American lagers have an SRM between 2 – 4 which means they have a light, golden color. Since Budweiser has an IBU of 12, this means this beer falls precisely in this category.įurthermore, there’s the SRM of the beer, which refers to the color. American lagers have an IBU between 8 – 18, which means they’re less bitter than their European counterparts (such as Heineken or Stella Artois). This is measured in International Bitterness Units (IBU). The first criterion is the bitterness of the beer. Why Is Budweiser An American Lager?įirst, it’s essential to know that there are five general criteria that help us classify beers in their categories. Also, if you’re interested in how Budweiser tastes, read this blog we wrote earlier. Let’s have a look at why Budweiser falls into this category. To classify Budweiser correctly, we’ll use the scale of the Beer Judge Certification Program, which categorizes beers based on many factors.Īccording to this organization, Budweiser is best classified as an American lager, a sub-category of the overall category of standard American beers. Let’s see how things add up for the original Budweiser. Within the category of lager, many more specifications can be made. Classifying beer as a lager or ale is just the start of the process. However, that doesn’t answer the question entirely. Read more here about how Budweiser is made.īudweiser is made with a bottom-fermenting process which means it is classified as a lager. The other option is bottom-fermenting the yeast at colder temperatures (35˚–50˚F) which ranks it as a lager. In a nutshell, this means that beer is either fermented at warm temperatures (60˚–70˚F), in which case it’s top-fermenting, which classifies it as an ale. Beers are either made with a top-fermenting or bottom-fermenting process. The main difference is the brewing process. The difference between these two beers is how the beer is made and what ingredients are used. However, all beers fall into either one of the two categories. These types of beers have different sub-categories. Read on! Is Budweiser A Lager Or Ale?įirst of all, it’s essential to know that there are two general categories of beers: lager or ale. We’ll also discuss how the use of rice changes its categorization, and if Budweiser has always been the American lager it is today.
After that, we’ll dive into the specifics of the beer and why it is best classified as an American lager. Below, we’ll first identify why Budweiser is classified as a lager and not as an ale (the other major category). However, that certainly doesn’t tell the whole story. Budweiser is best classified as an American lager because of its medium bitterness (IBU of 12), high carbonization, light gold color (SRM of 2-3), the alcohol content of 5%, the use of rice in the brewing process, and the fact that Budweiser is bottom-fermented instead of top-fermented.
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