There are a lot of things you can figure out about a beer just by looking at the can.
You can see the brewery. You can see the ABV. You can usually find the style somewhere. Maybe there’s a picture of an orange, a mountain, a shark, or a guy riding a horse through space.
What you can’t always figure out is what the hell the beer is actually going to taste like.
That’s where working in a beer store gets interesting.
We get a lot of the same questions. Some are common misconceptions. Some get surprisingly complicated. And some are questions that seem simple until you actually try to answer them.
So here are some of the questions we hear most often, along with the answers I’d actually give someone standing in front of the cooler.
What is an IPA?
IPA stands for India Pale Ale.
Today, an IPA is generally a hop-forward beer. Depending on the type, you can get anything from grapefruit and pine to mango, passion fruit, citrus, tropical fruit, resin and even some pretty strange hop-derived flavors.
The important thing is that IPA isn’t one specific flavor.
A West Coast IPA can be bitter, dry, crisp and piney. A hazy IPA can be softer, fruitier and much less bitter despite having an enormous amount of hop character. A session IPA can have the hop character of an IPA while keeping the alcohol lower.
The Brewers Association’s current style guidelines recognize several IPA categories, including American IPA, West Coast IPA, Juicy or Hazy IPA, Session IPA and others.
So when someone says, “I don’t like IPAs or craft beer,” my next question is usually:
Which IPA?
Because there’s a pretty big difference between them.
Is an IPA a pale ale?
Technically, yes.
This is one of those questions where the answer depends on whether we’re talking about beer history, brewing categories or the way people actually use the names today.
IPA is a type of pale ale. The “pale” part refers to the beer’s relatively light color compared with many traditional ales, while IPA developed into a stronger, more intensely hopped version.
The Brewers Association’s older American Craft Beer Guide described American IPA as essentially a stronger, paler and hoppier relative of American Pale Ale.
Today, though, we treat Pale Ale and IPA as separate styles.
Think of them as neighbors.
A pale ale usually gives you noticeable hop flavor and aroma while keeping the beer more balanced and approachable. An IPA generally pushes the hop character further, although modern hazy IPAs have made that distinction a little messier.
A good shortcut:
Pale Ale → hoppy
IPA → hoppier
That isn’t a perfect definition, but it’ll get you pretty close when you’re standing in front of a cooler.
What’s something between an IPA and a lager?
This is actually a really good question because there are a couple of ways to answer it.
If you mean “I want something hoppy like an IPA, but cleaner and easier-drinking like a lager,” look for a Cold IPA or India Pale Lager (IPL).
These beers combine a lot of IPA-style hop character with a cleaner, crisper fermentation profile.
The Brewers Association now recognizes American-Style India Pale Lager as a style, describing it as a pale lager with high to very high hop aroma and flavor.
If you mean “I want something less intense than an IPA,” I’d point you toward an American Pale Ale.
That’s probably the easiest answer for someone who likes the idea of an IPA but doesn’t necessarily want a giant hop bomb.
So:
- Want IPA flavor + lager crispness? Try a Cold IPA or IPL.
- Want something less intense than an IPA? Try a Pale Ale.
- Want a really clean, hoppy beer? Try a hoppy lager or pilsner.
There’s more middle ground than people realize.
What’s the difference between a lager and a pilsner?
This one gets asked constantly, and the answer is simpler than it sounds.
Pilsner is a type of lager.
“Lager” is a broad category of beer. Pilsner is one style within that category.
It’s similar to saying that every golden retriever is a dog, but not every dog is a golden retriever.
Lagers generally use lager yeast and fermentation methods that produce a clean, crisp profile. Pilsners are typically pale lagers with more noticeable hop character and a crisp, dry finish.
And even “pilsner” isn’t just one thing.
A Czech pilsner can have a softer, rounder malt character and spicy hop profile. A German pilsner is often drier and more sharply bitter. American breweries have also taken the style in plenty of different directions.
So if someone tells me they like “lager,” I might ask:
Do you want something really clean and light, or do you want to actually taste the hops?
