Beer glasses

Beer

Beer comes in many styles, like dark Stout, hop-filled IPA, acidic Sour beers, easy-to-drink Pilsners, and more. Food & Wine's team of experts are here to help you learn about the differences between each (and why you might want to choose one over another), as well as how to pair beer with barbecue, seafood, and more.

Beer 101

A Beer flight arranged from dark to light beer.
From IPAs to ESBs, Here's the Ultimate Guide to Beer Abbreviations

Explore Beer

Multiple hands holding beverages around a bright pink ellipse.
How to Calculate the Amount of Alcohol Needed for a Party
Buzzed, Death & Co Bartender’s Choice, A Wine Tasting Murder
The Best Drinking Board Games for a Buzzy Night In
Parabolita by Firestone Walker Brewing Company, North Sky by Allagash Brewing Company, Black Swift Stout by Breakside Brewery on a blue bordered background.
The 7 Best Stouts for Warming Up This Winter
Curtis Holmes, Plant Director of Alaskan Brewing Company, opening the door to the smoked malt in their smokehouse.
What Is Smoked Beer? Here's What to Know, and 5 to Try
Drinks outside on a silver table.
Sahti, a Finnish Farmhouse Ale, Is the Most Interesting Beer You've Likely Never Had
Tom Holland drinking a BERO out of a glass.
Tom Holland Talked With Us About His New Nonalcoholic Beer and the Joyful Mission Behind It
A mug of dark beer over a yellow and red circular background and photo of a building in Bamberg, Germany.
Breweries Are Reviving a Historic Method for Making Smoky Beer
A wooden barrel, La Palomita by Goose Island, and Tequila Sunrise by Firestone Walker beers
5 Tequila Barrel-Aged Beers to Try Right Now
Outdoor scene from Oktoberfest 2023 in Leavenworth, Washington.
Celebrate Oktoberfest Stateside in This Pacific-Northwest Town
A hand holding fresh hops at Bale Breaker Brewing Company in Yakima Washington.
Pair Fresh Hop Beer With Bavarian Pretzels in the Country's Hops Capital
Welcome sign with the opening parade of the Oktoberfest in Munich. The Oktoberfest is the biggest beer festival of the world. 9000 participants take part with historical costumes, music bands and horses.
This Munich Upstart Could Be the First New Brewery in Decades to Join Oktoberfest
A bottle of Ebulon from Scratch Brewing Company.
Everything You Need to Know About Botanical Beers
Surfside Iced Tea + Vodka, Arizona Hard Iced Tea, Twisted Tea, Voodoo Ranger Hard Charged Iced Tea
Beer Producers Are Betting This Will Be the Summer of Hard Tea
Beer Cheese
Beer Cheese
10 mins
26 May 2022, Schleswig-Holstein, Elmshorn: A game ball lies on a beer bottle in the middle of a playing field. After two years of Corona break, the Flunkyball "World Championship" has been held in Elmshorn for the eighth time.
Ready to Go Beyond Beer-Pong? Try These 5 Global Drinking Games Instead
Aluminum cans.
Here’s the Real Reason Beer Comes in Aluminum Cans
O'Shea's pub in Ireland.
Here’s the Legal Reason Why Irish Bars Are Always Named After People
Canned beverages in cooler
Beer Wasn't the Go-To Drink for 49ers Fans Watching the Big Game — Here's Why
Ale vs Lager
How to Tell the Difference Between Ale and Lager
A person prepares a batter with leftover beer
How to Use Leftover Beer in the Kitchen
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Best High-Alcohol Beers
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Top 10 Dark Beers for People Who Don't Like Dark Beer
nitro beer milky
Nitro Beer, Explained
Spicy Paloma Shandy
Spicy Paloma Shandy
10 mins
It's Time to Book a Vacation to Japan
It's Time to Book a Vacation to Japan — Because Beer Biking Is Back
Dried hops and a beer being poured
How Do Hops Affect Beer? A Guide to Popular Varieties and Their Flavors
Beers superimposed onto an woodblock print of Vintage illustration of from an 18th Century Chapbook. English Folklore, Mother Shipton, Ursula Southeil an English soothsayer and prophetess. Talking with a Witch, Devil and warlock flying brooms.
