The styles I score against, from the BJCP 2021 guidelines that beer judges use. More families, like stouts, sours and Trappist ales, open as I check their numbers.
Rheingold made the modern version in 1967; it took off after Miller acquired the recipe in 1973. Very neutral and crisp.
Classic examples: Bud Light, Coors Light
Evolved from pre-Prohibition lager after Prohibition and the Second World War. Neutral, highly carbonated.
Classic examples: Budweiser, Pabst Blue Ribbon
A premium take on American lager or an accessible pilsner, brewed for export. Grainy malt, crisp dry finish.
Classic examples: Corona Extra, Heineken
Mass-market amber versions of lager. Caramel and toast.
Classic examples: Dos Equis Ámbar, Brooklyn Lager
Darker, sweeter industrial lagers. Light caramel and roast.
Classic examples: Shiner Bock, San Miguel Dark
Created in Munich in 1894 to compete with pilsner, often credited to Spaten. Soft, grainy-sweet malt.
Classic examples: Augustiner Lagerbier Hell, Spaten Münchner Hell
Paulaner created the golden Oktoberfest beer in the mid-1970s; it has been the main Oktoberfest beer since 1990. Toasty, doughy malt.
Classic examples: Augustiner Oktoberfest, Hofbräu Oktoberfestbier
The springtime bock, traditionally served in May. Rich pale malt, more hop.
Classic examples: Ayinger Maibock, Einbecker Mai-Ur-Bock
Josef Groll brewed both a lighter and a stronger pale lager in 1842–43; the light type is the most-drunk beer in Czechia today. Bready malt, spicy hops.
Classic examples: Bernard světlé pivo 10, Radegast Rázna 10
Pilsner Urquell was first brewed in 1842 by Bavarian brewer Josef Groll. Rich malt, soft rounded bitterness.
Classic examples: Pilsner Urquell, Budvar 33
With Czech pilsner, the ancestor of most of the world's best-selling beers. Floral, spicy hops; dry.
First produced by Anchor in 1984 and popularized by Widmer. Bready wheat, no banana or clove.
Classic examples: Bell's Oberon, Goose Island 312
A sparkling ale from the late 1800s that survived Prohibition. Light corn sweetness.
Classic examples: Genesee Cream Ale, Sleeman Cream Ale
A top-fermented, cold-conditioned beer from Cologne. Delicate fruit, soft malt.
Anchor Liberty helped define it, though BJCP notes it now reads more like a pale ale. Citrus, pine, tropical; firm bitterness.
Classic examples: Bell's Two Hearted, Russian River Blind Pig
A modern craft style. Juicy, tropical, soft.
A farmhouse ale brewed in table, standard and super strengths. Peppery yeast, dry.
Classic examples: Saison Dupont, Lefebvre Saison 1900
Statistics from the BJCP 2021 Beer Style Guidelines. Serving temperatures follow Brewers Association guidance for lagers and ales; glassware is common practice.
For adults of legal drinking age: 18 or older in Mexico, 21 or older in the United States. Please drink responsibly. Reviews are my own opinion, and no brewery pays for them; any future sponsorship will be disclosed on the page.