Ale

A fuller-flavored category of beer made with top-fermenting yeast, usually made using the simple, traditional infusion mashing method of brewing. The name is derived from the Old Norse ol (modern Danish and Norwegian øl, Swedish öl and Finnish olut). The Vikings called their favorite alcoholic barley drink aul, quaffing vast quantities of it before heading into battle. The Old English word for ale was ealu, which is derived from the Indo-European root word alu-, meaning something related to sorcery, magic or intoxication.

Ales are generally a bit higher in alcohol than lager beers. They tend to be fruitier tasting, a bit darker in color and a tad on the bitter side in some cases. To achieve their optimum flavor, ales should be drunk at a slightly higher temperature (50° to 55°F/4° to 7°C) than lagers. In North America, lager beers are more popular, but in Britain, Ireland and Belgium, ales reign supreme. There is an enormous array of ales around the world, including barleywine (a sweet, potent ale with an alcohol content similar to that of wine), bitters, brown ale, pale ale, porter, stout, Trappist ale and cloudy, yeasty wheat beers. See also beer, near beer, small ale.

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