The atoms of beer: What brewers use as a base

Hey Beer Lovers,

I hope that you are all enjoying the leftovers from our nation’s annual stuff yourself meal. The other day my dad called me asking what exactly a Hefeweizen was made of. I was shocked to hear this question, especially from someone who knows his way around beers. So, as finals approach for all of us college students, I thought I would provide an educational post for you beer enthusiasts

The Common base ingredients of beer are water, malt, hops, and yeast (According to Birmingham Beverage Company). You can read more about these ingredients on that website. In addition to these ingredients, brewers will add various ingredients from fruit to  spice in order to give beers different, more exotic flavoring. 512 brewing company has even used pecans in the brewing process in order to produce their Pecan Porter.

With all of these ingredients, some of you may wonder how exactly the beer stays fresh for such an extended period of time. In addition to the containment bottles, cans, and kegs provide (read about the debate between them here), the hops, are added to act as a preservative (and provide much of the flavoring).

For anyone looking for a Gluten-free beer, check out this website for a list of a few options. Also, many bars have gluten-free options including The Flying Saucer.

Cheers!