Beer 101: All About Ale

Wednesdays on the BottleBlog will feature an education session on wine, beer or spirits. Today, Shannon Spare continues her beer education

Last time I talked about the difference between beer and ale. Today I'll talk a little bit about ale, specifically.

In medieval times, ale was brewed as a source of nutrition. It was drunk by nearly everyone, as it was high enough in alcohol to act as a preservative, but low enough that it could be drunk in large amounts without causing intoxication. The higher alcohol was reserved for recreational drinking.

The following is a little bit about the most popular types of ale. All of the following, as I discussed, use yeast that sits on the top of the beer as it ferments, and ferments in higher temperatures for a long period of time. Originally, Ale was brewed without hops, but nowadays hops are lightly used in the production of most ales.

Classically Belgian, Golden Ale is generally high in alcohol, usually around 9%. They have low-to-medium bitterness and a touch of sweetness due to added malt. Golden Ales are lower bodied due to a higher carbonation level.

Pale Ale is made using a malt called, appropriately, a pale malt, which results in its lighter color. Pale ales are generally dry, and although they're known for being bitter they can actually range from bitter to quite mild.

India Pale Ale, or IPAs, are very high in hops so they're very bitter and dry, and usually a warmer copper color.

Amber Ale, is, you guessed it, amber in color. There are special malts, such as crystal malt, that are added to the beer to give it the richer, deeper color. Amber Ales are considered a medium point between the super light pale ales and the deep, dark browns.

Brown Ales are the darkest of the bunch, from a deep amber to a very dark brown. Brown are high in flavor, sometimes having nutty, chocolate or coffee tastes to them. Very heavy bodied, brown ales are generally sweet and lower in alcohol.