Pilsner, Lager, Ale, IPA, Stout: What's Actually the Difference?

Order a beer around here, and you'll hear a lot of style names thrown around. Pilsner. Lager. IPA. Stout. Most craft beer lovers know what they like to drink, but not always what actually separates one style from another. So let's clear it up, going from lightest to darkest, using the beers we're pouring right here on the farm as the examples.

It All Starts With the Yeast

Here's the one fact that explains almost everything else about the brewing process: every beer style falls into one of two families, lagers or ales, built from two different yeast strains, and the difference comes down to yeast and temperature.

Lagers use bottom-fermenting yeast and ferment at cold temperatures, low and slow. That cold, patient process is what gives lagers their clean, crisp character with little to no fruitiness.

Ales are brewed with top-fermenting yeast at warmer temperatures, and they ferment fast. That warmer temperature brings out fruity aromas and sometimes spicy notes called esters, which is part of why ales tend to have more character and complexity in the glass.

Once you know that, the rest of the style map gets a lot easier. Pilsners and lagers are the same family. Pale ales, IPAs, and stouts are all ales too, just built with different malts and hops. Same two starting points in the brewhouse, and that split is the backbone of the whole craft beer industry, built into very different beers by the time they hit your glass.

Pilsner

A pilsner is technically a type of lager, but it's worth knowing on its own since the pilsner style is one of the most widely brewed in the world. Pilsners tend to have a bit more visible hop character than a standard lager, without tipping into IPA territory. Our Jackass Pilsner, named for our mini woolly donkeys Jonny Ringo and Misty, is crisp and easy-drinking, sitting right in that sweet spot.

Lager

This is the style most people picture when they think "crisp, refreshing beer." Our Highland Lager is brewed clean and light, built for a day outside, whether that's on the farm or coming down off the trails. Look for it on tap at the bar trailer.

Ale

A pale ale is generally lighter and more balanced than an IPA, less hoppy, easier drinking. Our G.O.A.T. Hazy Pale takes the soft, hazy character you'd find in a hazy IPA and dials it back to a lower ABV, so you get this juicy hop character without as much intensity.

IPA

An IPA is a type of ale too, just like a pilsner is technically a type of lager. It gets its own category here because it's built around hops in a way a standard pale ale isn't, and hops typically bring a lot of the bitterness, aroma, and attributes a beer is known for. Our Alpine IPA is a West Coast IPA, meaning it embraces that bold, bitter hop profile the style is known for, brewed here with New Zealand hops that bring a juicy, tropical character to balance it out.

If you prefer something softer, our Barnyard Mist IPA is a juicy IPA, a hazy sub-style that's dry-hopped differently to trade some of that sharp bitterness for a fuller, softer mouthfeel. Two styles, same family, different approach entirely.

Stout

Stouts are dark, roasty, and full-bodied, brewed with roasted malts rather than pale ones. Our Black Angus Nitro Stout is poured on nitro rather than standard CO2, which is worth knowing even if you've had a hundred stouts before at any brewery. Nitrogen bubbles are smaller than CO2 bubbles, which is what gives a nitro stout that thick, creamy head and smooth, almost velvety texture as you drink it.

So, Which One Should You Order?

If you're not sure where to start, here's a simple way to think about what's on tap:

• Want something right in the middle? Jackass Pilsner
• Want something light and crushable? Highland Lager
• Want something juicy and soft? G.O.A.T. Hazy Pale or Barnyard Mist IPA
• Want bold hops and bitterness? Alpine IPA
• Want something rich, dark, and dessert-like? Black Angus Nitro Stout

Taste the Difference Yourself

Reading about the difference between ale and lager is one thing. Tasting it side by side is another. These aren't abstract styles to us; they're beers brewed right here on our farm brewery, and the easiest way to better understand what makes them unique is to try a few in one sitting.

Come by the bar trailer, grab a flight, and taste your way through the lineup like a true craft beer lover. Bring the dog, bring the kids, and say hi to the goats while you're at it.