There are millions of beer lovers all over the country who get a lot of relaxation and pleasure out of the tangy taste and a small alcoholic content. There are several types of beers or beer like beverages sold around the world of which malt liquor is quite popular. Both beer and malt liquor look quite similar, and there is hardly any difference noticed by a casual drinker. However, the two alcoholic beverages are not identical, and there are subtle differences that will be highlighted in this article.
Beer
Beer is a very popular alcoholic beverage consumed in large quantities by people around the country. In fact, it happens to be the third most popular drink after water and coffee/tea. It is a drink that is prepared by the fermentation of barley through yeast. The main ingredients of beer are barley, yeast, hops, and water. Beer is a drink that was known to ancient Sumerians and is one alcoholic drink that is continuously being made since then. The process of making beer is called brewing, and the place that is dedicated to this process is called a brewery. Malted barley is first converted into sugars and then fermented using yeast with hops used to flavor the product.
Malt Liquor
Malt liquor is type of beer that is made with alcohol by volume of 5-8.5%. Most of the ingredients for making malt liquor are the same as used in brewing beers though there are certain additives that make the taste a bit sweeter than beer. These ingredients are sugar, corn, and sometimes rice. These are the ingredients that are responsible for raising the alcohol content of malt liquor.
What is the difference between Beer and Malt Liquor?
• Both beer and malt liquor are fermented using yeast though there are differences in the kinds of yeasts used for the purpose.
• Beer has lower alcohol content than malt beer (less than 5% in comparison to 5-8.5% of malt liquor).
• Malt liquor is bottom fermented which traps sugars inside the product. On the other hand, beers are mostly top fermented thereby losing sugar content. This difference makes beers tangy and less sweet than the malt liquor.
• Beers are available in 12 ounce packing whereas malt liquor is available in 40 ounce bottles.
• Malt liquor is cheaper than beer and is considered inferior in quality by many beer lovers.
• Malt liquor is a term that is used for a certain type of beer in North American countries.
• The brewing processes of malt liquor and beer are slightly different.