Beer ale degrees. English, Irish, dark and light - famous ale. Energy value of the product Beer ale

Ale typically takes 3 to 4 weeks to brew, but some varieties can take up to 4 months. The Sumerians are believed to have discovered beer around 3000 BC. e. They made ale faster than they make it now because they didn't add hops to it. Lager takes longer to brew than ale and is often less sweet.

Beer needs a bittering component to balance the sweetness of the malt and also acts as a preservative. Ale production typically used gruit, a mixture of herbs and/or spices that was boiled in wort instead of hops.

Ale was a very important drink in the Middle Ages and, along with bread, was considered an essential commodity (due to the fact that, unlike milk, it does not spoil during long-term storage).

The word "ale" may have come from Old English (ealu), going back to the Proto-Indo-European root "alut", which means "witchcraft", "magic", "possession", "intoxication".

El in our time

Typically, ale is distinguished by the type of starter used and fermentation temperature. Ale is fermented with top-fermenting brewer's yeast, although some British breweries, including Fullers and Weltons, use a starter that does not have pronounced top-fermenting characteristics. An important distinguishing feature of ale: it ferments at a higher temperature, so it cooks faster than lager.

The standard fermentation temperature for ale is 15-24 °C (60-75 °F). At this temperature, yeast produces a variety of esters and other secondary flavor and aroma products. As a result, the beer often has a sort of “fruity” taste. It could be an apple, pear, pineapple, banana, plum, prune or something else. Ale typically has a sweeter, fuller body than lager.

The differences between some ales and lagers are difficult to categorize. The production of modern steam beer, Kölsch, as well as the British Golden Summer Beer, uses elements common to both ale and lager.

Beers that are classified as ales use primarily barley malt, although lambic also uses wheat malt. In many countries, ale fell out of favor with the invention of many other alcoholic drinks such as lager, cocktails, etc. But, for example, in Britain, ale sales increased by 8.4% in 2006.

Types and brands of ales

Bitter ( Bitter)
- Light Eil ( Light Ale)
Pale ale ( Pale Ale)
- Mild ale ( Mild Ale)
- India Pale Ale ( India Pale Ale)
Barley wine ( Barley wine)
Brown ale ( Brown ale)
Porter ( Porter)
Stout ( Stout)
Strong ale ( Strong ale)
- Aged Ale ( Old ale)
- Dark ale ( Dark ale)
Lambic ( Lambic)
Alto ( Alt)

What is ale

The first thing I thought was that I didn’t really want to try this ale – the name was somehow vague, even slippery. In the homeland of ale, in Great Britain, the drink has two names: real ale (live ale) or traditional British beer. The word biir (beer in translation) doesn’t inspire me either.

In general, these English-speaking people are strange. Tell me, how can you name your daughter, this gentle angel, Drew?! But they call them - these Drews walk around like we have Tanyush and Svetki. But I digress.

Here we have cool and understandable names: you need to DRINK beer and we’ll be with you! So ale is one of the varieties of beer, made from the same basic ingredients:

water (but specially prepared - it is made hard by adding calcium and magnesium salts), called liquor;
regular barley malt, barley malt, which is roasted in different ways - hence the variety of ales: from almost light to dark brown, caramel;
brewer's yeast - yeast in their language;
and hops - where without it.

And the main difference between beer and ale is the fermentation technology itself. Beer is primarily fermented after the process of boiling malt with hops - the so-called “green beer” is obtained, which is poured into huge vats for secondary fermentation.

Depending on the variety, this process lasts from 14 to 60 days. The yeast settles to the bottom of the container as the beer matures. Then it is filtered (there are also unfiltered varieties), pasteurized by quickly heating it to 68-74 degrees (in bottles - up to 63) to stop the fermentation process. This manipulation kills living microorganisms and increases the shelf life of the drink to 120-180 days. This is the kind of beer we see in stores.

