smarkers = [ { "name": "Sour beer", "alias": "Lambic, Gueuze, Kriek, Gose", "styles": [ "Sour Ale", "Gose", "Oude Gueuze" ], "modifiers": [ null ], "blurb": "Beers that are intentionally tart or sour, often flavoured with fruit, and brewed with a fair proportion of wheat. Belgian lambics are the original sours, fermented in open vessels that allow wild yeast and bacteria into the wort. To get some consistency different batches are blended together. Gueuze is when just young batches are used, kriek is when sour cherries are added, both with secondary fermentation in the bottle. Gose was originally the German wild fermented beer, flavoured with coriander and salt. Modern sour beers are often kettle soured with the addition of bacteria such as Lactobacillus, as a quicker and more \"reliable\" method.", "opinion": "Originally I thought I didn't like sours, but realised it was the fruit added I didn't like. The Little Bang dry hopped sour was the revelation. Not a go to style for me, but at the right moment crisp and refreshing. Slow Lane really do them well.", "lat": 0, "lng": 0, "ibuMax": "5", "srmMin": "2", "srmMax": "4", "glass": "snifter", "canurl": "sour.png", "beers": ["Little Bang Lupulus Verde Dry Hopped Philly Sour", "Slow Lane Morning Light - Barrel Fermented Golden Sour"] }, { "name": "Wheat beer", "alias": "Weißbier, Weizen, Witbier", "styles": [ "Wheat Ale" ], "modifiers": [ null ], "blurb": "At it's simplest, a beer using mostly malted wheat rather than malted barley and top fermented. Popular in Germany which has spawned a number of microstyles with region specific names: Weißbier in the south \"white beer\"; Weizenbier in the west and north \"wheat beer\"; Hefeweizen if bottle conditioned and cloudy \"yeast wheat\"; Kristallweizen if filtered \"crystal wheat\" or Dunkelweizen if dark... unsuprisingly \"dark wheat\"! Outside of Germany, witbier or bière blanche, often flavoured with fruit and spice like orange and coriander.", "opinion": "I'm not so much a fan of the core wheat styles, but starting to love some of the dry and sour beers with a wheat base. I've finally tried a darker wheat beer which was drinkable but somehow with the worst parts of a hefe and an amber ale, while the lolly banana phenols of the classic wheat beers are actively unpleasant.", "lat": 2, "lng": 8, "ibuMax": "15", "srmMin": "2", "srmMax": "4", "glass": "weizen", "canurl": "wheat.png", "beers": ["Slow Lane Classic Haze Nelson Sauvin - Hoppy Hef", "Tallboy & Moose Worlds Collide DDH Hopfenweisse"] }, { "name": "Yeast beer", "alias": "Saison, Farmhouse Ale, Kölsch, Kviek Ale, Brett Beer, Wild / Mixed Culture Beer", "styles": [ "Saison", "Kolsch" ], "modifiers": [ null ], "blurb": "A mixed bag of beers, with the common factor being alternative cultures used in the fermentation. Some are using different strains of ale yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Saison or farmhouse ale uses yeasts descended from local strains from Wallonia in Belgium. They are traditionally drier and lighter bodied. Kölsch officially is a region protected beer style, using a yeast strain from Cologne in Germany. They ferment colder than most ales, then are cold conditioned like a lager, for a lighter cleaner beer. Kviek is a traditional farmhouse yeast from Norway that was recently 'discovered'. Can survive a big temperature range and ferments super quick for a slightly tart clean taste. Brett beers use Brettanomyces yeast, often in tandem with another yeast, with a very distinctive tart musty flavour which is considered a fault in most other beer styles. Wild beers get their yeasts from their environments, often local brett yeasts, and mixed are mixes of everything listed! This category could easily have contained sours, and some of these styles can be sour and can use some of the same bacteria like Lactobacillus and Pediococcus.", "opinion": "A recent addition to the styles list. Like sours it's taken me a while to come around to these, now I'm starting to love their subtle and distinct tastes.", "lat": 10, "lng": 13, "ibuMax": "24", "srmMin": "2", "srmMax": "4", "glass": "stange", "canurl": "yeast.png", "beers": ["Slow Lane Regal Authority 16th Century Weissbier", "Slow Lane Botany Weisse Mixed Fermentation Sour Ale"] }, { "name": "Pale