Overzicht van biertypen volgens verschillende bekende bierindelingen. De biertypen met een lichtgrijze achtergrond worden op deze site gebruikt om de bieren in te delen naar type. Dit zijn op dit moment de biertypen van de BKG en een groot aantal van Untappd. Daar waar er (meer specifieke) biertypen ontbreken, wordt er ook nog gebruik gemaakt van andere indelingen.

Deze indeling is samengesteld door het Bier Keurmeesters Gilde (BKG). Voor de indeling van de bieren op deze site wordt de BKG indeling als basis genomen. Daar waar er (meer specifieke) biertypen ontbreken, wordt er gebruik gemaakt van andere indelingen.

BKG v1.0 is de eerste definitieve versie.

Volgorde Geur, Smaak, Hoofdsmaak gewijzigd naar Geur, Hoofdsmaak, Smaak.
Toegevoegde typen: Gose; Session IPA
Bij een groot aantal typen zijn de commerciële voorbeelden gewijzigd.

Alle typen voorzien van de soort vergisting.

Enkele tekst-verbeteringen aangebracht.

Sterke Blonde weer toegevoegd.

NEIPA / New England IPA toegevoegd.

De indeling van Dat Smaakt Naar Bier focust op smaakcategorie, en is dus een totaal andere indeling dan op biertype.

In het boek Bier Jaarboek 1995-1996 van Peter Crombecq werden biersoorten onderverdeeld in drie groepen:

Basissoort

De basissoort geeft een indicatie van een intrinsieke eigenschap van het bier. Het is verbonden met de grondstoffen van het bier, zijn bereidingswijze of zijn doelgroep.
Basissoorlen zijn: Aarschotse bruine, alcoholvrij, alcoholarm, ale, alt, amber, bok, dort, dubbelbok, faro, geuze, traditionele geuze, haverbier, kolsch, lambik, light, martzen, meibok, oud bruin, Vlaams oud bruin, pils, rookbier, saison, scotch, speciaalbier, spontane-gistingsbier, stout, tafelbier, tarwebier, tarwebok, trappist, versnijbier, witbier.

Bijsoort

Bieren van een bepaalde basissoort kunnen zich van elkaar onderscheiden door een andere intrinsieke eigenschap, veroorzaakt door bijvoorbeeld toevoegsels aan het bier. Typisch hierin zijn de fruitsoorten en de diverse kruiden. Een bijsoort kan eveneens meer verfijning geven binnen een bepaalde basissoort.
Bijsoorten zijn: export, luxe, dry, bitter, aardbei, ananas, appel, banaan, bosbes, druif, framboos, fruit, gember, honing, kriek, kruiden, munt, perzik, pruim, sleedoorn, vijg, zwarte bes.

Kenwoord

 Aan bieren worden zeer snel een aantal min of meer betekenisloze kenwoorden toegekend. In deze groep worden ook de gelegenheidssoorten opgenomen.
Kenwoorden zijn: enkel, dubbel, tripel, quadrupel, speciaal, grand cru, cuvée, abdijbier.

Hieronder worden slechts de basissoorten genoemd:

Het boek Biertypengids van Derek Walsh is een referentiegids voor bierliefhebbers, keurmeesters en brouwers.

In het boek Verloren Bieren van Nederland van Roel Mulder worden een aantal historische biertypen beschreven.

De biertypen in gebruik bij Untappd worden regelmatig uitgebreid en verfijnd.

New Styles Added

• Bitter - Best
• IPA - Cold
• Lager - Leichtbier
• Lager - Mexican
• Lambic - Other
• Mead - Session / Short
• Pale Ale - XPA (Extra Pale)
• Sorghum / Millet Beer
• Ukrainian Golden Ale

Renamed Styles

• Extra Special/Strong Bitter → Bitter - Extra Special / Strong (ESB)
• English Bitter → Bitter - Session / Ordinary
• Hard Kombucha → Hard Kombucha / Jun
• IPA - International → IPA - Other
• IPA - White → IPA - White / Wheat
• Pale Ale - International → Pale Ale - Other
• Stout - Imperial / Double White → Stout - Imperial / Double White / Golden
• Stout - White → Stout - White / Golden

