America’s Beloved Brew: The Most Popular Type Of Beer

For aficionados of the frothy and flavorful, beer isn't just a beverage. It's a journey into a world of diverse flavors and styles. From the hoppy bitterness of IPAs to the smooth richness of stouts, beer lovers have cultivated their palates to appreciate the nuanced differences that various brands and styles offer. So, what's the top-choice beer among Americans? Well, a recent poll set out to uncover just that.

In the Global Consumer Survey by Statista, they chatted with 854 beer enthusiasts in the United States, aged 21 to 64, to uncover the beer people prefer the most. According to the study's findings, lagers emerged as the top choice for the majority of participants. In fact, 43% of the people surveyed enjoy lagers. Coming in second were pale ales, while pilsners secured the third spot. Following closely were wheat beers, brown ales, and stouts. Interestingly, IPAs claimed the seventh spot, surpassing only porters in terms of popularity among the participants.

Additionally, the study highlights that American beer drinkers cherish diversity in styles and flavors. Despite the popularity of straightforward lagers, other beer types have also garnered significant attention. Notably, in the past year, at least one of every five beer enthusiasts reported consuming pale ale, pilsner, wheat beer, brown ale, or stout.

The Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP) outlines style guidelines for nearly a hundred varieties of beer, mead, and cider. These guidelines are widely adopted by both professional brewers and homebrewers as they formulate their recipes.

Adding to this, the Brewers Association (BA) also offers its set of guidelines, which have some nuances compared to those of the BJCP. These definitions come into play during events like the annual Great American Beer Festival and the bi-annual World Beer Cup, serving as the basis for judgment by the panel of experts.

Summer is coming, and that means sitting on the patio sipping a frosty brew with your friends! The "patio beer" is one of my favorites, especially as someone who lives in the Midwest where apparently it's still winter in May. We sat down and thought about it, and there are plenty of great beers one can have throughout the year! Here's some other great beers we're looking forward to having this year!

As mentioned above, the patio beer is one of our favorites. Whether it's a warm spring day or a cool summer night, the patio beer usually means we're hanging out in someone's bitchin' backyard or at one of the many restaurants that feature a patio. More often than not, the restaurant patio is next to a busy road so we'd prefer the backyard patio beer.

There are many positive parts to the airport beer. First, there are really no laws or judgement when it comes to the airport beer. You're more than likely heading out on a vacation which means it is acceptable to order that beer at 7AM, maybe even two! No better way to start a vacation than with an overpriced beer before you board your plane. You don't even care about how much it cost because you're heading out on VAY-CAY! The other side of the airport beer is when you're heading home from your travels. Maybe it was a work trip that was successful or less than successful, the airport beer is here to support you. Maybe it was a great vacation and you're ending on a high note, airport beer is here to wrap things up the fun way! And if your vacation was less than ideal, airport beer is here for your sorrows. You really can't go wrong with the airport beer.

A lot of similar positives as the airport beer. Are they overpriced? Sure, but sometimes you need it. Just keep in mind that alcohol affects you differently at 30,000 feet. As someone who once left her wallet on the plane after a few beers, you'll want to remember this one.

It doesn't get much better than leaving work early and heading to happy hour! Usually there's a discount on the drinks and the appetizers! You can't beat that! Especially if it's on a Friday!

Not to be confused with the happy hour beer. The after work beer usually has a different motive going into it. The after work beer is when you and one or two co-workers finish out your full day at work and then decide you HAVE to go get a beer because something ridiculous happened that day. Was it a meeting that could have been an email? Did your computer crash in the middle of a presentation? Did you have a super successful sales meeting and you want to celebrate with your work besties? The after work beer is always there for your ups and downs.

A lot of us played sports in our youth, and at some point we realized we weren't getting scouted to play at a D1 college and certainly not making it to the big leagues. That's where the beer league comes in! The beer league is where you can still play your favorite sport and drink a frosty brew when you're on the bench. Some people take the beer league a little too seriously and ruin it for everyone else. If you're that person, relax. It's beer league. You're not playing in the majors and you never will.

Is there anything better than sitting on a beach or pool deck, wind in your hair, sipping your favorite brew? No, there's not. If you're enjoying a beach/pool beer, you're probably on vacation which is a great place to be. Just make sure the beach/pool allows alcohol and that it's in a can. Glass isn't typically allowed in these places, and don't forget to clean up after yourself!

The hotel balcony beer has a similar feel to the beach beer. You're probably on vacation and getting ready for a night on the town. Or you just got back from having beach beers. Either way, it's always fun to drink a beer on a balcony with your buds on vacation!

Did you just break up with your long time partner? Maybe it was a quick fling. It doesn't matter, beer is always there for you. In the words of country singer Luke Combs, "beer never broke my heart."