Beer is as complex as wine. Often thought of as a generic accompaniment to food, beer can be as refined and interesting as wine. Most of us have been exposed to generic lager-type beers and have made the assumption that all beer is pretty much the same...what you get at the ballpark, take on a picnic or drink to cool off on a hot summer day. Explore beer, as you would wines, and it can be a very rewarding experience.

First of all you need to understand some basic terminology: ABV: Alcohol By Volume. This is the percentage of alcohol in a beer as measured by volume. This can be anywhere from 3.2% to 60.0%!

Bottle conditioned: Naturally carbonated beers made by adding a small amount of yeast and sugar at bottling.

Cask conditioned: The same as bottle conditioned except it is done in the keg (cask). These generally have less carbonization and a creamer mouth feel. Another (cheaper) way of carbonization is injecting CO2 at bottling.

Ale: This is a warm-fermented brew that usually has hops added for bitterness and to balance the sweetness that warm fermenting brings. Ales are usually served at about 55 degrees F.

Lager: These are cold fermented and are the beers most people are familiar with. Most are yellow to light amber in color though there are some very dark lagers as well. Lagers are lower in alcohol and should be served cold.

Bock: Slightly sweet, slightly stronger (6.3%- 7.2% ABV) beer that is light copper to brown in color. The aroma is malty and toasty but no detectable hops or fruitiness. It is very smooth to drink with moderate carbonization and no dry aftertaste.

Porter: This is a dark brown to black beer with moderate ABV. Because they are brewed with smoky-roasted malts and often aged in wood casks, these tend to be very distinctive and unique brews.

Stout: These are close cousins of porters though usually don't have quite the smoky qualities.