Beer Dictionary Entries

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ABV (Beer Culture)

Definition: Alcohol by volume. It's a standardized international classification to measure the strength of alcohol. It basically describes how much pure ethanol is in the liquid. Obviously the higher the ABV the more it will affect you. The lower might be arguably easier to drink though.

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BARREL-AGEING (Brewing)

Definition:  Wooden barrels have been making alcohol for literally thousands of years. For both beer and liquor, a lot of flavors come from the complex chemistry of the wood in the barrels. Most of the barrels' woods come from oak trees. They are prized because they provide a watertight (almost) seal against the environment.

Notice it's not perfectly watertight. Which is a good thing. Oak is slightly porous which means it absorbs some of the liquid that is stored in it. And in turn it passes on woody flavors. These are good things because brewers re-use the barrels. This in turn makes the barrels more and more valuable because they have some much flavor inside the wood. This is especially excellent when a bourbon barrel houses beer later. 

It's not just about the flavor though. To this day brewers are still learning about the chemistry that the barrel adds to the brewing process. Still that being said not every beer should be aged in a barrel. Pilsners and lagers don't benefit as much as an Imperial stout or a barley wine.

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DANK  (Style)

Definition: Dank is referring to a specific style of beer. Like a Dank IPA for example. Originally it was popularized in California. Actually the term comes from marijuana culture as the term dank can refer to an oily weed. Ironically hops and hemp do resemble each other. But sorry weed fans, hops contain no THC. So why is this style of beer called dank then? Obviously it's because of the flavor. But personally I haven't noticed a big difference between a dank and normal IPA. Still a fun idea. I guess.

DRY-HOPPING  (Brewing)

Definition: This is the process of adding hops after the wort has been cooled. This is done to cut down on the bitterness of the hops themselves. It prevents the alpha acids in the hops from isomerizing. And while it is less bitter, you still get all that great hop flavor. This is not a new technique as British brewers would sometimes throw a handful of hops into a cask of beer right before shipping to achieve the affect. 

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FAKE CRAFT (Beer Culture)

Definition: Craft beer continues to grow in popularity. And "big beer" has taken notice. Anheuser Busch, etc. They recognize a threat when they see one. So they have created "craft" beers. Take for example Stella Artois, Blue Moon. Good beers. But not truly craft beers. Can "big beer" make a tasty beer? Of course. But many take issue with them trying to pass it off as a craft beer. And that's fair.

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IMPERIAL (Style)

Definition: Basically this word used to be the name given to beers that were imported to England from the Russian Empire. They could be any kind of beer. So it was more of a seal of quality than an actual beer designation. 

So what about today? What does the name mean? Well now many times when you read Imperial it is referring to a higher alcohol content (ABV) or the taste might be strong. Many times it is used interchangeably with double.

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MASH  (Brewing)

Definition: The sludgy soup of crushed grains and liquor that is the beginning of any brew. Some might think it's just related to hydrating it. But it's more than that. Just like the whole brewing process there is chemistry going on here.

Each enzyme performs a slightly different task and needs a variation in temperature to work. For example, a cool mash (145 degrees) produces a very fermentable wort. Add in a specific style of yeast and it creates a dry beer. However a warmer mash will create a sweeter beer. So it shows just how important the mash is to the process of brewing. It can change the whole beer based on temp. Mashing usually takes about an hour. And is then followed by sparging.

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SAISON (Style)

Definition: No one is honestly for sure where this style of beer came from. Legend says it was brewed for seasonal workers in Belgium. But honestly who knows? The beer is light and clean and can range anywhere from a light beer to pushing 10% ABV. Often the flavor is almost a light caramel but balanced with noble hops to give it a pepper taste. Overall a very easy to drink beer.

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Unfiltered (Style)

Definition: While it is edgy and cool to have an unfiltered beer now, honestly it doesn't affect much from a practical standpoint. It looks different. And it tastes different. But not necessarily better or worse. And it doesn't taste good if it's not fresh. So this one is a moot point.

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ZYTHOS (Style)

Definition: A beer brewed in ancient Egypt. People used it for both recreation and a (get a load of this!) type of medicine. It's recommended as both a laxative and an antidiarrheal remedy. Yeah that truly makes no sense but there you go. I'd say I wouldn't recommend it for any actual medicinal purpose. But anyway, ancient beer. What couldn't it do?!