Beer glasses

Beer

Beer comes in many styles, like dark Stout, hop-filled IPA, acidic Sour beers, easy-to-drink Pilsners, and more. Food & Wine's team of experts are here to help you learn about the differences between each (and why you might want to choose one over another), as well as how to pair beer with barbecue, seafood, and more.

Beer 101

A Beer flight arranged from dark to light beer.
From IPAs to ESBs, Here's the Ultimate Guide to Beer Abbreviations

Beer Guides

Cold pumpkin ale in a glass
We Tasted as Many Fall Beers as We Could Find — Here Are Our Favorites
25 Exceptional Barrel-Aged Craft Beers
Love Bourbon and Rye? Try a Barrel-Aged Beer
Most Important American Craft Beers
The 25 Most Important American Craft Beers Ever Brewed

Beer Travel

Alaska Airlines and Cathay Pacific's beers in a photo composite with planes.
Airlines Are Bringing a Whole New Meaning to Tasting Flights
Two pints of Guinness in a taproom
America Is Finally Getting a Second Guinness Brewery and Yes, You Can Visit
West Bound and Down
16 Craft Breweries Where the Food Is as Big a Draw as the Beer

Explore Beer

Person pouring beer from a tap into a glass part of a selection of beer taps
Light Beer Isn't a Joke Anymore — and Science Shows Why
A hand holding a beer glass being filled from a tap in a bar setting
A Certified Cicerone's Guide to Beer for Wine Lovers
A glass of a layered brunch drink on a wooden surface
Before the Aperol Spritz, There Was the Bismarck, the Ultimate Brunch Drink
Dad Strength Brewing IPA
America’s First Low-Alcohol Craft Brewery Is Here
Three people toasting with glasses of beer
3 Standout American Lagers That Won Gold at the 2026 World Beer Cup
Freddy’s Bar
The Best Dive Bars in NYC, According to Bartenders in All Five Boroughs
A person pouring liquor into a row of shot glasses on a wooden tray
What Does a “High Alcohol Tolerance” Actually Mean When It Comes to Drinking? Doctors Weigh In
Coors 0.0%
Coors Is Going Alcohol-Free — Meet Its First 0.0% Beer
A cocktail in a crystal glass garnished with an orange peel and cherry placed on a wooden coaster
Alcohol and Sleep: What Experts Want You to Know
Person pouring drinks in a bar setting with bright colorful lighting
What Actually Causes a Hangover?
A pubs interior decorated for St Patricks Day featuring a bar counter shelves with bottles green chairs and Irishthemed decorations
How the Boston Pub That Sells the Most Guinness in Massachusetts Prepares for St. Patrick’s Day
Baby Guiness
Baby Guinness
2 mins
Aluminum cans.
Here’s the Real Reason Beer Comes in Aluminum Cans
Curtis Holmes, Plant Director of Alaskan Brewing Company, opening the door to the smoked malt in their smokehouse.
What Is Smoked Beer? Here's What to Know and 5 to Try
Colorado Brews Cup medals.
The Top Wood-Aged Beer of 2026, According to the Colorado Brewers Cup
Drinking an "altbier" (old beer in german) in Dusseldorf's old town, Germany.
Altbier Is the Under-the-Radar German Beer That’s Just as Crushable as Today’s Best Lagers
Oedipus Brewing's Manneliefde
This $5 Saison Was Just Named the Best Beer in the World at the 2025 Brussels Beer Challenge
Firestone Walker's Union Jack West Coast IPA
This Is Officially the No. 1 American Beer, According to the 2025 Brussels Beer Challenge
Brussels Beer Challenge 2025 judging.
28 Medal-Winning US Beers From the 2025 Brussels Beer Challenge
Various kinds of sato from Nanuanchun Sato.
Sato, an Ancient Thai Rice Wine Once Enjoyed by Farmers, Is Coming to US Cocktail Menus
Bavarian wheat beer in a winter landscape.
Altitude and Alcohol: Why Your Usual Drinks Hit Different in the Mountains
An Aston Martin steering wheel displayed next to boxed beverage packages labeled BERO on a countertop
Tom Holland’s Bero Is Bringing Nonalcoholic Beer Into the Luxury Lane
Beer being poured into a branded glass
The Strongest Beer in the World Is 30% ABV — and It’s Illegal in 15 States
Drinks Visionaries 2025
The Future of Drinking Is Here: Food & Wine’s 2025 Drinks Visionaries
Khristopher Johnson
Florida Brewer Khristopher Johnson Believes Beer Can Heal a Community — Here's Why
A bartender prepares drinks in a crowded bar with people seated and standing around the counter
Where the World's Best Bartenders Drink on Their Nights Off
Overhead view of four different flavored chicken wings with ranch dressing, beer, and celery sticks.
Why IPAs and Hot Wings Don’t Mix
Collage with tortilla chips and caviar text The Food Wine 25 and croissants
The F&W 25: The Moments That Defined Food and Drink for the Past 25 Years
A collage showing various drinks trends of from 2000 - 2025.
The 25 Drink Trends That Defined the 2000s, From Speakeasies to Espresso Martinis
A pink cocktail in a glass with a leaf garnish placed on a bar counter
Alcohol vs. THC: What’s the Healthier Option? Here’s Where the Research Stands
The Beetuni from Uptown Social Club.
Meet the Beertini — a Midwest Martini Giving Light Beer a Briny Kick
