Are You a Beer Lover? – Learn the Difference Between Ale and Lager
Ale is the historical most common type of beer. For very long time it was the definition of beer and the most popular. The word beer itself meant ale before hops were added to brewing in the 15th century. Eventually ale was beaten by lager beer (but not in the world of home beer making), but instead of a mass product it became a beer for people who prefer only good beer.
The first thing that visually defines ale is color – the lightest of all ales is Weissbier (wheat beer) a traditional German beer which is way darker than any usual lager. Pale ales are not dark but they are also easy to distinguish from light lager beers. Finally red ales, porters and stouts are defined by red or black color and what most important rich flavor. The second thing that will allow you to define dark ale from dark lager, for example, is taste. Ales aim to give you a huge variety of taste and aftertaste, this it truly a beer to enjoy and one to chose!
While ale definitely lost its popularity to lager in the 20th century, it remained as number one for all serious beer lovers, who look for taste and flavor. If you look at any beer rating websites you will see that the top rated beers are ales (porters mostly). Also if you look at the beer types available for home beer making, there are mostly ales. Who needs to brew a low flavored lager if you can always buy one? The real challenge in home beer making are ales, especially keeping the color and flavor right. So all people must be aware of the seriousness of ale, especially the ones who have a microbrewery at home.
Author: Brian C. Gill
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: Guest blogger