Learn & Discover
A beer drinkers dictionary
The first in a series of resources exploring the words, acronyms and references used to talk about our favourite drinks.
Mark Dredge has created a beer dictionary to help you better navigate the dizzying array of terms to describe the production, serving and enjoyment of beer. It’s not meant to be exhaustive or definitive. This dictionary is here to help you to make more informed decisions and to enhance your enjoyment of beer.
Mark Dredge
Award winning beer writer, educator and author Mark Dredge has penned a number of books on beer and food. Mark provides talks and tastings at events like the Great British Beer Festival as well as being the resident beer expert for Channel 4’s Sunday Brunch.
A – D
ABV Alcohol by volume. Technically speaking, it’s the percentage of ethanol per 100ml of liquid. Beer ranges from under 1% ABV to over 10% ABV, but most is 4-5% ABV.
ADJUNCT An ingredient added to beer that’s not one of the traditional main four of water, grain, hops or yeast. This could include alternative cereals like corn or rice, it could be sugar or honey, fruits, chocolate, coffee, spice, and more. The word ‘adjunct’ is most commonly (and derisively) used to refer to mainstream lager, which sometimes uses ingredients like maize and glucose as ‘adjuncts’.
AGED
A beer that’s been stored or matured before being drunk, with the aging taking place in the brewing tank, a wooden barrel, a bottle or a cask. Some strong beer can be aged for five or more years and still taste great.
ABV Alcohol by volume. Technically speaking, it’s the percentage of ethanol per 100ml of liquid. Beer ranges from under 1% ABV to over 10% ABV, but most is 4-5% ABV.
ADJUNCT An ingredient added to beer that’s not one of the traditional main four of water, grain, hops or yeast. This could include alternative cereals like corn or rice, it could be sugar or honey, fruits, chocolate, coffee, spice, and more. The word ‘adjunct’ is most commonly (and derisively) used to refer to mainstream lager, which sometimes uses ingredients like maize and glucose as ‘adjuncts’.
AGED
A beer that’s been stored or matured before being drunk, with the aging taking place in the brewing tank, a wooden barrel, a bottle or a cask. Some strong beer can be aged for five or more years and still taste great.
ALCOHOL
The natural product of fermentation, which is formed when yeast converts malt sugars into alcohol and carbon dioxide.
ALCOHOL-FREE BEER
Beers without alcohol, or below 0.5% ABV which is considered non-intoxicating. Most Alcohol-Free Beer is made by either producing a low-strength beer then de-alcoholysing it (taking the alcohol out, often by reverse osmosis), or it could be brewed to only 0.5% ABV by having fewer fermentable sugars or a special yeast strain.
