significance, authenticity, or a high profile in the current commercial beer market.

Guidelines

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Visited Breweries

Traveling across the US we have visited about 200 breweries ranging from Brewpubs, Taprooms, Micro or Nano breweries to Regional, National or International breweries, and of course sampled their beers! Read about these breweries, their beers and browse the galleries.

Breweries

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Oktoberfest

The Oktoberfest is the world's largest Volksfest, featuring the world's largest beer festival, held annually in Munich, Bavaria, Germany. Explore our guide to the Wiesn, its history, the pagents, beer tents, food tents, rides, and much more...

Wisen

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Brewing Process

Tasting Techniques

Glassware

Alcohol Content

Beer Terminology

Cellaring

Color

Gravity

Off-Flavors

Pouring

Malting Process

Culture

Hops

Malts

Water

Yeasts

Additives

Adjuncts

Candy / Sweets

Chili Peppers

Coffeee

Fruits & Flavorings

Grapes

Herbs

Honey

Mushrooms & Fungi

Nuts & Seeds

Seafood & Fish

Spices

Sugar & Syrups

Tea

Unusual / WTF!

Vegetables

Ale Styles

Lager Styles

Hybrid/Mixed

Cider

Mead

OKTOBERFEST HISTORY

EVENTS

ATTRACTIONS

CULTURE

OTHER

Fresh Cheese

Soft Cheese

Semi-Soft Cheese

Semi-Hard Cheese

Hard Cheese

Blue Cheese

Prohibition

Temperance Organizations

The largest distillery ever uncovered in Detroit was raided and prohibition officers are seen inspecting tanks and vats in one part of the plant, on Jan. 5, 1931. Each of these vats have a capacity of 15,000 gallons and there were thirteen on this floor alone.

June 6, 1921, NY State's troopers help enforce the dry laws, members of Troop K, chasing suspect in automobile carrying booze.

Activities of the Internal Revenue Dept. to enforce prohibition Dr. A. B. Adams, head of the division of technology of the Internal Revenue.

Largest still in captivity

Notable Enacted Laws