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Beer Style Guidelines

with links to recipes, breweries and books. Compiled by Mr. Goodbeer
Style links take you to related books at Amazon.com. Read beer book reviews.
Sub-Style links take you to related recipes for homebrewed beer and food with beer at Chef2Chef.net
More detail about all the various beer styles is available at the BJCP's website.
Beer style guidelines with links to recipes, breweries and books.
    Color (SRM) Bitter (IBU) % ABV  
# Style/Books Sub-Style/Recipes Min Max Min Max Min Max Commercial Example
01A American Lager Light/Standard/Premium 2 8 8 22 3.5 5.1 Miller Lite
01B American Lager Dark 10 20 14 20 4.1 5.1 Michelob Dark
01C American Lager Classic American Pilsner 3 6 25 40 4.5 6.0  
02A European Pale Lager Bohemian Pilsner 3 5 35 45 4.0 5.3 Pilsner Urquell
02B European Pale Lager Northern German Pilsner 2 4 25 45 4.4 5.2 Jever Pils
02C European Pale Lager Dortmunder Export 4 6 23 30 4.8 6.0 DAB Export
02D European Pale Lager Muenchner Helles 3 5 18 25 4.5 5.5 Spaten Premium Lager
03A Light Ale Blonde Ale 2 8 15 33 4.0 6.0 Goose Island Blonde
03B Light Ale American Wheat 2 8 10 30 3.7 5.5 Golden Hawk Wheat
03C Light Ale Cream Ale 2 4 10 22 4.4 5.7 Little Kings Cream Ale
04A Bitter & English Pale Ale Ordinary Bitter 6 14 20 40 3.0 3.8 Flying Aces Ale
04B Bitter & English Pale Ale Special or Best Bitter 6 14 20 45 3.7 4.8 Fuller's London Pride
04C Bitter & English Pale Ale Strong Bitter/English Pale Ale 6 14 30 65 4.4 6.2 Bateman's XXXB
05A Scottish Ales Light 60/- 6 14 9 15 2.5 3.3 Belhaven 60 Shilling
05B Scottish Ales Heavy 70/- 12 34 10 25 3.2 3.9 Orkney Raven Ale
05C Scottish Ales Export 80/- 10 19 15 36 3.9 4.9 Maclay Scotch Ale
06A American Pale Ales American Pale Ale 10 19 20 40 4.5 5.7 Sierra Nevada Pale Ale
06B American Pale Ales American Amber Ale 4 11 20 40 4.5 5.7 Red Rocket Amber Ale
06C American Pale Ales California Common Beer 11 18 35 45 4.0 5.5 Anchor Steam
07 India Pale Ale India Pale Ale 8 14 40 100 5.0 7.8 Three Floyds Alpha King
08A Kolsch & Altbier Kolsch-Style Ale 3.5 5 16 30 4.0 5.0 Hollywood Blonde
08B Kolsch & Altbier Duesseldorf Altbier 11 19 40 60 5.0 5.5 Schumacher
08C Koelsch & Altbier Northern German Altbier 11 19 25 40 5.0 5.5 Grolsch Autumn Amber
09A German Amber Lager Oktoberfest/Marzen 7 14 20 30 4.8 6.5 Paulaner Oktoberfest
09B German Amber Lager Vienna Lager 8 12 18 30 4.6 5.5 Negra Modelo
10A Brown Ale Mild 10 25 10 20 2.5 4.0 Bank's Mild
10B Brown Ale Northern English Brown Ale 12 30 15 30 4.0 5.0 Newcastle Brown Ale
10C Brown Ale Southern English Brown Ale 20 35 15 24 3.5 5.0 Mann's Brown Ale
10D Brown Ale American Brown Ale 15 22 25 60 4.0 6.0 Pete's Wicked Ale
11A English & Scottish Strong Ale Old Ale 12 16 30 60 6.0 9.0 Theakston Old Peculier
11B English & Scottish Strong Ale Strong Scotch Ale 10 47 20 40 6.9 8.5 Traquair House
