Lager

Even the most avid fans would find it difficult to sample a fraction of the thousands of varieties available worldwide. But all this delightful choice is the product of a small number of single-celled fungi called: yeast.

The two main categories of beer - ales and lagers - are distinguished chiefly by the type of yeast used to turn sugars found in malt (another main ingredient) into alcohol and carbon dioxide. Hops, for flavor, and water form the final two major components.

From such simplicity comes the complexity enjoyed the world over.

Most of that enjoyment involves consuming lager in one form or another. Lagers use a slow-acting yeast that, in the common case, settles to the bottom of the tank during the fermentation process.

Though usually associated with lighter colors, lagers run the gamut from pale to medium or darker. Most are highly carbonated, with medium hop flavor, and contain about 3%-5% alcohol.

Fermentation is usually carried out in the moderate temperature range of 7-12°C (45-54°F), then stored at near freezing temperatures for a few weeks to a few months. Lagers are typically fermented colder than ales, and later served cold, as well.

In the extreme case, lagers are made into a variety called 'ice beer', in which fermentation takes place below 0°C (32°F). Gradually, small ice crystals form and the brew takes on a very light, crisp taste.

Like any product that has been around for centuries, there are dozens of sub-categories, and lagers themselves are divided further.

For example, Bock is a strong, German type that can be either light or dark. Dortmunder, (unsurprisingly) brewed in Dortmund, Germany is a another example. Munchener is a highly malted Bavarian beer, usually dark. Marzen, from the German word for March, is stored in cool basements for several months then served at Oktoberfest. Rauchbier is made from roasted malts, suffused with the smoke from burning wood. The Vienna is an amber-red.

But by far, the most popular isn't German in origin at all. The Pilsner lager gets its name from the town in the Czech Republic that gave it birth, Pilsen.

Golden in color, the flavor varies from sweet to dry, light to very hoppy. Made from hard water, the taste is often more bitter than other beers.

The brew recipe has its origins in Bavaria around 1820, but was adapted by a Bavarian emigre, Josef Groll, in 1842. Using much softer water than was traditional his creation spread throughout Europe and later America. Today, nearly 90% of beer sold in the U.S. is essentially Pilsner.

Whichever is your preference, do yourself a favor and emulate the brewers themselves - experiment.