The Best Beer Styles For Newbies, According To Experts

When the weekend hits and you're in the mood for a beer, you may head to the store to grab your favorite six-pack. As you reach for it, a cool-looking stout label catches your eye. But there's also that lager all your friends have been raving about. Maybe it's time to step outside your comfort zone and try something new. There's just one problem: You've never had a lager or stout before. What if you take one sip and immediately regret your decision? 

With all the different types of beer available, we know how hard it can be to choose a good one. The good news is that there are really only two beer categories out there: lagers and ales — although there are some outliers as well. The style depends on what type of yeast is used during fermentation and how long the brew ferments. Once you know which you prefer, you can hone in on whether you want a pilsner or bock (lagers) or a stout or IPA (ales). 

Because there are so many different options to choose from, we reached out to several beer experts with hands-on experience serving beer to customers. Zack Mulazzi is the bar manager at Hop City Beer & Wine in the Krog District of Atlanta, and Jimmy Nigg is the owner of Denver's The Monkey Barrel. Stephanie Brennan is the beverage director at Chicago's Hopleaf Bar, and James Sinclair tends bar at Select Beer Store in Redondo Beach. 

These experts pour everything from pilsners to porters and sours to stouts. But they don't just serve them; they've sampled their fair share as well, so they know what to suggest when a patron wants to step outside their comfort zone. So, if you're ready to explore a new beer, read on to see which bottles were recommended.

If you're a craft beer fan, odds are you've seen your fair share of IPA-heavy menus. Known for its hoppy, bitter bite, the India Pale Ale is actually a British-style ale that was originally created to give the British servicemen a little taste of home following the colonization of India, hence India Pale Ale. 

Today, there are numerous IPA styles available, from hazy IPA to double or triple IPA; no matter which you choose, you're guaranteed an ale with a moderate ABV and a strong hoppy flavor. If you're just starting out, though, Zack Mulazzi recommends Creature Comforts Tropicália IPA because it's refreshing and easy to sip on. While this beer can be found all throughout Georgia today, there was a time when the bar manager says this beer was so hard to find, "I knew folks who would follow delivery trucks like sharks just for the chance to buy a single six pack." This IPA is "so approachable," Mulazzi continues, "my beer-avoidant mother has stolen sips from me in the past."

Both Avery Brewing Co.'s Avery IPA and Oskar Blues Brewery's Dale's Easy IPA are two IPAs that Jimmy Nigg believes are great introductions to the style. As the owner of The Monkey Barrel in Denver, Nigg says that several of his patrons come back to these two beers again and again.

We know how hard it is to differentiate between all those amber-colored beers, but there is a definite difference, especially when it comes to lagers. See, while a pilsner is a type of lager, not all lagers are pilsners. Lagers are generally brewed at cooler temperatures, come in a variety of colors and flavors, and generally have a higher alcohol by volume than pilsners. But what sets the pilsner apart is that it's always lighter in color, tends to have a bright, crisp flavor, and usually ranges between 4.5 and 5.5% ABV, making it a great choice when you're looking for something to take the edge off on a hot day. 

Zack Mulazzi's choice on those occasions is the Sierra Nevada PILS. "An American take on a European-style pilsner, it hits some of the Bohemian citrusy, hoppy notes, while retaining a satisfying malt character," explains Mulazzi. "This beer has paired well with every dish I have personally thrown at it, from microwaved Kraft to medium-rare filet mignon."

You can't miss a porter sitting on the bar. It's that tall glass of black liquid topped with a frothy, white head — the beer to pick when you want something a little thicker and richer. Created in England in the 1700s, porters tend to have notes of coffee and chocolate thanks to the chocolate or crystal malts used during the brewing process. There are many bottles available, so James Sinclair, Stephanie Brennan, and Zack Mulazzi helped us narrow it down.

Black Butte Porter from Deschutes Brewery is Sinclair's choice. It was the first porter he ever drank, so he appreciates how sippable it is. It's "the bog standard for American porters and should be readily available," he says. If, however, you prefer something off the beaten path, Sinclair says any of the porters from Põhjala Brewery in Estonia are worth a taste. "They make a variety of porters, many with lovely notes of prune and stonefruit," he explains. His favorite: the Talveöö. 

