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DARK SECRETS
Learning the ins and outs of ale

To most American beer drinkers, ale is intriguing…even exotic—like that foreign film that looked interesting but might be too much trouble, what with subtitles and all. Why reach way in the back of the supermarket beer case when your favorite old standby light brew is right up front?

In contrast to lagers more popular in the U.S., ales are usually higher in alcohol, and noticeably fuller and more complex. During the brewing process, lager yeast gathers at the bottom and ferments at a cold temperature over a few weeks. Ale yeast is “top fermenting,” tending to flocculate (gather) at the surface of the brew during the first few days before settling to the bottom. Fermentation also occurs at a warmer temperature, allowing the yeast to multiply.

So, if you’re perfectly happy with your lager, why bother learning the finer points of ale? Because you can still admire ale’s dark richness and complexity without falling out of love with your lager. And hey, the more you know about beer—any beer—the better, right? Popular ale variations include:

• Pale Ales
• Bitter
• Brown Ale
• Porter
• Stout

Pale Ale. This ‘super-category’ includes British Bitter, India Pale Ale and American Pale Ale. We’ll discuss their differences below, but generally these ales share a pronounced hop flavor and aroma with low to medium maltiness and a clean, crisp finish. Pale Ales are light in color, ranging from golden to a light copper color. They got their name from the pale malts used as an ingredient, and the term itself started showing up in the early 1700s in the UK. There, the term Pale Ale and Bitter is often used interchangeably, although a general distinction is that Pale Ale is bottled beer while Bitter is in kegs or casks.

• Pale Ale: Bitter. Bitter is served in English pubs but can be found in some North American breweries. This amber to copper colored beer is highly hopped and can be quite bitter. It has a dry character usually due to the high sulfate content of the water. True bitter is only lightly carbonated. Modern examples include Fullers from London and Uncle Teddy's Bitter from Pennsylvania. Although the term appeared in the U.S. in the early 19th century as part of the development and spread of pale ale, bitters themselves were developed toward the end of the 19th century as brewers began to produce beers that could be served in pubs after only a few days storage in cellars.
• Pale Ale: India Pale Ale. India Pale Ales get their name and unique style from British brewers who were making beer for export to India and other outposts on the fringes of the British Empire. Extra hops and a higher alcohol content were used to preserve the beer for the long sea voyages. These ales stand up well against foods with strong flavors; chili and other spicy foods, for example. They tend to have a nice deep-coppery color, and some modern examples include Stone IPA from Stone Brewing, Arrogant Bastard and Minute IPA from Dogfish Head brewery.
• Pale Ale: American Pale Ale. The American Pale Ale was created out of the British bitter tradition, but due to a focus on American hops and other ingredients, the result is an ale that has a bit more malt flavor than other types of pale ale. Some common and popular versions of this ale include Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, Stone Pale Ale and Liberty Ale.
• Brown Ale. Brown Ale was invented at the beginning of the twentieth century in England as a bottled beer since the diffusion of bottles was increasing. Browns are lightly-hopped ales, with colors ranging from deep amber to dark brown. Sometimes caramel and chocolate flavors are evident, due to the use of roasted malt. English brown ales are typically quite sweet and low in alcohol. Common examples include Newcastle Brown Ale and Samuel Smith's Nut Brown Ale.

Porter. The name comes from the Porters at London’s Victoria Station. As disgusting as the story sounds, they would frequently mix three styles of beer into one glass and drink large quantities of the mixture. A style was eventually created to approximate this blend and came to be known as a Porter. Arthur Guinness and Sons was the first brewer to offer a Porter commercially. Later on, they increased the alcohol content of the Porter and the new drink became known as the Stout Porter (which eventually became Stout). The Porter is a good beer for those who want a full flavored, dark beer without the bitterness from the roasted barley that a Stout now possesses.

Porters are darker and more full-bodied than other ales and usually have a more noticeable barley flavor that is reminiscent of chocolate, along with a mild hop flavor. Black or chocolate malt contributes to the dark brown to black color. A porter should have varying levels of roasted flavor, as well as coffee, chocolate or fruit. Porters are drier and have weaker flavors than stouts. Porters are light brown to dark brown in color, often with ruby highlights when held to the light.

Stout. Stouts are the darkest type of beer, almost black in color. They are thick and taste strongly of the barley and hops that they are made from. The Czarist rulers of Russia so loved the English Stouts that they would have it shipped to them from England. The beer didn’t hold up well on the long journey, so the English increased the gravity and alcohol content just as they did when creating India Pale Ale. Thus, the Russian Imperial Stout was born. An Imperial Stout is dark copper to very black in color, with a rich and complex malt flavor and noticeable hop bitterness. The two main ingredients are the dark roasted barley and black malts. The Imperial Stout is like the espresso of beer styles, full flavored and intense. Another variation, Oatmeal Stout, has a sweeter taste caused by the addition of oats. It also has a silky and smooth texture compared to other stouts.

Although there are many stouts brewed both in the United States and The Republic of Ireland, the Guinness Stout is perceived as the touchstone for all stouts. To ensure quality control, Guinness roasts malt specifically for their own production needs, and all the grain they use is grown in Ireland.

So, now you know the difference between the major types of ale—and what you’ve been missing if you’re a die-hard lager fan. Raise a pint and congratulate yourself on broadening your horizons.