Malt beverage is an American term for both alcohol-containing and non-alcoholic fermented beverages, in which the primary ingredient is the grain, or seed, of the barley plant, which has been allowed to sprout in a traditional way called "malting" slightly before it is processed. By far the most predominant malt beverage is beer (naturally fermented barley sugars flavored with hops), of which there are two main styles: ale and lager.