Reorganized and New* Styles - New Non-Alcoholic Parent Style

• Non-Alcoholic Beer → Non-Alcoholic Beer - Other
• Non-Alcoholic Beer - IPA*
• Non-Alcoholic Beer - Lager*
• Non-Alcoholic Beer - Pale Ale*
• Non-Alcoholic Beer - Porter / Stout*
• Non-Alcoholic Beer - Shandy / Radler*
• Non-Alcoholic Beer - Sour*
• Non-Alcoholic Beer - Wheat Beer*
• Non-Alcoholic Mead*
• Non-Alcoholic Cider / Perry*

Reorganized and New* Styles - New Historical Beer Parent Style

• Adambier → Historical Beer - Adambier
• Historical Beer - Berliner Braunbier*
• Burton Ale → Historical Beer - Burton Ale
• Dampfbier → Historical Beer - Dampfbier
• Gruit / Ancient Herbed Ale → Historical Beer - Gruit / Ancient Herbed Ale
• Kentucky Common → Historical Beer - Kentucky Common
• Historical Beer - Kottbusser*
• Lichtenhainer → Historical Beer - Lichtenhainer
• Mumme → Historical Beer - Mumme
• Steinbier → Historical Beer - Steinbier
• Zoigl → Historical Beer - Zoigl

(Bron: https://updates.untappd.com/)

New Styles Added

• Historical Beer - Broyhan
• Historical Beer - Kuit / Kuyt / Koyt
• Lager - Other
• Lager - Amber / Red
• Pilsner - New Zealand
• Golden Ale - American
• Golden Ale - English
• IPA - Fruited
• Stout - Belgian

Renamed Styles

• Pilsner - Czech → Pilsner - Czech / Bohemian
• Golden Ale → Golden Ale - Other
• Ukrainian Golden Ale → Golden Ale - Ukrainian
• Cider - Perry → Cider - Perry / Poiré

Merged Styles

• Lager - Red & Lager - Amber → Lager - Amber/Red

Resurrected Styles

• IPA - Brown

(Bron: https://updates.untappd.com/)