Lager", "alias": "Helles Lager", "styles": [ "Pale Lager", "Light Lager" ], "modifiers": [ null ], "blurb": "Arguably the default beer, widely brewed around the world. The broadest definition of a lager is a beer that is bottom fermented at cold temperatures using Saccharomyces pastorianus yeast. Lagering is a process where the beer is cold stored for a period of time... but not all lagers are lagered! In less scientific terms you could say a beer with a cleaner or drier finish as the yeast eats through more of the sugars in the wort than ales.", "opinion": "I'm just going to ignore all of the macro lagers, but I'm not a snob for all malt. My favourite lagers are the simple old school styles like the Japanese brew - malty and a bit sour - or like Mexican lagers that are often lumped in as pilsners. Some of the modern craft lagers are interesting, but they don't float my boat until they get into much hoppier territory.", "lat": 7, "lng": 19, "ibuMax": "16", "srmMin": "2", "srmMax": "4", "glass": "pint", "canurl": "pale-lager.png", "beers": ["SixTwelve Little Fella Lager", "Woolshed Brewing Hort9909 Single Hop Pale Lager"] }, { "name": "Golden Ale", "alias": "Blonde Ale, Bright Ale", "styles": [ "Golden Ale" ], "modifiers": [ null ], "blurb": "An American origin style, a low flavour ale with minimal malt or hops, and crisp from carbonation rather than ingredients.", "opinion": "One description I read had it as a beer brewed by breweries who weren't set up for lagers, but needed a bland entry level beer. In taste this blurs into some of the session ales labelled as \"summer\" or \"refreshing\". Really only included in this style guide at the last minute for completeness.", "lat": 5, "lng": 34, "ibuMax": "20", "srmMin": "2", "srmMax": "6", "glass": "pint", "canurl": "golden.png", "beers": ["Swell Golden Ale", "Vale Mid-coast Ale"] }, { "name": "Pilsner", "alias": "Pilsener, Pils", "styles": [ "Pilsner" ], "modifiers": [ null ], "blurb": "A specific style of pale lager, traditionally with a mild bitterness from noble hops, clear body and a drier malt finish. Like champagne and burgundy I think there was a good case for pilsner to be a regional style term only, but that horse has long bolted.", "opinion": "The traditional pilsners have grown on me over time, just as I've learned to appreciate super hopped hazies I've also come to enjoy these more sedate and subtle styles. Most non-Euro beers called pilsners aren't, even the craft versions. More credible than calling it a \"lager\". Some I've really enjoyed recently were cloudy, hoppy and not dry. And not really pilsners.", "lat": 14, "lng": 26, "ibuMax": "30", "srmMin": "3", "srmMax": "6", "glass": "pilsner", "canurl": "pilsner.png", "beers": ["Pikes Dry-hopped Pilsner", "SixTwelve Limited Edition NZ Pilsner"] }, { "name": "Pale Ale", "alias": "Extra Pale Ale (XPA), American Pale Ale (APA)", "styles": [ "Pale Ale" ], "modifiers": [ null ], "blurb": "Pale ale is more like the stepping off point for a wide range of ales. The broadest definition of an ale is a beer that is top fermented at warm temperatures using Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast. Again in less scientific terms, a beer with a broader flavour profile as the yeast can't digest some of the more complex sugars in the wort. Just to confuse the issue, saison beers are actually pale ales despite being really dry, using a yeast variant Saccharomyces cerevisiae var. diastaticus which is also considered a contaminator in other styles.", "opinion": "This really is a broad church for a very wide range of beers, and I've come to enjoy most. I used to stay at the 'American' end of the spectrum, with darker malts and more kettle style bitterness, but I've come to enjoy the simpler fruity flavour of more modern Australian versions, now recognised as a style. Not forgetting the unrecognised crisp lightness of XPAs. That said, my heart is really with hazies!", "lat": 25, "lng": 31, "ibuMax": "40", "srmMin": "3", "srmMax": "7", "glass": "pint", "canurl": "pale-ale.png", "beers": ["Shapeshifter Double Back Pale Ale", "Uraidla Cosmic Labyrinth Pale Ale"] }, { "name": "Session / Mid-strength", "alias": "Session Ale, Session IPA, Mid-strength", "styles": [ null ], "modifiers": [ "Session" ], "blurb": "Really