abv – Alcohol by volume, measured as a percentage of the total volume, such as 7.5 percent; the higher the percentage, the stronger the beer; wine is usually 10-14 percent abv, but spirits are measured by "proof," an older method not based on volume; for example, 100 percent proof rum contains 50 percent alcohol by volume.

Ale – Beer typically fermented at warmer temperatures (60-72 degrees) with "top fermenting" yeasts that tend to impart fruity, spicy flavors; one of the two main families of beer styles; examples include IPA, stout and barleywine.

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Beer – An alcoholic beverage made by the fermentation (with yeast) of malted grains, principally barley (and sometimes wheat, oats and rye) and flavored with hops (and sometimes spices and herbs); at its most basic, beer consists of water, malt, hops and yeast.

Hops – The aromatic and resinous female flower cones of the perennial vine, Humulus lupulus; used in brewing to give the distinctive bright aroma and bitter flavor to beer and also acts as a preservative; "hoppy" is used to describe flavors and aromas that range from spicy to floral to citrusy to herbal.

Lager – Beer typically fermented at colder temperatures (46-55 degrees) with "bottom fermenting" lager yeasts that tend to impart clean, crisp flavors (lagers are cold aged at 32-45 degrees for weeks or months); one of the two main families of beer styles; examples include pilsner, bock and märzen.

Malt – Barley or other cereal grains that are prepared for brewing by being steeped, germinated, roasted; the extent to which malt is roasted determines the color of the beer, from pale gold to tar black, and contributes to the flavors of the beer, from caramel to chocolate to coffee; malt provides the fermentable sugars that become alcohol; "malty" is used to describe sweet or bready flavors and aromas.

Trappist – Order of Cistercian monks making strong ales in Belgium; labels on beers from the abbey breweries at Achel, Chimay, Orval, Rochefort, Westvleteren and Westmalle are imprinted with an "Authentic Trappist" logo.

Yeast – Beer yeasts are simple, single-celled fungi that convert malt sugars into alcohol; yeast by-products give beers some of their most important and varied (but often underappreciated) aromas and flavors, ranging from fruity to spicy to minerally to woody. Ale yeast works at warmer temperatures and tends to settle on top of the beer during fermentation, while lager yeast works at cooler temperatures and tends to sink to the bottom.

-- Bob Townsend