12A Barleywine & Imperial Stout English-style Barleywine 10 22 50 100 8.0 12.0 Young’s Old Nick
12B Barleywine & Imperial Stout American-style Barleywine 10 22 50 100 8.0 12.0 Rogue Old Crustacean
12C Barleywine & Imperial Stout Russian Imperial Stout 20 40 50 100 8.0 12.0 Samuel Smith Imperial Stout
13A European Dark Lager Munich Dunkel 12 28 20 28 4.3 5.6 Ayinger Altbairisch Dunkel
13B European Dark Lager Schwarzbier 20 40 25 35 4.2 5.4 Kulmbacher Schwarz-Bier
14A Bock Traditional Bock 14 30 20 35 6.0 7.5 Aass Bock
14B Bock Helles Bock/Maibock 4 10 20 35 6.0 7.5 Hacker-Pschorr Maibock
14C Bock Doppelbock 12 30 20 40 7.5 12.0 Spaten Optimator
14D Bock Eisbock 18 50 20 50 8.6 14.4 Niagra Eisbock
15A Porter Robust Porter 30 100 25 45 4.8 6.0 Sierra Nevada Porter
15B Porter Brown Porter 20 35 20 30 3.8 5.2 Yuengling Porter
16A Stout Dry Stout 35 100 30 50 3.2 5.5 Murphy's Stout
16B Stout Sweet Stout 35 100 20 40 3.0 5.6 Black Cobra Stout
16C Stout Oatmeal Stout 35 100 20 50 3.3 6.0 CBC Oatmeal Stout
16D Stout Foreign Extra Stout 35 100 35 70 5.0 7.5 Guinness Foreign Extra Stout
17A Wheat Beer Bavarian Weizen 2 9 10 20 4.3 5.6 Schneider Weisse
17B Wheat Beer Bavarian Dunkelweizen 10 23 10 20 4.3 5.6 Franziskaner Dunkel-Weizen
17C Wheat Beer Berliner Weisse 2 4 3 8 2.8 3.6 Schultheiss Berliner Weisse
17D Wheat Beer Weizenbock 7 25 15 30 6.5 8.0 Erdinger Pikantus
18A Strong Belgian Ale Dubbel 10 20 20 35 3.2 7.8 LaTrappe Dubbel
18B Strong Belgian Ale Tripel 3.5 6 20 35 6.3 10.0 Westmalle Tripel
18C Strong Belgian Ale Belgian Strong Golden Ale 3.5 5.5 20 35 7.0 9.0 Duvel
18D Strong Belgian Ale Belgian Strong Dark Ale 7 20 20 40 7.0 12.0 Chimay Grand Reserve
19A Strong Belgian Ale Belgian Pale Ale 3 14 20 35 3.9 5.6 De Koninck
19B Strong Belgian Ale Witbier 2 4 15 22 4.2 5.5 Hoegaarden Wit
19C Strong Belgian Ale Biere de Garde 5 18 20 35 4.5 8.0 Jenlain
19D Strong Belgian Ale Saison 6 12 20 45 4.5 8.1 Saison Dupont
19E Strong Belgian Ale Belgian Specialty Ale 3 8 20 40 4.0 8.0 Orval
20A Lambic & Belgian Sour Ale Straight Lambic-style Ale 4 15 10 15 4.7 5.8 Rodenbach Grand Cru
20B Lambic & Belgian Sour Ale Gueuze-style Ale 4 15 10 15 4.7 5.8 Lindemans
20C Lambic & Belgian Sour Ale Fruit Lambic-style Ale 4 15 10 15 4.7 5.8 Steenberge Bios Kriek
20D Lambic & Belgian Sour Ale Oud Bruin 10 20 14 25 4.0 5.8 Liefman's Goudenband
20E Lambic & Belgian Sour Ale Flanders Red Ale 10 16 14 25 4.0 5.8 Rodenbach
21 Fruit Beer Fruit Beer Varies Varies Varies Varies Varies Varies Pyramid Apricot Ale,
22 Spice/Herb/Vegetable Beer Spice/Herb/Vegetable Varies Varies Varies Varies Varies Varies Ed's Cave Creek Chili Beer
23A Smoke-Flavored Beer Classic Rauchbier 7 16 20 30 4.8 6.5 Kaiserdom Rauchbier
23B Smoke-Flavored Beer Other Smoked Beer Varies Varies Varies Varies Varies Varies Alaskan Smoked Porter