To start, beer is old. Think 5000-7000 years old. The earliest evidence of beer that we have comes from ancient Mesopotamia, around modern-day Iraq and Iran. The Sumerians brewed a primitive form of ale from barley bread and wild yeast. It was thick, cloudy, and more like a porridge than the crisp pints we know today. At that point, beer wasn’t just for fun. It was actually safer to drink than plain water and was often used as currency for trade and payment.
Over time, brewing spread through Egypt and up into Europe, becoming more refined as each culture imparted its influence. By the Middle Ages, brewing moved into the monasteries and the monks became early masters of the craft. They started experimenting with ingredients, writing down their recipes, and eventually introduced hops as a preservative around the 8th century. While they probably didn’t know it at the time, the monks are largely responsible for shaping beer into the beverage we know and love today.
For thousands of years, everything we now call “beer” was technically ale. Ales are beers fermented at warmer temperatures, usually between 60-75 degrees Fahrenheit with top-fermenting yeast, resulting in generally richer, more complex, fruitier flavors. This category includes all of your pale ale variations, blonde and brown ales, porters, stouts, and wheat beers. Think of them as the extroverts of beer. They’re big, expressive, and not afraid to show off.
Lagers actually didn’t appear until around the 15th century in central Europe. Lagers are beers fermented at cooler temperatures, usually 45-55 degrees Fahrenheit with bottom-fermenting yeast, resulting in clean, mellow flavors and crisp textures. This category includes pilsners, helles, marzens, dunkels, and bocks. These are the cool, calm, and collected friends of the group. Bavarian brewers noticed that storing, or “lagering” beer in cool caves over the winter produced a clearer, smoother drink that stayed fresh longer. This quiet innovation changed beer forever, setting the stage for the crisp sips that dominate the taprooms today.
By the 19th century, the invention of refrigeration, cleaner fermentation techniques, and industrial brewing made lagers the global standard. Ales never went away, but lagers became the everyman’s beer. Its easy-drinking reliability made it approachable for almost every consumer. Following that, the craft beer renaissance of the late 20th century brought back the celebration of creativity that beer and the brewers deserve.
All that said, beer is an ever-evolving craft. Fortunately for us, we have dozens of options to experience that craft for ourselves. The Duckpin Pale Ale from Union Craft Brewing is a great example of a Baltimore staple in the ale category. It’s brewed with three different types of hops, three types of malted grains, and even though it’s only 5.5% ABV, it delivers a big citrus flavor punch that you would expect in a stronger brew. The Old Oriole Park lager from Peabody Heights is a classic lager style beer with a beautiful tie to Baltimore. Brewed at the site of the old Memorial Stadium, this beer is crisp, clean, and lean. At 4.5% ABV, this brew goes down easy, but still showcases incredible craftsmanship with a malty backbone and a neutral yeast profile.
At the end of the day, all beer is worth celebrating, and whether you prefer lagers or ales, knowing what’s in your glass makes it all the more delicious.
As always, if you have any questions, comments, or suggestions, send me an email at [email protected]. Also, if you need help setting up your home bar space or building a cocktail menu for your upcoming holiday plans, I can help with that too. Have a wonderful week, stay safe, stay healthy, and remember that your barstool is always open. Cheers!
Haley’s Home Bar
Haley’s Home Bar is a space designed for helping you learn how to create delicious craft cocktails from the comfort of your own home. As you all know by now, a huge part of my platform is teaching thoughtful, respectful, and responsible enjoyment, and HHB is just another place for me to do that. I believe that craft experiences don’t have to be a fancy night out but can instead be something you can enjoy whenever you want. I also believe that thoughtful enjoyment is key to achieving that luxurious feeling that a perfectly crafted experience can bring. Tips, tricks, tool recommendations, pairing suggestions, recipes and more are all “on the bar cart” for you to explore and enjoy at your leisure, and I will continue to provide you with my weekly features and suggestions here as well.
