New yeast strains can produce untapped flavours of lager
One Chilean hybrid has a spicy taste, with hints of clove
As frequent pub-goers will be well aware, beers come in two varieties—lagers and ales. Lagers are brewed at cool temperatures and typically have a crisp taste. Ales, known to be spicy and flavourful, are brewed in the warmth. Both get their distinctive flavours from fermentation—the conversion of sugars into alcohol and carbon dioxide—by single-celled fungi known as yeast.
This article appeared in the Science & technology section of the print edition under the headline “Brewed awakenings”
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