Malt aroma & flavor
Varies depending on the underlying style
All Origin Hybrid/Mixed Lagers or Ales
Kellerbier or Zwickelbier
Mixed / specialty · Varies depending on the underlying European origin lager or ale style
What to expect
Malt, hops, and body depend on the underlying style or ingredients. Read the guideline details for the character that defines this category.
Reading guide · The complete guideline attributes below preserve the source’s qualifications.Color · SRM
Varies with style
Varies with style. No numeric color range is assigned.
Pale / strawBlack
Varies depending on the underlying European origin lager or ale style · Illustrative colors on the shared, uneven SRM scale.
Return to color discoveryAlcohol · ABV
Varies with style
No numeric range is specified.
Bitterness · IBU
Varies with style
No numeric range is specified.
Brewers Association 2026 · Printed guideline page 48 · PDF page 57. Color graphics are illustrative.
The guideline, in detail
Official style attributes, including what may be present and what should be absent.
Hop aroma & flavor
Varies depending on underlying style. Low level attributes typical of late or dry hopping may be present in some versions.
Perceived bitterness
Varies depending on underlying style
Body & mouthfeel
Varies depending on underlying style
Clarity
Typically slightly hazy to moderately cloudy, but may become clear through settling. A small amount of yeast haze is acceptable and traditional.
Color
Varies depending on the underlying European origin lager or ale style
Fermentation characteristics
Low levels of sulfur and acetaldehyde or other volatiles normally scrubbed during fermentation, if present, can enhance the flavor of these beers. Low fruity esters may be present and may vary slightly from the underlying style due to age and the presence of yeast. Diacetyl is usually absent in these beers but may be present at low levels in keller versions of beer styles which can contain diacetyl when fully aged, such as Bohemian-Style Lager.
Additional guideline notes & competition context
Kellerbier or Zwickelbiers are unfiltered versions of lager or ale styles of European origin. These can include traditional Helles, Dunkel, Dortmunder, Vienna, Rotbier, Bohemian, European Dark, Koelsch, Alt, as well as less common traditional or contemporary European-origin lager and ale styles. Carbonation may be below levels typical of the underlying beer style, which may result in decreased head retention. These beers are typically unfiltered, but they may be filtered and then redosed with yeast. Whether filtered or unfiltered these beers are packaged and served with very low to moderate amounts of yeast. When using these guidelines as the basis for evaluating entries at competitions, brewers may be asked to provide supplemental information about entries in this category to allow for accurate evaluation of diverse entries. Such information should include the underlying European-origin lager or ale style upon which the entry is based. Competition organizers may create subcategories which reflect groups of entries based on ale or lager yeast type or hue.
Technical specifications, including gravity
Original Gravity (°Plato) Varies with style • Apparent Extract/Final Gravity (°Plato) Varies with style • Alcohol by Weight (Volume) Varies with style • Hop Bitterness (IBU) Varies with style • Color SRM (EBC)