Before the “green beer” stage, ale is prepared in the same way, but fermentation occurs quickly, at the top, with the participation of carbon dioxide bubbles, which raise the yeast upward. The fermentation temperature is 5-8 degrees higher (25+) than for beer. The entire fermentation process (calorizator) lasts no more than 30 days.

And then everything goes wrong. The future ale is poured into steel barrels (in English and Belgian monasteries they also use oak barrels, which are a couple of hundred years old), dried hop cones are also thrown in (they give the drink a bitter taste), sugar and starch - to cause re-fermentation, and also, various finings that add fruity aroma and clarity to the drink.

According to another recipe, gruit is added to the barrels - a special mixture of herbs and spices, which includes wormwood, heather, ginger, myrtle, caraway, cinnamon, nutmeg, honey, juniper berries and pine resin.

In this form, the barrels are transported to beer pubs, where the ale matures in the common room, in front of everyone. When the bartender, based on signs known only to him, decides that the ale is ready, he, in the presence of visitors, decides to unseal the keg.

This moment has its own name cask or keg. Then the Europeans drink their ale from huge mugs and enjoy life, since they need to drink the entire keg quickly, while the drink is still good.

The second difference between ale and beer is that it is never filtered or pasteurized. That is, this is truly “living” beer with billions of microorganisms, fungi and God knows what swarming around in it. Not encouraging, right? Because of this, the shelf life of the drink is only 2-3 days - after that it simply turns sour and instead of ale, a vile stale remains in the barrel.

Ale is also available in bottles. Basically, it is produced in Belgium, the so-called Trappist ale, the best brands are Duvel, Triple Moine, Straffe, Kwak. The technology there is a little different.

At the “green beer” stage, ale with additives (gruit) is bottled (similar to champagne containers) and aged in a cool place for up to 3 years. During this time, a vigorous life takes place in the sealed bottle - as many as three fermentations. Sometimes accidents happen - the strong glass doesn’t hold up and the bottles fly apart.

But the result is a bitter-sweet ale, quite strong - 7-9%, although there is a very weak option - dark English mild ale, the strength of which does not exceed 3%. It's like our kvass, only very bitter.

Another weak variety is new castle brown ale (new church brown ale). It generally looks like bittersweet water with a nutty taste. Well, that’s what they write, who tried it. The lighter the ale, the higher its strength.

Main varieties and how to drink

The most popular varieties: bitter, mild, barley wine, brown ale, porter, Scotch ale, stout, India pale ale and Irish red ale (calorizer).

It is customary to drink ale chilled to 10-12 degrees – this is how its aroma and fruity taste are felt. As they say on the forums, warm ale is a rare nasty thing. It is not customary to snack on it.

Although, in our pubs they can offer lemon or orange for a glass, as well as some salads for a snack. From meat, roast lamb and crispy bacon go well with strong brands. And for the weak ones - duck and sweet pies with apples and nuts.

By the way, unlike beer, ale is very easy to drink and you can easily drink a couple of liters. And then the main thing is to run to the toilet. In provincial English towns, after the opening of a keg of ale, a specific smell hovers around pubs - apparently not all visitors make it. It’s also alive – this ale!

From personal experience

Inspired by the information I found out, spitting on all prejudices, I said goodbye to my wife and daughter, just in case, and boldly rushed to look for where in St. Petersburg I could try ale.

It turns out that we have a lot of pubs - English, Irish, and some others, where you can taste different ales, including those from barrels brought from the manufacturer. Some breweries make their own drink, which is called ale.

I found a nice pub right on Fontanka and decided to try a triple wheat ale. What to say? To be honest, I didn't like it. I don’t want to offend millions of lovers of this specific drink, but it tasted like a mixture of bitter beer with a slightly spoiled compote. But! The taste and color, as they say...

One glass was enough for me, oddly enough, my stomach didn’t hurt, I’ll live. But, along the way, another problem arose - it turned out: I didn’t try the cider either! It was also served in this pub, but I didn’t dare to try two alcohol experiments on myself at the same time - I’m not that kind of hero. I left it for another time.

