By: Jade Likely
Light vs. dark beer
Light: Fewer calories, fewer carbs and generally heavier on hops. Pilsners, IPAs and wheat ales are all light and tasty beers.
Dark: Carb-ridden, which usually leads to more calories. Denser quality, many times smoother than light. Stouts and porters are two delicious examples of darker beers.
Why so foamy?
Foam, or beer head, is caused by the carbon dioxide (or carbonation) reaching the top of the glass after pouring. This naturally occurring reaction temporarily halts the drinking of your brew.
Foam, however, is a good thing in small doses. Beer with absolutely no foam could potentially be flat. Head also releases the aroma of the beer, and some beer connoisseurs argue that the head is important for the aesthetic value of the beer.
What’s in a name?
Stout: Bold, dark and strong malty ale brewed by roasting barley and hops.
IPA (India Pale Ale): Brewed with extra hops, making them smooth yet very bitter to the taste. (Fun fact: Historically, IPAs were brewed with their signature amount of hops so that the beer was able to stay fresh through a journey overseas).
Pale Ale: Light-colored lagers (hence the name) accentuated by a bitterness marked by a hoppy taste.
Red Ale: Light-bodied and balanced amber ales tinted a robust reddish color.
Lager: Popular beers produced with a slow fermenting process and allowed to mature six to eight weeks before sale. Lagers are low in hops and rate high in drinkability.
What’s all this about microbreweries?
Microbreweries are small, independently owned breweries that produce craft beers. Thankfully, Wisconsin is overflowing with these delicious establishments.
Microbrew Spotlight: New Glarus Brewing Company, New Glarus, Wis.
New Glarus is a privately owned and operated company in tiny New Glarus, Wis. This microbrewery prides itself on its Wisconsin heritage and plethora of beers made with all natural local ingredients.
Fact: New Glarus beer is only available for purchase in Wisconsin, and in 2009, a New York City bar was fined for illegally selling New Glarus Spotted Cow.
Other notable microbreweries in Wisconsin:
- Capital Brewery, Middleton, Wis.
- Lakefront Brewery, Milwaukee, Wis.
- Ale Asylum, Madison, Wis.
- Central Waters Brewery, Amherst, Wis.
- Tyranena Brewery, Lake Mills, Wis.
Wisconsin Microbreweries You Love…. You Just Don’t Know It Yet
O’so Brewery: This relatively new brewery hiding away in Plover, Wis., is growing at speedy rates. Recently having outgrown their original facility, O’so still remains a well-kept secret. Try their Rusty Red, a rich and smooth amber ale that can compete with the best of them.
Point Brewery: Stevens Point Brewery has been providing central Wisconsin with timeless brews since the 1800s. Their signature brew, Point Special, is just one of many year-round and seasonal beers the brewery creates.
Lake Louie Brewing Company: Lake Louie is one of Wisconsin’s best-kept secrets. Nestled on a quarter acre pond in Arena, Wis. (just west of Madison), Lake Louie’s brews are strong, smooth and full-bodied.
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