Find Your New Beer

Like this? Try this new brew

By: Tara Dubbs

Experts and bar snobs can tell you that you should be trying new beers and new styles, but cracking a cold one is about enjoying yourself—and the beers you already love. That doesn’t mean you’re stuck with the same old forever: “Once you figure out the styles you enjoy, dig further into that style,” says Austin Harvey, beer specialist for Chicago-based Sam’s Wine and Spirits. Here, Harvey’s recommendations in brew styles you already like.

If you like Guinness …

… you’re a stout man. (Not fat. Stout.) This dark beer is made from roasted barley or malts, giving it a rich flavor and heavier consistency. Sometimes referred to as porter, it’s flavored with coffee and chocolate and is best from England, Germany, and Scandinavia.

Try this: Samuel Smith Imperial Stout ($48 for 12-pack). Despite its pitch-black hue it’s actually milder than some of the other American and Scandinavian varieties.

If you like Yuengling Lager …

… you’re into—you guessed it—lager, the most popular beer variety in the world. The style ranges from light pilsners to dark dopplebocks. While each brew has its own unique characteristics, lagers’ taste differs from ales because of its fermentation process occurring at lower temperatures.

Try this: Ayinger Celebrator Doppelbock ($15 for 6-pack). This intense dark lager is infused with malt and caramel flavors—murky, mysterious, and delicious.

If you like New Castle …

… that’s brown ale, a beer that gets its color and name from its roasted malt. Amber varieties tend to be drier and a bit bitter whereas the deep browns are sweeter and lower in alcohol content.

Try this: Dogfish Head Indian Brown Ale ($10 for 6-pack). This American brew maintains a rich malt flavor without overpowering the more subtle hops.

If you like Fat Tire …

… you’re slugging amber ale, a beer that (like wine) gets better with age. Its complex flavors are best appreciated served cool, not cold.

Try this: Unibroue Maudite ($12 for 6-pack). The Belgian-style Canadian ale presents strong flavors rounded out by hints of sweetness.

If you like Sierra Nevada …

… that’s pale ale, a catch-all term for beers that get their flavor from pale malts and ale yeast. Most countries have their own distinctive varieties of pale ale.

Try this: Duvel ($12.49 for 4-pack), a strong Belgian Pale Ale with complex flavors—sweet, fruity, and a touch spicy.

If you like Blue Moon …

… you’re a wheat beer drinker, enjoying unique flavors because of the special yeast used in their fermentation. They also come in a less fruity American wheat ale variety, a Belgian “wit” or white variety, and the rare sour “Weiss.”

Try this: Bell’s Oberon, a hazy-gold wheat ale airs on the more citrus side with strong lemon and orange accents.

source: Men's Health