So, bye everyone! Dorofeev Pavel.

Ale is a type of beer. Its main difference lies in the preparation technology - rapid top fermentation at high temperature is used. For production, water, malt, hops, barley and yeast are used.

The preparation of ale is similar to the recipe for beer - the brewing of the wort is carried out in a similar way, but differences appear as the product ferments. Top yeast is used, so it does not settle, but rises to the surface. Due to fermentation at high temperatures (15-25ºС), the process is reduced to 3-5 days. Fruity and floral notes in ale arise from the yeast's reaction to high temperature. Typically the aroma is reminiscent of pear, prune, apple, banana or plum. As a result of fermentation, the ale matures and then matures for 1-2 weeks in a cool room.

Traditional ale is not pasteurized or sterilized, so the beneficial substances contained in brewer's yeast are fully preserved. Hops are added to the modern drink; it was not used until the 16th century.

Due to the fact that ale does not undergo filtration, there is always sediment in the container (brewer's yeast). It was this sediment that, when the drink first appeared on the domestic market, caused bewilderment among Russian consumers, since at first it was confused with the sediment characteristic of sour beer. The differences are obvious - the sediment in ale is homogeneous and falls off quickly, but in spoiled beer it looks like flakes and makes the liquid cloudy.

Ale varieties differ in several ways, including alcohol percentage. Today in Irish drinks this percentage is usually in the range of 4-5%. The maximum alcohol content in ale is 10-12%. This drink is called barley wine. The minimum alcohol content in soft ale is 2.5-3.5%.

Ale originally appeared in England. In connection with the conquest and subsequent subjugation of Ireland and Scotland by this country, the drink spread to them.

It is believed that ale became widespread in Ireland at the beginning of the 18th century. Thanks to the unique recipe, the bitterly strong beer became softer and acquired a unique flavor. John Smithwick is rightfully considered the founder of this drink in Ireland. Today, a brand of Irish ale, one of the best in the world, is named after him.

In the 80s of the last century, they began to produce a new ale - Kilkenny, drier and stronger. Today this brand is well known in European countries, as well as in Canada and Australia. This ale is prepared in County Kilkenny in the oldest Irish brewery.

In our store you can purchase Irish ale under the Kilkenny and Smithwick s brands.

Initially, Kilkenny ale was considered a stronger variation of a similar drink under the Smithwick brand and was also distinguished by a greater intensity of its characteristic red hue. The main reason for changing the name Smithwick s to Kilkenny was the different pronunciation of the word - “Smittix”, “Smidix”, “Smizix”, etc. Under the name Kilkenny, the ale was exported. Today these brands are independent of each other.

Here you can purchase Smithwick's pale ale with a typical light ale density of 10.6% and an alcohol content of 4.5%. Light ale has a rich golden color, which is why in America the drink began to be called amber. Pale ale has a rich flavor and slight bitterness, and the aroma is an unrivaled blend of malt, flowers and fruit.

Our store also stocks the famous Kilkenny ale. It has a lower density (10%) and lower alcohol content (4.2%). Kilkenny is distinguished by its red color and bitter taste with a sweetish note of roasted malt.

We invite you to explore the rich culture of draft ales and beers. With us you will always find a variety of brands and varieties, density and alcohol content.

Lager (Lager) and ale (Ale) are two large groups into which all types of modern beer fall. It is safe to say that no matter what the discerning buyer chooses, his mug will contain ale or lager.

There are several so-called hybrid styles around the world that combine features of both lager and ale, but upon closer examination they can be clearly separated by the yeast used for fermentation.

Yeast is the main difference between the two huge beer classes. The ale yeast flocculates (gathers into flakes) at the top of the fermentation tank. This is their character, which is why fermentation is called top fermentation. Ale yeast prefers mild temperatures - 15-22 degrees Celsius. In contrast, aggressive “lager” yeasts are active already at 8-13 degrees, and they gather in the lower part of the fermentation tank (bottom fermentation).

