All varieties and types of beer can be distinguished by their fermentation form, appearance, and ingredients.

Each country has its own commercial beers and their differences. There are those who even sell beer names. Due to the product, which involves many variables, it is quite difficult to distinguish between them.

Content:

Beer does not differ by one criterion, but by several.
Beer is one of the most popular alcoholic beverages in the world. It is made on the basis of cereals, in particular barley. The only condition is that the grains used cause the sugars to ferment, because the starch must go through a fermentation process with water and yeast.
This drink is flavored with ingredients such as hops, which can be bitter, aromatic or mixed, or other herbs. Apart from this, other ingredients such as fruits and spices can also be used.

It is not a liquor and generally has a bitter taste. Its color depends on the ingredients used in the development. And the fortress is usually between 3% and 9% vol, although in some cases it can reach up to 30%.

beer ingredients

Although not usually varietals, the beer can also be of several types depending on the ingredients with which it is prepared. This drink lists barley as the main ingredient, so that's usually listed.

However, there are cases where barley is combined with other grains like oats or wheat. Yes, the drink produced is called as beer from oats or wheat. These beers are also known as white beers because they tend to be cloudy and look like fog. It has an acid character and is refreshing and frothy.

There is also a gluten-free beer. This is a variety that instead of barley or wheat contains some type of porridge or pseudo-cereals like buckwheat, quinoa, sorghum, corn or rice.

Cooked more carefully to avoid contamination of other components with gluten. This is a type of beer specifically for people allergic to this protein found in barley, rye, wheat, and even oats.

Yeast

One of the key ingredients in beer is yeast.

Therefore, as a rule, this is one of the most common ways of classifying this drink. Most beers are made using one of two types of Saccharomycetes, commonly known as yeasts, which are nothing more than fungi that consume sugar and release alcohol as well as carbon dioxide.

There are two main processes that define two types of beer: low fermentation yeast and high fermentation yeast. The former are called Lager beers and the latter as APL.

Beer yeast that is fermented at higher temperatures, typically between 15.5 and 24 °C (60 and 75 °F), forms a foam layer on the surface of the fermenting beer, which is why it is called fermentation yeast. Yeast that ferments at significantly lower temperatures, around 10 °C (50 °F), has the ability to process a chemical compound known as raffinose, a complex sugar produced during fermentation. This yeast collects at the bottom of the fermented beer and is therefore called yeast with yeast. Most of the beers in production today are fermented this way and are called lager.

Spontaneously fermented beer produced in Belgium using wild strains of yeast is called lambic.

Types of beer

Lager

Lager

These are beers that contain low fermentation yeast. This is the circle that the drink goes through maturation at low temperatures (from 7 to 13 °C). For this reason, the yeast works too slowly, which means it has to sit longer so that it reaches its maturity.

This type of beer should remain stored for two to six months. Unlike Ale, Lager has a smaller range of aromas and flavors. The beer is crisp, light and has a lot of gas. They have a moderate strength, and also, as a rule, give a very refreshing effect.

• Pilsen: This is one of the most popular varieties in the world. This is a lager, but the tone is pale and transparent. Its degrees are moderate, being between 4.5 and 5.5%. Dry and has a good Malta reputation and a characteristic hop aroma. This strain contains classic levels of malted barley, yeast, hops and water. Its maturation time is at least one to two months.

• Münchner Hell: This beer is slightly darker and less dry than Pilsen. Its degrees are higher, going up 4.5% to 5%. This variety is common in Munich and southern Germany.

• Münchner Dunkel A: dark beer tends to have more of a malty character, colorless. Its hue can vary from red brownish to charcoal black. It is also higher in its strength, from 5 to 5.5%. This type of beer is served almost all over the world when you ask for a dark or light lager beer.

• Marzen/Oktoberfest: this is a strong beer, with good maturation (from three months). This variety is generally known by this name only in Germany. In other countries it is known as a style of Vienna beer or as Amber. This last name is due to its color, which is usually bronze or copper red. It has much more density, and alcohol (between 5 and 6%).

• Dortmunder Export: this beer, like many previous ones, owes its name to the place of origin. Only those designed in Dortmunder (Germany) can carry this name. Other beers are similar to this variety, and those served in other cities are called export. This type of beer is golden and pale in color and has more body than Pilsen but is also less bitter.

These beers contain high fermentation yeast. It is found in the stems of cereals and was discovered in 1852 by Louis Pasteur when he was doing research on beer. This variety must operate in a temperature range of 12 to 24 °C, which usually results in a quick fermentation (7 or 8 days, or even less).

It is especially popular in Great Britain, and in the center of Europe. It is dark, thick, with a density that goes from medium to high, they have little gas and have a wide variety of aromas of floral and fruity notes, as well as aromas that are much brighter than other varieties.

