Ale is a drink characterized by a subtle fruit flavor, is a type of beer. The Indo-European root "el" means "intoxication", and the name fully justifies the content, because the drink contains from 3 to 12 percent alcohol.
In the article:
El - a bit of history
The history of the drink stands apart from the general one. That ale, which was sung by Walter Scott as a favorite drink of knights, appeared in the distant 15th century in England. However, analogues of this drink were made by the ancient Sumerians, which was long before our era.
Interestingly, ale was included in the list of the most necessary products during the Middle Ages. It was easy to preserve, because special conditions were not needed for storage, it did not deteriorate, like, for example, milk. In addition, they could easily and quickly satisfy hunger. For comparison, a mug of ale could replace a portion of bread in terms of calories.
Features of the drink ale
Many compare ale and beer, the difference between them is small. There are no hops in the classic ale recipe, this drink is different from.
The flavor bouquet consists of herbs and spices, which are boiled in wort instead of hops. The resulting product is not subjected to further filtration or pasteurization.
Today, many brewers quite often neglect the traditions that have developed over the centuries. They add hops when making ale so that the drink they make can be called beer.
There is another important difference between ale and any other beer - this is the production technology. The drink we describe is made by the method of top fermentation, the temperature during this process varies between 15-24 degrees. Unlike most other types of beer, the yeast does not go down during brewing, it stays on top, thus forming a head of foam. Top fermentation is also distinguished by the fact that with it many higher alcohols and esters appear, due to which a specific taste and a pronounced aroma are formed.
The final stage of production is the holding and ripening of the drink in a room where the temperature is 11-12 degrees above zero.
If we take the average figures, then in order to get a fresh portion, it will take approximately 4 weeks. This applies to fast varieties, which can often be found on the menu of various drinking establishments. However, there are varieties of ale, the creation of which will take as much as 4 months.
Ale types
Irish and British ales are classified according to several parameters:
- by color;
- by taste;
- by aroma;
- according to the additives used in the sourdough.
Due to the fact that there are quite a lot of varieties of the potion, we will list only the most famous varieties:
Barley, Barley Wine
Epic Barley Wine Ale
This type of ale is also popularly called "barley wine". Why? It is worth reading how many degrees it contains and everything will fall into place. So, this species contains from 9 to 12 degrees, and the density of the must is from 22.5 to 30 percent.
Unforgettable taste of the drink is provided by fruity aroma and pleasant malt bitterness. In addition, this ale has a characteristic color - darkish, with a slight golden and copper tint. After aging, the taste becomes much softer. This ale will be brought to you in a wine glass.
Wheat, Weizen Weisse
Schneider Weisse Weizen
El light color, which has a moderate combination of fruit and floral fragrance. Wheat flavor or odor allowed fresh bread. It is characterized by a dark golden or light straw color.
Porter
Contorter Porter Ale
This drink was originally created for those people who were employed in menial jobs. Porter is an abbreviated name, and the full name is Porter's ale, which translates as ale for porters. The peculiarity of the porter is the presence a large number additives, herbs, spices and aromatics.
Depending on what additives have been used, the porter may have different shade: light, golden or dark. Interestingly, several varieties of malt are used in the preparation of porter, this allows you to change the flavors. By the way, as for the fortress of porter, it ranges from 4.5% to 7%.
Stout, Stout
Double Stout - Black Ale
This drink is a dark descendant of porter. His distinguishing feature lies in the fact that roasted malt is used in the manufacture, this gives saturated color, as well as subtle coffee notes.
For a long time, this variety was considered so useful that it was prescribed to drink for lactating women and pregnant women.
White, Weisse
Light drink, has a sour taste. It received the second name Berlin, this is due to the fact that such ale has become very popular in Germany. The drink contains light fruity notes, which become more pronounced with prolonged exposure. The color of this species is light straw. There are pubs in Germany that serve this variety with sugar syrup.
What is useful ale
In many European countries, the tradition of drinking ale is associated with the fact that it was considered a source of useful substances.