Active lager yeast eats whatever it finds during the fermentation process. As a result, lager contains less residual sweetness and depth of flavor than ale.

Different yeasts are the main criterion, but not the only one, influencing the differences between ale and lager. Each type requires different brewing methods.

After fermentation, young beer is not yet ready to demonstrate all its benefits. The ale is aged for several weeks. The aging process takes place at a temperature of 4−13 degrees Celsius. The lager is aged a little longer, about a month, but in “Spartan” conditions - at a temperature close to the freezing point of water, 0-7 degrees.

What, in the end, happens? The "cold" and efficient fermentation process of lager produces a completely different result than the "warm" and complex process of brewing ale. The differences between them can be somewhat compared to the differences between white and red wines.

Lager is generally a clean, refreshing beer with a typical light aroma and taste. It is certainly served chilled; lager goes well with a huge number of dishes.

Ale has a much more complex taste and aroma. Very often it is served at room temperature, which allows you to reveal all the advantages to the fullest. Naturally, it is impossible to “match” the complex taste of ale to any food, so choosing a pair for this type of beer is as complex and interesting as “pairing” wine.

It's clear? Take your time with your answer. By and large, all of the above are characteristic, but largely “theoretical” differences.

There are many styles of both lager and ale. The taste and appearance of the drink is greatly influenced by the skill of the brewers. Thanks to all the features, it can sometimes be difficult to discern the difference between ale and lager, given the tendency of some producers to be excessively “modest” when designing the label.

How to distinguish lager from ale in practice? Try, try and try again...

Ale is a favorite low-alcohol drink that is similar in production technology to beer, but unlike the latter, it is prepared using top fermentation and has a unique sweetish taste. So Stevenson's statement that ale was brewed from mountain heather by dwarves in deep caves is not entirely true.

The difference between ale and beer not only by top fermentation, but also by carbonation: if for beer this is carbon dioxide, then for ale it is carbon dioxide coupled with nitrogen. And also because ale is not pasteurized or sterilized.

Ale is different from lager higher fermentation temperature (15-24°C), cooking speed and sweetness, as well as the lack of pasteurization.

How is ale made?

The production technology of this drink has changed from the very beginning of its appearance. In the 7th century, the English made it without hops, calling all fermented drinks “ale.” In the 16th century, hops brought from the Netherlands appeared in ale.

Now a whole ale production has already been established. Omitting all the details of preparation, and speaking briefly, the drink is prepared for about a month (rarely - 4 months). Long-term top fermentation (yeast is on the surface, not at the bottom), the absence of pasteurization and sterilization provide the ale with its original taste.

By the way, the sweetness of malt during the manufacturing process is determined not by the presence of hops, but by spices and herbs (gruit), which are brewed in the wort.

When the drink is ready, it is sent into barrels and bottles, adding a bit of sugar to each, and sealed. Sugar resumes the fermentation process and the ale matures for another 2-3 weeks. All this affects the characteristics of the ale.

Beverage characteristics

The taste is soft, not bitter and sweetish, slightly fruity. The slight bitterness of the first sip gives way to the creamy sweetness of the toffee.

Color - from light amber to dark copper.

The consistency is thick, the foam is not abundant.

Strength - depends on aging, but on average - 2.5-10%.

Calorie content — 50 kilocalories per 100 ml.

Drinks easily and with pleasure.

History of ale

If beer existed among the Sumerians 3 thousand years BC, then ale began to be brewed in England in the 7th century AD, and the word “beer” began to be used only in the 15-16th century, when hops appeared in the composition of ale. But it didn’t really take root; as before, it was not hops that were most often added to ale, but gruit - a special collection of wormwood, yarrow, caraway, juniper berries, heather, myrtle, spruce resin, wild rosemary, ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon, anise and honey. Traders could sell this mixture only with the blessing of the church.

