Light VS Dark

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ENG/220

October 30, 2014
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Light VS Dark

“Light beer has no flavor”, “dark beer is too heavy” common arguments that are made in the ongoing battle of light versus dark beer. With a recent boom in the craft beer breweries and mega breweries that have been known for years, there are more choices now than ever. Some people choose to have a cool, refreshing light beer, while others choose a bold, flavorful dark beer. The truth is, it is all relative to a person’s personal preference. There are many differences between the two types of beers, but three of the main differences are the way they are brewed, marketed to the public, and the culture associated with each beer. The Brewing Process It is the grain that really makes the difference in the color of the finished beer; this is true whether the beer is made in a large scale brewery or in a mom and pop outfit. Of course, most beer is made from the same grain (barley), though others are brewed with wheat, oats, rye, rice, quinoa and virtually any other grain available, all of which impart their own character to the brew. However, how darkly the malt has been roasted is what gives color and body to the beer. The darker the roast, the darker the beer that results from this ingredient. The roast affects the color of the finished beer as well as the body and many of the flavors in the brew as well. For example, a dark beer tends to have a deeper, more complex set of flavors which include notes of chocolate and toffee flavors which come from primarily from the malt. By contrast, a lighter beer is characterized by flavors which are dominated by the hops refreshing bitterness, floral and fruity notes from the hops and to a lesser extent, yeast. From there it is more of the same you get your extract from the mash, you boil your mash and add in your hops or