Female Brewers Weren’t Accused of Witchcraft, but the Real Story Is Just as Infuriating
Rupee Beer, Kingfisher Premium Lager, Taj Mahal Premium Lager, and Haywards 5000
Here's What You Should Know About Indian-Made Beer and How to Drink It
An illustration of a Belgian beer over a blue and orange background with more beer glasses.
Think You Know Belgian Beer? Not Until You’ve Tried These Under-the-Radar Brewers
A beer mug and bottle on an outdoor table.
Is There Really Any Difference Between Malt Liquor and Beer?
Coors Banquet, Lone Star and a cold beer.
These Are the Best Cheap Beers to Drink After Work, According to Professional Chefs
Water in a brewing tank.
Why This Overlooked Ingredient Has a Huge Effect on Beer
Illustration of three beer cans of different sizes
A Guide to Beer Can Sizes, Why We Use Them, and What They're Called
a beer on a table with other tables and chairs in the background
Why the 'Family Meal' of Beers Pairs With Everything
many light lagers in beer glasses with foam
The Rise and Fall of Pilsner, the Original Pale Lager
Best non-alcoholic beer
8 Best Nonalcoholic Beers to Drink This Summer
Beer with Spanish tapas on a table.
An Argument for Why Beer Is Better Than Wine for Food Pairings
The difference between Hefeweizen and Wit Bier
Why Summer Is Hefeweizen and Witbier Season
Schleswig-Holstein, Flensburg: Vessels with malt (top, l), hops (top, r), water (bottom, l), and yeast, the four ingredients for beer, stand on the floor in the brewhouse of the Flensburg brewery. The German Purity Law is one of the oldest food regulations in the world and has been in force for around 500 years.
A Guide to Beer Yeast Types and How They Shape the Flavor of Your Brew
A typical English pub.
Why It's Illegal to Get Drunk in an English Pub
Old dusty bottles of beer in a wooden case.
Does Beer Expire? Yes, Here's Why
Flight of beer
10 Best Light Beers for Summer
Old Fashioned Cocktail Over Frosted Beer Glass
Would You Order a Beer Inspired by a Negroni or Old Fashioned?
What's the difference between a pilsner versus and lager
Do You Know the Difference Between Pilsners and Lagers?
Why You Should Salt Your Beer
What's the Ideal Temperature for Beer?
Glasses of beer
The Best Non-Alcoholic Beer: Our Favorite Brews to Drink Right Now
Bavarian Beer Hall Pork Shanks
8 Foods You Need for an Oktoberfest Feast
Grapefruit beer
The 20 Essential Fruit Beers Any Serious Beer Drinker Should Know
A beer glass rests on a grill
These 7 Beers Are the Perfect Pairing with Barbecue and Sides
A Kölsch beer glass
What Is a Kölsch Beer and Why Should You Be Drinking One?
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Everything You Need to Know About Milk Stout and 7 to Try
oktoberfest in Germany cheaper beer
What Exactly Is an Oktoberfest Beer?
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These Cities Have the Most Breweries Per Capita
Rice beer in a glass
Gluten-Free? Drink Rice Beer
coffee-beer-blog118.jpg
9 Great Coffee Beers and Why You Should Try Them
Grilled octopus served with beer
10 Perfect Seafood and Beer Pairings
Trappist Beer
5 Beers Made by Real Monks
craft beer sales
Sticking a Hot Poker Into Your Pint Is the Beer Equivalent of S’mores
Chinese-Style Ribs with Guava Barbecue Sauce
6 Beers That Are Amazing with Asian Food
odious ale 40ft brewery bompas and parr
The 13 Strangest Beers on Earth
Land beer
What Is Land Beer?
beer
How to Get Certified as a Beer Expert
craft beer week for this year
How to Become a Brewmaster
Snake River Zonker Stout
America's 50 Best Stouts
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The One Ingredient That Makes Cheap Beer Taste Incredible
Hoppy Beers
How Quickly Do Hoppy Beers Go Bad? We Did a Taste Test to Find Out
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5 Hoppy Beers to Try Now