The Beer Style Origin Quiz

Vienna is both the capital city of Austria and the birthplace of Vienna Lager, a beer style Austrian brewers have since introduced around the world including Mexico where Dos Equis Amber is brewed, which is itself an example of a Vienna Lager.

Though it’s unclear where “Gueuze” got its name, there is little doubt that this sour beer style originated in Belgium.

India Pale Ale, or IPA, got its start in England, but practically became a religion in the U.S. (Had the Brits exported IPA instead of tea to the American colonies in the late 1700s, there might never have been a revolution.)

California

England

Belgium

Russian Imperial Stout originated in England as a strong porter, and was later notably exported to and favored by the Russian court, including the empress of Russia, Catherine the Great.

Pilsner is named after the Bohemian city in which it originated, Pilsner or Plzeň in Czech.

Exemplified by Rodenbach Grand Cru and Duchesse de Bourgogne brands, the Flanders Red Ale beer style originated in Belgium.

Originating in England, Sweet Stout was also known as “Milk Stout” which got its name from the addition of milk sugar (lactose) to the brew.  During a period of food rationing after World War II, the British government ordered its brewers to remove the term “milk” from their labels and advertising as the beer did not contain any milk.

Named after its city of origin, Kölsch was first brewed in Cologne, or “Köln” in German.  Several other German beers styles are named after the city where they originated including Berliner Weisse, Munich Helles, Munich Dunkel, Dortmunder Export, Lichtenhainer, and even Gose which is named after its city of origin, Goslar.

Finland

Bamberg

Also known as “California Common”, modern Steam Beer originated in San Francisco at the Anchor Steam Brewing Company.

Known as Grätzer in German, the smoky Piwo Grodziskie beer style originated in Poland.

Oud Bruin, or “Old Brown” in Dutch, originated in East Flanders while its counterpart, Flanders Red, originated in West Flanders.  

Dating back to at least the late 1400s,Gose originated in the German city of Goslar, and later became popular in Leipzig.

Australia

USA

Doppelbock was first brewed by the monks of St. Francis of Paula in the city of Munich.

Originating from Brazil, as of 2018, Catharina Sour is one of six provisional beer styles canonized into the BJCP beer style guidelines, a leading authority on beer styles.

Düsseldorf

Mgebe is but one of a handful of beer styles to have immerged from Africa; in this case Tanzania.

Traditional beer of the mountainous Tarahumara (Rarámuri) Native Americans of the northwestern state of Chihuahua in Mexico, tesgüino is an astringent corn (maize) based beer which is communally brewed and heavily consumed especially during the week of Easter.

Also known as “Kuit” or “Kuyt”, Koyt originated in The Netherlands and dates as far back as the Middle Ages.

The rye-forward Roggenbier beer style hails from Regensburg, the 4th most populated city in the German state of Bavaria.

Unlike Saison which was brewed for farm workers, Grisette was a style of beer brewed for coal workers in Belgium.  Grisette is also one of six provisional beer styles to be canonized into the BJCP beer style guidelines as of 2018.

One of the very few beer styles of French origin, Bière de Garde means “beer for keeping/storing” (beer for guarding), and was traditionally a farmhouse ale from Northern France which was brewed to a stronger alcohol content at the end of the brewing season and thus could be stored or kept (guarded) for subsequent distribution during the warmer months.

Umqombothi is a popular thick sour beer that comes to us from the Xhosa people of South Africa and is brewed with equal parts maize meal, malted corn, and crushed sorghum malt.

Also known for a special style of sausage (Kulmbacher Bratwurst), Kulmbach is the birthplace of the formidable Eisbock beer style.