Irish red ale. What is Irish ale: characteristics, varieties, reviews

What do we know about ale? Some believe that this name is a synonym for the word “beer”. Others believe that ale is a type of barley foamy drink. And some are also sure that it is about Irish ale a beautiful ballad by Stevenson (translated by Marshak). Remember: “And he was sweeter than honey, drunker than wine...”? Stevenson describes that this ale was brewed by dwarves in caves made of mountain heather. What was it really like? Let's find out about interesting story ale - a traditional Irish and Scottish drink. Can we try it here? What types of ale do he have in his homeland, and in other countries where the brewing culture is traditionally developed?

History of the drink

Now everyone knows that beer is brewed from hops, barley (sometimes wheat or rice) malt and water. But it wasn't always like this. It is believed that the secret of beer was discovered by the ancient Sumerians five thousand years ago. But they brewed it without hops. The process of making the drink did not take as much time as it does now. Malt without hops ferments faster, but the drink turns out sweeter. To add that much-loved bitterness and balance the taste, hops began to be added to beer. But this plant was not known in the British Isles until the 15th century, when it began to be imported from Holland. In relation to the new drink, brewed with the addition of hops, the word “beer” was used, and to the traditional one - “ale” (ale). In addition to technology, it also differs from the familiar barley drink in taste. British, Scottish and Irish ales were known. But now it is also brewed in Belgium and Germany.

Technology

We will not go into unnecessary details here. Let us trace only the general production scheme. Unlike lager, a bitter, calm beer, ale is not pasteurized. The sweetness of malt (sprouted and fermented grains) in ancient drink It's not the hops that balance it, but a mixture of spices and herbs called gruit. It is boiled in wort. When cooked, yeast does not sink to the bottom, but floats on the surface. Irish ale is left to ferment at room temperature 15-24 degrees C. Lager is kept cool (5-10 degrees C), and the yeast in it sinks to the bottom of the vat. That's why ale is called top-fermented beer. But even when bottled in barrels, this drink never ceases to ripen. A little sugar is added to it to resume the fermentation process. Both its taste and strength change depending on how long the drink plays. Then it is bottled to stop the process of alcohol accumulation.

Beverage characteristics

At such a high temperature, the fermentation process is faster than the same lager, and much more violent. Without the bitterness of hops, with the addition of herbs, the drink turns out sweeter, with a rich fruity taste. It can be the aroma of prunes, banana, pineapple, pear or apple. As a result of the fact that the drink is left to mature in barrels, it actually becomes “boozier than wine.” How strong is Irish ale beer? How many degrees is it? This, as in wine, depends on the period of aging. The porter, so named because longshoremen loved it for its strength, contains 10% alcohol. And in barley wine - all 12. At the same time, there are weaker drinks: soft or light ale (2.5-3.5%). But what is typical for this type of beer is that it is sweeter and does not taste bitter. And its consistency is thicker and richer than a traditional intoxicating drink.

Varieties of Irish ale

The drink has become so popular among the people that it would be strange if its recipe remained the only one and unchanged. Soon, other varieties followed the real, traditional honey drink, which, by the way, is poured without pressure from above, unlike regular beer. Among them, dark Irish ale should be noted. This is the world famous Guinness. Named after its founder, a Dublin entrepreneur, this stout gets its coffee color from the addition of roasted barley grains and caramel malt. It is also called an especially strong porter, although it contains about 7% alcohol. Kilkenny, an Irish red ale, is also very popular. It has a full flavor and rich ruby ​​color. It got its name from the small Irish town where the Abbey of St. Francis is located. Local monks have been brewing this beer since the 18th century. The strength of the drink is about 4%, and an interesting color is achieved by adding small quantity specially processed caramel malt.

Irish ale in continental Europe

In those countries where brewing traditions are rooted in the distant past, it is also customary to make ale. After all, the use of hops is a German innovation. In Belgium, the monks of the Trappist order got along just fine without it since the early Middle Ages. However, over time, brewers began to experiment, adding hops, barley and wheat malt, yeast and even juices. This is how such varieties of ale as Rhenish Kölsch (a light, foamy drink) were born. Altbier (literally translated as “old beer”) is also very popular in Germany. It is brewed in Dusseldorf. Belgium is able to seduce with beer even those who claim that they cannot stand this drink. One has only to try “Scream” and “Trappist Fathers”, “Double” and “Triple”, with the aroma of raspberry, banana, cherry...

