Pale ale is a golden to amber coloured beer style brewed with pale malt. [1] [2] [3] The term first appeared in England around 1703 for beers made from malts dried with high-carbon coke, which resulted in a lighter colour than other beers popular at that time. Different brewing practices and hop quantities have resulted in a range of tastes and strengths within the pale ale family. Pale ale is in the family of Ales.
Coke had been first used for dry roasting malt in 1642, but it was not until around 1703 that the term pale ale was first applied to beers made from such malt. By 1784, advertisements appeared in the Calcutta Gazette for "light and excellent" pale ale. [4]
By 1830, the expressions bitter and pale ale were synonymous. Breweries tended to designate beers as "pale ales", though customers would commonly refer to the same beers as "bitters". It is thought that customers used the term bitter to differentiate these pale ales from other less noticeably hopped beers such as porters and milds.[ citation needed ]
By the mid to late 20th century, while brewers were still labelling bottled beers as pale ales, they had begun identifying cask beers as "bitters", except those from Burton on Trent, which tend to be referred to as "pale ales".[ citation needed ]
Different brewing practices and hop levels have resulted in a range of taste and strength within the pale ale family. [5]
Collier Brothers of London applied for the UK trademark of The Amber Ale in 1876 and the trademark was maintained through changes in ownership until it expired as UK00000009744 in 2002. [6] It was a "pure delicately hopped Pale Ale" positioned between their light bitter and IPA. [7] Since the expiry of the trademark some traditional British bitters have been rebranded as amber ales, in some cases to distinguish them from golden ales sold under the same brand eg Shepherd Neame Spitfire.[ citation needed ]
Amber ale is an emerging term used in Australia, France (as ambrée), Belgium and the Netherlands and North America for pale ales brewed with a proportion of amber malt and sometimes crystal malt to produce an amber colour generally ranging from light copper to light brown. [8] A small amount of crystal or other coloured malt is added to the basic pale ale base to produce a slightly darker colour, as in some Irish and British pale ales. [9] In France the term "ambrée" is used to signify a beer, either cold or warm fermented, which is amber in colour; the beer, as in Pelforth ambrée and Fischer amber, may be a Vienna lager, or it may be a bière de garde as in Jenlain ambrée. [10] In North America, American-variety hops are used in amber ales with varying degrees of bitterness, although very few examples are particularly hoppy. [11] Diacetyl is barely perceived or is absent in an amber ale. [12]
Anchor Liberty Ale, a 6% abv ale originally brewed by the Anchor Brewing Company as a special in 1975 to commemorate Paul Revere's "Midnight Ride" in 1775, was seen by Michael Jackson, a writer on beverages, as the first modern American ale. [13] Fritz Maytag, the owner of Anchor, visited British breweries in London, Yorkshire and Burton upon Trent, picking up information about robust pale ales, which he applied when he made his American version, using just malt rather than the malt and sugar combination common in brewing at that time, and making prominent use of the American hop, Cascade. [13] By 1983, it was commonly found. [13] [14]
The brewery thought to be the first to successfully use significant quantities of American hops in the notably hoppy style of an APA and use the specific name "pale ale" was the Sierra Nevada Brewing Company. [15] It brewed the first experimental batch of Sierra Nevada Pale Ale in November 1980, [16] distributing the finished version in March 1981. [17] Other pioneers of a hoppy American pale ale are Jack McAuliffe of the New Albion Brewing Company and Bert Grant of Yakima Brewing. [18] [19]
American pale ales are generally around 5% abv, with significant quantities of American hops, typically Cascade. [20] Although American-brewed beers tend to use a cleaner yeast, and American two row malt, [21] [ self-published source? ] it the use of strong American hops in particular that distinguish an APA from a British or European pale ale. [22] The style is close to the American India pale ale (IPA), and boundaries blur, [23] though IPAs are stronger and more assertively hopped. [24] [ self-published source? ] The style is also close to amber ale, though these are darker and maltier due to the use of crystal malts. [25]
Australian pale ale is pale ale that is produced in Australia and developed in Australia around 1990s. Australian pale ales are generally around 6% abv with significant quantities of Australian hops, typically Galaxy. [26] [27] [28]
Bière de garde, or "keeping beer", is a pale ale traditionally brewed in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France. These beers were usually brewed by farmhouses in the winter and spring, to avoid unpredictable problems with the yeast during the summertime.