Beer styles

British style

• Mild: This is a beer with a mild character and slightly bitter. This variety is usually not found in bottles, but only in barrels. Generally dark, light body, and also less dry. Its strength is moderate (between 3 and 4%).
• Bitter: Beer opposite Mild. Much more bitter, but like Mild it tends to be in a barrel.
• Pale Ale: His name comes from the fact that when introduced to the market, all beer was dark. And it was the first one that had an amber color.
• Brown Ale: His name also comes from the color of the roast. Has an amber or soft brown color. It is a strong beer with a good malt taste, dry and generally fruity.
• old ale A: This variety tends to have a dark color. They also have a lot of density and they can carry a bit of sweetness. Many of them are high ABV, between 5 and 8.5%.
• Barley Wine A: This type of beer is more like wine. It is called so not only because its alcohol content can be similar to this drink, but also because it was a traditional drink that was kept for several months in oak barrels. Its strength is usually from 6 to 12%. This beer is dark with a high gravity.
• Scotch Ale: usually dark brown. Moderately bitter, with hints of sweetness and good body. This type of beer is very popular in Belgium.
• Ale Irish: This variety is characterized by a reddish color, fruit flavor and a symbol of Malta.

Belgian style

• ale-belgian) - a type of beer, amber-colored reddish or copper. The density is medium, with soft and fruity notes, and its alcohol content is 5% or so. This group can also include those made in the style of British ale. Are beer, dark and strong.
• Ale toast: This variety is a mixture of young and old beer. The taste is intense, bitter and its color is brown. The fortress is usually between 5 and 6%.
• Ale-red: This type of beer is usually reddish in color. Light weight, slightly sour and very refreshing aroma. This variety is also made from a mixture of old and young beers.
• Ale golden safe: This is a golden-colored beer with a high alcohol content of about 8 percent. Fruity, dry, with a lot of foam.
• Saison: beer works seasonally, created for special occasions. Typically orange in color with thick foam. In addition, its taste is fresh, fruity and therefore usually served in bottles of champagne.
• Trapense: This is a type of beer that originated in Catholic monasteries. No less than 20 different beers are produced there, and each one has different characteristics. However, they also share common features. Typically second fermented in the bottle, they have fruity notes and range from 5 to 11% ABV. There are, golden and light, dry and sweet.
• Regional cuisine: There are a number of Belgian beers that are not included in any of the previous ratings, because it depends on the taste of a particular manufacturer.

german style

• Altbier- the beer ferments in the warm, but also goes through the process of maturation in the cold for several weeks. Some wheat is sometimes used in its development. It is soft, copper or dark orange, degrees between 4.5 and 5%.
• Kelsch: fermentation and maturation process like Altbier. But unlike these, they use malt. Very fruity taste, soft and tender. Its strength is 5% approximately.

It is worth noting that among the highly fermented beers, you will also find several varieties, of which Ales dark is quite popular. This category includes Stout and Porter. The first is a strong beer, and a bitter taste, the color is very dark, almost black. The second is less bitter, and with a lower degree of alcohol.

Types of beer

In addition to varieties by type of fermentation, beer is usually also classified by their appearance. The main difference is their color.

These beers can be white, black, or red. They may also be clear or cloudy. This difference may be due to the protein in the grain. Although this may also depend on the type of filtration or lack of this process. In the case of dark beers, their dark color is due to the fact that Malt, toast is used for their manufacture.

Main types of beer:

fermentation

• Dunkel
• helles
• German style, cellar beer
• Export (Dortmunder)
• Pilsner (Pils)
• Lager
• Schwarzbier
  Vienna

high fermentation

• german style
• Altbier
• Kellerweizen (e.g. ERHARD from Bamberg)
• Kelsch (Cologne)
• Rauchbier
• Steinbier
• Weizenbier or Weissbier (wheat)

Belgian style

• Beers of the abbey Biere d'abbaye.
• Beer-fruity aroma of Biere aux fruits.
• Ambree beer (Golden)
• Biere blanche white beer.
• Lager Biere blonde.
• Beer Brun (Black)
• Beer double Biere double. (double fermentation)
• epicee beer (with spices)
• Lager Forte Biere blonde Forte.
• Red beer (fermented, mixed)
• Saison beer (seasonal)
• Beer scotch (Scottish style)
• Belgian pils beer
• Beer trapista Biere trappiste. (made by monks trapenses)
• Triple beer Biere tripel. (triple fermentation)
• Vieille brune beer

Italian style

• Tuscany stile beer.

British style

• Barley Wine (Wine from barley)
• Bitter
• Brown Ale
• India Pale Ale
• old ale
• Pale Ale
• Porter
• Scottish Ale

Irish style

stout
Irish Ale
Mild
Gold Ale

peruvian style

• quinoa beer
• Coca beer
• purple corn beer
• fruit beer
• Lambic
• Kriek
• Geuze
• Lambic aux fruits

Gluten free beer

Gluten-free beer ingredients can be: water, cereal or malt pseudo-cereals, corn syrup, hop flower, hop extract. The most commonly used cereals or pseudo-cereals are buckwheat, corn, sorghum, quinoa and rice.

Beer brewed with these ingredients is considered safe for those on a gluten-free diet. There are countries that produce gluten-free barley-based beer. The certification required to be sold as a gluten-free product varies by country (or region).

