Beer/Bitter/Ale/Lager/??... Please Help!

verizon · 7 Jul 2006 at 20:33

Hi im gonna start working in the local Wetherspoons and I honestly dont know the whats what of drinks!

So whats the difference between beer, lager, bitter etc.. ?

Now I usually have my self a Fosters, which is surely a beer? And I think budwesier is a beer too? Whats a John Smith? A Guiness? Carlsberg (they do a lager and a beer dont they?) ? Carling?

Cheers lads!

Glaucus · 7 Jul 2006 at 20:34

fizzy light colored mainstream stuff is lager..

Ale is things like old speckled hen, usually all found on hand pulled pumps and arent served cold..

Gilly · 7 Jul 2006 at 20:34

Carling, Carlsberg (just), Budweiser and Fosters are all lagers.

John Smiths is a bitter and Guinness is stout.

They're all beers.

Red and White · 7 Jul 2006 at 20:37

why do you need to know that anyway. if someone asks for fosters walk to the pump marked fosters and start pulling it.

remember to put a glass under it mind

Van Hellseek · 7 Jul 2006 at 20:40

verizon said:
Now I usually have my self a Fosters, which is surely a beer? And I think budwesier is a beer too? Whats a John Smith? A Guiness? Carlsberg (they do a lager and a beer dont they?) ? Carling?

oh dear... how old are you?

iBankAllDay · 7 Jul 2006 at 20:40

Clerkin said:
why do you need to know that anyway. if someone asks for fosters walk to the pump marked fosters and start pulling it.

remember to put a glass under it mind

I'd let it pour down the drain myself...

G18241 · 7 Jul 2006 at 20:40

Clerkin said:
why do you need to know that anyway. if someone asks for fosters walk to the pump marked fosters and start pulling it.

remember to put a glass under it mind

so what if someone asks for a lager

usually people who go into a pub while class : carling/carlsberg/fosters/bud/heinekken etc as lagers

john smiths / IPA as beers

guiness is a stout as has been said

also; strongbow/blackthorn are dry ciders and woodpecker is sweet, off the top of my head cant think of another sweet cider sold in pubs

Gilly · 7 Jul 2006 at 20:42

G18241 said:
so what if someone asks for a lager

Ask which.

Youstolemyname · 7 Jul 2006 at 20:42

G18241 said:
so what if someone asks for a lager

you ask em which one they want

G18241 · 7 Jul 2006 at 20:44

after working in a pub i found that when its busy, you ask which lager and they just say "whatever"...so obviously they get either the most expensive or the one that tastes like crap ( which is pretty much any lager )

Gilly · 7 Jul 2006 at 20:45

Or get Stella and fulfill both criteria

G18241 · 7 Jul 2006 at 20:46

Gilly said:
Or get Stella and fulfill both criteria

was actually quite cheap in our pub that was :|

but any lager you can get on tap in england is crap, unless you get san miguel or something, but after its travelled it doesnt taste the same as it should

calnen · 7 Jul 2006 at 20:54

G18241 said:
john smiths / IPA as beers

IPA is an Ale, dude. The name stands for Indian Pale Ale

and Johns smiths is a bitter. They're both 'beer'.. but calling them that is pretty useless as so are a million other things.

The_Biggles · 7 Jul 2006 at 20:55

Beer = ale or lager. They are both in the beer camp.

All of the above listed are in either category with loads of sub-categories. Heres a brief idea :

Beer:
Stout
Ale
IPA (India Pale Ale)
Wheat ale

Lager
Pilsner
Cross-over lager/ales

Pilsner is the biggest camp and is what most drinks fall into ie Carling, Stella etc. Stout would be a Guinness etc.

If they ever do a festival, have a look >here<

Gilly · 7 Jul 2006 at 20:57

The_Biggles said:
Beer:
Stout
Ale
IPA (India Pale Ale)
Wheat ale

Lager
Pilsner
Cross-over lager/ales

This is probably what causes so much confusion. People refer to bitter as beer and lager as lager, when in reality it is all beer.

I know you know that from your opening line, just making the point

calnen · 7 Jul 2006 at 20:58

The_Biggles said:
Cross-over lager/ales

Could you give an example of that? Surely you couldnt have a cross-over, as ales ferment naturally while lagers are artificially carbonated. (Right?)

singist · 7 Jul 2006 at 21:04

AS Gilly pointed out, they're all beers ..... but ....

Ale is still alive and normally hand pulled; bitter and mild.
Stout is Guinness and similar very dark thick brews; gas assisted taps.
Lager is dead and usually very pale coloured (some are dark) gas assisted taps.

Your employer should provide some training too but there is always the interweb thingy if you really want to do some research.

Gilly · 7 Jul 2006 at 21:06

Yeah I would imagine there'd be some kind of induction before you're thrown to the wolves

Glaucus · 7 Jul 2006 at 21:08

calnen said:
Could you give an example of that? Surely you couldnt have a cross-over, as ales ferment naturally while lagers are artificially carbonated. (Right?)

nope lagers have a larger secondery fermentation in pressure barrels so the co2 produced from the fermentation can't escape thuse giving it the fiz. Ales also have a secondery fermentation also knowen as conditioning but its not as long.

singist · 7 Jul 2006 at 21:17

When a lager gets to a pub it is DEAD .... no fermenting going on; Ales are still fermenting and need the proper racking process together with very clean lines.