Since brewers keep innovating, and definitions keep evolving, this is just an introductory guide to get you familiar with the many styles of beer.
1. LIGHT LAGER
Lite American Lager
Standard American Lager
Premium American Lager
Munich Helles
Dortmunder Export
2. PILSNER
German Pilsner (Pils)
Bohemian Pilsener
Classic American Pilsner
3. EUROPEAN AMBER LAGER
Vienna Lager
Oktoberfest/Märzen
4. DARK LAGER
Dark American Lager
Munich Dunkel
Schwarzbier (Black Beer)
5. BOCK
Maibock/Helles Bock
Traditional Bock
Doppelbock
Eisbock
6. LIGHT HYBRID BEER
American Wheat or Rye Beer
Kölsch
Blonde Ale
Cream Ale
7. AMBER HYBRID BEER
Altbier
8. ENGLISH PALE ALE
Standard/Ordinary Bitter
Special/Best/Premium Bitter
Extra Special/Strong Bitter (English Pale Ale)
9. SCOTTISH AND IRISH ALE
Irish Red Ale
Scotch Ale
10. AMERICAN ALE
American Pale Ale
American Amber Ale
American Brown Ale
11. PORTER
Brown Porter
Robust Porter
Baltic Porter
12. STOUT
Oatmeal Stout
Foreign Extra Stout
American Stout
Russian Imperial Stout
Sweet Stout
Dry Stout
13. INDIA PALE ALE (IPA)
English IPA
American IPA
14. GERMAN WHEAT AND RYE BEER
Weizen/Weissbier
Dunkelweizen
Weizenbock
Roggenbier (German Rye Beer)
15. BELGIAN AND FRENCH ALE
Witbier
Belgian Pale Ale
Saison
Bière de Garde
Belgian Specialty Ale
16. SOUR ALE
Berliner Weisse
Flanders Red Ale
Flanders Brown Ale/Oud Bruin
Straight (Unblended) Lambic
Gueuze
Fruit Lambic
17. BELGIAN STRONG ALE
Belgian Blond Ale
Belgian Dubbel
Belgian Tripel
Belgian Golden Strong Ale
Belgian Dark Strong Ale
18. STRONG ALE
Old Ale
English Barleywine
American Barleywine
19. SPICE / HERB / FRUIT / VEGETABLE BEER
Fruit Beer
Spice, Herb, or Vegetable Beer
Christmas/Winter Specialty Spiced Beer
