Global Beer Index Explorer

A structured reference system for exploring canonical beer styles.

The Global Beer Index Explorer is a structured reference tool built on a 15-element sensory framework and a formally defined style canon.
It allows you to explore how beer styles relate across colour, bitterness, body, aroma, and fermentation character — using consistent data rather than narrative description alone.

A structured alternative to traditional style guides

Traditional beer style descriptions rely on narrative summaries and regional conventions.
The GBI Explorer uses a calibrated sensory model and a clearly defined canonical framework.

Canonical Style Framework

Core styles and formally modelled variants, structured by clear classification rules.

15 Sensory Dimensions

Each style is defined across colour, clarity, carbonation, body, sweetness, sourness, bitterness, astringency, alcohol warmth, finish, oxidation, and four aroma categories.

Comparable Data

All styles share the same structured format, enabling meaningful comparison across families and traditions.

Explore, compare, and analyse

In the Explorer you can:

Browse canonical core styles and variants
Filter styles across 15 sensory dimensions
Compare styles side-by-side
Visualize relationships in colour–bitterness and cross-dimensional charts
Analyse structural differences between related styles

Choose your level of access

All Explorer views are built on the same underlying data model.
They differ only in scope and analytical depth.

Free

Open access to canonical core styles.
Educational, transparent entry point.

PRO

Full canonical style set with advanced analytical comparison tools and unrestricted filtering across all sensory dimensions.

Education

Curriculum-specific configuration for structured learning.

Competition

Category-based reference view aligned with competition contexts.

Compare

Or compare all modes

Start with a beer family

Beer styles are organised within broader families that share structural sensory characteristics.
Pick a family to see how its styles relate to each other in the Explorer, then drill down into individual styles or comparisons.

Want to see all 13 style families? Visit the Beer Style Families page →

Families are built using shared sensory characteristics across the GlobalBeerIndex framework.
Learn how beer styles are analysed →

Browse all beer styles

Filter beer styles by family, search within names, or open full style guides with sensory profiles, colour/bitterness ranges, and typical examples.

