Beer is experiencing a renaissance right now. From global companies down to small, regional business, everyone is crafting their own special beer, from lagers to IPAs and stouts to brown ales. But what makes beer so tasty?

Most brewers would tell you it’s the balance of the malts and hops that are put into the beer during the brewing process. However, there are plenty of ways to make a beer that anyone can enjoy — all it takes is different strains of yeast, maybe some vanilla or chocolate, or even coffee or fruit. While breweries come up with crazier and tastier ways to create beer, the science that goes into the creation of a frosty brew is just as complex.

Medical Daily visited Brooklyn Brewery, which has been brewing its own beer since 1988, to speak to its operations manager, Philip Shelton, and find out exactly what goes into making beer taste so good.