A Guide to Common Beer Styles

Walking into a bierhuis or taproom for the first time can be overwhelming if you are unfamiliar with the range of beer styles on offer. This guide breaks down the main categories so you can make informed choices and better understand what you are tasting.

The Two Main Families: Ales and Lagers

Almost all beer falls into one of two broad families, defined by the type of yeast used in fermentation.

Ales are fermented at warmer temperatures with top-fermenting yeast. This tends to produce fruitier, more complex flavours and a shorter fermentation period.
Lagers are fermented at cooler temperatures with bottom-fermenting yeast, resulting in a cleaner, crisper taste and a longer maturation process.

Within these two families sit dozens of specific styles, shaped by ingredients, brewing methods and regional traditions.

Common Ale Styles

Pale Ale

A balanced style with moderate bitterness and noticeable malt character. Many South African craft breweries produce their own interpretation of pale ale, often with a stronger hop presence than traditional European versions.

India Pale Ale (IPA)

Known for pronounced hop bitterness and aroma, IPAs range from the citrus and pine notes typical of American-style versions to more earthy, herbal English interpretations. Double or triple IPAs increase both hop intensity and alcohol content.

Stout and Porter

Dark, often roasty beers made with heavily kilned malts. Stouts and porters can range from dry and bitter to sweet and creamy, depending on the specific ingredients used, such as oats or lactose.

Wheat Beer

Brewed with a significant proportion of wheat alongside barley, these beers are typically light, cloudy and refreshing, often with notes of banana or clove from the yeast strain used.

Common Lager Styles

Pale Lager

The most widely consumed beer style globally, characterised by a light body, moderate carbonation and clean finish. Many mainstream commercial beers fall into this category.

Pilsner

A specific style of pale lager originating in the Czech Republic, typically more hop-forward and with a crisper bitterness than standard pale lagers.

Amber and Dark Lagers

These styles use darker malts to produce deeper colour and richer, slightly sweeter flavour profiles while retaining the smoothness typical of lager fermentation.

Beyond Ales and Lagers

Some beers do not fit neatly into either category. Sour beers, for example, are intentionally soured using wild yeast strains or bacteria, resulting in tart, sometimes fruity flavours. Belgian-style beers often blend characteristics of both families and can include spices, fruit or unusual fermentation techniques.

Indigenous Southern African Brewing

Traditional sorghum-based beers, often referred to as umqombothi, represent a distinct brewing tradition separate from European-style ales and lagers. These beers are typically unfiltered, low in alcohol compared to commercial beer, and have cultural and ceremonial significance in many southern African communities. They are worth understanding as part of the region's broader brewing heritage, even though they are rarely found on tap at a typical bierhuis.

Using This Guide at a Bierhuis

When visiting a beer house, it helps to start with a style you already enjoy and ask staff for recommendations within that category before branching out. Tasting flights, where available, offer a practical way to sample several styles side by side without committing to a full pour of each.