New Styles Added

• Altbier - Sticke: Sticke is a stronger, specialty German beer style from Düsseldorf. Known for its higher alcohol content (usually 6-7.5% ABV), a rich malt sweetness with caramel and toffee notes, and a hop balance, Sticke beers are typically available seasonally, offering a unique twist on the classic Altbier. Sticke beers have a deep copper to dark brown color, and they showcase a blend of malt and hop flavors with a clean ale yeast fermentation. They are highly regarded in the Düsseldorf region for their complex and well-balanced profile. (Source: Moderator Crafted)
• Cider - Applewine: A style of cider with a higher ABV, achieved by fermenting fruit pulp instead of juice, often with added sugar. This leads to a more potent final product with more pronounced flavors. (Source: Moderator Crafted)
• Cider - Basque: Basque cider is an apple cider originating from the Basque region of Europe, where it is served at sagardotegi (cider houses). Known locally as Sagardoa, this cider is flat (non-carbonated) and poured from bottles at height. Apple harvesting starts in September and October to prepare the raw materials for barrel fermentation before the cider ferments up to the middle of spring. Spontaneous fermentation is the preferred way to produce the Basque style of cider, as opposed to using commercial yeast. (Source: Wikipedia)
• Cream Ale - Imperial / Double: A twist on traditional American cream ales, the imperial versions take the silky base of the lager/ale hybrid style and turn up the flavor and ABV. While standard cream ales are rarely adjuncted, imperial cream ales are almost always full of added ingredients such as coffee, chocolate, vanilla, or fruit, and some breweries will even barrel-age their version. (Source: Moderator Crafted)
• Farmhouse Ale - Brett: Any farmhouse ale fermented with Brettanomyces or a mixture of Brettanomyces and other yeasts. (Source: Moderator Crafted)
• Farmhouse Ale - Kornøl: A traditional beer from northwestern Norway, Kornøl is pale, hazy, sweet, fruity, and typically features juniper and kveik flavors. It's known for its grainy, juniper, and fruity flavors, with light carbonation and an alcohol strength of 6-8% ABV. (Source: Moderator Crafted)
• Lager - American Pre-Prohibition: A rediscovery of a pre-Prohibition beer style in the U.S., this lager includes adjuncts like corn, rice, or sugar and hopped with domestic and imported hops. It's darker than modern American lagers, with robust bitterness and a hoppy character. (Source: BYO Article)
• Lager - Polotmavé (Czech Amber): An amber lager from Czechia with a malt-driven profile and varying hop character, polomavé flavors range from bready and biscuity to caramelly. These Czech lagers are distinguished by their slightly fuller body and more complex flavor profile. (Source: BJCP)
• Lager - Rotbier: Nürnberger Rotbier, a traditional German beer from Nuremberg, is known for its reddish hue and rich malt-forward taste, featuring caramel, toffee, and nutty notes. (Source: Moderator Crafted)
• Lager - Smoked: A lager made with a portion of smoked malts. The base style can vary, including pale lager, Helles, Pilsner, or other lager styles. (Source: Moderator Crafted)
• Lager - Světlé (Czech Pale): A light-bodied, refreshing, hoppy, and bitter pale Czech lager with flavors similar to the stronger Czech Premium Pale Lager but in a lower alcohol, lighter-bodied format. (Source: BJCP)
• Lager - Tmavé (Czech Dark): Rich, dark, malty Czech lagers with a roast character ranging from almost absent to quite prominent, offering an interesting and complex flavor profile. (Source: BJCP)
• Makgeolli: Makgeolli is a Korean alcoholic drink. It is a milky, off-white, and lightly sparkling rice wine that has a slight viscosity, and tastes slightly sweet, tangy, bitter, and astringent. (Source: wikipedia)
• Pale Ale - Fruited
• Porter - Smoked: A dark beer with a significant roasted malt character and a smoky depth thanks to wood-smoked malt. Different woods lend different flavors to the finished product. (Source: CraftBeer)
• Sour - Catharina: Originating from Santa Catarina, Brazil, Catharina Sour is known for using fresh fruits that dominate the beer's flavor and aroma, including Brazilian fruits like jabuticaba and acerola cherry. (Source: Catharina Sour)
• Sour - Tomato / Vegetable Gose: A variation of the classic Gose with the addition of tomatoes or other vegetables, popular in Eastern Europe. It can mimic popular cocktails or soups, and the tomato component is added during fermentation. (Source: Moderator Crafted)
• Wheat Beer - Fruited

Renamed Styles

• Altbier → Altbier - Traditional
• Old Ale → Old / Stock Ale
  Old / Stock Ales undergo aging, often for years, contributing to a rich, wine-like, sweet oxidation character. They are copper-red to very dark in color. Historically, stock ales were very strong and used for blending to add an "old" quality and perhaps acidity. (Source: Beer and Brewing, Wikipedia)
• Golden Ale - American → Blonde / Golden Ale - American
• Golden Ale - English → Blonde / Golden Ale - English
• Golden Ale - Other → Blonde / Golden Ale - Other
• Cider - Ice / Applewine → Cider - Ice
  Ice cider can be made in two ways, either by cryoconcentration or cryoextraction. Most ice ciders are made by cryoconcentration, meaning apples are harvested in the fall and pressed, and the juice is put outside to freeze during the colder months. Cryoextraction involves leaving apples on the trees during the height of winter and placing them at the mercy of the elements so that the fruit is frozen and dried. They are then picked during this period when the temperatures usually range from -8 °C to 15°C. The extreme weather ensures the apples remain frozen during pressing. Once pressed, the juice is fermented at a low temperature for approximately eight months. (Source: Wikipedia)

Merged Styles

• Merge Blonde Ale into Blonde / Golden Ale - Other

Description Updates

• IPA - White / Wheat: Description remains the same, source updated. (Source: BJCP)
• IPA - Red: The Red IPA is reddish-amber to dark reddish-copper colored, hoppy, bitter, and moderately strong, with caramel, toffee, and dark fruit malt character. (Source: RateBeer)
• Pilsner - Imperial/Double: The Imperial Pilsner is a crisp, clean, medium-bodied, gold-colored lager with a pronounced malt profile and bitterness and higher alcohol content. (Source: RateBeer)
• Strong Ale - American: Description remains the same, source updated. (Source: BJCP)

(Bron: https://untappd.com/blog)

