Style family
Hybrid & regional
Beers that cross the ale/lager process line — Kölsch, Altbier, California Common — plus regional styles that fit no other family.
What unites this family
Deliberate mismatch between yeast type and fermentation regime: ale yeast fermented cool and lagered, or lager yeast fermented warm. The result is a beer with a lager’s cleanliness and a trace of ale’s fruit.
Hybrid. Crosses the ale/lager process line — for example ale yeast fermented cold, or lager yeast fermented warm.
4 styles in this family
- Cream ale
An American hybrid: ale-fermented then cold-conditioned, producing a smooth pale beer close to a lager in character.
- Kölsch
Cologne’s pale hybrid beer: ale-fermented then lagered, giving lager clarity and crispness with a whisper of fruit.
- Altbier
Düsseldorf’s copper-coloured hybrid: ale-fermented and cold-conditioned, with firm bitterness over nutty, toasty malt.
- California Common
Lager yeast fermented warm in the Californian manner, producing a clean amber beer with woody, minty hop character.