The diversity of beer available is much greater than 20 or even 10 years ago. This makes answering the question “what beer do you like” more complex than in the past. Many will answer by stating a brand or certain characteristic like “hoppy”. However, there are some basic universal categories that help divide the beer world into groups of beer.
Lager vs. Ale
Beer is made by yeast and there are two basic yeasts used in all beer. Ale has been around for thousands of years and ferments beer when warm. Lager is a more recent yeast (when recent is 500 years) that works under cold conditions.
Bitter vs. Sweet
This simple chart shows the major categories of beer.
Fruity vs. Malty
A large poster image gives a more comprehensive picture.
In my case, I prefer Belgium style ales that are sweet and fruity. I keep track using a smartphone and the app Untapped. Here are my favorites;
