THE BASICS

How beer is made

Four familiar ingredients and a few careful steps make a remarkable range of beer.

Malted grain, hop cones, water and yeast beside copper brewing equipment

Meet the ingredients

See how malt, hop varieties, yeast and additions change the finished beer.

Read the ingredients guide ↗

Malt

Grain gives the beer fermentable sugars, colour and much of its body.

Hops

Hops add aroma and bitterness. Timing changes what they contribute.

Yeast

Yeast turns sugars into alcohol and carbon dioxide. It also shapes flavour.

Water

Water makes up most of the drink, and its makeup affects the result.

From grain to glass

Brewers soak milled grain in warm water, separate the sweet liquid, boil it with hops, cool it, add yeast and let fermentation run. The beer then rests, is packaged and reaches the tap or can. Each brewer makes choices at every step.