Nearly all of the beer styles mentioned above are some variation of the first two beer types: ales and lagers. However, with the craft movement spreading like wildfire and the Belgian beer movement staying its course, one can expect to see more and more specialty beers hitting the shelves.
Beer is one of the oldest intoxicating beverages consumed by human beings. Even a cursory survey of history makes clear that, after human beings have taken care of the essential needs of food, shelter, and rudimentary laws for the community, their next immediate concern is developing intoxicants.