If the drink is made in compliance with all technologies, then it has vitamins B and E, phosphorus, selenium, calcium, magnesium and potassium. As we already mentioned, the potion is very nutritious and high-calorie.
El has anti-stress properties. One cup of the drink helps to relax and get rid of depression.
Generally this species beer is a versatile drink. It is pleasant to spend time with him in the company of loved ones and relax after a busy day at work. Unforgettable taste will relieve you of anxiety and give you real pleasure.
Description
Ale was known in England as early as the 15th century, when this dark alcoholic drink was prepared by fermentation like beer, but without the use of hops. Instead of hops, craftsmen added gruit - a mixture of spices and herbs, which gave the ale a special unique taste and great energy value. The name of this drink, according to some sources, comes from the Old English ealu, but some historians argue that it is based on the Indo-European root alut, which means "magic" or "witchcraft". Perhaps there is some truth in this, since ale contains a variety of herbs and spices that have tonic, psychotropic and aphrodisiac properties. By the end of the 15th century, hops were brought into the country from Holland, and this event made it possible to start brewing light beers, which soon became a separate group of drinks. And the British continued to cook ale on the basis of gruit - a mixture of myrtle, wormwood, heather, wild rosemary, ginger, cumin, anise, nutmeg, cinnamon and other components. Currently, ale is produced in England, Ireland, the United States and Belgium, with hops often used in the recipe of the drink, while gruit continues to be used only in Ireland and in a few old English breweries. Therefore, the terms "beer" and "ale" modern society often associated as the same product, although this is not entirely true.
Ale, like other types of beer, is made mainly from barley malt, but the fermentation process proceeds differently: top yeast is used in the production of ale, which rises along with the bubbles during fermentation carbon dioxide to the surface of the must. At the same time, the fermentation temperature is close to 15-24 °C, and under such conditions, the yeast releases a lot of esters and aromatic products, which gives the drink a fruity aroma (apple, pear, banana, plum, etc.). After fermentation, ale is sent to mature in cool cellars, where the temperature ranges from 11-14°C. Often, top beers are made using sugar, rice, wheat, or other grains.
Ale is represented by a huge variety of varieties with a very wide range of flavors. The most famous British, Scottish and Belgian drinks. Classic British ale has been brewed since the 17th century from barley malt with the addition of hops, water, top yeast, sugar and starch. It is never filtered or pasteurized, so it is stored for only a few days and is called "real ale", i.e. "real, live ale." The most popular in Britain are bitter dark ales containing a small amount of alcohol (2-3% by volume). There are mild-tasting ales, such as "mild ale", vaguely reminiscent of Russian kvass, or "new castle brown ale", which has a bright nutty flavor. Light and golden varieties british ale stronger, and have fruity or nutty flavors. Scottish ales are darker, richer, malty, sometimes smoky, and, like British ales, vary in strength. In Belgium, Trappist ale has been the most popular variety for many centuries in a row, with a buttery-fruity taste. This drink, in fact, is the hallmark of Belgian beer. Trappist ale is brewed only by licensed brewers, using original monastic recipes that have come down to us from time immemorial. The drink is prepared on the territory of six surviving Trappist monasteries, five of which are located in Belgium and one in Holland.
Composition and beneficial features ale
The beneficial properties of ale are due to its constituent components - barley malt and brewer's yeast. And since real ale is not filtered or pasteurized, it retains many valuable substances. Malt extract is rich in phosphorus, magnesium, manganese, calcium, selenium, B vitamins and vitamin E. Vitamins contained in "live" ale improve metabolism and have a beneficial effect on the condition of the skin and hair. BUT a large number of amino acids stimulate protein metabolism in our body, that is, they contribute to the development and growth muscle mass. It has been proven that horse beer is the only drink whose bitter hop additives have a calming effect on the body and help improve digestion and the production of gastric juice. This drink, drunk in small quantities, dilates blood vessels and lowers blood pressure, helping blood vessels in the fight against atherosclerosis. The main thing is to know the measure and not to abuse the amount of drink you drink.