A lineup of various hard seltzer cans displayed on a ledge with a skyline visible in the background
We Tried 11 Hard Seltzers — These Are the 3 That Are Actually Worth Drinking
Patrick Mahomes in an ice bath outdoors with mountains in the background
Here’s How You Can Now Take a Cold Plunge Inside Patrick Mahomes’ Head for $15
Map of the United States with illustrations of drinks representing each state
Red, White, and Brew — Raise a Glass to America With a Drink From All 50 States
Various cans of beverages in rows, some covered with condensation, arranged in a cooler or fridge
Global Beer Consumption Is Shrinking — Except in This Category
Various liquor bottles and glasses surrounded by ice
Don't Put (Most) Booze in Freezer — This Is What Happens to Alcohol in Extreme Cold
NATURAL LIGHT MURPHY-STYLE TOOLBAR.
Natural Light’s Workbench Turns Into a Man Cave — Yes, Really
A can of Meli quinoa beer surrounded by cocktails in stemmed glassware
This Beer Has No Barley, No Sugar, and No Gluten — Just 100% Quinoa
Kingsford x Miller Lite Beercoal
Miller Lite’s Beer-Infused Charcoal Will Blow Your Backyard Barbecue Out of the Water
Athletic Brewing Company Aftershift beer.
A Group of Celebrated Chefs Reimagines the End-of-Shift Ritual, Starting With a Brand New Beer
A beverage being prepared with a bottle pouring liquid into a rimmed glass filled with ice and garnished with reddish seasoning
The Chelada: A Guide to the Classic Mexican Beer Cocktail
Scenic coastline with anchored boats and distant islands
This Island Brewery Is Using Solar Power, Filtering Rainwater, and Saving Sea Turtles
Illustrated alcoholic beverages sporadically places on a map of the United States, on a red background.
31 States Have Laws That Allow People Under 21 to Drink Legally — Here’s What You Need to Know
Three cans of beer over an orange and yellow background of a map of the United States.
These Are the Best Nonalcoholic Beers in America, According to the Best of Craft Beer Awards
A stout in a pint glass over a green background.
Here’s Which Beer Is Most Popular for St. Patrick’s Day, According to Total Wine & More
Non-alcoholic beers, wines, and spirits
Would You Prefer Your January Dry, Damp, or Wet? We Have Thoughts.
Multiple hands holding beverages around a bright pink ellipse.
How to Calculate the Amount of Alcohol Needed for a Party
Buzzed, Death & Co Bartender’s Choice, A Wine Tasting Murder
The Best Drinking Board Games for a Buzzy Night In
Parabolita by Firestone Walker Brewing Company, North Sky by Allagash Brewing Company, Black Swift Stout by Breakside Brewery on a blue bordered background.
The 7 Best Stouts for Warming Up This Winter
Drinks outside on a silver table.
Sahti, a Finnish Farmhouse Ale, Is the Most Interesting Beer You've Likely Never Had
Tom Holland drinking a BERO out of a glass.
Tom Holland Talked With Us About His New Nonalcoholic Beer and the Joyful Mission Behind It
A mug of dark beer over a yellow and red circular background and photo of a building in Bamberg, Germany.
Breweries Are Reviving a Historic Method for Making Smoky Beer
A wooden barrel, La Palomita by Goose Island, and Tequila Sunrise by Firestone Walker beers
5 Tequila Barrel-Aged Beers to Try Right Now
Outdoor scene from Oktoberfest 2023 in Leavenworth, Washington.
Celebrate Oktoberfest Stateside in This Pacific-Northwest Town
Welcome sign with the opening parade of the Oktoberfest in Munich. The Oktoberfest is the biggest beer festival of the world. 9000 participants take part with historical costumes, music bands and horses.
This Munich Upstart Could Be the First New Brewery in Decades to Join Oktoberfest
A bottle of Ebulon from Scratch Brewing Company.
Everything You Need to Know About Botanical Beers
Surfside Iced Tea + Vodka, Arizona Hard Iced Tea, Twisted Tea, Voodoo Ranger Hard Charged Iced Tea
Beer Producers Are Betting This Will Be the Summer of Hard Tea
Beer Cheese
Beer Cheese
10 mins
26 May 2022, Schleswig-Holstein, Elmshorn: A game ball lies on a beer bottle in the middle of a playing field. After two years of Corona break, the Flunkyball "World Championship" has been held in Elmshorn for the eighth time.
Ready to Go Beyond Beer-Pong? Try These 5 Global Drinking Games Instead
Canned beverages in cooler
Beer Wasn't the Go-To Drink for 49ers Fans Watching the Big Game — Here's Why
Ale vs Lager
How to Tell the Difference Between Ale and Lager
A person prepares a batter with leftover beer
How to Use Leftover Beer in the Kitchen
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Best High-Alcohol Beers
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Top 10 Dark Beers for People Who Don't Like Dark Beer
nitro beer milky
Nitro Beer, Explained
Pagoda Onomichi. It's Time to Book a Vacation to Japan
It's Time to Book a Vacation to Japan — Because Beer Biking Is Back
A soda can placed on an icy surface inside a freezer
Can You Put Beer in the Freezer? Here’s What Happens — and When It Ruins Your Beer