Expert: Ed Westemeier - 11/28/2005

Question
Dear Mr. Westemeier:

I am a beer enthusiast living in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We are lucky to have several fine craft breweries and taverns who serve this and premium imports fresh on tap.

My question is in regard to beer style standards, meaning what do you look for in gauging a pils, IPA, bock, against its own "archetypal" standard?

For example, I happen to like the American craft interpretation of the pils and/or helles style.  But if you have ever compared Victory Brewing's Prima Pils which has won accolades nationally, to Pilsner Urquell or a German Pils you'll find that it's a more vigorously hopped product with somewhat different taste notes.  The same is often true for ale styles as compared to their European origin.

Since the craft brew movement in this country has capitalized on big, hoppy beers and undoubtedly this has influenced the taste of its consumer base, I often wonder, all things considered, how far they vary from the "ideal standard" of their style.

I can appreciate that taste is subjective and that variation and experimentation are what make beer great, but from a standpoint of judging is there a published guide as to what good traits are and what falls outside of a particular style?

Any thoughts are appreciated,

Keith Knecht


Answer
Great question! This may surprise you, but there really is such a guide. The Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP) has a set of Style Guidelines that, in effect, set forth the generally recognized consensus of the best beer judges as to how each beer style is "supposed" to be made. While there is plenty of latitude for individual interpretation, and recognizing that brewers are continually stretching the definitions, these guidelines do a pretty good job, and they are kept mostly up to date with regular changes.

In the case you cited, Victory's Prima Pils is listed as a "classic example" right alongside Bitburger and other German versions. Obviously, they're different, but they both fit in the subcategory of German Pilsner (they would be utterly out of place in, for example, Munich Helles).

You can find the BJCP Style Guidlines at www.bjcp.org/stylecenter.html and if you look there, you'll find the guidelines in a number of formats. The first link on that page takes you to a web-based version that is optimized for browsing online. The second link gives you a pdf version you can download and print out if you like.

Cheers!
Ed