The origin of the name lies in the tradition that it was matured or cellared for a period of time once bottled (most were sealed with a cork), to be consumed later in the year, akin to a saison.
Among the better French known "bières de garde" are Brasserie de Saint-Sylvestre, Trois Monts, Brasseurs Duyck, Jenlain and Brasserie La Choulette, ambrée.
Blonde ales are very pale in colour. The term "blonde" for pale beers is common in Europe and South America – particularly in France, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands, the UK, and Brazil – though the beers may not have much in common, other than colour. Blondes tend to be clear, crisp, and dry, with low-to-medium bitterness and aroma from hops, and some sweetness from malt. Fruitiness from esters may be perceived. A lighter body from higher carbonation may be noticed.
In the United Kingdom, golden or summer ales were developed in the late 20th century by breweries to compete with the pale lager market. A typical golden ale has an appearance and profile similar to that of a pale lager. Malt character is subdued and the hop profile ranges from spicy to citrus; common hops include Styrian Golding and Cascade. Alcohol is in the 4% to 5% abv range. The UK style is attributed to John Gilbert, owner of Hop Back Brewery, who developed "Summer Lightning" in 1989, which won several awards and inspired numerous imitators. [29]
Belgian blondes are often made with pilsner malt. [30] Some beer writers regard blonde and golden ales as distinct styles, while others do not. Duvel is a typical Belgian blonde ale, and one of the most popular bottled beers in the country [31] as well as being well known internationally. [32]
Late in the second half of the nineteenth century, the recipe for pale ale was put into use by the Burton upon Trent brewers, notably Bass; ales from Burton were considered of a particularly high quality due to synergy between the malt and hops in use and local water chemistry, especially the presence of gypsum. Burton retained absolute dominance in pale ale brewing [33] until a chemist, C. W. Vincent, discovered the process of Burtonization to reproduce the chemical composition of the water from Burton-upon-Trent, thus giving any brewery the capability to brew pale ale.
The expression English bitter first appeared in the early 19th century as part of the development and spread of pale ale. [34] Breweries tended to designate beers as "pale ales", though customers would commonly refer to the same beers as "bitters". It is thought that customers used the term bitter to differentiate these pale ales from other less noticeably hopped beers. Drinkers tend to loosely group modern bitters into "session" or "ordinary" bitters (up to 4.1% abv), "best" or "special" bitters (between 4.2% and 4.7% abv) and "strong" bitters (4.8% abv and over).[ citation needed ]
India pale ale (IPA) is a style of pale ale developed in England for export to India. The first known use of the expression "India pale ale" is in an advertisement in the Sydney Gazette and New South Wales Advertiser on 27 August 1829. [35]
Worthington White Shield, originating in Burton-upon-Trent, is a beer considered to be part of the development of India pale ale.
The colour of an IPA can vary from a light gold to a reddish amber.
The term "Irish red ale" was popularised in the United States and subsequently exported worldwide. The additional variants "red ale", "Irish ale" (Irish : leann dearg, [36] ) and "Irish red", have come to be used by brewers mainly in Ireland and the United States, less so elsewhere. Smithwick's and Kilkenny are typical examples of macro-brewed commercial Irish red ale. There are many other smaller and craft examples, such as O'Hara's, Sullivan's, Murphy's, Porterhouse and Franciscan Well.
Irish red ales are characterised by their malt profile and typically have a sweet, caramel or toffee-like taste, low bitterness and amber to red colour - hence the name. [37]
Irish brewers have increasingly adopted the term Irish Red Ale to distinguish their beers in both the domestic and international markets. In the US, the name can also be used simply to describe a darker amber ale, or the abbreviated term "Irish Red" applied to a "reddish" beer brewed as a lager and ambered with caramel colouring - for example Killian's Irish Red.
Strong pale ales are ales made predominantly with pale malts and have an alcohol strength that may start around 5%, though typically at 7 or 8% by volume, and may go up to 12%, though some brewers have been pushing the alcohol strength higher to produce novelty beers. In 1994, the Hair of the Dog Brewing Company produced a strong pale ale with an alcohol by volume of 29%. In 2010, Brewdog released "Sink the Bismarck!", a 41% abv pale ale, [38] which is stronger than typical U.S. distilled spirits (40% abv).
Mild ale is a type of ale. Modern milds are mostly dark-coloured, with an alcohol by volume (ABV) of 3% to 3.6%, although there are lighter-hued as well as stronger milds, reaching 6% abv and higher. Mild originated in Britain in the 17th century or earlier, and originally meant a young ale, as opposed to a "stale" aged or old ale.