just a shorthand term for the strength of the beer. Session in the judging guidelines being anything under 5% ABV.", "opinion": "Was a popular term for while, enough to stand as a sku in a brewery range \"session ale\". Now fallen out of favour and only used rarely to denote a lower alcohol IPA. The lighter ales get names like \"summer\" or \"refreshing\" while a new range of beers have appeared at precisely 3.5% which are labelled \"mid-strength\".", "lat": 20, "lng": 36, "ibuMax": "35", "srmMin": "3", "srmMax": "7", "glass": "pint", "canurl": "session.png", "beers": ["Swell Polynesian Triangle Session Ale", "Tokyo Blues Session Ale"] }, { "name": "India Pale Lager", "alias": "India / Imperial Pale Lager (IPL)", "styles": [ "India Pale Lager" ], "modifiers": [ null ], "blurb": "A newcomer style, basically a hoppier stronger lager. Sometimes unfiltered and cloudy, even though the official style is meant to be clear... but it's not a common enough beer to really stick it.", "opinion": "I still try and fly the flag for lagers, and IPLs make it easier. That said, for every off-style cloudy example I've loved there has been one that was thin and disappointing.", "lat": 30, "lng": 26, "ibuMax": "60", "srmMin": "3", "srmMax": "7", "glass": "pint", "canurl": "india-pale-lager.png", "beers": ["Coedo Kyara India Pale Lager", "Pirate Life IPL"] }, { "name": "India Pale Ale", "alias": "India Pale Ale (IPA), West Coast IPA, East Coast IPA, Brut IPA", "styles": [ "India Pale Ale" ], "modifiers": [ null ], "blurb": "The accepted but disputed story is that the style was developed for export by the British to India, needing more hops and higher alcohol to preserve it. Eventually taken up by the craft beer revival in American and for a while the dominant beer style. West Coast style is heavily hop forward, old school kettle hopping for bitterness. East Coast style has more aromatic flavours from dry hopping and overlaps in style with hazy IPAs. Brut IPAs were a short lived style adding an enzyme to increase dryness.", "opinion": "Too broad to easily categorise. Once the go to style for intense flavours, but now there are some strong and hazy pale ales blurring the boundary one way, and session IPAs blurring the other way. ", "lat": 40, "lng": 35, "ibuMax": "60", "srmMin": "3", "srmMax": "10", "glass": "pint", "canurl": "ipa.png", "beers": ["Cloudwater Brewing Co Facade On Soap Street Single Hop Mosaic DDH IPA", "Barossa Valley West Coast Juicy"] }, { "name": "Hazy", "alias": "New England IPA (NEIPA), Hazy IPA, Juicy IPA, Milkshake IPA, Hazy Pale", "styles": [ null ], "modifiers": [ "Hazy" ], "blurb": "Unlike the standard IPA this has a very definite genesis, back to a specific brewer in Vermont, New England. Originally unfiltered and unpasteurised it has broadened into hazy beers with other adjuncts like flaked oats added to create the cloudiness. Juicy IPA is mainly just a flavour descriptor for a hazy with fruity hops. Milkshake IPA is a hazy with lactose added for sweetness and often fruit juice or puree.", "opinion": "Had to rewrite this bit after my taste completely changed! They are hard to get right, and I've definitely had as many duds as good ones, but when done well they are now my favourite style. All about dry hopping aromatics and thicker body. There are still a few of the very light bodied, pale and fizzy hazies around.", "lat": 50, "lng": 32, "ibuMax": "70", "srmMin": "3", "srmMax": "7", "glass": "pint", "canurl": "hazy.png", "beers": ["Garage Project Mecha Hop Singularity - Mosaic: MECHANISED SINGLE VARIETY HAZY PALE", "Barossa Valley Brewing Hazy Focus Hop – Eclipse"] }, { "name": "Imperial", "alias": "Imperial IPA (IIPA), Double IPA (DIPA), Triple IPA (TIPA)", "styles": [ null ], "modifiers": [ "Double", "Triple" ], "blurb": "\'Imperial\' as a descriptor also has a definite beginning, from strong stouts exported to the imperial court of Russian in the 1770s. An Imperial Stout is still a thing, but the term began to be used with other styles to denote a stronger version. Imperial India Pale Ale got abbreviated to IIPA, which when said out loud became a Double IPA. Both of which are officially said to be between 7.5% and 10.5% ABV. Of course then you need a Triple IPA for anything stronger! Not yet officially