ale

noun

ˈāl

: a beer that is brewed by fast fermentation with a quick-acting yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) at relatively high temperatures

Note: Ales tend to have a complex, slightly fruity or spicy flavor with a usually darker appearance than lagers and usually with a more intense, bitter flavor of hops. The yeast used to ferment ale is often referred to as "top-fermenting" since it tends to rise to the top of the brewing vessel during fermentation. This yeast also has a tolerance to higher alcohol concentrations, resulting in a beer with a usually higher alcohol content than a lager.

… ale can be produced more quickly because it is fermented at higher temperatures—from 60 to 70 degrees.—

Frank J. Prial

compare pale ale, porter, stout

: an English country festival at which ale is the principal beverage

Examples of ale in a Sentence

The bar serves two very different ales.

Recent Examples on the Web

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Taft's Brewing closed its Over-the-Rhine ale house in 2023 after eight years in business and shuttered its Columbus taproom earlier this year. —

Quinlan Bentley, The Enquirer, 4 Dec. 2024 Ingredients • 1 ½ oz. rye whiskey • Ginger ale, to top • 1 dropperful Tribe CBD oil Directions • Place a few ice cubes in a highball glass. —

Rowan Briggs, The Mercury News, 28 Oct. 2024 The brewery also took home a silver award for its Cucumber Lime Blonde ale in the Field Beer category. —

Jordyn Noennig, Journal Sentinel, 17 Oct. 2024 But after home brewers were able to show the appeal of hoppy IPAs, malty stouts and citrusy wheat ales, that eventually led to a boom in small breweries. —

Maureen Groppe, USA TODAY, 1 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for ale