In the Middle Ages, ale among the British enjoyed the same popularity as bread, becoming an integral part of life. In those years it was often called “liquid bread.”

Varieties of ale began to appear not only to diversify the taste, but also in connection with certain life situations. Thus, the ale delivered from England to India spoiled, which affected the increase in alcohol in it. This variant was called "India Pale Ale".

Now the popularity of the ancient English drink is not waning. This is evidenced by both its demand in many countries around the world and regularly held holidays dedicated to this alcohol. For example, in England an annual winter “Ale Festival” is held.

Currently, ale is brewed in Great Britain, Scotland, Ireland, Germany and Belgium. And in each of these countries it has its own characteristics and varieties. In general, over 17 varieties of ale are known, which will now be discussed.

Varieties of ale

"Bitter"(Bitter/bitter). It is not bitter, but rather sweetish and fruity; they simply used hops in it earlier than others, so they called it “bitter”. Its shades can range from bronze to dark copper. The most popular. In England in the 15th century it was present on every table at lunchtime.

"Pale Ale"(pale). Light, with a piquant spicy taste.

Mild Ale(soft). Light, bright, malty taste, low strength (3–3.6%). The variety is considered young and unseasoned. This is a miners' ale, the most beloved in Wales.

"Brown ale"(brown). Dark, low alcohol (3–4%), nutty aroma, moderate bitterness and a sweetish, sometimes slightly chocolatey taste. The American version is more dry and bitter in taste.

"Stout"(stout). Irish ale brought by Catherine II to Russia. Among the types of drink, we can note the internationally recognized dark Guinness (7% alcohol) and red Kilkenny (4% alcohol).

"Old ale"(seasoned). Dark, strength – high (6-10%), taste – sour, thick, with a hint of fruit, herbs and spices, aging – from 1 year. Prepared in England.

"Alt"(alto). Prepared in Dusseldorf (Germany).

"Burton Ale"(Barton). The best varieties are “Fullers Golden Pride” and “Bass No. 1”. The color of the ale is dark, the taste is sweetish, with apple, pear and honey notes, the strength is high (that’s why it is almost always diluted), aging is from 1 year.

"Scotch Ale"(scotch). Scottish ale is dark in color with a caramel flavor. Prepared in the north, it differs from the south in its nutty flavor and notes of smoke in the aroma.

"Belgian Ales"(Belgian). Light, the strength is very high. Prepared in Belgium using our own technology (using sugar).

"Trappist Beer" It was prepared back in the Middle Ages by the Belgian monks of the Trappist order. Experiments with additives allowed the appearance of such varieties as “Rhine Kölsch”, “Double”, “”, “Triple”, “Trappist Fathers” in which you can feel raspberry, cherry, banana and many other aromas.

In addition to the above, there are also such varieties of ale as “Porter” (porter), “India Pale Ale” (Indian light), “Dark ale” (dark), “Light Ale” (light), “Strong ale” (strong), "Barley wine" (barleywine).

How to drink such wonderful alcohol?
Everything is very simple - just like regular beer. Some gourmets dip pieces of citrus fruit into a glass of ale. But this is done very rarely, since the ale in this case acquires a fair amount of sourness.

What do they drink with?

Light and golden varieties With their freshness they perfectly complement hot, salty and spicy dishes, Indian, Thai or Mexican cuisine. Pairs perfectly with sushi and cream cheeses.

Amber varieties- almost universal. They can be used to wash down almost all dishes - from rich soups to sandwiches, pizza and barbecue. Blue cheeses are considered an excellent snack. Do not drink them only with sweet dishes, which interrupt the taste of the drinks.

Dark varieties– ideal for chicken, game, sausages, hamburgers, aged cheddar cheese and mushroom sauces. An interesting combination of such drinks with chocolate desserts (for example, Irish Sacher Torte) or mousses.

In general, ale harmonizes perfectly with cheese, seafood, and meat. But the drink will not lose anything if you snack on it with crackers or nuts.