There are so many types of beer out there, this is a guide to some of the beers in the world today.
Ales and lagers: the big split
Almost every beer belongs to one of two families, and the yeast decides which. Ales are fermented with top-fermenting yeast at warmer temperatures (roughly 15 to 24°C), which brings fruity, rounded flavours. Lagers use bottom-fermenting yeast at cooler temperatures (roughly 7 to 13°C) and are then conditioned cold for weeks, which gives a cleaner, crisper beer.
Pilsner
A pale, golden lager first brewed in the Bohemian town of Plzeň (Pilsen) in 1842. Pilsners are crisp and dry with a floral, spicy hop bitterness, and they are the ancestor of most of the world’s everyday lagers.
Try: Talkin’ Cheese, our 5.0% pilsner lager, brewed with summer in mind.
Pale ale
A big family of ales made mostly from pale malt, balancing malt sweetness against hop bitterness. English pale ales lean biscuity and earthy; American-style pale ales show off citrus and pine from new-world hops.
Try: Maroota Roota (5.3%) for pine and grapefruit aromas, or Your Dreamin’ (5.25%), made with a rare mix of seven hops.
Australian pale ale
Australia’s own take on the pale ale, usually brewed with Australian-grown hops that bring bright tropical-fruit and citrus notes.
Try: Ranga’s Revenge, a strong 6.0% Australian ale with pale, pilsner and crystal malts, dry hopped for extra citrus and pineapple.
India pale ale (IPA)
A stronger, hoppier pale ale with roots in 19th-century England. Today IPAs range from bitter, piney West Coast styles to hazy, juicy New England versions.
Honey beer
Beer brewed with honey added to the boil or during fermentation. The yeast ferments most of the honey’s sugars, so honey beers are often drier than you would expect, with floral notes and a little extra punch.
Try: What’s The Buzz (4.9%), our pale ale made with local Canoelands honey.
Porter
A dark ale born in 18th-century London and named after the street and river porters who loved it. Brown and roasted malts give chocolate, coffee, toffee and caramel flavours with a medium body.
Try: Barber’s Brew (4.9%), our porter ale with roasted malt and caramel flavours.
Stout
Stout began as a stronger “stout porter”. Roasted barley gives a dry, coffee-like bitterness. Look out for dry Irish stout, sweet milk stout (brewed with lactose), smooth oatmeal stout and big imperial stouts.
Wheat beer
Brewed with a large share of wheat malt for a hazy, soft and refreshing beer. German hefeweizen gets banana and clove notes from its yeast; Belgian witbier is spiced with orange peel and coriander.
Sour beer
Tart, refreshing beers soured by wild yeasts or bacteria. Classic examples include Berliner weisse, gose and Belgian lambic.
Which Canoelands beer should I try?
- Like a crisp, cold lager? Start with Talkin’ Cheese.
- Prefer something darker? Barber’s Brew porter ale.
- Love hops? Your Dreamin’ or Maroota Roota.
- Something different? What’s The Buzz honey beer.
- Want a bit more strength? Ranga’s Revenge.
Ready to taste? Visit the shop or book a brewery visit.