Inside a non-descript building in Homewood, Scott Smith is whipping up a cure for the common beer.

During “growler hours” at the East End Brewing Company, folks can take home a half-gallon dose of fresh ale, stout, Belgian Witte or barley wine, and in the process receive a free lesson in the fine art of beer-making.

“If someone has an interest in beer, the easiest thing to do is come and see a place where it’s being made,” Smith says.

“It gives you an understanding of the ingredients and flavors. You can taste test and decide whether you like hoppy beers, malty beers, strong beers or session beers.”

Pittsburgh, with all of its bars, six-pack shops, brew pubs and breweries, is an interactive classroom of sorts for folks looking to graduate from frat party swill to a more high-quality beverage.

Smith suggests that people educate themselves by taking a self-guided tour of the city’s suds spots, hit a few brewski festivals, sign up for a monthly class at the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, or just experiment at home. Getting into beer can be like dipping your toe in a pool,” Smith says. “Once you get in, you find that the water’s just fine.”

Generally, beer can be placed under two categories, either a lager (a bottom-fermented, crisp-tasting brew that includes light beer, malt liquor, pilsner, and bock) or an ale (a top-fermented beverage with stronger tastes and aromas than a lager, which includes such types as I.P.A. lambic, porter, stout and hefe weizen).

Compared to other beers, light lagers are lower in calories and carbs, but contain fillers such as rice or corn, which also gives them the least amount of flavor.

Malt liquor, the straw-to-pale amber-colored liquid usually sold in 40 ounce bottles, also uses adjuncts such as rice, corn and dextrose, and has a high alcohol content ranging between 6.0 and 9.0 percent.

Top Picks
Pilsner, first brewed in Czechoslovakia back in the 1840s, is a smooth, light-colored beverage boasting spicy bitterness or a floral, hoppy flavor. Try a Pilsner Urquell.

German-crafted bock is a strong, dark beer heavier on malt flavors than hops, with an alcohol content hovering between 5.5 and 7.5 percent. Ask your bartender for a Shiner Bock.

IPA, or India Pale Ale, is big on herbal and citric character and bitterness. Try a Big Hop IPA.

For a fruity beer, order a lambic. After fermentation has started, brewers throw cherries, raspberries and peaches into the mix.

When sipping a porter, drinkers might taste smoked malts, or even hints of coffee or chocolate to complement the burned flavor of the brew. Try an Anchor Porter from California’s Anchor Brewing Company.

Typically, but not always, dark brown or black-as-night stout is a beer that drinks like a meal. Most brands use roasted barley, giving the brew a dry, burnt character similar to coffee or chocolate. See if your bartender can pour a perfect pint of Guinness. Also ask for a cream stout, a milder version, but not always available.

On the opposite side of the color spectrum, hefe weizen is a cloudy, yellow wheat beer with unique flavors ranging from bananas to cloves. Try a Franziskaner Hefe-Weisse.

Cheers, and don’t forget to drink responsibly!

Designate a driver and go on a beer-tasting journey around the ‘burgh:

East End Brewing Company, 6923 Susquehanna St., Homewood.
Church Brew Works, 3525 Liberty Ave., Lawrenceville
John Harvard’s Brew House, 3466 William Penn Highway, Monroeville.
Pennsylvania Brewing Company, 800 Vinial Street, Troy Hill.
Rock Bottom Restaurant and Brewery, 171 East Bridge Street, Homestead.
Hereford & Hops Steakhouse & Brewpub, 1740 Route 228, Cranberry.
Sharp Edge Beer Emporium, 302 S. Saint Clair, Friendship
Fathead’s, 1805 E. Carson St., Southside.
Fuel and Fuddle, 212 Oakland Ave., Oakland
D’s Six Pax & Dogz, 1118 S. Braddock Ave., Swissvale
3 Sons Dogs & Suds, 10974 Perry Highway, Wexford
Pittsburgh Bottleshop Café, 1597 Washington Pike, Bridgeville
Burgh’s Pizza and Wing, 553 Washington Ave., Bridgeville