Four ingredients — water, malt (barley), yeast and hops — are the foundation for a seemingly infinite number of delicious recipes.

It’s hard to believe that brewers can bend these four building blocks to create so many flavors.

Malts, for instance, add an amber color and a sweet taste to beers such as Scotch ales. If you taste banana or clove, chances are you’re drinking a hefeweizen, which relies heavily on yeast for those taste sensations.

India Pale Ales are meant to have that bitterness that grabs the mouth, and those who love IPAs can thank hops for that.

The best way to learn about beer — what you like and don’t like — is to grab a sample glass and give it a go. Try everything. If you don’t like it, dump it out.

For extra security, here’s a guide to sounding like a pro when you sample.

ABV: Alcohol by volume. This is a percentage of alcohol per volume of beer. For your purposes, know that the higher the ABV, the stronger the beer in terms of its alcohol content. Average ABV is 4% to 6%. Beers aged in bourbon barrels have a higher ABV.

Ale: Beers fermented with top-fermenting yeast at warmer temperatures. Ales are ready for drinking earlier than lagers, which makes them popular for brewpubs. Ales have a robust taste.

Barrel: A standard measure is 31.5 gallons of beer.

Firkin: A small cask of beer that has been naturally carbonated and is not pasteurized.

Foam: It’s not the bad thing you think it is but the result of combining all the things that make beer, well, beer. It’s also where the aroma lives. For example, hefeweizens should have a thick, foamy head on the glass.

Frosted glass: Just don’t. Cold hides the flavors tucked expertly into beer.