While the United States can certainly claim a prominent role in the craft beer renaissance, with a diversity to its offerings wider than most any other beer producing country in the world, there is not a single style of beer produced in the U.S. which is not rooted in European tradition.

The Czech Republic

Pilsner—Plzensky Prazdroj, in Plzen, Czech Republic, is the source of Pilsner Urquell (the "original Pilsner"). The brewery has operated since 1842, producing a bottom-fermented pale beer that has become the model for Pilsners the world over.

Germany

Germany has about a dozen classic styles of beer, some of which can be divided into several categories. The distinctions between the styles are very clear.

Altbier—"Old beer" brewed in the city of Dusseldorf. Old refers to the style of brewing - using ale yeasts. Altbiers are generally copper in color, dry and medium bodied.

Bock—A style of beer developed in Bavaria that was originally brewed in the late fall from the first malt and hops of the harvest. It was aged in deep caves throughout the winter and drunk in the spring. It was traditionally sold beginning on the first day of spring, which came to be known as Bock Beer Day. Bock beer season lasts for 6 weeks.

Double Bock—A strong beer originally brewed by monks of the order of St. Francis of Paula for Lent, and is still served to celebrate spring. Often identified by the "ator" suffix.

Oktoberfest Beer—A lager or bottom-fermented beer that is aged (lagered) for longer than usual and made in March for the Oktoberfest, a harvest celebration held in Germany during the last 2 weeks of September. Also called Marzenbier (March beer).

Rauchbier is especially associated with the town of Bamberg. A beer brewed with barley malt that has been smoked prior to being used for brewing. Bold and upfront in its smokiness.

Wheat Beers are an important category in Germany especially in summer. There are two principal styles, in northern Germany, wheat beers have a faintly tart overlay (Pinkus Weizen is a good example of this type) and the other in southern Germany (primarily Bavaria) they are also known as "Bavarian white beer."

Belgium

A wider range of flavors and styles are created in Belgium than in any other country. Many Belgian beers are bottle-conditioned, similar to medhode champenoise champagnes. The best known styles include:

Trappist Ale—Not a single style of beer, but a protected appellation in Belgium and the Netherlands that refers only to beer brewed by and under the control of the Cistercian Trappist monks. Each Trappist beer is distinctive, in the manner of Belgian ales. Beers of similar style (often labeled as dubbel or tripel) that are produced by larger commercial brewers or non-Trappist monasteries are referred to as Abbey Ales.

Lambic—A style of beer brewed only in the area southwest of Brussels in Belgium, originating in the village of Lembeek in the Senne River Valley. Lambic brewers add no yeast but allow the beer to ferment naturally with whatever yeast is in the air. Spontaneous fermentation is the oldest of all the fermenting styles.

Biere de Garde—Brewers began to brew biere de garde (beer to be cared for, or for laying away) so that beer would be available available during the summer months. To survive such laying away, the beer had to be brewed strong and bottle-conditioned. (Their "ordinary strength" brews could not survive past the onset of warm weather.)

Witbier—Belgian "white" unfiltered ale made with pale malt and wheat. Typically seasoned with coriander and orange peel.

Scotland

Scotch Ale—Full-bodied with a rich, malty aroma and faint underlying sweetness.

Britain

The traditional beer of Britain is Ale in many styles ranging from the traditional cask conditioned Bitter to the dense and powerful Imperial Stout.

Pale Ale—The classic beer type of the British Isles. Similar to bitter ale, but dryer and smoother. Pale is a relative term with this ale traditionally amber-hued. It originated as a paler, more highly hopped ale in Britain, brewed in response to the porters and dark ales that were popular some 200-300 years ago.

Brown Ale—Originated in northeast England. A style designed for easy drinking at the end of a hardworking day—alternately satisfying and refreshing, normally without a terribly high alcohol content. Medium bodied, with a soft round softness and a rich lasting finish.

Porter—Named because they were the preferred drink of the porters of English seaside towns. Ranging from dark brown to nearly black in color, a porter should have various levels of roastiness in the aroma as well as a fair dose of coffee, chocolate, anise or soft fruit, or a combination of the four.

Stout—Originally known as "stout porter" and thus often referred to as porter’s big brother, stout is an enigmatic style that takes several forms. Of all the substyles that exist of various types of beer, perhaps none are as dissimilar as those of stout. Dry stouts will tend toward burnt, coffeeish bodies; sweet stouts will very much resemble strong porters and have much-reduced levels of roastiness and a sugary, fruity or faintly lactic quality; oatmeals will be silky and smooth with varying levels of porridge in their bodies; and imperial stouts will be forceful, alcoholic and even winy.

India Pale Ale—A strong, paler variant of regular pale ale. A London brewer is credited with inventing India Pale Ale (IPA) near then end of the 18^th century. This ale was brewed to be very high in alcohol content and highly hopped which provided excellent protection against souring during the nearly 5-month journey from England to India.

Barley Wine—A symbol of strong ale referring to beer with an alcohol strength approaching that of wine. Barley wines require a long aging period ranging from 6 months to several years.

Ireland

Dry Stout—One of several styles of stout most notably typified by Guinness. Dry stout is lower in gravity and slightly more hoppy than other stout styles. On draught it is most often served using a carbon dioxide and nitrogen mix, giving the beer a creamy texture.