Style Changes H1 2026

New Styles

• Lager - Fruited: Lagers brewed with fruit additions, maintaining the clean lager character while incorporating fruit flavors.
• Lager - Other Light: Light-bodied lagers that don't fit into existing light lager categories.
• Pilsner - American: American-brewed pilsners with characteristics distinct from their Czech and German counterparts.
• IPA - Australian: IPAs showcasing Australian hop varieties and brewing techniques.
• IPA - Session New England / Hazy: Lower-alcohol versions of the popular hazy New England IPA style.
• Farmhouse Ale - Gotlandsdricke: A traditional Swedish farmhouse ale from the island of Gotland, brewed with juniper and smoked malt.
• Farmhouse Ale - Koduõlu: Traditional Estonian farmhouse ale with roots in Baltic brewing traditions.
• Farmhouse Ale - Vossaøl / Heimabrugg: Traditional Norwegian farmhouse ales from the Voss region.
• Farmhouse Ale - Stjørdalsøl: Norwegian farmhouse ale from the Stjørdal region, known for its distinctive character.
• Historical Beer - Schoeps: A revived historical style from Silesia, featuring wheat and unique brewing techniques.
• Historical Beer - Keptinis: A Lithuanian historical beer style made with baked malt mash.
• Stout - Smoked: Stouts brewed with smoked malts, adding a distinctive smoky character.
• Porter - India Export: A stronger, hoppier porter style historically shipped to India.
• Kölsch - Wiess: An unfiltered version of Kölsch, showcasing yeast character and haze.
• Kellerbier / Zwickelbier - Dunkel: The darker, unfiltered version of kellerbier.
• Kellerbier / Zwickelbier - Kellerpils: An unfiltered pilsner-style kellerbier.
• Altbier - Doppelsticke: An extra-strong version of the sticke altbier style.
• Mild - Ruby: A ruby-colored mild ale, distinct from traditional dark and light milds.
• Red Ale - Ambrée: French-style amber ales, bridging the gap between pale and red ales.
• Cider - Keeved / Cidre Bouché: Traditional French keeved ciders, naturally carbonated and often sweeter.
• Cider - Other: Ciders that don't fit neatly into existing cider categories.
• Cider - Hopped: Ciders with hop additions for aroma and flavor.
• Makgeolli - Fruited: Traditional Korean rice wine with fruit additions.
• Makgeolli - Other: Makgeolli variations that don't fit other categories.
• Non-Alcoholic - Fruit Beer
• Non-Alcoholic - Blonde / Golden Ale
• Non-Alcoholic - Brown Ale
• Non-Alcoholic - Festbier / Märzen
• Non-Alcoholic - Bitter
• Non-Alcoholic - Red Ale
• Non-Alcoholic - Farmhouse Ale

Style Renames
Several styles have been renamed to better reflect their character or to align with historical naming conventions:

• Altbier - Sticke → Altbir - Sticke / Latzenbier
• Lager - American Pre-Prohibition → Historical Beer - Pre-Prohibition Lager
• Grodziskie / Grätzer → Historical Beer - Grodziskie / Grätzer
• Roggenbier → Historical Beer - Roggenbier
• Cider - Herbed / Spiced / Hopped → Cider - Herbed / Spiced
• Makgeolli → Makgeolli - Traditional
• Lager - Leichtbier → Lager - German Light / Leichtbier

(Bron: https://untappd.com/blog)

Bron: Brewers Association Beer Style Guidelines

Bron Categories - European Beer Star (european-beer-star.com)

Zie: Beer Styles - World Beer Cup.

There are really only two main types of beer. Ales and lagers. The significant difference between these two types are the way they ferment. Ales are known as top fermenters and can ferment in just a few days. Ales ferment between 68 and 76 degrees. Ales tend to have heavier bodies, more alcohol, a darker hue and are cloudier than lagers.

Lagers are bottom fermenters. They take much longer to ferment, anywhere from one to three months, and ferment at a much colder temperature than ales. Lagern means "to store" in German. Lagers will have a cleaner taste and appearance. Lagers also are less hoppy, maltier and have a lighter body than ales. Lagers were invented by Bavarian Monks about 500 years ago when they found they could produce a clearer brew by storing it during the summer in wooden casks in cold subterranean caves.

From these two types come several variations, as you well know.
(Bron: https://www.ratebeer.com/styleguide.asp)