Ale in Russia

In the Altai Territory, in the village of Bochkari, Irish ale has also recently begun to be produced. Reviews from those who have tried the authentic product say that the Russian drink is similar to the original. The first sip gives a false impression of a bitter taste, but from the second the fullness of caramel sweetness is revealed. Creamy toffee aroma, copper-amber color, not too much foam. At the end there is no bitterness, but only a slight taste of roasted grain. Reviews claim that this beer is easy to drink. It gives the overall impression of a moderately fermented drink. This is what it is - a Russian beer called “Irish Ale”. How many degrees is it? The alcohol content is quite noticeable - 6.7 percent.

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Ginger ale

Ginger ale is a refreshing, delicately sweet drink with a subtle ginger aroma. It is most often consumed in its pure form, but sometimes as an additional component to cocktails.

In addition to its taste, ginger ale has many useful qualities. It is recommended to be used for indigestion; it also soothes coughs and sore throats. As mentioned above, ginger ale is popular in non-alcoholic cocktails. This helps out those people who do not drink alcohol, but also do not want to fight off the company. So let's quickly look at a couple of recipes on how to make ale.

Non-Alcoholic Ginger Ale Recipe

Ingredients:

  • ginger root – 150 g;
  • granulated sugar – 4 tbsp. spoons;
  • lemon – 3 pcs.;
  • sparkling water – 3 l;
  • mint leaves - to taste.

Preparation

How to make ginger ale at home? Take fresh ginger, peel it, grate it on a coarse grater and, without draining the resulting juice, mix thoroughly with granulated sugar. Then add finely grated lemon zest, mix and press the resulting mixture with something heavy for about 20 seconds. Next, we pass the peeled lemons through a juicer and add all the juice to our mixture. Fill with sparkling water and let the drink brew for about 10 minutes. Then, carefully taste it and, if it turns out too sour, add a little more sugar, and if it’s sweet, dilute it with lemon juice. Strain ready drink and pour into glasses. Decorate the top with mint sprigs. On summer days, you can also add pieces of ice to the drink.

Alcoholic Ginger Ale Recipe

Ingredients:

  • sugar – 1 tbsp;
  • ginger root – 30 g;
  • lemon juice – 0.5 tbsp;
  • dry yeast – ¼ teaspoon;
  • boiled cold water– 2 l.

Preparation

How to make alcoholic ginger ale? So, take a clean 2-liter plastic bottle and, using a funnel, pour sugar and dry yeast into it. Then take fresh ginger root, peel and grate it on a fine grater. You should have about 2 tbsp. spoons of ginger puree. Carefully transfer the grated ginger into a faceted measuring cup and set aside.

Take a lemon, squeeze the juice out of it and add it to a glass with ginger. Mix the contents of the glass thoroughly until a homogeneous mass is obtained. Then add a little pre-boiled but cooled water and stir well. If you still want to make non-alcoholic ale, then at this step just add honey or sugar, mix and pour into glasses, garnishing with fresh mint. But to obtain alcoholic or fermented ginger ale, carefully pour the contents of the glass into a bottle with yeast and sugar. Close everything with a lid and shake well until the sugar is completely dissolved. Then we pour water into the bottle, leaving about 2 cm short of the neck. Now we put our drink in a warm place and wait 2 days for the ale to ferment. You can check the degree of fermentation in the following way: gently press the bottle with your finger and as soon as it becomes hard and does not press down, then fermentation is complete. This process usually takes 24 to 48 hours. After this, the alcoholic ginger ale is ready. Before drinking, strain the drink through a strainer or cheesecloth. One more nuance: before opening a bottle of ginger ale, it must be thoroughly cooled in the refrigerator in advance, otherwise the drink will simply splash out.

Pour the alcoholic drink into glasses, garnish with mint, cinnamon or orange zest and serve.

womanadvice.ru

Ginger ale

We all know a huge number of types of beer. But among them there is one that stands apart - ginger ale (beer). This drink, in principle, only in color and foam can remind us of real beer. It is non-alcoholic in the classic version. But there are recipes that allow you to prepare it as an alcoholic drink. All this can be done at home without much difficulty. Your beer will differ from store-bought counterparts, only natural products. Ginger beer is a highly carbonated sweet drink brown in color with a strong ginger aroma. As a rule, it is drunk chilled in its pure form or added to strong alcoholic drinks (vodka, whiskey, gin). Ginger beer may taste like regular kvass, which may be a little sweeter. Instead of a malt base, it uses a mixture that consists of ginger, lemon and cane sugar. This drink was invented by the surgeon and American pharmacist Thomas Cantrell. The recipe for such beer first appeared in the 70s of the 19th century.

