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 on 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. In the ale recipe classic cooking no hops, 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 ale 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 The drink is provided with a fruity aroma and a pleasant malty 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 fruity and floral aromas. 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 port workers. The peculiarity of the porter is the presence a large number additives, herbs, spices and aromatics.

Depending on what additives were used, the porter may have a 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.

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. Technology features provide this variety 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 denote 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 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 made with top fermentation, 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 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 light fruit and 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 brought Porter to the top of the list in terms of 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 derived from porter, but it 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 light fruity notes can 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 refrigerate for a long time, the taste opens at + 7-12 ° C. The British usually warm up 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.

Many are interested in the question: what is real ale, and how does it differ from the usual weak alcohol? El drink, which is characterized by a peculiar taste and a fairly high alcohol content. The first information about the prescription composition of ale appeared in England in the 15th century, but it is worth noting that representatives of the Sumerian civilization also used a similar drink.

El is widespread in foggy Albion and is rightfully considered national drink Irish - the ancestors of the Vikings. Currently the world's leading manufacturer foamy drink England remains (about 90 percent of the drink is produced on its territory) and in most cases traditional ale can be drunk there.

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Ale properties: strength, calorie content

In the Middle Ages alcoholic ale was an essential product. Because he didn't need special conditions storage and did not deteriorate. And due to the fact that the drink contains a sufficiently large amount calories (about 40 calories per 100 grams of product) he easily replaced hearty bread. long time It was believed that ale brings exceptional benefits due to the fact that it contains a lot of vitamins and other useful substances.

Indeed, in a drink prepared according to traditional technology vitamins B and E are present, as well as minerals such as phosphorus, calcium, magnesium and potassium. Answering the question how many degrees in this drink it should be said that its degree varies from 3 to 12 percent. A pleasant fruity aroma and a fairly high percentage of alcohol make ale an anti-stress drink. After all, just one glass used with pleasure in friendly company, will allow you to forget about depression and cheer you up, but you still shouldn’t abuse an alcohol-containing drink.

What is the difference between ale and beer?

Wine drink ale differs in composition and technological process. In particular, the main hallmark ale brewed according to traditional technology is lack of hops. This circumstance allows the product to cook faster and gives it a characteristic sweet taste. The unique bouquet of the drink is given by various herbs and spices present in the composition of the drink. Also, it should be noted that the cooking technology involves top fermentation at a constant temperature of 15 to 24 degrees. With this technology, during the fermentation process, the yeast is held at the top of the liquid, forming a lush foam cap. In the case of using the top fermentation method, the drink is enriched with esters and higher alcohols giving it a recognizable aroma and a pleasant aftertaste. The process of preparing ale ends with the ripening stage at a temperature of 11 to 12 degrees, while increasing the strength of such a drink. This process usually takes about four weeks, but there are varieties that are infused for four months.

Ale beer drink has quite a few varieties that differ in production technology, color and taste. Consider the most popular varieties:

• Bitter or also called bitter ale. This product considered the national drink of the British. It owes its appearance to the fact that they began to add a small amount hops. The drink has a bitter taste and copper color.
• pale ale brewed using pale malt and water from the Burton region (England). The drink has a pleasant and slightly bitter aftertaste.
• Indian pale ale was invented in India, at that time a British colony. The drink is distinguished by a large amount of hops and strength.
• Porter. The drink stands out good palatability. It has the best combination of sweetness and bitterness. In the production of this type of ale, burnt sugar and dark malt are used.
• Stout. A feature of the drink is that the ingredients are pre-fried strongly. This ale has many varieties (ginger, dry, etc.).
• Brown ale. The drink was originally low alcohol beer, but later they began to add to it large volume hop, which characterizes it modern composition. Ale can have a variety of flavors, ranging from nutty to burnt sugar.
• Lychee rose. special kind foamy drink, characterized pleasant taste and the presence of a large amount of carbon dioxide, which turns it into a sparkling product.
• Original ale "real ale". It is distinguished by the fact that it does not undergo filtration and pasteurization procedures. At the same time, the drink can be stored for only about a week. I must say that this drink has preserved all the features English ale that has come down to us since the 18th century.

How to drink ale?

In principle, ale is consumed in the same way as regular beer. Pour it gradually around the edge of the glass. This is required to prevent large foaming, in some cases this procedure can take about five, seven minutes. You should not hurry and drink ale in large sips, but you should not tighten it too much, as the drink can run out of steam and lose its aroma. Traditionally, a mug of ale is drunk in three sips with slight pauses. Mostly ale served at a drink temperature ranging from 6 to 12 degrees, but in England it is customary to drink dark ale warmed up. So, as they say, there are no comrades for color and taste.