Style	Family	Guide
Brett Saison Variant	Belgian Spicy Ales	Open style guide
Dark Saison Variant	Belgian Spicy Ales	Open style guide
Dubbel	Belgian Spicy Ales	Open style guide
Farmhouse IPA Variant	Belgian Spicy Ales	Open style guide
Grisette Variant	Belgian Spicy Ales	Open style guide
Quadrupel	Belgian Spicy Ales	Open style guide
Sahti	Belgian Spicy Ales	Open style guide
Saison	Belgian Spicy Ales	Open style guide
Table Saison Variant	Belgian Spicy Ales	Open style guide
Tripel	Belgian Spicy Ales	Open style guide
White IPA Variant	Belgian Spicy Ales	Open style guide
American Pale Ale Variant	Bitter & Hoppy Ales	Open style guide
Australian Sparkling Ale Variant	Bitter & Hoppy Ales	Open style guide
Belgian IPA Variant	Bitter & Hoppy Ales	Open style guide
Belgian Pale Ale Variant	Bitter & Hoppy Ales	Open style guide
Brut IPA Variant	Bitter & Hoppy Ales	Open style guide
Cold IPA Variant	Bitter & Hoppy Ales	Open style guide
English IPA Variant	Bitter & Hoppy Ales	Open style guide
English Pale Ale Variant	Bitter & Hoppy Ales	Open style guide
Hoppy Pale Ale Variant	Bitter & Hoppy Ales	Open style guide
IPA	Bitter & Hoppy Ales	Open style guide
IPL (India Pale Lager) Variant	Bitter & Hoppy Ales	Open style guide
Milkshake IPA Variant	Bitter & Hoppy Ales	Open style guide
Pale Ale	Bitter & Hoppy Ales	Open style guide
Red IPA Variant	Bitter & Hoppy Ales	Open style guide
Rye IPA Variant	Bitter & Hoppy Ales	Open style guide
Trappist Pale Ale Variant	Bitter & Hoppy Ales	Open style guide
Weizen IPA Variant	Bitter & Hoppy Ales	Open style guide
West Coast IPA Variant	Bitter & Hoppy Ales	Open style guide
Wild IPA Variant	Bitter & Hoppy Ales	Open style guide
American Wheat Beer Variant	Fruity & Yeasty Ales	Open style guide
Dunkelweizen Variant	Fruity & Yeasty Ales	Open style guide
Hopfenweizen Variant	Fruity & Yeasty Ales	Open style guide
Kristallweizen Variant	Fruity & Yeasty Ales	Open style guide
Roggenbier Variant	Fruity & Yeasty Ales	Open style guide
Weizen	Fruity & Yeasty Ales	Open style guide
Weizenbock Variant	Fruity & Yeasty Ales	Open style guide
Witbier	Fruity & Yeasty Ales	Open style guide
New England IPA Variant	Hazy & Juicy IPAs	Open style guide
Czech Pilsner Variant	Hoppy & Bright Lagers	Open style guide
Dortmunder Export Variant	Hoppy & Bright Lagers	Open style guide
German Pilsner Variant	Hoppy & Bright Lagers	Open style guide
Italian-Style Pilsner Variant	Hoppy & Bright Lagers	Open style guide
Pilsner	Hoppy & Bright Lagers	Open style guide
American Adjunct Lager Variant	Light & Crisp Lagers	Open style guide
American Light Lager Variant	Light & Crisp Lagers	Open style guide
American Malt Liquor Variant	Light & Crisp Lagers	Open style guide
Helles	Light & Crisp Lagers	Open style guide
Helles Export Variant	Light & Crisp Lagers	Open style guide
Kellerbier Variant	Light & Crisp Lagers	Open style guide
Pale Lager	Light & Crisp Lagers	Open style guide
Zwickelbier Variant	Light & Crisp Lagers	Open style guide
Amber Ale	Malty Amber Beers	Open style guide
Amber Lager	Malty Amber Beers	Open style guide
American Amber Ale Variant	Malty Amber Beers	Open style guide
Bière de Garde Variant	Malty Amber Beers	Open style guide
Bière de Mars Variant	Malty Amber Beers	Open style guide
California Common (Steam Beer) Variant	Malty Amber Beers	Open style guide
Czech Amber Lager Variant	Malty Amber Beers	Open style guide
Düsseldorf Altbier Variant	Malty Amber Beers	Open style guide
English Bitter	Malty Amber Beers	Open style guide
English ESB Variant	Malty Amber Beers	Open style guide
Irish Red Ale Variant	Malty Amber Beers	Open style guide
Munich Dunkel Variant	Malty Amber Beers	Open style guide
Märzen Variant	Malty Amber Beers	Open style guide
Oktoberfest Variant	Malty Amber Beers	Open style guide
Pumpkin Ale Variant	Malty Amber Beers	Open style guide
Scottish Ale	Malty Amber Beers	Open style guide
Scottish Export (80/-) Variant	Malty Amber Beers	Open style guide
Vienna Cream Lager Variant	Malty Amber Beers	Open style guide
Vienna Export Lager Variant	Malty Amber Beers	Open style guide
Vienna Lager Variant	Malty Amber Beers	Open style guide
American Stout Variant	Roasty Dark Beers	Open style guide
Black IPA Variant	Roasty Dark Beers	Open style guide
Brown Porter Variant	Roasty Dark Beers	Open style guide
