Lion Imperial Pilsner disappoints
For the first Oredigger of the academic year, I think I should start by explaining some of the terminology of beer. Beer was first legally defined by Germany’s Reinheitsgebot in 1516 as containing four ingredients: malted barley (which provides sugar and starch), hops (a flower which provides bitterness), water, and yeast (a micro-organism which converts sugar into alcohol and carbon dioxide bubbles). All beer varieties are ultimately different combinations of these ingredients, but can also be divided into two major categories: ales (fermented at room temperature) and lagers (fermented at cold temperatures, and usually with a cleaner, crisper flavor). In general, most mass-produced beers like Coors or Budweiser are lagers and most microbrews are ales. You can learn more about beer by touring the Coors brewery or any of our state’s many microbreweries, or by reading this column.