recognised but no one seems to mind.", "opinion": "Weirdly at the stage when I wasn't a fan of standard IPAs I often liked these and hazies. If not done well, the booze can overwhelm the flavours and make it like a spirit... sippable but not overly drinkable.", "lat": 50, "lng": 42, "ibuMax": "70", "srmMin": "3", "srmMax": "7", "glass": "pint", "canurl": "imperial.png", "beers": ["Barossa Valley Celebration Ale IIPA", "Frenchies 4th Birthday Citra Hazy DIPA" ] }, { "name": "Amber Ale", "alias": "Altbier", "styles": [ "Amber Ale" ], "modifiers": [ null ], "blurb": "Essentially a darker orange-brown ale with a malt character that is dominant, sometimes caramel, and very mild hops bitterness or flavour.", "opinion": "One of my least favourite styles, I find them too biscuity and sticky with none of the hoppiness that makes beer fresh and thirst quenching. The Brewer's Association lumps red ales in the same category which doesn't make sense to me, as I've only tasted the hoppier imperial versions. I've lumped in altbier as a German equivalent, but it's also not quite the right fit.", "lat": 20, "lng": 50, "ibuMax": "45", "srmMin": "10", "srmMax": "18", "glass": "pint", "canurl": "amber-ale.png", "beers": ["Uraidla Lucifer’s Lifeblood American Amber Ale", "Rogers Amber Ale"] }, { "name": "Amber Lager", "alias": "Vienna Lager, Marzen", "styles": [ "Amber Lager", "Vienna Lager" ], "modifiers": [ null ], "blurb": "A darker tastier lager with a dry malty finish, and mild hop bitterness, more noble than aroma. A style that originated in Vienna, which gave its name to the style before it was taken by a wave of brewers to the Americas.", "opinion": "I've got a soft spot for this style, Brooklyn Lager was one of the first beers I tried where I both recognised and enjoyed hop flavour. Very mild, but that was all I was ready for! I still enjoy the simplicity of the beers those emigrant brewers inspired in the Americas, including these.", "lat": 15, "lng": 45, "ibuMax": "25", "srmMin": "10", "srmMax": "18", "glass": "pint", "canurl": "amber-lager.png", "beers": ["Slow Lane Melody - Vienna Lager", "Fox Friday Toto Vienna Lager"] }, { "name": "Red Ale", "alias": "Rye Ale, India Red Ale / India Rye Ale (IRA)", "styles": [ null ], "modifiers": [ "Red" ], "blurb": "Joining together two beer styles that have similarities and are often combined in the same beer name - red rye ale. Red ales are darker and generally stronger ales, with a more caramel darker malt flavour. Rye ales are brewed with rye added to the barley, and tend to a redder colour but quite a different malt character, can be milder and nuttier.", "opinion": "I've had a love hate relationship with this style, can be delicious but more often too stiff with raw booze and sticky maltiness. A beer that creates thirst rather than quenching it. The rye ales are similarly variable, from nutty and rounded to whiskyish.", "lat": 38, "lng": 60, "ibuMax": "80", "srmMin": "10", "srmMax": "18", "glass": "pint", "canurl": "red-ale.png", "beers": ["Prancing Pony India Red Ale", "Mismatch Evil Ernie Red IPA"] }, { "name": "Dark Ale", "alias": "Dark Mild Ale", "styles": [ "Dark Ale" ], "modifiers": [ null ], "blurb": "Mostly missing from beer guidelines, the traditional English mild dark is low on carbonation and hop flavours while craft versions push the colour into the black with richer flavours all round, from dry to sweet to hoppy. As a style it blurs into porters and black ales at the darker end.", "opinion": "A good dark ale is one of my favourite styles, from the mild Coopers version right up to the dark and hoppy Moo Brew Bridgewater Blackout. I generally wouldn't have a session on most, except some of the lighter bodied darks which can make for a good night!", "lat": 19, "lng": 65, "ibuMax": "20", "srmMin": "17", "srmMax": "34", "glass": "pint", "canurl": "dark-ale.png", "beers": ["Moon Dog Mack Daddy Dark Ale", "Moo Brew Bridgewater Blackout Dark Ale"] }, { "name": "Dark Lager", "alias": "Bock, Dunkel", "styles": [ "Dark Lager" ], "modifiers": [ null ], "blurb": "A mainly European style, with a few craft-ish versions. Dark brown with roasted malt and minimal hop flavour. Low bitterness and medium body, tending to bready character in the German examples.", "opinion": "Getting easier to