That answer tells me a lot more than “lager.”
Why do they only make it in 16-ounce cans?
This is one of my favorite questions because there isn’t one single reason.
You’ll see a lot of craft beer in 4-packs of 16-ounce cans, especially IPAs, limited releases and beers from smaller breweries.
There are a few reasons for that.
First, a 16-ounce can is basically the modern craft-beer equivalent of a pint. Breweries that serve a beer in a 16-ounce draft pour can use the same general format for packaged beer.
Second, packaging economics matter. Breweries have to think about canning equipment, printed packaging, case quantities, warehouse space, distributor handling and the cost of producing different package formats. Some breweries simply find it more efficient to focus on one or two can sizes. One brewery interviewed about its packaging choices specifically cited margins, capacity, warehousing and the efficiency of sticking with 16-ounce cans.
There’s also the consumer side.
A 4-pack of 16-ounce cans contains 64 ounces of beer.
A 6-pack of 12-ounce cans contains 72 ounces.
So the 16-ounce 4-pack isn’t actually more beer than a 6-pack. It’s just packaged differently.
And, yes, breweries know that a four-pack of big cans looks pretty good sitting on a shelf.
Why are so many craft beers in 4-packs?
Same basic story.
The 4-pack became closely associated with modern craft beer, particularly stronger and more expensive beers.
If a brewery makes a 7% IPA with expensive hops, selling four 16-ounce cans can make more sense than putting six of them into a traditional 12-ounce six-pack.
It also lets customers try a beer without committing to six cans.
That’s particularly useful for limited releases and more expensive craft beer.
The downside?
You end up with a fridge full of four-packs that somehow cost more than the six-packs you grew up buying.
Beer packaging has gotten somehwat complicated and there are a lot of people they need to please.
What exactly is a citrus IPA?
“Citrus IPA” isn’t one specific official beer style.
It’s more of a flavor description.
When a brewery calls something a citrus IPA, they’re usually telling you to expect hop character that reminds you of things like:
- Grapefruit
- Orange
- Tangerine
- Lemon
- Lime
And here’s the interesting part: the beer doesn’t necessarily contain any citrus fruit.
Hops themselves can create citrus-like aromas and flavors. Modern American hop varieties are especially well known for producing citrus, tropical, fruity and resinous characteristics. The Brewers Association’s IPA guidelines specifically list citrus and other fruit characteristics among the possible hop attributes.
Of course, some breweries do add actual orange, grapefruit, lemon or other citrus to an IPA.
That’s why the next thing I’d look at is the beer description.
What should I look for when buying a citrus IPA?
Don’t just look for the word “citrus.”
Look at the hop varieties and the brewery’s description.
If you see words like:
Citra, Mosaic, Amarillo, Simcoe, Centennial, Cascade, Strata, El Dorado
you’re potentially heading toward some pretty expressive fruit and citrus character, although each hop can contribute a much wider range of aromas.
Then look at the description.
If it says:
grapefruit, orange, tangerine, lemon, tropical fruit, juicy, bright, fresh
that’s a pretty good sign you’re in the right neighborhood.
If you want a less bitter citrus IPA, look for a hazy or juicy IPA.
If you want citrus plus bitterness and a drier finish, a West Coast IPA may be more your speed.
And if you want something that tastes like actual oranges rather than orange-like hop character, look for an IPA that specifically says it was brewed with or conditioned on citrus.
Those are three pretty different beers despite all being described as “citrusy.”
Why does my IPA taste bitter?
Because hops can contribute bitterness.
But here’s the important part: hop flavor and hop bitterness aren’t the same thing.
A beer can have enormous hop aroma without being brutally bitter.
This is one reason modern hazy IPAs can confuse people. You can smell an absurd amount of mango, pineapple, orange and other fruit-like hop character while the actual bitterness remains relatively restrained.
Traditional and West Coast IPAs tend to make bitterness more obvious.
The Brewers Association describes American IPAs as having medium-high to very high perceived bitterness, while Juicy or Hazy IPAs can emphasize intense hop aroma and flavor with a softer bitterness profile.
