What is Ale? If you want to drink one of the most traditional beer in the world, ales are definitely the ones. Ales were also an important source of nutrients in the medieval period, and are still a must pleasure to any beer lover’s life. There are a huge variety of ales available on shelves and pubs. Let’s clarify the most popular types:
Pale Ale: Brewed using mostly pale malt, pale ales are dry and usually feature a good balance of malt and hops. They tend to be light in color and American Pale Ales are usually hoppier, drier and cleaner than British Pale Ales.
Indian Pale Ale (IPA): IPA is still among the UK’s most popular beers and is a regular sight in pubs around the country. An IPA will now usually be a session beer, up to 4.1%abv, hoppier than normal English pale ales.
Porter: They tend to be great sipping beers, with dark grainy flavors and light sweet notes. They are usually milder than stouts and may include coffee, toffee or chocolate notes. Porter is a dark beer which was first brewed in London to refresh and sustain hard working men, and it is known to have been drunk widely by the 18th century. It probably got its name from the market porters who moved produce on the city’s streets and rivers.
Stout: When a stronger version of the beer was brewed they called it Stout Porter, a name which became shortened in time to Stout. Today the drinks are very similar, so much so that there is confusion and debate about their differences. Some beer buffs argue that Stout includes roasted barley while Porter does not.
Belgian Ale: Typically, Belgian ales feature a high alcohol content with a relatively light body, making them dangerously easy to drink. The Belgians achieve this unusual characteristic by using grist to the brew instead of sucrose.
Irish Ale: It is deeply red in color and has a sweet, malty taste. A popular example of Irish Ale is Killian’s Irish Red.