find with the lager renaissance from craft breweries. I've enjoyed the few I've had, really need to try a few more of the imported classic versions from Germany.", "lat": 13, "lng": 60, "ibuMax": "20", "srmMin": "17", "srmMax": "34", "glass": "pint", "canurl": "dark-lager.png", "beers": ["One Drop Dark Lager", "Sydney Brewery Dark Lager"] }, { "name": "Porter", "alias": "Brown Ale, Brown Porter, Robust Porter", "styles": [ "Porter", "English Porter", "Imperial Baltic Porter", "Smoked Porter" ], "modifiers": [ null ], "blurb": "This is really in a blurry spot, with not much distinction with dark ales at the lower end and stouts in the higher end. The main characteristic that sets it apart is a slightly sweeter more caramel maltiness, but even that isn't a given! Further confused by the fact that Baltic Porters are lagers not ales.", "opinion": "Like its ambivalent definition, I can take or leave porters. I've enjoyed some and found others sticky and stiff.", "lat": 25, "lng": 75, "ibuMax": "40", "srmMin": "20", "srmMax": "40", "glass": "pint", "canurl": "porter.png", "beers": ["Uraidla Eternal Void Oat Milk Porter", "Modus Operandi Silent Knight Porter"] }, { "name": "Black Lager", "alias": "Schwarzbier", "styles": [ "Black Lager" ], "modifiers": [ null ], "blurb": "Really splits into two distinct camps. The German versions are smooth and charcoal with a brown head, while the Japanese versions are crisp and carbonated with a lighter body. Both black in colour and with a drier finish.", "opinion": "I really enjoy both ends of this spectrum. The schwarzbiers are like a creamy dessert beer, something to savour. The Japanese black lagers are a palate cleanser to drink with strong salty flavours. Pair with pan fried gyoza and soy for best results!", "lat": 6, "lng": 82, "ibuMax": "30", "srmMin": "35", "srmMax": "45", "glass": "pint", "canurl": "black-lager.png", "beers": ["Asahi Dry Black", "Krombacher Dark"] }, { "name": "Black Ale", "alias": "Black Ale", "styles": [ "Black Ale" ], "modifiers": [ null ], "blurb": "As a category this has largely been removed from the guidelines, and there are only a few left around. Black in colour and getting into the charcoal bitterness of stouts but with a lighter body. Separated from black IPAs by their low hop flavour.", "opinion": "I don't mind them, but the dry bitterness can be a bit flat without any hops to brighten them up.", "lat": 15, "lng": 85, "ibuMax": "30", "srmMin": "35", "srmMax": "45", "glass": "pint", "canurl": "black-ale.png", "beers": ["Valhalla Brewing Genesis Double Black Ale", "Prancing Pony Black Ale (CAN)"] }, { "name": "Black IPA", "alias": "Cascadian Black Ale, India Black Ale", "styles": [ null ], "modifiers": [ "Black" ], "blurb": "Like a lighter bodied and hoppier stout, often with a paler head. Bitter dark roasted malt character, with generally danker resinous hop flavours.", "opinion": "Done well, this is one of my favourite styles. Rich and intense but still light enough to be refreshing. Love to see a dry hopped version. I'd much rather be having one of these than a stout.", "lat": 40, "lng": 85, "ibuMax": "70", "srmMin": "35", "srmMax": "45", "glass": "pint", "canurl": "black-ipa.png", "beers": ["Kaiju Where strides the Behemoth Double India Black Ale", "Feral Karma Citra IBA"] }, { "name": "Stout", "alias": "Milk Stout, Oatmeal Stout, Oyster Stout", "styles": [ "Stout", "Imperial Stout", "Oatmeal Stout", "Dessert Stout", "American Stout", "Kveik Stout", "Extra Stout" ], "modifiers": [ null ], "blurb": "The deep end of the beer styles, heavier in body and heavy in burnt roast malt character, topped with a tan foamy head. Hops are there, but submerged into the overall bitterness. Milk stouts are a bit sweeter with the addition of lactose which doesn't ferment. Oatmeal stouts are generally less bitter with a more rounded flavour. And lastly oyster stouts, which amazingly had oysters added.", "opinion": "Stouts take some of the beer flavours I love and dial them up to 11. At the right time, like a cold night, I can sip and enjoy but I'd rarely be reaching for one", "lat": 30, "lng": 90, "ibuMax": "60", "srmMin": "35", "srmMax": "40", "glass": "nonic", "canurl": "stout.png", "beers": ["Watsacowie Watsakraken Scandinavian Stout", "Southwark Old Stout"] } ]