Methods of analysis to determine the possible content of gluten in these types of beer are very controversial. The scientific community has yet to agree on how to measure gluten in some beers because the enzymatic clarification processes used today break protein chains into smaller pieces, making them harder to detect with traditional methods. There is general agreement that PCR is the most accurate method.

Gluten is a protein found in the grains of wheat, barley, rye, and possibly oats. Some people are allergic to gluten and cannot drink regular beer.

There are several producers who sell gluten-free beers such as Bi-Aglut or Damm with their Daura beer.

Dark beer is a low-alcohol drink made from roasted malt, water, yeast and hops. It got its name from its characteristic color. There is a direct relationship. The more roasted malt in the feedstock, the darker the beer will be.

There are a huge number of varieties of dark foamy drink. They are united by moderate hop bitterness and pronounced malt flavor. But they still have much more differences. It is rare that a fan of an intoxicating drink says that he loves all dark beers. Usually, specific varieties are chosen: stout, porter, and so on.

Especially for you, I have prepared the most complete list of varieties and types of dark beer. The opinions of experts on the classification of such alcohol, as they say, differ greatly. Why? The fact is that there is simply no complete generally accepted classification. In my opinion, the principle of division should be exclusively the color of the foamy drink.

Current classification

1. Porter. This is one of the classic beers. It is characterized by sweetness in taste, high density and pronounced malty aroma. Porter is often referred to as a winter beer. This is due to the fact that in many European countries this intoxicating drink is drunk in winter. Depending on the manufacturer, it may contain from 4 to 10% ethyl alcohol.

Porter was first brewed in England in the early 18th century. Due to its nutritional properties, it was initially positioned as a cheap alcohol for people engaged in heavy physical labor. However, over time it began to be considered a more respectable drink.

Porter was incredibly popular in the Russian Empire. He was favored by many aristocrats. Many members of the imperial family also singled out him.

2. El. This is one of the oldest beers in the world. Some scientists believe that it was with him that the glorious began. There are versions that the ancient Sumerians began to cook it 7 thousand years ago.

Subsequently, ale spread widely in Foggy Albion and in Belgium. It has been brewed in England since at least the 15th century.

El manages to perfectly combine some sweetness and spicy bitterness. Its strength fluctuates between 6 and 12 degrees. However, stronger brands are also produced in England.

3. Stout. It is currently one of the most popular dark beers. Its recipe contains not only roasted, but also caramelized barley malt. The strength of such a foamy drink is usually 4-6 degrees.

Most people love stouts for their amazing lightness. This quality looks especially incredible when we think about its density and rich dark color.

The stout has recently emerged from the porter category. For quite a long time, it was considered one of its subspecies.

The most popular brand of stout is Irish Guinness (Guinness).

4. Schwarzbier or black beer. It is a dark brown drink with a viscous structure, persistent creamy foam and a pleasant malty aroma. Black beer is loved for its soft rich taste that never seems overly harsh.

If you pour a schwarzbier into a glass, it will be impossible to distinguish it from an English ale. However, this is only a superficial resemblance. Surprisingly, chocolate, coffee and vanilla undertones are felt in its taste.

Black beer is traditionally brewed in Germany. Moreover, a huge number of Germans consider Schwarzbier to be the main foamy drink in their country.

5. . The main feature of its production is the use of smoked barley malt in the production. This is what gives it an unforgettable taste.

The best smoked beer comes from the Schlenkerla brewery in the small German town of Bamberg. This alcohol is world famous.

Among its varieties, March, lean, curly and oak beers can be distinguished.

6. Altbier. This dark beer is also made in Germany. For this beer variety, the main city is, without a doubt, Düsseldorf. Altbier is a top-fermented drink with a strength of up to 5 degrees. Hops reign supreme in its intense taste.

7. Munich Dunkel or Munich dark. This spirit has a dark amber hue. Fresh rye bread plays the main role in its bouquet. Munich Dunkel is a classic dark German beer.

8. Dark American Lager Dark American lagers are made primarily for the US domestic market. They differ in an unusual taste, which is given to them by the rice and corn included in the composition. This variety is practically not bitter in taste.

9. Barley wine or Barley wine. This is a beer exotic. Barley wine stands out for its high gravity and the same alcohol content.

Top Brands

I think it would be wrong to stop by listing the main types of dark beer. Agree, it is useless to come to our average store and ask to sell, say, Albir. At best, you simply will not understand. Therefore, I bring to your attention the best brands of draft and bottled dark beer:

• Velkopopovicky Kozel Cerny (Velkopopovicky goat);
• AndechsWeissbier Dunkel (Andechs Weissbier);
• Belhaven Black Scottish Stout (Belhaven);
• Grimbergen Double-Ambree (Grimbergen);
• Genevieve deBrabant Double (Genevieve);
• Paulaner Hefe-Weissbier Dunkel (Paulaner);
• Guinness Original (Guinness);
• Krusovice Cerne (Krusovice);
• Tuborg Black (Tuborg).

