Both beer and malt liquor are the two types of alcohol popular amongst teenage and youth. However, despite their popularity, there is still a widespread confusion between the two. People tend to erroneously use the two terms interchangeably.
Well, to burst your bubble, malt liquor and beer are entirely different. From alcohol content to ingredients, find out below what all makes malt liquor different from beer.
#1. Alcohol Content
People often presume that malt liquor and beer have more or less similar alcohol percentage. However, malt liquor has a higher alcohol content as compared to beer. While beer may have an alcohol content of 3-4% on an average, the alcohol percentage of malt liquor ranges between 7-8%. Certain types of malt liquor even go on to contain a 12% of alcohol content.
#2. The Price Difference
Beer and malt liquor have different prices as well. As compared to malt liquor, beer has a higher price. It is also said that because of its lower price, malt liquor is usually preferred by people from the lower classes. However, it again depends upon the kind of malt liquor or beer you are buying. Depending upon factors like production method and brand value; the prices of both the alcoholic beverages may vary.
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#3. Packing
The two are even different in the packaging. While a beer may come in a bottle of 12 ounces, malt liquor always has a much larger packing of a 40-ounce bottle. This is exactly why malt liquor is cheaper as compared to beer.
#4. They Taste Different
Anyone who has tasted the two beverages knows how different they are. While beer has a slightly bitter taste, malt liquor is a sweet delight. Malt liquor gets its sweet taste mainly from a distinctive mode of fermentation which allows it to retain the sugar content.
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#5. The Fermentation Process
Speaking of a distinctive fermentation process, the two beverages are made using entirely different methods. As any alcohol geek would know, there are two kinds of fermentation process- the first one places the yeast on the top, and the other one places the yeast at the bottom. To connect the dots, while the beer is usually made using top fermentation process, malt liquor is always bottom fermented.
#6. What Goes Into It
Another key difference between malt liquor and beer involves the ingredients used to make the two. Beer and malt liquor share four basic ingredients- barley, hops, brewer’s yeast, and water. However, malt liquor goes on to add some extra ingredients like corn, dextrose, and rice.
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#7. The Difference In Quality
Besides having a lower price, it is believed by the majority that malt’s liquor is cheaper in quality as well. It is even famously known as an inferior counterpart to beer. Going by the traditional pattern, malt liquor has always been associated with the lower strata of the society.
We would love to hear from you. Tell us which alcohol do you prefer- Malt or Beer? Kindly use the comment box to share your thoughts and opinions with us.
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