More than a few hardcore beer geeks would argue, in fact, that these wildly popular and notoriously insipid lager beers offer a drinking experience not too far removed from that of carbonated water.

Designed to maximize refreshment and minimize any assertive aromas and flavors, the light lager as we know it today is largely an artifact of post-Prohibition pragmatism, and it embodies the qualitative “dumbing-down” of the American palate for many discerning beer drinkers.  Although many of us who enjoy more substantive, complex beer styles may be quick to dismiss this style as the sole jurisdiction of the unknowing and uncaring masses, there is an undeniable point to be made in that the masses seem to actually enjoy the stuff.

Curious.

So then, what is the beer connoisseur to make of this, the most popular beer style in the world?  Do we continue to refuse it the dignity of being recognized as “real beer,” at least in our own eyes, or do we attempt to discern what makes this easy-drinker so appealing to so many people? Beer preference is a categorically subjective affair. One man’s drain pour is another man’s King of Beers, after all. While we’re all free to drink whatever we choose, it may be useful to examine this popular style a little more closely and decide from there whether it is worthy of a place in our collective beer coolers or whether it can head for the mountains for all we care. 

Having grown up in an agriculturally-rich part of the country, I am not unfamiliar with the sights, sounds and smells of the farm. Contrary to the images (and aromas) this might tend to conjure up in the mind of the hardcore city-dweller, these sensory elements aren’t always the offensive ones – in fact, they’re often soothing, agreeable and even a little romantic in their own unpretentious way. If you’ve ever taken a stroll down a country road during a clear autumn evening or savored the smell of freshly cut field grass, you’ll know what I’m talking about. If you’ve been privileged enough to get your hands dirty in the rich earth and breathe in the black soil, you’ll be acquainted with the undeniable sentiment of complexity and depth clothed in the form of simplicity of which I speak.

A good saison is a lot like that.

Because of its popularity, most craft drinkers know – or think they know – how IPA began. To quote one version of the popular history of the style: "Back in the late 1700s and early 1800s, England held a large colonial presence in India. British soldiers, sailors and civilians had a huge appetite for beer. Trouble was, the voyage to India was long, and by the time the ship made it there the traditional beers had spoiled. Even when they didn't, the dark porters that were popular at the time weren't quite the ticket in the hot climate of India. George Hodgson of the Bow Brewery in London was the first person to come up with an answer to this problem. He began brewing a lighter style of beer with more bitterness, known as pale ale. Hodgson realized that high alcohol and hop levels would retard spoilage. His process succeeded, and for about 50 years he held a virtual monopoly on the market."

Nobody can seem to agree what is the difference between porter and stout. Is it that stouts contain roasted barley? Is it that porters are lighter, or sweeter? Is it that stouts have patent malt in them, while porters have chocolate malt?

Historically the answer is "none of the above," and most especially it's not true that stouts have to contain roasted barley, or patent malt, since stout was being brewed when roasted barley was an illegal ingredient and before patent malt was invented. 

If we go back to the latter half of the 18th century and the first part of the 19th century, stout, more particularly brown stout, was simply the name for the strongest version of porter. Here's a quote from a book called "A General Dictionary of Commerce, Trade and Manufactures," published in 1810:

"Porter may be divided into two classes, namely brown-stout and porter properly so called … Brown-stout is only a fuller-bodied kind of porter than that which serves for ordinary drinking. A great deal of this is exported to America and the West Indies."