Write in the comments what is your favorite dark beer.

Beer is the most popular alcoholic drink in the world, however, many of us do not think about what kind of beer we drink. Let's try to figure this out.

Beer classification

Classification of beer according to the method of beer fermentation

Speaking about the classification of beer, it is worth paying attention to the process of beer fermentation. Beer is divided into varieties of bottom fermentation (fermentation temperature 5-10 degrees) and top fermentation (fermentation temperature 18-25 degrees).

Bottom fermented beer It is customary to refer to the lager, and the method of production is called lager. Bottom fermentation takes quite a long time due to low temperatures, however, due to long fermentation, the taste of beer becomes the most saturated, which, of course, is an advantage of the technology.

top fermentation occurs much faster than the grassroots, and therefore deserved its popularity. The most popular top-fermented varieties are ale and porter. Most often, all top-fermented beers are classified as ales, although this is not entirely true.

It is worth noting that there are varieties of beer in the world spontaneous fermentation- Lambic. The production of spontaneously fermented beer takes place without the use of yeast and is somewhat similar to the production of wine.

Classification by fermentation method is more suitable for brewers or hop connoisseurs who are well versed in beer production. We are used to a simpler classification.

Classification of beer by color

The color of beer in no way depends on the method of fermentation, so we will consider further classification according to the color of beer.

The color of the beer depends on the composition of the raw materials and, first of all, on the method of preparing the malt. To understand how the color of beer depends on the method of preparation and the composition of the raw materials, you will have to go a little deeper.

For the preparation of beer malt, various grain crops are used, which means that the color of the malt will be different. Most often you can find barley or wheat beer, but there are also corn and even rice and rye beers. For the preparation of malt, the grain is poured with water and allowed to germinate, after which it is roasted in special ovens. The color of the beer and its taste (pleasant bitterness) will strongly depend on the degree of roasting. After roasting, the malt is hopped - hops are added to it, which is also quite important. It is the hops that give the spicy taste and hoppy smell to the beer, and also thanks to the hops, the shelf life of the beer is increased.

By color, beer is usually divided into:

• light;
• dark;
• Red;
• White.

The classification by color of beer is well known to us, it is it that is most often used in the post-Soviet space.

Classification of beer by wort density

But in Europe, it is customary to take the fortress as the basis for classification, or to be more precise, the initial density of the wort.

Depending on the density of the wort, 3 types of beer can be distinguished:

• so-called nonalcoholic beer with a must density of up to 8% (strength 0.5 - 1.5%);
• simple beer, which we are accustomed to with you with a wort density of 11% to 15% (strength 3-5%);
• strong beer with a wort density above 15% (strength up to 8-9%).

In the future, I will give a table of the dependence of the fortress on the density of the wort, and also tell you how you can influence the strength of our favorite drink. You can also calculate the strength of beer using the calculator on the site.

Classification of beer by raw material

As we all well know, beer is made from malt, water and hops. For example, in Russia you can often hear about another classification - according to the raw materials used or malt.

Conditionally (why conditionally? Now very rarely malt of one grain crop is used in the production of beer, very often they are interfered with) it is possible to divide beer by raw materials into:

• Traditional barley beer- brewed purely from barley malt;
• Wheat beer - brewed with the addition of wheat malt 50-70% of the total mass;
• Hybrid beers- beer made from combined malt;

You can find beers made from other cereals:

• Rye beer;
• Rice beer (sake);
• Corn beer (happoshu).

If suddenly you want to offer me another classification of beer, I will be happy to post it here.

Types of beer

Finally, we come to the most interesting - beer varieties. We will consider beer varieties in the context of the fermentation method from the most popular varieties to the lesser known ones.

Bottom fermented beers (lager technology)

Pilsner (from German Pilsner, Pilsner)- the most popular type of beer presented in our bottom-fermented market - lager. It is named after the Czech city of Pilsen, which is traditionally associated with the distribution of this type of beer.

Light Lager (from English Light Lager)- the second most popular type of beer on our market, the appearance of which we owe to our German neighbors. Pale lager is the most popular German beer.

Black beer (from German Schwarzbier)- the most popular dark beer, deserved its name for the color. For the first time, Schwarzbier was brewed in Germany and is currently the most popular dark beer in the country.

Märzen (from German Märzen, Märzenbier) March beers are popular in Germany and Austria. The variety owes its name to the method of preparation - it is prepared by bottom fermentation in early spring.

Bock-beer (from the German Bockbier)- German strong beer of top or bottom fermentation with an initial wort density of more than 16% and a strength of 6.3-7.2%. The peculiarity is that the Bockbier variety can be both light and dark.

Doppelbock (from German German Doppelbock)- a variety of the "Bok-bir" variety with an initial must density of more than 18% and a strength of 7-15%.

Eisbock (from German Eisbock)- Another variety of the Bok-Bir variety is produced by partial freezing of beer. At the same time, alcohol does not freeze. It is with the help of freezing that it is possible to maintain the strength of the beer.