Adnams is a regional brewery founded in 1872 in Southwold, Suffolk, England, by George and Ernest Adnams. It produces cask ale and bottled beers. Annual production is around 85,000 barrels.
Pale lager is a pale-to-golden lager beer with a well-attenuated body and a varying degree of noble hop bitterness.
Irish red ale, also known as red ale or Irish ale, is a style of pale ale that is brewed using a moderate amount of kilned malts and roasted barley, giving the beer its red colour. Its strength typically ranges from 3.8% to 4.8% alcohol by volume, although some craft varieties can be as high as 6%.
Brown ale is a style of beer with a dark amber or brown colour. The term was first used by London brewers in the late 17th century to describe a lightly hopped ale brewed from 100% brown malt. Brown ale is in the family of Ales.
India pale ale (IPA) is a hoppy beer style within the broader category of pale ale.
Bitter is an English style of pale ale that varies in colour from gold to dark amber, and in strength typically from 3% to 5.5% alcohol by volume.
Beer in Belgium includes pale ales, lambics, Flemish red ales, sour brown ales, strong ales and stouts. In 2018, there were 304 breweries in Belgium, including international companies, such as AB InBev, and traditional breweries, such as Trappist monasteries. On average, Belgians drink 68 litres of beer each year, down from around 200 each year in 1900. Most beers are bought or served in bottles, rather than cans, and almost every beer has its own branded, sometimes uniquely shaped, glass. In 2016, UNESCO inscribed Belgian beer culture on their list of the intangible cultural heritage of humanity.
Beer has been brewed in England for thousands of years. As a beer brewing country, it is known for top fermented cask beer which finishes maturing in the cellar of the pub rather than at the brewery and is served with only natural carbonation.
Beer styles differentiate and categorise beers by colour, flavour, strength, ingredients, production method, recipe, history, or origin.
American pale ale (APA) is a style of pale ale developed in the United States around 1980.
Sharp's Brewery is a British brewery founded in 1994 in St Minver Lowlands, Rock, Cornwall, by Bill Sharp. Since 2011, the brewery has been owned by Molson Coors. It is best known for its flagship ale Doom Bar, named after the notoriously perilous Doom Bar sandbank in north Cornwall.
The Malt Shovel Brewery is an Australian brewery owned by Lion, a subsidiary of the Japanese conglomerate Kirin. It is located in Camperdown, New South Wales. Malt Shovel is best known for its James Squire range of beers. The beer is named after the convict turned Australia's first brewer James Squire, who also went on to grow Australia's first hops and is said to have created Australia's first commercial brewery.
The beers of the Caribbean are unique to each island in the region, although many are variants of the same style. Each island generally brews its own unique pale lager, the occasional stout, and often a non-alcoholic malta beverage. Contract-brewing of international beers is also common, with Heineken Pilsener and Guinness Foreign Extra Stout being the most popular. The beers vary between the islands to suit the taste and the brewing method used.
Captain Lawrence Brewing Company is a craft brewery located in Elmsford, New York. The brewery is owned and run by head brewer Scott Vaccaro. Vaccaro, a homebrewer since 1995, trained in brewing science at UC Davis.
Lager is a style of beer brewed and conditioned at low temperature. Lagers can be pale, amber, or dark. Pale lager is the most widely consumed and commercially available style of beer. The term "lager" comes from the German word for "storage", as the beer was stored before drinking, traditionally in the same cool caves in which it was fermented.
Andwell Brewing Company was started by Adam Komrower in 2008, and was based at Lodge Farm behind Newlyns farmshop in North Warnborough, Hampshire, England. The brewery's beer is supplied to pubs within a 30-mile radius of the brewery, and to farmshops, off-licences and beer festivals.
Beer in Scotland is mostly produced by breweries in the central Lowlands, which also contain the main centres of population. Edinburgh and Alloa in particular became noted for the export of beer around the world in the 19th century.
Most beer sold in France is pilsner lager, mass-produced by major breweries which control over 90% of the market, although there are also traditional beer styles, such as top-fermented Bière de Garde, and a number of microbreweries.
Peerless Brewing Company is an independent microbrewery based in Birkenhead on the Wirral Peninsula, producing cask brewed beers by combining traditional techniques and fine ingredients with a modern tang.
Jenlain Ambrée
