The crew at Beertastic has been busy with many things, but fear not we return! The first thing you must have realized is that we now have a proper home on the web; beertastic.org!. It was about time. To finance this move we have added some Adsense ads to offset the hosting costs and to hopefully buy beer. Do us a favor and check out our sponsors, it helps our (ahem, Andy’s) pockets greatly. You should also note with excitement that our 100th review lingers closer with Dark Lord Day on the horizon. Tension builds…


Now on to the feature; in my excess…unemployed…spare time, I have been hitting the books, learning the more technical ins and outs of our favorite brew. First up, a heavily abbreviated lesson in British beer styles.


Beer has had a long and unique history with the British (most of which I will not discuss here, I’m lazy). Unlike some of their neighbors, ales – brewed at warm/room temperature – have remained the dominant domestic drink. Kevin has the Brits to thank for the joys of India Pale Ales; it was first brewed in England in the 18th century getting its name from its transport by East India Company traders who found that it maintained excellent flavors (and got them good and toasty) even after long oxidizing journeys across the ocean. The excess of hops, which act as a mild antiseptic, couldn’t have hurt either. Another instantly recognizable British style is the porter…or stout…what the hell is the difference anyway? Interestingly enough, none really. Historically stouts were originally the stronger brew but time has faded any fine division (I recommend this excellent article if you’d like to know more).


To help illustrate the rich diversity of British beer styles I have made up a nifty graphic (many thanks to Dave Miller’s Homebrewing Guide and BeerAdvocate). Eventually I’ll have a page that will link a small description to each style, but this will have to do for now. (Click for the full size!)