Non-alcoholic ginger beer recipe

Ingredients:

Preparation:

Grate the ginger root and mix it with sugar. Add lemon juice and mix thoroughly. Pour our mixture with cold sparkling mineral water. Let it sit for 5 minutes. Then strain the ginger beer through cheesecloth, add mint and a few slices of lemon. Serve to the table.

Alcoholic ginger beer recipe

Ingredients:

  • 25 g crushed ginger;
  • 400 g sugar;
  • 150 ml white wine;
  • 4 liters of water;
  • 15 g dry yeast.

Preparation:

Mix ginger with wine and sugar, pour hot water and let cool to 30°C. Add dry yeast. When fermentation is noticeable, after about 2-3 hours, pour ginger beer into a bottle and place it under a water seal (alternatively, you can put a medical glove on the bottle and make a hole in one of the fingers). We filter our drink through cheesecloth after 2 days. Pour it into bottles, close the lids tightly and put it in the refrigerator. After one day in the refrigerator, the ginger ale is ready to drink. It foams like real beer thanks to carbon dioxide.

Jamaican ginger ale

Ingredients:

  • 30 g cream of tartar;
  • 100 g ginger;
  • 2 kg cane sugar;
  • 4 lemons;
  • package of brewer's yeast.

Preparation:

Mix chopped lemon with skins, grated ginger, sugar and cream of tartar. Then cook this mixture for half an hour on low heat for half an hour. Cool until room temperature and add yeast. The mixture ferments for a day. Then we pour it into another container and leave it until fully ripe.

A little about the features of ginger beer:

  1. The second name for ginger beer is ginger lemonade.
  2. Pairs well with whiskey.
  3. Non-alcoholic ginger beer is often drunk by characters from the Harry Potter books.
  4. Used to treat headaches, coughs and indigestion.

oimbire.com

Ginger ale: properties of the drink and recipes

Nowadays, there are a large number of alcoholic and soft drinks, among which ale is very popular. This is a type of beer that is produced by rapid top fermentation at high temperatures, and the history of the appearance of this drink dates back to the Middle Ages. The drink comes in a variety of variations, including ginger ale. A number of questions arise: what is it, what is its composition, what properties does it have and how to prepare ginger ale at home? To answer all these questions, we need to turn to history. Namely, to the history of the creation of this drink. More on this later.

The history of ginger ale

Ginger ale is a highly carbonated drink that has a sweet taste and a slight aroma of ginger. It is customary to drink this drink both in its pure form and as an additional component. alcoholic cocktails. Ginger ale can be prepared both as an alcoholic and as a tonic drink that does not contain alcohol.

Ginger beer appeared in the mid-18th century in the English county of Yorkshire. Over time, the popularity of ale spread throughout England. And in the 20th century, at the very beginning, when there was prohibition in the USA, ginger ale was a kind of folk outlet. It was at this time that ginger beer gained the status of a fresh, tasty and tonic drink.

Composition and properties of ginger ale

The original recipe for the drink consists of products such as ginger root, granulated sugar, water, lemon juice and yeast.

The mixture was left to ferment for several days, after which an excellent ginger beer was obtained. Depending on the recipe, the drink may also contain honey, lemon or lime, fruit and tea tree petals. There are 2 types of ale: dark and light. Dark ale has a richer brown hue and brighter aroma than light ale.

Ginger ale is extremely effective for colds and other inflammatory processes, since its main ingredient, ginger, has very useful medicinal properties. This spice contains a large amount of vitamins and minerals, such as magnesium, phosphorus, silicon, potassium, calcium, vitamin C and others. Ginger works well as a pain reliever and has anti-inflammatory and soothing properties. However, there are some contraindications to drinking ginger ale. It should not be taken by people suffering from low, inflammatory skin diseases during exacerbation, with gastric ulcers and cholelithiasis. You should also refrain from drinking this drink during bleeding of various locations, in the 2nd and 3rd trimester of pregnancy and during breastfeeding.

Ginger Ale Recipes


To make ginger ale at home, you do not need to resort to any scientific technologies; you just need to choose a recipe to your taste and arm yourself with the necessary list of products. Let's take a closer look at how to prepare this drink.

The recipe for making non-alcoholic ginger ale includes:

  • ginger root – 150 g;
  • granulated sugar – 4 tbsp. spoons;
  • lemon – 3 pieces;
  • sparkling water – 3 l;
  • mint leaves to taste.

