Language for Beer Geeks

A quick and humorous key to deciphering the slang terms thrown around in the world of Beer Geekdom.

» Mystery Box

[mis-t( -)rē bäks], noun Perhaps the most intriguing of all beer mail, the mystery box arrives without the recipient having a clue what’s inside (and sometimes without the recipient knowing it’s coming at all). Typically full of whales and regional specialties, a mystery box usually prompts another to be sent in return. “I found a mystery box on my porch today full of Texas shelf turds, but there was an Atrial Rubicite in there, too!”

» Porron

[po· r-än], noun Also known as a porró or porrón, this traditional glass vessel—historically used for drinking wine—has become popular among some craft-beer lovers. Typically an entire bottle of beer (often sour ales, meads, or other beers with low levels of fermentation) are decanted into the porron, which can then be passed from one person to another since the vessel spout never touches the lips or mouth.

» Sponts

[späntz], noun, plural Spontaneously fermented ales—beers that have been exposed to the air in their natural surroundings to capture the local airborne yeast and bacteria. “Abby was in Tillamook this weekend and scored a bunch of de Garde Bu sponts.”

» Coolship

[kül- ship], noun The coolship has been around since beer’s earliest beginnings, but its use has seen a resurgence in the United States in recent years as farmhouse ales have gained in popularity. A shallow cooling pan or trough that allows fresh, hot wort to cool slowly, the coolship also exposes the wort to yeast that occurs naturally in the air. After cooling, the wort is transferred to fermentors where it is monitored closely until it is ready to carbonate and package. “The krausen in the coolship was soaring this morning. I can’t wait to try that spont.” For an exhaustive list of picayune beer terms, visit beerandbrewing.com and search for “beerslanging.”