Top fermented beers

Altbier (from German Altbier)- a dark beer brewed in Germany in the traditional old way of top fermentation.

Kölsch (from German Kölsch)- light top-fermented beer, named after the city of production Cologne. This variety is characterized by a rather strong smell of hops and a bitter taste.

Porter (from English Porter)- dark top-fermented beer, porter is characterized by a wine flavor. The fermentation period is 2 months. Porter strength can range from 4% to 10%. The production of porter is typical for the British.

Stout (from English stout)- one of the varieties of porter. For the first time, the Stout variety was brewed in Ireland, where it is still very popular.

Spontaneously fermented beers

lambic- Belgian beer of spontaneous fermentation.

History of brewing in the USSR

The official date of birth of the Soviet (although more precisely the RSFSR, the USSR was created a little later) brewing can be considered the date of February 3, 1922, when the decree “On the excise tax on beer, honey, kvass and fruit and artificial mineral waters” was signed. This time coincided with the expansion of the New Economic Policy, when some freedom was given to private enterprise, expressed in the fact that, in addition to the nationalized breweries, quite a few rented ones appeared, usually by former owners and brewers. What kind of beer was brewed at that time? The same varieties as before the revolution.

These are pro-German brands - "Bavarian", dark "Munich", "Kulmbach", "Export", strong "Bock". These are Austrian and Czech brands (the Czech Republic, before the 1st World War it was part of Austria-Hungary) - "Viennese" (on "Viennese" malt), "Bohemian", classic "Pilsen" and its denser, "export" versions ("Extra-Pilsen").

In the traditions of English brewing, they brewed a dark, dense Porter and a light Pel-Ale. It was very popular (most likely due to its low density, and therefore low-cost) - "Table", dark "March" (formed under the influence of both Austrian and German brewing), some independent Russian brands have also survived (although they also arose under the influence of Western European brewing) - "Cabinet", "Double Golden Label".

The only primordially Russian type of beer is "Black" (as well as its version - "Black Velvet"). This type of beer was not fully fermented (as well as traditional Russian kvass), it had a very low strength at high density and such beer was almost unknown in Europe.


By the end of the 1920s, the New Economic Policy began to be curtailed, private traders were squeezed out of the brewing industry, the first OST for beer was introduced (OST 61-27), which was mandatory only for large state-owned factories (while it did not prohibit brewing other varieties). According to this OST, it was proposed to produce 4 types of beer - "Light No. 1" - close to the Pilsner style, "Light No. 2" - close to Viennese, "Dark" - close to Munich and "Black" - traditionally Russian, fermented with top yeast (with a density of 13% it had a strength of 1% alcohol, like kvass).


By the mid-1930s, active work was underway on new OSTs, they wanted to expand the varietal variety, moreover, in the direction of Western European traditional brands (“Vienna”, “Pilzenskoe”, “Munich”). By the way, the main thing in determining the style of beer was malt - for "Pilsensky" beer they used light "Pilsensky" malt, for "Viennese" - more roasted and therefore darker "Viennese", for "Munich" - dark "Munich" malt.


Water was also taken into account - for Pilzensky it had to be especially soft, for Munich it was more rigid. But as a result, beer under other names was included in the OST, which is usually associated with a well-known legend - about the victory of the beer "Venskoye" of the Zhigulevsk plant in the beer competition at VDNKh and Mikoyan's proposal to use the name of the plant - "Zhigulevskoye" instead of the "bourgeois" name "Vienna".

Be that as it may, they renamed both malt and beer. Malt began to be divided according to color into three types - “Russian” (former “Pilsensky”), “Zhigulevsky” (former “Viennese”), Ukrainian (former “Munich”), and the beer was renamed accordingly - into “Russian”, “Zhigulevskoye”, “Ukrainian”. Variety "Extra-Pilsen" was renamed "Moscow". The names were given in honor of the largest state-owned factories - "Zhigulevskoye" - Zhigulevsky plant in Kuibyshev (Samara), "Russian" - the Rostov-on-Don plant, "Moskovskoye" - Moscow plants, "Ukrainian" - plants in Odessa and Kharkov, "Leningradskoye" (a dense variety in the style of a side and even a double side) - plants in Leningrad. Other varieties were also included in OST 350-38, under their old name (since there was nothing “bourgeois” in their name) - these are Porter, March, Caramel (heir to Black). These 8 varieties (with some changes) existed until the collapse of the USSR (and some survived), so I will dwell on them in more detail.


"Zhigulevskoye" (11% density) - in the style of "Viennese" - more roasted malt gave a deep amber color, the taste was more malty than hoppy.

"Russian" (12%) - in the style of "Pilsen" - as light as possible, well hopped.

Moskovskoye (13%) - also based on Pilsner malt, but denser and even more hoppy.

"Leningradskoe" (18%) - an elite dense and strong light variety.

"Caramel" (11% density, 1.5% alcohol) - this dark unfermented beer was recommended even for children and nursing mothers. It was not stable and had to be pasteurized.