Fresh ginger root must be peeled and grated, then combined with granulated sugar. You need to remove the zest from the lemons, also finely grate them and add to the mixture of ginger and sugar. Peeled lemons must be passed through a juicer. Add the resulting juice to the ginger and fill the entire mixture with sparkling water. Let the resulting ale brew for 10 minutes, then strain the drink, pour into glasses and garnish with mint leaves.

The recipe for making a classic alcoholic ale includes:

  • sugar – 1 glass;
  • ginger root – 30 g;
  • lemon juice – half a glass;
  • dry yeast - half a teaspoon;
  • chilled water – 2 l.

Clean glass jar you need to add the dry ingredients, i.e. sugar and yeast, then add the peeled and grated ginger. Lemon juice It is necessary to mix thoroughly with ginger, granulated sugar and yeast until a homogeneous consistency is obtained. Cover this mixture with a lid and wait until the granulated sugar dissolves.

Then you need to add water to the jar with the ginger mixture, and then put the ale in a warm place for 2 days until the fermentation process starts. This recipe calls for a fermentation period of 24 to 48 hours, after which the ginger ale must be strained and refrigerated before serving.

The recipe for non-alcoholic ale with ginger and honey consists of:

  • 50 g fresh ginger;
  • 1 lemon;
  • 3 teaspoons honey;
  • 1 liter of mineral water.

In order to prepare the drink, you need to remove the zest from the lemon and combine it with finely grated peeled ginger. Then add honey to the lemon-ginger mixture and stir until it is completely dissolved. Leave this mixture to infuse, and after 10 minutes add it mineral water. Cover the container with the prepared ale tightly and place in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.

The recipe for ginger ale with raisins consists of:

  • 4 liters of cold water;
  • 200 g ginger root;
  • 3 lemons;
  • 0.5 kg sugar;
  • 100 g raisins.

This recipe requires painstaking and quite long work, but the result is worth it. In order to prepare this ginger ale, you need liter jar place the raisins, add the juice of 1 lemon along with the pulp, 2 teaspoons of sugar and 1 teaspoon of grated ginger. This entire mixture needs to be poured with 300 ml of water, covered with a thin cloth and left in a warm place for 3 days. After a given time, the mixture begins to ferment, and from that moment it must be “fed”, that is, add 2 teaspoons of sugar and 1 teaspoon of ginger every day for 7 days.

On the 10th day, add 0.5 kg of sugar to 600 ml of boiling water and stir until a clear syrup forms. Add the juice of the remaining lemons, stir and strain. Pour the resulting solution into the remaining water, mix thoroughly and pour into containers prepared in advance. Leave to brew for 4 days, then put in the refrigerator.

The recipe for ale with whiskey is also unusual. To prepare it you need:

  • 50 ml Scotch whiskey;
  • 150 ml previously prepared ginger ale;
  • half a lemon;
  • 200 g ice.

Fill a cocktail glass to the top with ice, pour in whiskey and ginger ale, squeeze in the juice of half a lemon. You can decorate a cocktail lemon zest or mint leaves. It is appropriate to use this recipe when holding a warm friendly party.
Cool in hot weather ginger drink serves as a direct salvation from thirst, because ginger gives a tonic effect, while lemon imparts pleasant freshness.

pro-imbir.ru

Recipe: Ginger Ale | Beer, brewing and beer mania.

All the ingredients for the ale are assembled!

A few comments on ingredients:

  • Today I’m making 5 liters of ginger ale, so there are 2-2.5 times more ingredients in the photo.
  • Ginger root is sold in stores and is quite inexpensive.
  • I use Saf Levure yeast for three reasons: it is proven, it is sold in many places, and only from this company have I seen yeast for drinks (blue packaging). But also regular ones (red) baker's yeast They work great, so whatever you find, use them.
  • You can also use regular sugar; it is needed for two things: so that the yeast has something to eat and process into alcohol, and also simply for sweetness. But reed, in my opinion, is significantly better. I buy foreign cane sugar, because in our country there is no GOST for such a concept, and you can often buy regular colored sugar, which you put in tea.
  • Be sure to boil water from the tap or from a household filter, and then cool it so that it is no more than 30-40 degrees; at higher temperatures, the yeast will die. I'm too lazy to boil and cool, so I use store-bought still water.

Let's start making ginger ale.

The first step is to wash the lemon and ginger well. Set aside the lemon for now and peel the ginger as you peel potatoes. Then rinse again.

