As cooler autumn air starts to roll in, so does the craving for all things fall — from pumpkin-flavored coffee drinks to sweet cinnamon candles to your favorite fall brews. When it comes to the latter, craft, small batch and artisan are the big buzz words as those trends continue to grow. And, whether you’re a beer novice, enthusiast or even geek, you’ll appreciate what Publix is doing to make finding your favorite beer easier than ever.

“We’re working to establish Publix as a destination for beer,” said Category Manager Todd Chaney. “We want to help our customers easily find brews they like, and two elements accomplish this.”

The first is a new icon system that categorizes beer styles into easily identifiable groups like pale ales or light lagers. There are hundreds of beer styles, and the icons make finding similar styles a cinch.

But, because of the complexity of beer, Publix took navigating it to the next level with a flavor balance guide. On many beer tags, you will see two scales — one indicates the level of hop bitterness and the other notes the level of malt sweetness. Bitterness and sweetness offset one another, so the two scales together provide an indication of how the beer will taste.

“When a customer finds a beer they like and wants to find another one with a similar taste, they should look for a beer with the same icon and scale values,” said Todd. “For example, if you liked a beer with a pale ale icon, low malt sweetness and low hop bitterness, you know what to look for when you shop again.”

Understanding the new beer tags

Hop bitterness (IBUs)
Hops get their bitterness from alpha acids. Measurement of alpha acid concentration is taken in International Bittering Units, or IBUs.

Malt Sweetness (Final Gravity)
Malt sweetness is measured by Final Gravity, or FG, which refers to the density of unfermented sugars that remain in the beer after fermentation.

Basic ales

Wheat ale	Brewed with malted wheat, this ale has a slightly tart flavor and often contains hints of citrus.
Blonde ale	This ale is smooth with malty sweetness and isn’t too bitter.
Pale ale	Malt sweetness plays only a supporting role in this type of ale that is known for strong hop bitterness and flavors.
Amber/Red ale	Bittersweet caramel malt characteristic influence this ale’s color and flavor.
Brown ale	With a roasty malt flavor and low to moderate bitterness, this ale often has caramel, fruity or chocolate notes present.
Porter/Stout	Dark in color with roasted, nutty flavors, this ale may have very pronounced chocolate or coffee notes.

Basic lagers

Pilsner	Crisp, with moderate to high bitterness, this lager has a spicy herbal or floral aroma and flavor.
Light lager	Light and dry, this lager is low in both malt flavor and hop character.
Amber lager	Malty, roasted sweetness describes this lager that also has a dry, well-balanced bitterness.
Dark lager	Smooth, with some malt sweetness, this lager may include hints of coffee, molasses or chocolate.
Bock	This lager has a robust malt character, comes in a broad range of colors and is typically lightly hopped.

Did you know there is a right and a wrong way to pour a beer? Visit
www.publix.com/beerguide for tips on pouring the perfect beer. There, you can also find out how a beer is made, learn tasting techniques and more!

In the mood to dabble? Mix and match different varieties in the Choose Your Brews section. You can take home an assortment of beers to try, then pop back in to pick up more of your favorites later.