Dry Stout Variant	Roasty Dark Beers	Open style guide
Irish Stout Variant	Roasty Dark Beers	Open style guide
Milk Stout Variant	Roasty Dark Beers	Open style guide
Oatmeal Stout Variant	Roasty Dark Beers	Open style guide
Pastry Stout Variant	Roasty Dark Beers	Open style guide
Porter	Roasty Dark Beers	Open style guide
Robust Porter Variant	Roasty Dark Beers	Open style guide
Stout	Roasty Dark Beers	Open style guide
Grodziskie (Grätzer) Variant	Smoky Beers	Open style guide
Rauchbier	Smoky Beers	Open style guide
Smoked Märzen Variant	Smoky Beers	Open style guide
Smoked Porter Variant	Smoky Beers	Open style guide
American Blonde Ale Variant	Smooth Golden Beers	Open style guide
Belgian Blonde Variant	Smooth Golden Beers	Open style guide
Blonde Ale	Smooth Golden Beers	Open style guide
Cream Ale Variant	Smooth Golden Beers	Open style guide
Kuit	Smooth Golden Beers	Open style guide
Kölsch Variant	Smooth Golden Beers	Open style guide
American Wild Ale Variant	Sour & Funky Beers	Open style guide
Berliner Weisse Variant	Sour & Funky Beers	Open style guide
Dry-Hopped Lambic Variant	Sour & Funky Beers	Open style guide
Faro Variant	Sour & Funky Beers	Open style guide
Flanders Brown Ale Variant	Sour & Funky Beers	Open style guide
Flanders Red Ale Variant	Sour & Funky Beers	Open style guide
Framboise Lambic Variant	Sour & Funky Beers	Open style guide
Fruit Lambic Variant	Sour & Funky Beers	Open style guide
Gose Variant	Sour & Funky Beers	Open style guide
Gueuze Variant	Sour & Funky Beers	Open style guide
Kriek Lambic Variant	Sour & Funky Beers	Open style guide
Lambic	Sour & Funky Beers	Open style guide
Lichtenhainer Variant	Sour & Funky Beers	Open style guide
Modern Sour Ale Variant	Sour & Funky Beers	Open style guide
Oude Gueuze Variant	Sour & Funky Beers	Open style guide
Oude Kriek Variant	Sour & Funky Beers	Open style guide
Sour Ale	Sour & Funky Beers	Open style guide
Sour IPA Variant	Sour & Funky Beers	Open style guide
American Barleywine Variant	Strong & Warming Beers	Open style guide
American Strong Ale Variant	Strong & Warming Beers	Open style guide
Baltic Porter Variant	Strong & Warming Beers	Open style guide
Barleywine	Strong & Warming Beers	Open style guide
Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout Variant	Strong & Warming Beers	Open style guide
Belgian Strong Golden Ale Variant	Strong & Warming Beers	Open style guide
Bock	Strong & Warming Beers	Open style guide
Doppelbock Variant	Strong & Warming Beers	Open style guide
Eisbock Variant	Strong & Warming Beers	Open style guide
English Barleywine Variant	Strong & Warming Beers	Open style guide
English Strong Ale Variant	Strong & Warming Beers	Open style guide
Export Porter Variant	Strong & Warming Beers	Open style guide
Foreign Extra Stout Variant	Strong & Warming Beers	Open style guide
Imperial IPA Variant	Strong & Warming Beers	Open style guide
Imperial Porter Variant	Strong & Warming Beers	Open style guide
Imperial Stout Variant	Strong & Warming Beers	Open style guide
Meibock (Helles Bock) Variant	Strong & Warming Beers	Open style guide
Old Ale	Strong & Warming Beers	Open style guide
Scotch Wee Heavy Variant	Strong & Warming Beers	Open style guide
Strong Ale	Strong & Warming Beers	Open style guide
Strong Saison Variant	Strong & Warming Beers	Open style guide
Tropical Stout Variant	Strong & Warming Beers	Open style guide
Wheatwine Variant	Strong & Warming Beers	Open style guide
American Brown Ale Variant	Toasty Brown Ales	Open style guide
Brown Ale	Toasty Brown Ales	Open style guide
Czech Dark Lager Variant	Toasty Brown Ales	Open style guide
Dark Lager	Toasty Brown Ales	Open style guide
Dark Mild Ale Variant	Toasty Brown Ales	Open style guide
Kentucky Common Variant	Toasty Brown Ales	Open style guide
Mild Ale	Toasty Brown Ales	Open style guide
Schwarzbier (Black Lager) Variant	Toasty Brown Ales	Open style guide

Built on the GlobalBeerIndex sensory model (15 dimensions), real-world style guidelines, and competition-derived benchmarks.

New to tasting? Learn how to taste beer →

Built on a defined methodology

The Explorer is grounded in the Global Beer Index Canon & Classification Methodology.
It does not rank, score, or predict preference.
It provides a descriptive, sensory-based reference system.