beer - a general name for alcoholic beverages made by fermenting a cereal (or mixture of cereals) flavored with hopsbrew, brewage - drink made by steeping and boiling and fermenting rather than distilling suds - a dysphemism for beer (especially for lager that effervesces) lager beer, lager - a general term for beer made with bottom fermenting yeast (usually by decoction mashing); originally it was brewed in March or April and matured until September ale - a general name for beer made with a top fermenting yeast; in some of the United States an ale is (by law) a brew of more than 4% alcohol by volume |