"Martovskoe" (14.5%) is a dark beer, and both dark malts and especially roasted "Viennese" could be used.

"Ukrainian" is a dark beer with a deep taste of malts.

"Porter" - fermented according to the English tradition by top fermentation, a very dense, heavily hopped beer with wine and caramel flavors.

By 1936, all factories switched to brewing these particular types of beer. Although they still brewed "Velvet" - a dense dark beer, new varieties were also being developed, primarily "elite".

By 1939, "Moscow Premium" (18%) were developed,

"Capital" (19%) - this light variety became the strongest (and after the war, when the density value was increased to 23% and the most dense) variety in the USSR.

"Kievskoye" is a sort of beer with wheat malt, although bottom (lager) fermentation.


A variety in the style of ale was also developed, but the beginning of World War II stopped all work in this direction.

Already in 1944, after the liberation of Riga, the “Rizhskoe” variety was put into production, which duplicated “Russian” and replaced this variety in GOST 3478-46 (now Riga was not a “bourgeois” city and the name “Rizhskoe” could be used).

The rest of the varieties were preserved in GOST (only Leningradskoye became heavier up to 20% density, and Porter began to be fermented by bottom fermentation). Since that time (with rare exceptions) all beer in the USSR was produced using bottom-fermentation technology (lagern

The restoration of the economy destroyed by the war began. During the 30s, the production of beer in the USSR increased 3 times, but in 1946 it was less than half of the production in 1940. Most of the beer was sold on tap (as before the war, although in the Russian Empire it was the other way around), there was little bottled beer, the Baltics were in the lead in this business. The main volume of beer fell on the Zhigulevskoye variety, in some cases it occupied up to 90% of the total volume of beer produced.


Serious changes occurred only during the Khrushchev "thaw". At that time, various administrative and economic reassignments were carried out in the country, instead of GOST for beer, republican standards were introduced, which greatly increased the number of Soviet beer varieties. Many large factories introduced their own VTU (temporary TU) and began to brew "branded" varieties (unfortunately, this was not practiced for long). The quantitative diversity far exceeded a hundred varieties (except for the RSFSR, there were especially many varieties in the Ukrainian SSR, BSSR, the Baltic republics, they usually bore the names of republics, historical regions, capitals and cities with brewing traditions). At the same time, unmalted materials began to be introduced in brewing to a very wide extent (which, by the way, made it possible to create different flavor profiles - barley, rice, corn, soy, wheat, various types of sugar - became an integral part of the Soviet beer recipe). In the late 1950s and early 1960s, plants for the production of enzyme preparations were opened (in Zaporozhye and Lviv), which made it possible to increase the amount of unmalted products used up to 30-50% (primarily in Zhiguli). In the mid-60s, half of Zhigulevsky beer in the Ukrainian SSR was produced with the amount of unmalted raw materials from 30 to 50%.

I will dwell on the most interesting varieties that began to be produced at that time. "Taiga" and "Magadanskoe" were produced using an extract of needles, and the Estonian "Kadaka" with juniper, "Pereyaslavskoe" and "Romenskoe holiday" - with honey, and "Amateur" - with 50% unmalted wheat. Some plants were real "generators" of new varieties. Under the leadership of G.P. Dyumler, Isetskoye was created at the Isetsky plant (the German “bock” served as the prototype, although according to Soviet tradition this beer contains 30% of unmalted products - rice and sugar), this variety is still brewed. "Uralskoye" is a dense, dark and vinous beer. "Sverdlovskoye" is a highly attenuated light beer - the forerunner of those beers that we now drink.


They tried to completely ferment beer in the USSR, but the technologies of that time (first of all, the yeast races used) did not allow this, so with the same initial density, Soviet beer varieties are always less strong than modern ones (and this, with very long periods of fermenting Soviet beer, up to 100 days at Stolichny). In Moscow, the pre-revolutionary “Double Golden Label” was revived under the name “Double Golden”, a little later they began to brew dense light “Our Mark” and “Moskvoretskoye”, dense dark “Ostankino”. Khamovniki brewed "Legkoye" - at 14% density, 1.5% alcohol - beer in the traditional Russian style of unfermented kvass.


In Ukraine, the Lviv plant (with several versions of the Lvovsky), Kyiv plants (several versions of the Kyiv) and some others stood out. The Baltic States remained the last island of pure malt beer, several varieties of it were brewed there (for example, the Senchu ​​variety, in fact, repeated the recipe of Zhigulevsky, but only from pure malt), throughout the Union, the only mass pure malt variety was Rizhskoe. But to replace the "Rizhsky" already closer to the 70s, they began to introduce "Slavic".

In the USSR, many varieties of both light and dark beer were brewed, the density varied from very light varieties (8-9% density) - "Table", "Summer", "Light" to beer with a density of 20% or more - "Leningradskoye", "Porter", "Capital" (23%), "Dizhalus" (21%), "Kishinevskoye". From the mid-60s, bottled beer already began to prevail over draft beer, beer was usually not pasteurized, its durability was around 7 days, but often did not reach 3 days (breweries could afford it, beer was not stale on the shelves). From the latest GOSTs for malt, “Zhigulevskiy” (“Viennese”) malt has disappeared and “Zhigulevskoye” has lost its “Viennese” character, and due to a significant amount of unmalted products and a reduction in fermentation time to 14 or even 11 days, the variety has become the most unassuming.