Contraindications
Excessive consumption of ale, especially its strong varieties, can lead to the development of alcohol dependence. The use of horse beer in any quantities, as well as other alcoholic beverages, should be avoided by pregnant and lactating women, adolescents, as well as persons with diseases of the central nervous system and kidney disease.
The fact that ale is a beer that the British love is known to most compatriots from films and books.
In Britain, they say that you can recognize their country only by stepping over the threshold of the pub, where ale beer is still brewed and its bittersweet taste and fruity aroma are considered a gift from God.
The taste of ale differs from the usual beer, but still it certainly belongs to the family of foamy drinks based on barley malt. The taste of classic ale is special - you can hear shades of herbs, spices and fruits in it, and the absence of hops and fast cooking make it sweet.
The finished product is not filtered or pasteurized. Features of the technology provide this variety with unique qualities - having tasted ale once, you will never confuse it with lager or beater.
History
In the XII century, a drink with this name already existed in England. The recipes and composition have not been preserved, but it is known for sure that hops were brought to the island of Great Britain much later.
Everything that was prepared by brewers was called ale, and in order for the drink to ferment and not spoil too quickly, herbs and spices were added to the wort - gruit, consisting of wormwood, ginger, nutmeg, heather, etc. In the Middle Ages, bread and ale were the main products - minimum set without which the British could not imagine life.
Hops were brought to England from Holland only at the end of the 17th century, and brewers began to add it to the wort. To designate a new drink with hops, they began to call it beer, but ale continued to be prepared according to the old recipe. A hundred years later, ale was recognized as a type of beer, now it is included in the generic concept along with porter, beater and lager.
Now ale is produced in many countries, for example, in the USA, Belgium, Ireland. Now they often use in recipes, which violates the classic recipe, but brings the drink closer to modern tastes.
How is ale different from beer?
Ale cannot be different from beer - it is beer itself, or rather, one of its varieties. Like all varieties, English ale is obtained from the fermentation of the must. Recipes use barley or wheat malt, sometimes rye and unmalted grains, and usually no hops.
We are accustomed to the pale frothy lager that we consider true beer, so it makes sense to understand the differences.
Type of fermentation
Ale is top-fermented, an ancient method used by the Sumerians. On our continent, in the era of the birth of ale, “light” fungi grew, during fermentation they floated to the surface and formed a yeast cap.
"Heavy" fungi arrived in Europe after the discovery of America, they settle to the bottom of the fermentation tank. It is this yeast that is used in the lager recipe.
Temperature
Light yeast loves heat, so optimum temperature fermentation - 15-24 ° С. For other types of beer, a material is used that is more comfortable in cool temperatures up to 14 ° C. In the cold, undesirable microorganisms lose their activity, the wort does not sour and can slowly ferment for a long time.
But in the heat, ester compounds are released, giving the ale a bright and deep taste. The temperature factor also plays a role in the fermentation period - ale matures faster than lager, in some breweries it takes as little as 2 weeks.
Filtration and pasteurization
Real English ale is not filtered or pasteurized, it ferments to the last drop. Live beer is stored for several days, but its taste is very rich.
Lager can travel long distances, which largely explains its popularity.
Fortress
Real ale is easy to recognize after the first sip - it is almost always weaker than lager and has less carbon dioxide. Ale is not intended for intoxication, it is drunk for pleasure and thirst quenching.
Taste
Ale is a tasty, weak and perishable beer. His salient feature - sweetish aftertaste and a light fruity-vegetable aroma without a pronounced smell of alcohol.
Each brewery has its own set of ingredients, in British pubs you can find a soft drink that resembles kvass, bitter weak and very dark, light strong with a nutty flavor and many more varieties.
Ale types
The criteria for classifying British and Irish ales are taste, color, aroma and sourdough additives. There are almost as many varieties as there are breweries - practically every pub in the UK offers 2-3 varieties of the drink.
Barley
Barley Wine- strong ale from 8.5 to 12% vol., known as barley wine. Brewed from a dense wort, which gives a bitter taste. This beer has a pronounced fruity aroma and dark honey color. Due to the strength, the variety does not lose its qualities for a long time, and over time it becomes soft.
