How To Talk Like A Beer Geek - Go Strong!

Today on How to Talk Like a Beer Geek we go STRONG with our beer terms! Let’s crank this thing up to 11% and get started!

The first term is IMPERIAL. This has nothing to do with Kings and Queens... Well, maybe back in the day it did, nor does this have anything to do with the Costa Rican beer by the same name. An Imperial is a version of a beer style that has a much higher Alcohol By Volume than the original beer style. This is why Imperial beers are usually always served in a smaller glass.... They are just trying to save you from yourself!

An example would be a Stout vs. an Imperial Stout. An average Stout will be in the 5%-6% A.B.V. range where an Imperial Stout could have anything up near 9% and even higher A.B.V. A good but obviously a bit rough rule of thumb is that an Imperial will be close to double the A.B.V..... Which leads us to our next beer term!


The next beer term is DOUBLE (Note: not Dubbel... although...well...we will cover that another day). This basically means the same thing as Imperial in the beer world. This term is much more common with IPAs that have the higher A.B.V. Basically, an Imperial IPA would be a Double IPA... Get it? IIPA... Two “I”s... Double I... PA... ok, I’m done, sorry about that. Double IPAs can also be a bit hoppier than a normal IPA.

The final beer geek term is TRIPLE (Again, please note: Triple, not Trippel. Again another day). This again just means a bigger A.B.V. beer (much bigger) but there is a hitch included in this one. Triple can also mean that the higher A.B.V. beer has a higher bitterness as well. Like a Triple IPA. It will have higher A.B.V. and higher bitterness to it. These aren’t super prevalent, but they are out there. If you are going to try some Triple IPAs, be ready for a solid buzz and a hop-puckered mouth!

Imperials, Doubles, and Triples can be damn delicious! But now that you know the terms, you can tread lightly so you don’t end up like Drinky Crow all hunched over in the corner with Xs over your eyes!





How to Talk Like a Beer Geek!

(Yep, I guess I’m a beer geek...)

How to Talk Like a Beer Geek is a new blog series here on Beerploma. Reading beer reviews and talking to a beer geek can sometimes seem like a separate language. When I started getting into craft beer there were times I would read a blog or a review of a beer and walk away knowing even less about the beer the reviewer was telling me about!

My idea of a great beer review was “dang this beer is tasty!”, or, “I wouldn’t drink that with your mouth!” Over the years I have learned what these weird and sometimes unnecessary terms mean. And, I am going to share them with you so you can cut through the jargon us beer geeks use and get the actual info you need!

Our first beer term today is QUAFF/QUAFFABLE. I know, quaff kind of sounds like it should be some sort of unpleasant bodily function. What it really means is to drink heartily. Like you can get er down. Nice full gulps. I see this a lot with session beers. Here is an example: “This low A.B.V. session beer is highly quaffable.” or "Mmmm... I'd quaff that!"

Speaking of SESSION BEER, let’s just get that one out of the way as well! The meaning of this one had eluded me for quite a while into my craft beer beginnings. At first I thought that it was a big robust beer that you could only drink a little bit of during a tasting session... I don’t know, just made sense to me. I was wrong. It is actually the opposite. A session beer is a very easy drinking low alcohol beer. Basically you can sit down for a good long beer drinking session and have plenty of session beers without getting just completely obliterated or burnt out on any intense robust flavors. I was close right?!?!

The last beer geek term for today is LACING. Nope, this doesn’t have anything to do with your shoes, nor does it have anything to do with the ruffles on your fancy underpants! Lacing is the way the foamy head clings to your beer clean glass as you drink it. A beer with a good head served in a properly cleaned glass will leave some of the head clinging to the glass. It almost has a lace-like pattern, hence lacing!

 

(Some lacing on a Bent Brewstillery Acclivity at Ward 6)

Well, there you have it! Your first three terms to help people talk like a beer geek. One thing to always remember though; if beer tastes good it tastes good, and if it doesn’t it doesn’t. There is really only one way to actually find out... Drink it!