When you head to a local bar or restaurant, there are likely several beer options to choose from. While you're sure to have your favorites, it can be harder to predict which of several unfamiliar beers you'll like. Knowing the basic characteristics of the different types of beers can help you find the most familiar or most interesting option every time.

Lager

The main difference between different styles of beer is the yeast used to ferment it. All beer is made with hops, grain, yeast, and water, but the type of yeast involved determines the flavor.

Lager is the most common type of beer in restaurants, bars, and stores, and is made with bottom-fermenting yeast, meaning that the yeast sinks to the bottom. They tend to taste light and crisp, with less bitterness than average, making them popular. There are many subcategories of lagers with distinctive tastes, colors, and characters.

Ale

Ales use top-fermenting yeast, which produces the best results at higher temperatures than is used for a lager. This means that it ferments faster. The yeast rising to the top creates a thicker, foamier head than you normally see on a lager.

The taste of ale is more complicated and layered than lager, and more bitter, but also more fruity. Ale has been around a long time; the biggest difference between the ales in today's bars and the medieval version of the same drink is the addition of hops.

IPA

IPA stands for India pale ale—so named because it was first formulated to survive being shipped from England to India. To do this, the manufacturers added extra hops and increased alcohol content.

For this reason, IPAs are the bitterest beers, setting them apart from other ales. IPAs can be further divided according to the region they come from, which tends to dictate the type of hops used and other elements of style.

If you're looking for a bar where you can enjoy your favorite type of beer, visit Papa Rocco's in Gulf Shores, AL. This locally-run Baldwin County restaurant offers delicious pizza and oysters, as well as offering an extended happy hour every Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Call (251) 948-7262 or visit their website for questions about their menu, including the beer selection.