Brennan "loves" Green Man Brewery's Porter. "Not a lot of breweries make a really good English porter," she says. "Green Man makes a wonderful expression of this beer." Finally, Mulazzi believes that Samuel Smith Brewery's Taddy Porter is the way to go. "One of the beers that made me fall head-over-heels with English beers," he exclaims. This porter is "smooth, robust, and supremely balanced. A beer to sway those who say dark beer is 'too heavy' or 'too rich.'" But no matter which porter you try, just make sure you serve it at the perfect temperature. 

Beer isn't for everyone. There are those who prefer a nice, fruity cider over the pungency of malt and barley. So, there couldn't possibly be a beer out there for you, right? Wrong. Allow us to introduce the sour beers. These are the beers that use Brettanomyces, a special, wild yeast, in conjunction with the bacteria Lactobacillus and Pediococcus, to get the distinct bite that sets them apart. 

Even though there is a long list of sour options from all over the world, Stephanie Brennan admits that her first choice, hands down, is any bottle from Belgium. "If you want to understand the style, you have to start in Belgium," she says. For a sweeter alternative, she recommends Lindemans Brewery's Framboise. "They make wonderful lambic style ales but appeal to new comers by making some that are more sweet," she explains. If you prefer something a little drier, she says Oude Kriek Oud Beersel is a good choice. "You get strong cherry flavors balanced with tartness." 

Dogfish Head's SeaQuench Ale is Zack Mulazzi's choice. "My go-to pool/beach beer, and a mainstay in my fridge at home." It's "a mash-up of Kölsch, Berliner Weisse, and Gose, with black lime, sea salt, and tart lime juice," he continues. "It's very aptly named and always reliably crispy." Meanwhile, New Belgium Brewery's La Folie Sour Brown Ale and Platt Park Brewing Co.'s Watermelon Sour are in constant rotation at Jimmy Nigg's bar, The Monkey Barrel.

A West Coast IPA is an India Pale Ale that has the hoppy bitterness of other IPAs, but tends to be clearer and drier than a New England or sour IPA. So, if you prefer a West Coast spin on IPA, our experts have four suggestions. James Sinclair says Amalgamator IPA from Beachwood Brewing is "a good entry level west coast classic that is available somewhat widely. It might not be the crispy hop bomb that is in style these days but it's a good place to start training your palate." He also recommends Blind Pig IPA from Russian River Brewing Company, a California IPA that was included in our list of best California craft beers. Sinclair describes Blind Pig as a "deliciously timeless pine and citrus forward beer that still comes in a glass bottle." 

Stone Delicious IPA from Stone Brewing is Zack Mulazzi's first choice whenever someone asks for a West Coast IPA. He says the name fits the beer perfectly and is surprised by the amount of body it has, considering there isn't as much gluten in it. This brew has "all the piney, resiny, grapefruity flavors you want from a WC IPA without being obnoxious or overbearing or making you feel like you just ate a meal after finishing the can," he says.

Stephanie Brennan says she would choose Citraholic from Beachwood Brewing. "It is a wonderful representation of a classic West Coast IPA," she says. "It is clear, crisp, and refreshing while delivering the citrus you would want [when] drinking a hoppy beer for the first time." 

Just like any spirit, the ingredients used to create it will affect its final look, flavor, and mouthfeel.  So, beers that use a large amount of malted barley, for example, tend to be clearer and have a more bitter flavor, whereas beers that have a higher concentration of wheat tend to be creamier and have a hazier appearance. Often served with an orange slice to enhance the citrus flavors commonly found in classic wheat beers, these lighter ales make a great choice on warm spring and summer days. 

Stephanie Brennan says her wheat beer of choice is Kristallweissbier from Germany's Weihenstephan Brewery, which has flavors reminiscent of both a lager and a wheat beer. "You get the refreshing taste of a lager with the yeast of a hefeweizen," she says. "It is a nice introduction." 

Meanwhile, Zack Mulazzi suggests Allagash White from Allagash Brewing Company for beer newbies. "This is one of 2 beers I keep on the bar 24/7, 365 (barring holidays), simply because it is, in my humble opinion, one of the epitomes of the style." One of the best beers you can enjoy at a cookout, Allagash can absolutely be sipped straight out of the can. But if you want to experiment, Mulazzi tells us that a friend recommended he make a boilermaker using a shot of Fernet-Branca, Allagash White, and a lemon wedge. The end result was so satisfying, he says he has "yet to find something equally as refreshing."