Homebrew Beer Styles

Beer Styles

BJCP Guidelines 2008

Beer styles refers to terms used to categorize beers based on their aroma, colour, flavour, strength, ingredients, production methods, history, or geographic origin.

1. LIGHT LAGER

1A. Lite American Lager

1B. Standard American Lager

1C. Premium American Lager
1D. Munich Helles
1E. Dortmunder Export

2. PILSNER
2A. German Pilsner (Pils)
2B. Bohemian Pilsener
2C. Classic American Pilsner

3. EUROPEAN AMBER LAGER
3A. Vienna Lager

3B. Oktoberfest/Märzen

4. DARK LAGER
4A. Dark American Lager
4B. Munich Dunkel
4C. Schwarzbier (Black Beer)

5. BOCK
5A. Maibock/Helles Bock
5B. Traditional Bock

5C. Doppelbock
5D. Eisbock

6. LIGHT HYBRID BEER
6A. Cream Ale
6B. Blonde Ale
6C. Kölsch
6D. American Wheat or Rye Beer

7. AMBER HYBRID BEER
7A. Northern German Altbier
7B. California Common Beer
7C. Düsseldorf Altbier

8. ENGLISH PALE ALE
8A. Standard/Ordinary Bitter

8B. Special/Best/Premium Bitter
8C. Extra Special/Strong Bitter (English Pale Ale)

9. SCOTTISH AND IRISH ALE
9A. Scottish Light 60/-
9B. Scottish Heavy 70/-
9C. Scottish Export 80/-
9D. Irish Red Ale
9E. Strong Scotch Ale

10. AMERICAN ALE
10A. American Pale Ale
10B. American Amber Ale
10C. American Brown Ale

11. ENGLISH BROWN ALE
11A. Mild
11B. Southern English Brown
11C. Northern English Brown Ale

12. PORTER
12A. Brown Porter
12B. Robust Porter
12C. Baltic Porter

13. STOUT
13A. Dry Stout
13B. Sweet Stout
13C. Oatmeal Stout
13D. Foreign Extra Stout
13E. American Stout
13F. Russian Imperial Stout

14. INDIA PALE ALE (IPA)
14A. English IPA
14B. American IPA
14C. Imperial IPA

15. GERMAN WHEAT AND RYE BEER
15A. Weizen/Weissbier
15B. Dunkelweizen
15C. Weizenbock
15D. Roggenbier (German Rye Beer)

16. BELGIAN AND FRENCH ALE
16A. Witbier
16B. Belgian Pale Ale
16C. Saison
16D. Bière de Garde
16E. Belgian Specialty Ale

17. SOUR ALE
17A. Berliner Weisse
17B. Flanders Red Ale
17C. Flanders Brown Ale/Oud Bruin
17D. Straight (Unblended) Lambic
17E. Gueuze
17F. Fruit Lambic

18. BELGIAN STRONG ALE
18A. Belgian Blond Ale
18B. Belgian Dubbel
18C. Belgian Tripel
18D. Belgian Golden Strong Ale
18E. Belgian Dark Strong Ale

19. STRONG ALE
19A. Old Ale
19B. English Barleywine
19C. American Barleywine

20. FRUIT BEER

21. SPICE/HERB/VEGETABLE BEER
21A. Spice, Herb, or Vegetable Beer
21B. Christmas/Winter Specialty Spiced Beer

22. SMOKE-FLAVORED/WOOD-AGED BEER
22A. Classic Rauchbier
22B. Other Smoked Beer
22C. Wood-Aged Beer

23. SPECIALTY BEER

MEAD STYLE GUIDELINES (Categories 24-26)

24. TRADITIONAL MEAD
24A. Dry Mead
24B. Semi-sweet Mead
24C. Sweet Mead

25. MELOMEL (FRUIT MEAD)
25A. Cyser
25B. Pyment
25C. Other Fruit Melomel

26. OTHER MEAD
26A. Metheglin
26B. Braggot
26C. Open Category Mead

CIDER STYLE GUIDELINES (Categories 27-28)

27. STANDARD CIDER AND PERRY
27A. Common Cider
27B. English Cider
27C. French Cider
27D. Common Perry
27E. Traditional Perry

28. SPECIALTY CIDER AND PERRY
28A. New England Cider
28B. Fruit Cider
28C. Applewine
28D. Other Specialty Cider/Perry

How to brew great tasting beer in the comfort and convenience of your own home.