So if someone says, “I want a really hoppy beer, but I don’t want something super bitter,” that’s not a contradiction anymore.
There are a lot of beers built specifically for that person. Other half does a really good job at this.
What does IBU mean?
IBU stands for International Bitterness Units.
It’s a measurement related to the amount of bittering compounds in beer.
You’ll sometimes see people use IBU like it’s a universal “how bitter will this taste?” scale.
It isn’t.
A beer with 60 IBUs doesn’t necessarily taste twice as bitter as one with 30.
Other factors matter, including malt sweetness, alcohol, water chemistry, yeast, hop timing and the overall recipe.
That’s why I wouldn’t tell someone, “This beer is 70 IBUs, so you definitely won’t like it.”
I’d rather talk about what the beer actually tastes like.
Why does my hazy IPA look cloudy?
Because haziness can come from a combination of yeast, proteins, polyphenols and hop compounds, among other things. In the height of hazy IPAs, flour occasionaly.
Modern hazy IPAs are intentionally brewed to emphasize hop aroma and a soft, juicy character, and the haze often comes along with that brewing approach.
A cloudy beer isn’t automatically better.
A clear beer isn’t automatically better.
They’re different approaches.
If you’re buying a hazy IPA because you want that soft, juicy, fruit-forward experience, the appearance is part of the package.
What’s the difference between an ale and a lager?
This is one of the most useful things to understand about beer.
Ale and lager are broad beer families based largely on yeast and fermentation.
Ales generally use ale yeast and ferment warmer. Lagers use lager yeast and ferment cooler, with different fermentation and conditioning practices that typically produce a cleaner profile.
That means IPA, pale ale, porter and stout are generally ales.
Pilsner, Märzen, Helles and many of the beers people think of as “regular beer” are lagers.
But don’t use this as a simple “ales are strong and lagers are light” rule.
There are strong lagers.
There are light ales.
There are dark lagers.
There are incredibly hoppy lagers.
Beer refuses to stay organized.
Does a lager always taste lighter than an ale?
No.
This is another common assumption that doesn’t really hold up.
A lager can be dark, malty, strong or heavily hopped.
Doppelbock is a lager.
Baltic porter is a lager.
Schwarzbier is a lager.
India Pale Lager exists.
The reason many people associate lager with light, crisp beer is that some of the world’s most popular beers happen to be pale lagers.
That’s more about what became commercially dominant than what the word “lager” actually means.
Why is this beer only available in cans?
Usually because of packaging and distribution decisions, not because the beer itself requires a can.
Some breweries prefer cans because they are lighter, stack efficiently, protect beer from light and work well for modern distribution.
Cans also make sense for breweries that want to package beer in 4-packs, 12-packs or other formats without maintaining several different bottle lines.
There are also beers that breweries package differently depending on where they’re being sold.
A brewery might put its flagship in 12-ounce cans while putting a limited IPA into 16-ounce 4-packs.
The beer doesn’t care, the brewery’s packaging department definitely does.
How many beers are in a keg?
This one is especially important if you’re buying beer for a party.
It depends on the keg.
A standard U.S. half-barrel keg holds 15.5 gallons. That’s approximately:
- 165 12-ounce beers
- 124 16-ounce pints
- About 6.9 24-beer cases worth of 12-ounce beer
A quarter-barrel holds 7.75 gallons:
- About 82 12-ounce beers
- About 62 pints
A sixth-barrel (sixtel) holds about 5.16 gallons:
- About 55 12-ounce beers
- About 41 pints
Those are mathematical maximums. Real-world pouring involves foam, waste and the occasional person who somehow manages to spill beer while standing completely still.
So if you’re planning a party, don’t assume you’ll get exactly 165 perfect pours from a half barrel.
Is a keg the same thing as a half barrel?
This causes a ridiculous amount of confusion.
In everyday conversation, when someone says “a keg,” they often mean a standard half-barrel keg.
But technically, “keg” just describes the container.
A sixth-barrel is a keg.