In the 70s, such well-known brands of beer were launched, many of which have survived to this day, such as Admiralteyskoye, Donskoy Cossack, Petrovskoye, Barley Ear, Klinskoye. Varieties "Lyubitelskoye" and "Stolichnoye" (not to be confused with varieties brewed in the 60s) continued the trend towards heavily attenuated modern varieties. In the 80s, new varieties continued to appear constantly (oddly enough, but the anti-alcohol campaign of 1985 even stimulated their appearance, especially low-alcohol ones), there were especially many of them by the 90th, although many of these varieties can already be attributed to the period of independence of the republics of the former USSR. At that time, such well-known brands as Tverskoye, Bouquet of Chuvashia, Vityaz, Chernigovskoye appeared, but another conversation is needed about this ...


In total, during the existence of the USSR (from 1922 to 1991), about 350 types of beer were brewed

Dark beer is a type of beer characterized by a high content of solids and a characteristic bitter aftertaste. Foamy drink of dark varieties refers to beer products, the production of which is based on bottom fermentation.

The main countries supplying dark beer:

• Germany
• Czech Republic
• Spain
• Latin American countries

In the production of dark beer, dark barley malt is used, the raw material for which is roasted germinated barley. Dark beer differs from light-colored drinks in a dry “roasted” aftertaste. True, this organoleptic indicator is more pronounced in black ale.

The historical homeland of dark beer is Germany. Until the 19th century brewers got their malt on an open fire. Therefore, it came out dark and with a fried (smoked) flavor. At first, the technology for the production of dark beer was based on top fermentation. Later, bottom fermentation was invented, which was quickly adopted by manufacturers of a dark foamy drink.

The first written mention of dark beer is dated 43 of the XVI century. The historical document refers to the beer produced at the base of the brewery in the town of Bad Kestritz in Thuringia. By the way, it works to this day and delights beer lovers with the unique black beer Kstritzer.

At that time, the lion's share of the dark beer produced in Germany came from breweries in Thuringia and Saxony, which were taken over by the GDR in the last century. For this reason, the popularity of dark beer was lost until 90 XX century. Due to the popularization of dark beer, its production was also mastered in other countries.

Dark beer production technology

Nuances of modern brewing technology on the example of beer obtained from pale malt
Obtaining dark beers is a step-by-step process:

Stage 1- 7-8-day germination of malt, followed by 16-24 hours of drying. Temperature regime - 80-85 degrees.

Stage 2- crushing, mixing malt with hot water. The stage ends with the production of wort - the main component of beer.

Stage 3- filtration, boiling with hops, wort evaporation.

Stage 4- fermentation in open or closed containers (determined by the type of beer). Yeast is added to the previously obtained wort, initiating bottom and top fermentation.

Stage 5- keeping the drink. At this stage, the desired strength is reached, and the desired organoleptic qualities, including taste, aroma.

After filtration, spill beer is delivered to retail facilities.

Parameters maintained in the preparation of other types of malt:

• dark: drying time - 24-48 hours, temperature regime - up to 105 degrees;
• burnt: temperature - 210-250 degrees, color of finished malt - dark brown, aroma - coffee. This is the raw material for stouts;
• caramel: roasting temperature - 120-170 degrees. The finished malt is the result of caramelization of sugar.

Useful properties of dark beer

Almost all alcoholic beverages are useful if consumed in doses recommended by doctors. It should also be understood that positive effects can only be discussed with natural alcoholic products. The more chemicals in a drink, the more harmful it is.

Tip: when choosing a dark beer, bet on a drink that contains only hops, yeast, malt, and water. Leave on the shelf a bottle on the label of which ethyl alcohol, dyes, flavors, sugar are prescribed. All this has a toxic effect.

By the way, beer, saturated with chemistry, quickly causes beer alcoholism than a drink made from traditional ingredients.

Dark beer is superior to light drinks in the content of vitamins and minerals. The beneficial properties of a foamy dark drink are associated with the nutrients of malt and hops.

Dark beer is recommended as a means of preventing cardiovascular diseases, malignant tumors, and kidney stones. It contains a lot of soluble fiber, which is positively associated with digestion, stool, gastrointestinal microflora.

A glass of dark beer noticeably improves appetite. The drink helps with the flu. It also relieves the symptoms of angina.

Possible harm

Like it or not, beer is alcohol, which in large quantities harms the body. Many drink beer, as they say, in buckets, as it does not lead to severe intoxication. Due to the cumulative effect, such an approach to the use of beer products eventually ends up with health problems, for example, diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, cardiovascular system, diabetes, hormonal disruptions.

