The craft beer market has virtually exploded over the past decade or so. There are now countless small, craft breweries in the U.S., and you can find their creations both at bars and at beer stores. As you shop for craft beer or order pints at your local bar, you'll probably read plenty of beer descriptions. Here are some somewhat confusing or unclear terms you might come across as you do so.
Acid Rest
If a craft beer is said to be made with an acid rest, that means the brewer let the beer cool for a period of time early in the brewing process. This is done to allow the beer to become more acidic. If you enjoy more acidic beers with a little of that crisp bite, try ones that were brewed with an acid rest as a part of the process.
Bottle Conditioning
If a beer is said to be bottle conditioned, that means that it finished its fermentation in the bottle. This is a natural way to carbonate the beer, and beers made via this method generally have plenty of head and fizz.
Brett
"Brett" is actually shorthand for Brettanomyces, a specific type of yeast that is sometimes used to brew beers. It gives them a very distinct, funky taste that some people love and others cannot stand. You'll often see brett used to ferment fruitier beers and sours.
Gruit
If you see a craft beer that lists gruit in its ingredients, then this is a truly unique beer. Gruit is an herb mixture that was used early on before hops were widely available. Craft beers brewed with it have a very old-fashioned, authentic character.
Humulene
A certain craft beer may be said to be high in humulene. This is just one compound in hops that gives them that bitter taste they are known for.
Pediococcus
This is a specific species of bacteria that craft brewers sometimes add to lambic beers in order to give them a caramel-like or butter-like flavor.
Session Beer
If a certain craft beer is described as a session beer, that just means the beer is lower in alcohol content than most. These beers are designed to be consumed in larger quantities. In other words, you can drink several of them in a session without overdoing it.
Hopefully understanding these terms makes it easier and more enjoyable for you to shop for your favorite craft beers.
After I started taking cooking more seriously, it occurred to me that I wanted to start exploring the art of cooking with liquor. I started by learning how to deglaze a pan with red wine, and then moved towards infusing different champagnes into pasta sauces. It was really interesting to see just how much depth of flavor you could add simply by adding a little liquor, and before I knew it, alcohol was a part of my normal cooking routine. I wanted to begin a blog all about adding liquor to different dishes, so here you are. I hope you can learn what you need to in order to make a great meal.