Wheat
Weizen Weisse- light, smelling of freshly baked bread, flowers and fruits. old recipe and golden color distinguish the variety from a number of modern ales. Fortress - 5-6% vol.
Porter
This beer was once called Porter's ale- that is, ale for port workers. The brand is known all over the world, the taste of beer with aromatic additives made Porter one of the leaders in popularity. Porter can be dark or light - it depends on the additives and types of malt. Medium strength beer - from 4.5 to 7% vol.
stout
Stout is often confused with porter. Irish stout is derived from porter, but is always dark due to the roasted malt. The species has long been considered a rejuvenating drug, and the darkest of all ales is now drunk for pleasure.
Varieties differ in strength, saturation of color and taste, but coffee notes are always guessed in the stout.
White
Weisse or Berliner Weisse- very light (2.8% by volume) sour German ale. In Germany, light beer with a slight fruity note may be served with sweet syrup.
Bitter
Bitter the British rightly consider the subject national pride. In fact, this is not the most bitter variety. The bitterness is due to the use of hops and the absence of sugar in the recipe. It can be very light or dark copper in color. Fortress - from 3 to 6.5% vol.
lambic
Lambic- reddish Belgian variety with cherries and raspberries. Prepared in old wine barrels from barley malt, unsprouted wheat and hops. Yeast is not used in cooking. The strength varies depending on the aging time and the recipe.
Soft
Easiest MILD, close to kvass in strength - from 2.5 to 3.5% vol. Two types are produced - light and dark, both with a distinct malt flavor.
What is the use of ale?
In beer that has not been filtered and pasteurized, useful material barley and brewer's yeast.
- Chemical elements P, Mg, Mn, Ca, Se, vitamins E and group B. This set is useful for metabolism, maintaining healthy hair and skin.
- Live beer contains many amino acids that activate protein metabolism, which, in turn, stimulates muscle growth during physical exertion.
- If the ale contains hops, during top-fermentation its substances have a beneficial effect on digestion, improve appetite and soothe irritability.
- In moderation, the drink has a relaxing effect, blood vessels dilate and pressure decreases.
Attention! Starting a course of beer therapy, do not forget about the sense of proportion. 100 ml of ale contains about 40 kcal. This must be taken into account if you value the figure.
How to drink ale?
- Pour the beer slowly down the side of the tilted glass. Ale does not like high foam - a pleasant bitterness goes into it. In pubs, filling a mug can take more than 5 minutes.
- Do not chill for a long time, the taste opens at +7-12 o C. The British usually heat up a dark drink, but this is a matter of tradition.
- Dark beers are good for warming up, while light beers are good for the summer beer season.
- Do not rush to empty the glass in a few sips, but do not drag out the process, otherwise the aroma will fizzle out. The British compare the pace of drinking with a slow gait - not in a hurry, but moving towards the goal.
It's hard to imagine medieval Europe without a tavern and a mug of ale. Now this drink has lost its leadership to many others, but in the 15th century in England, ale was so popular that it was considered an essential product at the table. In more southern countries they drank wine, but in the north everything was bad with vineyards, and therefore the harsh islanders brewed ale.
In fact, its history goes back even further, like all brewing. There is evidence that the Sumerians had something similar in composition, but the drink known to us now began to be brewed in the British Isles. And this is England and, of course, Ireland.
Ale and wine will not compare. These drinks are very different. But it is worth mentioning what is the difference between ale and beer. Here I would like to warn that the question itself, on the one hand, may not be entirely correct. Because ale is a type of beer. But on the other hand, somehow it still stands out from the rest of the assortment, and therefore there is a difference between ale and beer (lager). Which is what the story is about now.
Ale prepared according to the classical technology does not contain hops. Thanks to this, it acquires a mild sweetish aftertaste, and in general it cooks much faster than a lager. Unlike other beers, ale is produced exclusively by top-fermentation. That is, in the cooking process, a special type of yeast is used, which eventually forms a characteristic cap on the surface.
