As I poured a glass of beer from the mini keg in the fridge, my little niece posed the question which titles this post. I admit is not the typical question you'll get from a 4 years old and certainly a lot easier (and less embarrassing) to answer than the other question. Caught off base, I pondered how will I answer to her inquiry, without using big words in order to make it easy to digest by a little one, and realized that maybe a lot of folks out there, while not 5 years old, maybe don't know the answer either. So I decided to attempt to shed a little light on the subject.
Beer is one of the world's oldest and most widely consumed alcoholic beverage. It holds a strong third place as the most popular drink overall after water and tea. It is produced by brewing - and further fermentation- of a combination of ingredients such as water, starch, hops, yeast and a clarifying agent. The starches are mainly derived from cereal grains, the most common of which is malted barley, although wheat, maize (corn), and rice are widely used). The hops have the responsibility of giving beer its distinctive flavor and bitterness, also acting as a natural preservative.
On occasions other flavourings, such as herbs or fruit, may be included in the process of making beer. The fermentation is the natural process in which sugar becomes alcohol.
As for varieties, beer is divided in two main categories Ales and Lagers.
Ale is beer that is brewed using only top fermenting yeasts and is typically fermented at higher temperatures than lager beer (15-23°C, 60-75°F). At these temperatures, ale yeasts produce significant amounts of esters (a chemical compound) and other secondary flavours and aromas, often resembling those of fruits such as apple and pineapple or grass and hay.
Lagers on their part are brewed using bottom-fermenting yeast. This type of yeast typically begins fermentation at 7-12°C (45-55°F), often called the "fermentation phase" and is then stored at 0-4°C (30-40°F), called the "lagering phase". It is during this second stage that the lager clears and mellows. In cooler conditions the natural production of chemicals and byproducts is stopped, imprinting the beer with a "crisp" taste.
As for serving and packaging, just like with wine, the drink shapes the container, for beer can be served as Draught beer, the most common method of dispensing in bars around the world. Some types of beer can also be found in smaller, disposable kegs called mini kegs or beer balls. The words draft and draught can be used as marketing terms to describe canned or bottled beers containing a beer widget,a nitrogen-pressurised ball inside a can introduced in the 80's by Guinness, or which are cold-filtered rather than pasteurised. The traditional bottle or can are widely available for smaller presentation purposes.
Last but not least, the temperature at which beer should be serve has a strong influence in the perception and experience of the drinker. Warmer temperatures reveal the range of flavours in a beer while cooler temperatures are more refreshing. Most drinkers prefer pale lager to be served chilled, a low- or medium-strength pale ale to be served cool, while a strong barley wine or imperial stout to be served at room temperature.
So as I finished my glass of beer, I asked my little niece whether she understood my explanation. Her answer was very simple: I thought it came from the store!
by Sorel Ferrer
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