Beer Glossary

The common name for bottom-fermented beers. Lager comes from the German “lagern,” meaning “to store.”

Belgian alcoholic beverage made from sweet wort, whose distinctive feature is that it ferments spontaneously. This spontaneous fermentation is carried out by the wild yeasts and bacteria present in the surrounding air.

Lees are a deposit that forms at the bottom of the bottle when its contents have refermented. In beer, it is a deposit of yeast.

Defect that appears when beer is exposed to light, especially ultraviolet light: some hop compounds break down and give off a sulfurous smell reminiscent of skunk. Brown bottles protect beer better than green or clear ones.

Fine yellow powder, formed from small glands located at the base of the bracts of hop cones, which contains the bitter resins and aromatic essential oils of hops (see Hops).