8. Bitters

A bitter is an alcoholic beverage that is flavored with herbal essences and has a bitter or bittersweet flavor.

There are numerous brands of bitters that were formerly marketed as patent medicines but are now considered to be digestives, rather than medicines.

They commonly have an alcoholic strength of 45% ABV and are used as digestives and as flavoring in cocktails.

The word "bitters" derives from the fact that it does not contain added sugar or sweetener despite being strongly flavored.

However, if the bitters is a tonic, it may have some added sugar, although European Union legislation defines bitters as having no added sugar.

In the United Kingdom, Angostura bitters are not classified as an alcoholic beverage, and they can be bought by persons of any age.

9. Types of Beer

Beer is produced by brewing and fermentation of starches, mainly from grains, for example malted barley, wheat, corn and rice. Mostly beer is flavoured with hops, which add bitterness. There are following types of beer:

• Lager is light beer, with pleasant spicy taste;

• Bock is dark, very strong Lager, with hops and malt taste;

• Amber – light beer with a little content of hops, with the taste of spices, fruit and yeast, bitter taste;

• Dry beer is very light, with quite a lot of alcohol content, without any taste;

• Pilsner is light beer, can be of three categories: luxe, export, dry. Has a variety of tastes: from neutral taste to bitter.

• Ale is non-strong alcoholic drink, brewed from malt, but it’s darker and more bitter than beer;

• Stout is a type of ale but of a very dark colour and strong taste of malt and hops;

• Half and Half is a mixture of two beverages, usually a half of Ale and a half of beer or Stout (strong porter) are mixed.

10.Beers

The visual characteristics that may be observed in a beer are colour, clarity, and nature of the head. Colour is usually imparted by the malts used, notably the adjunct malts added to darker beers, though other ingredients may contribute to the colour of some styles such as fruit beers. Colour intensity can be measured by systems such as EBC, SRM or Lovibond, but this information is rarely given to the public.

Many beers are transparent, but some beers, such as hefeweizen, may be cloudy due to the presence of yeast making them translucent. A third variety is the opaque or near-opaque colour that exists with stouts, porters, schwarzbiers (black beer) and other deeply coloured styles. Thickness and retention of the head and the lace it can leave on the glass, are also factors in a beer's appearance.

Aroma

The aroma in a beer may be formed from the malt and other fermentables, the strength and type of hops, the alcohol, esters, and various other aromatic components that can be contributed by the yeast strain, and other elements that may derive from the water and the brewing process.

Flavour

The taste characteristics of a beer may come from the type and amount of malt used, flavours imparted by the yeast, and strength of bitterness. Bitterness can be measured on an International Bitterness Units scale, and in North America a number of brewers record the bitterness on this scale as IBUs.

Strength

The strength of beer is a general term for the amount of alcohol present. It can be quantified either indirectly by measurement of specific gravity, or more directly by determining the overall percentage of alcohol in the beer.

Hops

Hops contribute bitterness, flavour and aroma to a beer in different ways depending on when they are added during the brewing process. How much hop bitterness and aroma is appropriate varies considerably between different beer styles. There are many varieties of hops, some of which are associated with beers from specific regions. For example, Saaz hops are associated with Czech Pilsners; Hallertau and Tettnanger are two of the "noble" hop varieties one expects to find in German beers, and Kent Goldings are an English variety.

Hybrid or mixed style beers use modern techniques and materials instead of, or in addition to, traditional aspects of brewing. Although there is some variation among sources, mixed beers generally fall into the following categories:

Altbier and Kölsch, both of which are top fermented before being cold conditioned, i.e. lagered.

Steam beers were invented by German immigrants living in California and are made with a type of bottom-fermenting yeast that can ferment at warmer temperatures. The name "steam beer" is a trademark of the Anchor Brewing Company, though other brewers brew this beer under the designation "California common".

Fruit and vegetable beers are mixed with some kind of fermentable fruit or vegetable adjunct during the fermentation process, providing obvious yet harmonious qualities.

Herb and spiced beers include herbs or spices derived from roots, seeds, fruits, vegetables or flowers instead of, or in addition to hops.

Wood-aged beers are any traditional or experimental beer that has been aged in a wooden barrel or have been left in contact with wood chips or cubes. Often, the barrel or wood will be treated first with some variety of spirit or other alcoholic beverage; bourbon, scotch and sherry are common.

Smoked beers are any beer whose malt has been treated by exposing it to smoke from burning or smoldering wood, such that a smoky aroma and flavour is usually present. The most traditional examples of this style are the Rauchbiers of Bamberg, Germany. However, many brewers outside of Germany—most notably American craft brewers—have been adding smoked malt to porter beers, Scotch ale and a variety of other styles.

Champagne style beers are generally ales that are finished "à la méthode originale" for champagne. These are produced mainly in Belgium and include Grottenbier, Deus and Malheur Bière Brut.