Language for Beer Geeks

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

>> Tallboy

[tawl-boi] noun It’s 25 percent bigger! The Tallboy can holds a sweet 16 ounces of barley soda. Some breweries have taken it a step further, such as Oskar Blues with their 19.2-ounce “Stovepipe” and Sixpoint with their 22-ounce ”SILO.” “Crush that Heady Tallboy and then solo that SILO of Resin, bro."

>> Crushable

[kruhsh-uh-bul] adjective An easygoing, super-drinkable beer. These are well-balanced beers with low-to-medium alcohol by volume (ABV) but tons of flavor that make you want to go back for more again and again. Example: “Oh man, Founders All Day IPA is so crushable.”

>> UBI

Acronym for “unexplained beer injury.” The origin of this term is often attributed to doctors in Britain, who would encounter inebriated patients in the emergency room unable to explain how they sustained their injuries. Example: “I got nine stitches from a UBI last night. And apparently I also got married.”

>> Session IPA

[sesh-un eye-pee-ay] noun Synonym for pale ale. Boom!

>> Cuvée

[koo-vey] noun & verb While sometimes used to indicate exceptional quality, cuvée generally means that the beer is a blend. While blending beers pre-carbonation has been a practice for centuries, blending finished beers has seen a boost in popularity of late (and is far more complicated than the traditional black and tan in a Shaker pint). Example: “Austin cuvée’d nineteen versions of pumpkin ale, and it tasted exactly the same.”