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Filed under: What's the Difference? Beer Drinks. Pocket Flipboard Email. Part of Eater Drinks. In medieval Europe, ale, along with bread, was a very important source of nutrition. This provided nutrition and hydration without the effects of alcohol or the dangers of water. Lagers Helles , Dunkel , Pilsner , Bock , Marzen and Schwarzbier were produced as far back as the Middle Ages when Bavarian brewers discovered that their beer continued to ferment while being stored in cold ice-caves during the winter.
The Germans fell in love with the taste of this beer and soon passed the famous Bavarian Purity Law of making it illegal to brew in the warm summer months effectively eliminating ales. While still popular in the British Isles, this legislation determined that only lager yeast could ferment beer in Bavaria, as it was too cold for ale yeast to do well in those months.
The advent of refrigeration in the s altered the course of beer history for the next century. In the late 19th and most of the 20th centuries saw the dramatic rise of lager beer. The mellow taste and lower alcohol content led to the take over of pilsner-style beers. With the exception of Great Britain and Belgium, lager beer became the only beer and remains as the preferred style around the world to this day.
Thankfully, ale has made a resurgence in the past 40 years. As of , there were just 55 breweries operating in the United States.
Today, there are more than 6, breweries in operation, creating ales, lagers and combinations of the two that have brought beauty and art back to brewing. In general, there are many differences between ales and lagers. Though the differences between ale and lager are many, having a better idea of what facets of the brewing process and ingredients affect the final product allow you to have a better appreciation for the differences between the two varieties.
Though lagers have enjoyed a significant market share, the strong growth trend of ales in microbreweries and import beers provide an excellent alternative to those who prefer a beer with a bit more substance. Plagued by a chronic case of curiosity, Jeff Flowers is just a dude that annoys everyone around him with his loquacious goofiness.
From beer to home living, Jeff is just trying to hack his way through life and write a few notes about it along the way. You can follow his ramblings here, or listen to him complain about Austin traffic on Twitter at Bukowsky.
Schwarzbiers, a lager style, are as black as night, whereas Belgian witbiers, an ale style, are paler than any lager out there. This is a very good treatise on the basic differences as well as similarities. Thanks for the information. Just trying to figure out why so many people have to shoot down good information. Lighten up and enjoy a good beer. I keep hearing that ales are more bitter than lagers. I agree that ales are fruity, or floral, and that comes across as sweet to me.
I like the bitterness in a lager without that Juicy Fruit essence so many ales have. The language used to describe beers seems all wrong to me. I prefer large quantities of ale with some kraut or other form of fermented cabbage on the side. Produces farts you can ignite. During this cold conditioning stage, which may last anywhere between four and ten weeks, the beer […]. Your email address will not be published.
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