Ale

Ale is a type of beer brewed from barley malt with a top-fermenting brewers yeast that ferments quickly, giving a sweet, full body and a fruity, and sometimes butter-like, taste. Most ale contains some herb or spice, usually hops, which imparts a bitter, herbal flavour which balances the malt sweetness. As an appellative ale means any top-fermented beverage made from malt.

Ales are very common in Britain, Germany, Canada`s eastern provinces, Ireland, the United States, and Belgium; however, pale lager is the dominant style of beer in almost all other countries.

History of ale

Before the introduction of hops into England from the Netherlands in the 15th century the name `ale` was exclusively applied to unhopped fermented beverages, the term `beer` being gradually introduced to describe a brew with an infusion of hops. This distinction no longer applies.

Ale was an important drink in the medieval world as a staple food, along with bread. As both undergo fermentation they were considered to be of supernatural import.

The word `ale` comes from the Old English ealu, in turn from the Proto-Indo-European base *alut-, which holds connotations of `sorcery, magic, possession, intoxication`. It is also considered to be based on a Runic formula consisting of the Runes Ansuz, Laguz and Uruz, and has associations with magical inspiration. The Alu formula is found in many runic inscriptions on rings, barrows, bracteates and amulets.

In the medieval world ale was called `God`s gift`.

Modern ale

A modern ale is commonly defined by the strain of yeast used and the fermenting temperature.

Ales are normally brewed with top-fermenting yeasts, though a number of British brewers, including Fullers and Weltons, use ale yeast strains that have less pronounced top-fermentation characteristics. The important distinction for ales is that they are fermented at higher temperatures and thus ferment more quickly than lagers.

Ale is typically fermented at temperatures between 15 and 24°C (60 and 75°F). At these temperatures, yeast produces significant amounts of esters and other secondary flavour and aroma products, and the result is often a beer with slightly `fruity` compounds resembling but not limited to apple, pear, pineapple, banana, plum, or prune. Typical ales have a sweeter, fuller body than `lagers`.

Differences between some ales and lagers can be difficult to categorise. Steam beer, Kölsch and some modern British Golden Summer Beers use elements of both lager and ale production. Baltic Porter and Bière de Garde may be produced by either lager or ale methods or a combination of both. However, lager production is perceived to produce cleaner tasting, dryer and lighter beer than ale.

Beers classed as ale use predominantly barley malts, though wheat beers and lambics, which also use wheat, are brewed using the ale brewing methods.

In a number of U.S. states, especially in the western United States, `ale` is the term mandated by state law for any beverage fermented from grain with an alcoholic strength above that which can legally be named `beer,` without regard to the method of fermentation or the yeast used. This distinction is not obsolete, but it is idiosyncratic.

In many countries, particularly Britain, ale has lost popularity somewhat with the introduction of a wider variety of alcoholic beverages, most noteably lagers and alcopops.

This article is based entirely or in part on the Ale wikipedia article and is licenced under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation Licence.

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