On your own, at home, you can do ginger ale, with 5 percent alcohol content.

To prepare 5 liters of drink, you will need the following ingredients:

300 grams of sugar.

1 teaspoon yeast.

• Ginger (one root)

Ginger is grated, lemons are squeezed into the same container and the remaining ingredients are laid out. The resulting mass is poured with boiled water, cooled to a temperature of 40 degrees.

The composition is infused in a vessel with a hydro-sample for two days. After this, the drink is placed in the refrigerator for another 24 hours. Subsequently, homemade ale can be consumed.

Harm of ale beer and contraindications

Like any alcohol, ale can harm human health if abused. Also, it should not be offered to children and nursing mothers and pregnant women. El alcoholic drink and at his daily use V large quantities there is a risk of cirrhosis of the liver. It can also provoke beer alcoholism.

A traditional ale is a top-fermented beer produced by high temperature. It is believed that it was ale that became the first famous view beer: the British began to brew it in the 15th century. In the Middle Ages, ale was an essential item, and containers with ale of various qualities were always kept in every house. Later in Germany they learned how to brew lager, which for a while became more popular than ale, but today Europeans drink both beers with pleasure.

For several centuries, so many varieties of ale were created in different parts of Europe that many of them were combined, and each type had its own recipe. Today there are several types of ale:

• Bitter.
• Pale ale.
• Barleywine.
• Porter.
• Stout.
• Dark ale.
• Alto.
• Trappist ale.

Of course, there are other, less well-known varieties. Dark ale is recognized as the most famous and revered ale: the strength of the drink is in perfect harmony with the balanced taste, due to which this beer is easy to drink. For its preparation, dark barley and caramel sauce, hops, yeast and prepared water. Sometimes ale is bottled immediately after the main fermentation, but Europeans prefer to drink ale that is additionally aged in oak barrels. This increases the strength of the dark ale and gives it a light oaky aroma. A dark ale is typically between 4.5% and 12%.

Changes can be made to the production technology of classic ale, resulting in a new, unique product. So, the Belgians like to add fruit juice to the raw materials, crushed berries or nuts to give the beer an original flavor, and the Scots like to age their ale until it reaches 10% ABV or more. It is the Scots who hold the record for the strongest ale. Once upon a time, the Scottish brewery BrewDog wondered how many degrees a dark ale could contain. The result of the experiments was an unprecedented Reviver: The End of History ale contains 55% alcohol and is by far the strongest dark ale in the world. But such a drink is not found in pubs.

Dark ale is a strong beer that is brewed with barley malt and a top-fermented herbal mixture. This drink is characterized by a pronounced fruity aroma and taste, combining sweetness and light bitterness. Popular varieties of ales are porters and stouts.

Today dark ales are made in Scotland, Ireland and Belgium. Depending on the country of manufacture, each of them has its own characteristics.

Irish dark ale

Beer Irish ale dark is a strong and at the same time soft drink, with a pronounced wine flavor and caramel flavor. It is brewed from a thick wort with a high gravity. This beer is characterized by a rich ruby ​​hue and high content alcohol without spoiling the taste.

Belgian dark ale

Belgium is considered one of the capitals of brewing, therefore, speaking of beer, one cannot fail to mention the Belgian dark ale. It has been brewed here since the time of the monastery abbeys, and many traditional recipes are followed in the production of ales today.

This is a beer with a sweetish aftertaste, as well as fruity, spicy and caramel notes. The color of the drink varies from dark amber to deep brown. When pouring a Belgian dark ale into a glass, a rich head of foam forms.

Scottish dark ale

Another type of this beer is Scottish dark ale, which is brewed in the northern regions of the kingdom. It is very rich dark color, pronounced malty flavor and aroma with smoky and roasted notes. The taste of this drink is similar to English bitters - woody notes and a slight sourness are also felt in it.

Scottish ales have different strengths. There are several types:

• Light - alcohol content 3-4%.
• Heavy - alcohol content 4-5%.
• Export - alcohol content 5.5-6%.
• Strong Scotch Ale - 6-8% alcohol content.

Taste an authentic dark ale and enjoy its deep and rich taste you can by visiting specialized beer restaurants, such as the Kriek brasserie.