One of the symptoms of beer alcoholism is a shattered psyche. A non-hangover alcoholic becomes very irritable, aggressive, angry. A person in this state is unpredictable and poses a potential threat to others.

Hops are a source of a substance that enhances the production of estrogen, the female hormone. Therefore, a man who abuses a foamy drink acquires secondary signs of the opposite sex.

Beer in excess disrupts the monthly cycles. With female beer alcoholism, the body manages with hormones that come with a foamy drink. The production of their estrogen stops. As a result, a woman acquires masculine features.

The reproductive system suffers greatly from beer. Alcohol destroys genetic factors. Hence the congenital chromosomal, gene anomalies.

In the 90s of the last century, in regions with the largest number of alcoholics, 80% of abnormal babies accounted for 80%.

Excessive indulgence in beer is one of the causes of obesity. There are no fats in the drink, but a glass of foamy drink contains 120 calories. Snacks served with beer also contribute to weight gain. We usually eat beer with peanuts, chips, bread sticks. Let's face it, beer is the drink of people who lead a passive lifestyle.

The ceiling of the dose of daily consumed weak beer is 0.7 liters.

How do they eat beer in different countries?

Let's start with the dishes served with beer in German pubs. Why did we choose Germany as a starting point? It is one of the few countries with a centuries-old tradition of drinking beer.

1. Germans prefer to snack on beer with hearty meat dishes, including the famous Bavarian sausages, as well as salty pastries.
2. Pretzel. This is a German version of a salty pretzel, which is made using a lean dough.
3. Rusks. German beer lovers give their preference to salted rye breadcrumbs with garlic. Often they also have a bite of white bread crackers, including spices and spices.

Now moving to Italy:

1. Italians love to eat beer pizza with pepperoni. In such a dish, the main filler is a special smoked sausage, similar to salami.
2. In the course of seafood, for example, shrimp, ennobled with garlic sauce.
3. Calzone - pizza stuffed with ham, salmon.

In almost all European countries, beer is combined with cheese products.

Just wondering: the Irish in terms of the choice of snacks are unique. They snack on beer products with sweet foods, including dark chocolate, numerous pastries (for example, chocolate brownie pie).

American beer drinkers usually order meat and poultry cooked with spices. American traditions of drinking dark beer allow its combination with pork ribs, spicy sausages, cheeses, pizza.

Top 7 Dark Beer Producers

Below are companies whose beer products account for more than 60% of the total volume of beer produced in the world:

1. Petropolis. Last year, 214 million decaliters of beer rolled off the production line of this Brazilian producer. Top brands: Crystal, Lokal, Petra and more.

2. Groupe Castel. This is a French manufacturer that produced 329 million deciliters last year. The production of the main part of beer products is established in Africa. Flag and Castel drinks deserve special attention.

3. Yanjing. This is a large Chinese company that produced 450 million decalitres of drinks last year.

4. Asahi is a Japanese company that produced 590 million decaliters of beer in 2017. Its products account for more than 30%.

5. The Danish manufacturer Carlsberg managed to produce almost 1.17 billion decaliters in 2017. Have you tried at least one of the following drinks: Tuborg, Baltika, Holsten, Gorkha - they are all included in this company.

6. Last year, the volume of drinks produced by the Dutch manufacturer Heineken amounted to 2 billion deciliters. Notable brands: Heineken, Cruzcampo, Tiger Beer and so on.

7. The British company Diageo is the owner of the Irish brand Guinness, which is very popular in the world. Diageo also owns such brands as Red Stripe, Tusker, Smithwick's, Windhoek, Harp Lager, Kilkenny, Kaliber (non-alcoholic).

1. In terms of popularity, beer is second only to water and tea.

2. In Amsterdam, the salary of alcoholics cleaning the streets includes euros, tobacco and beer!

3. In 77 of the last century, the American Steven Petrosino set a record. It took him only 1.3 seconds to absorb a liter of foamy drink.

4. It is possible that beer is older than other alcoholic beverages. Its estimated age is 9.5 thousand years BC.

5. In 14 g XIX Art. London streets were flooded with beer. This happened due to the explosion of a huge vat of a local brewery.

6. The strongest beer is called "Snake Venom" - 67.5%.

7. Egyptian pyramids were built by workers who received four liters of foamy drink daily. Patrick McGovern, an archaeologist at the University of Pennsylvania, is more than sure of this.

8. If you drink 0.5 liters of beer daily, the likelihood of kidney stones is reduced by four tens of percent. This conclusion was made by American scientists, whose research results were published in the American Journal of Epidemiology.

10. Czechs consume the most beer every year - about 152 liters. per person per year.

11. To show off to your friends that you had a chance to taste a really expensive beer, you need to go to Belgium and buy a bottle of Vielle Bon Secours. The issue price is 1 thousand dollars.

12. In ancient Babylon, a person who produced low-quality beer was expected to drown in a failed batch.

If you drink dark beer occasionally and in moderation (in the absence of contraindications), then this drink can bring certain benefits. Under no circumstances should beer be drunk by minors, pregnant or breastfeeding mothers.