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This glossary encompasses beer making terms and beer styles. The bulk of this glossary was written by Tom Stevenson for the 1995 Cross Channel Shopping Guide, including extensive assessments of Continental beers. Glossary updates by Willard Clarke, 2004.

Understanding beer can be as pleasurable and as stimulating as understanding wine, although coming to terms with the different products is not quite as bewildering. There is not the vast number of grape varieties to comprehend, no intricate infrastructure of regions, districts, areas and properties within each country to grapple with, and no vintages to confuse the issue. Furthermore, there are just a few thousand brewers worldwide to contend with, instead of tens of thousands of wine producers.

Note: all beer strengths indicated are expressed as a percentage ABV (Alcohol By Volume). Please bear in mind that the ABV stated for generic styles will be a guide only, the actual strength varying from brew to brew.

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