However, with the spread of hops throughout modern Britain, a number of ales still got a bitter aftertaste, as brewers began to add seeds from the cones of this plant to the composition.
Features of the production of classic ale
The top fermentation method is generally less technologically demanding and therefore it is quite possible to make ale at home or in a small brewery.
To have general concept about what this wonderful drink is, it is also worth considering and its main varieties.
So the story about ale, its history and features has come to an end. You can talk about this old drink for a long time. But in conclusion, I would like to note: in order to understand what ale is, it is best to feel it on your own experience. And try, of course, draft. Because if you really drink, then real English ale.
Every winter, at the end of January, the UK hosts the Winter Ale Festival. This event annually attracts thousands of people, residents of not only England, Scotland and Ireland, but also tourists from all over the world. For these people, the Ale Festival has become a traditional holiday, but in Russia, few people know how ordinary beer differs from ale, and ale, in turn, from cider.
In search of answers, we went to the Irish pub "Trinity", where guests are offered not only traditional alcoholic drinks, but also mysterious new beers for us. We were greeted by the bar manager Alexander Stukalov.
What is ale and how is it different from regular beer?
Ale is a special kind of beer, which is obtained by top fermentation. This is such a special way of fermenting the wort, because of which this particular drink is obtained. It is characterized by strength and slight sweetness, because according to different recipes, caramel, sugar are added to it in various variations. This is a pretty tasty drink!
It is interesting: The first attempt by British brewers to sell their pale ale abroad, to India, ended in failure, as the drink had gone bad during the long journey. To solve this small problem, manufacturers have increased the content of alcohol and hops in the drink. So it appeared at that moment new variety ale - "India Pale Ale" (Indian pale ale).
Have the residents of Vladivostok managed to fall in love with ale? Are they ordered more often than, say, regular beer?
Ale certainly has its fans. Of course, I won’t single it out as the most sought-after varieties, because we have an Irish pub, the most popular here are Irish beers, but in terms of sales it is doing pretty well. Our guests are usually people over 25 years old. If a person already knows the taste of this drink and loves it, then age does not play any role. Guests who come to our establishment for the first time, most often just want to try ale. At the same time, their opinion is divided into 2 camps, someone likes it, someone does not. The specifics of ale are slightly different. It is not like our usual one, because it is not carbonated in the same way as beer. Beer carbonation uses carbon dioxide, but ale carbonation uses a mixture of carbon dioxide and nitrogen, so it's less carbonated.
There is another interesting drink for us - cider. Tell us a little about him?
Cider is apple beer. It's fermented Apple juice, carbonated, low alcohol, within 5 degrees, no stronger than regular beer.
This is interesting: In Russia, cider became popular only in 1890. Noble rich people drank this drink instead of champagne. This was considered not only an example of a healthy lifestyle, but also an indicator of good manners.
Rumor has it that, despite the fact that all alcohol is harmful, drinking drinks such as ale and cider is still preferable for the body than anything else. Is it so? Are, say, hangovers caused by these drinks easier to bear?
Any alcohol you take will not cause a hangover if consumed in moderation. In general, I would advise everyone to drink exclusively Essentuki (smiles).
Everyone knows that when using, for example, tequila, it is customary to lubricate with a hand, then lick it off and snack on alcohol. Are there any similar traditions when drinking ale or cider?
Both ale and cider are drunk just like ordinary alcoholic beverages, without any rituals. But when drinking ale, either a slice or a slice is sometimes added to it. But this is not such a common way. It is believed that these fruits slightly acidify the drink.
Do you have any theme parties or festivals in your pub that could become a tradition for the residents of Vladivostok?
Yes, we did something similar a couple of times. Firstly, there are themed Irish holidays known throughout the world - St. Patrick's Day, Arthur Guinness Day - the man in whose honor the Irish beer "Guinness" is named, the author of the book of records. In addition, each beer bar organizes beer festivals, for example, "Octoberfest" is a German beer festival.
But life is unpredictable, for sure there will be a reason for other events!
