What’s the difference between beer, ale, and lager and how many calories are in each?
IT'S uncommon to find someone who doesn’t enjoy a pint or two on the weekend, and everyone has a favourite that they gravitate towards.
Whatever your tipple of choice is, what is it that changes the taste and colour in the popular drink?
What is beer?
Beer is one of the most popular drinks in the pub on a Friday night – it’s enjoyed worldwide and has been for generations.
It’s actually the third most popular drink in the world after water and tea.
It’s brewed from cereal grains such as barley, wheat, maize, and rice, and the starch sugars ferment causing alcohol and carbonation.
The strength of beer is usually at least 4% ABV, but can be anywhere from 0.5% to 20%.
What’s the difference between ale and lager?
Lager is the most common type of beer enjoyed around the world, and is a cool fermented option.
It’s name comes from the German ‘lagern’, which means ‘to store’, as it was stored in cellars and caves to keep it cool during the warmer summer months.
It’s usually paler in colour, highly carbonated, and has a ‘lighter’ taste.
Ales is brewed by warm fermentation, which produces a slightly bitter, fruity taste.
It’s usually enjoyed at a slightly warmer temperature, and can come pale (IPA is a common type from India), golden, or brown.
What about Guinness?
Guinness is neither – it’s an Irish dry stout that's made from barley and has a more 'burnt' flavour.
Stout is another name for a dark porter, which is a dark style of beer made from brown malt - and it usually has at least 7% ABV.
It became popular in London in the 1720s due to the fact that it doesn't spoil easily, isn't affected by heat, and cheaper than other beers.
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How many calories is in each type?
There's quite a lot of difference between different beer types.
According to Nutrineat, here are the calories counts per pint:
Lager - 150kcal
Stout - 195kcal
Pale Ale - 147kcal
Wheat Beer - 165kcal
Cider, which is a made from fermented apples has around 200 calories for a pint, so beer may be calorific, but other popular drinks on tap can be worse for your waistline.