A quarter-barrel is a keg.
A half-barrel is a keg.
So if you’re ordering one, it’s worth asking which size you’re actually getting.
How long does a keg stay fresh?
It depends heavily on the beer and how the keg is handled.
An unopened keg can last quite a while under proper storage, but once you start serving it, the dispensing system matters.
A keg connected to a proper CO₂ system is different from one pushed with compressed air. Oxygen exposure is especially bad for beer, and hop-forward beers can lose their freshness relatively quickly.
This is also why a heavily hopped IPA is generally a worse candidate for sitting around half-full for weeks than a more stable lager.
If you’re buying a keg for a party, you shouldn’t have leftovers until Thanksgiving.
It’s to drink it while it’s good.
Why does the same beer taste different from year to year?
Because breweries aren’t making beer with a photocopier.
Recipes change, hop crops change, malt changes, water can change.
Yeast behaves differently, breweries can change equipment or processes, sometimes a brewery intentionally tweaks a recipe, sometimes the difference is simply the result of ingredients.
And then there’s the human part: your palate changes, too.
The beer you loved three years ago might taste different to you today even if the brewery hasn’t changed the recipe at all.
What does “double IPA” actually mean?
A Double IPA, sometimes called a DIPA, is essentially a stronger and more intense IPA.
They’re generally higher in alcohol and often carry more malt and hop intensity than standard IPAs.
But “double” doesn’t mean the brewery literally doubled everything.
You don’t take a 6% IPA recipe and simply multiply every ingredient by two.
It’s a style designation that tells you to expect a bigger beer.
And there are even Triple IPAs beyond that.
At some point, you have to stop asking how many IPAs the beer contains.
What does “session” mean on a beer?
A session beer is generally designed to have lower alcohol while retaining enough flavor to be interesting.
The idea is drinkability.
A session IPA, for example, gives you hop character associated with an IPA but at a lower ABV than many traditional IPAs.
The Brewers Association specifically recognizes Session IPA as a lower-alcohol version of various IPA approaches.
It’s not supposed to mean “boring.”
It’s supposed to mean you can have a longer session without the alcohol adding up as quickly.
Why does this beer taste fruity if there isn’t fruit in it?
This one surprises a lot of people.
Beer can taste fruity without containing any fruit.
Hops can contribute citrus, tropical fruit, berry, stone fruit and other characteristics. Yeast can also create fruity fermentation compounds.
That’s why you can get a beer that tastes like peach, pineapple or grapefruit without the brewer necessarily adding any of those things.
On the other hand, sometimes there is actual fruit in the beer.
The easiest way to tell is to check the brewery’s description or ingredient information.
“Peach IPA” doesn’t automatically tell you whether the peach character comes from peaches, hops, yeast or some combination.
What beer should I buy if I don’t know what I like?
This is probably the question we get more than any other version of the questions above.
And honestly, “What beer do you normally drink?” is usually the best place to start.
Not because I’m trying to sell you another version of the same thing.
Because your answer tells me something about your palate.
If you normally drink light lagers, maybe you want to try a pilsner.
If you drink hazy IPAs but want something easier and crisper, maybe a pale ale or hoppy lager.
If you like sweet drinks, a fruit-forward sour or flavored beer might make sense.
If you like coffee, chocolate and roasted flavors, maybe a porter or stout.
If you say, “I don’t really know. I just want something good,” that’s fine too.
That’s basically why we’re here.
The easiest way to buy better beer
You don’t need to memorize 100 beer styles.
You don’t need to know what every hop variety tastes like.
And you definitely don’t need to understand every ridiculous thing written on a craft-beer can.
Start with what you already know.
Do you like crisp or smooth?
Bitter or sweet?
Light or full-bodied?
Fruity or malty?
Clean or funky?
Once you know those things, picking a beer gets a lot easier.
And if you’re still standing in front of the cooler with no idea what any of it means, that’s when you can ask someone at the beer store. I can’t stress enough that we love helping you find your new favorite beer.
That’s a pretty good reason to have people around who actually know the beer.
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