Peeled the ginger and threw the skin into the trash

The next part can be done using a food processor, maybe a blender. I have neither one nor the other, so I use a fine grater. The smallest one that crumbles, or with small round holes - it doesn’t matter, with holes it’s easier because The ginger fibers constantly cling to the grater, but the effect is the same - I tested it. During the process, you can take a tablespoon and measure with it how much you have already grated, otherwise the first time I grated it was 2 times more than necessary.

Fork to the rescue

When there is a small piece left, and some pieces of ginger are quite small, to protect your fingers, use a fork, as shown in the photo above.

This is the ginger mass you get

Now it's the lemons' turn. For 2 liters, I use half, as stated in the recipe, or a whole lemon. Sometimes the lemon is small, sometimes it’s just a shame to throw it away. In general, it won’t get any worse, but it’s always better to follow the recipe. We only need juice from the lemon; for this purpose I have a miracle meat grinder, which with a flick of the hand turns into an elegant citrus juicer. If there is nothing at all, then insert a knife with a narrow blade perpendicular to the cut of the lemon so that it is stuck approximately in the middle and press manually - this way the main amount of juice will flow down the knife, and it will be easier for you to press when the pulp rests against the hard knife surface. Remember that you are working with a sharp object, so be careful and control your movements.

I leave the pulp in the juicer, I also throw it into the juice, you don’t have to throw it in

Squeeze the lemon into an empty container, and then add the previously grated ginger to the resulting juice. Then we set this container aside - let them make friends a little. Let's move on to water, sugar and yeast.

Set aside the ginger and juice, time for the rest of the ingredients

To make it more convenient, I poured water from a five-liter canister into a large saucepan. We won’t cook anything, I just mix all the ingredients already in a container, and then add water - it’s easier for me.

Pour sugar into an empty canister. The photo shows white sugar in a bottle - I forgot that this time I put 5 liters and bought 500 grams. sugar - 2 cups, instead of the prescribed three. I had to add a glass of regular one.

All the sugar in the bottle

Sprinkle yeast on top of sugar. Remember that a teaspoon is prepared for 5 liters, for 2 liters 1/4 teaspoon is enough. If the yeast eats too much sugar, it will create a nasty brew.

Add yeast to sugar

That's all ready, now it's like with an invite: just add water

Actually, we have nothing to wait for, fill the contents of the bottle with water, leaving 3 centimeters free to the lid, screw the lid tightly and shake thoroughly until all the sugar has dissolved. You can, of course, wait until it melts and then shake it a couple of times to stir, but almost a kilo of sugar will take a long time to melt, and 250 grams too, and we still have to wait for the final stage - the water seal.

Place the ginger ale under the water seal

Let me explain, just in case, what a water seal is and why it is needed. During the fermentation process, ale can actively release carbon dioxide, which sooner or later can simply burst your bottle if you do not give it a way out. But the difficulty here is that upon contact with oxygen, the fermentation products turn into vinegar instead of alcohol. Therefore, we have to kill two birds with one stone: vent excess gases and keep oxygen out. To do this, a fairly simple valve design is used, called a water seal. You can buy it in a store, or you can simply make it at home yourself.

To make a simple water seal, we need a tube from a medical dropper (sold in pharmacies, sterile), a cap from our bottle and a container partially filled with water - I use another bottle. We make holes in the cap of a bottle of ginger ale with a diameter slightly smaller than the pipe and manage to insert one into the other. Do it right the first time if you don't have spare caps. The goal is for air to flow only into the tube and not leak into the cracks between it and the lid. We twist our ale with a lid with straws, and lower their other ends into an auxiliary container with water so that under no circumstances do the straws come out of the water.

Everything is ready, there are only 4 days of agonizing waiting ahead

Since I have thin tubes, just in case, I made 2 holes and two tubes for more efficient gas removal. I’m not a pro yet and I can’t explain why, but it happens that with absolutely the same recipe and storage conditions, one batch of ale ferments intensely and seethes with a water seal, like a steam locomotive, while not a bubble escapes from the tubes of another.

In this form, we put the ginger ale somewhere where it won’t be knocked over by household members. There he will stand for the next two days. There is no need to let it ferment longer, the yeast will eat up all the sugar and you will end up with a bitter mash.

After 2 days, remove the water seal and put the ale in the refrigerator for another two days. Carefully! When opened, there may be a violent reaction to contact with oxygen. Be prepared to close the lid as you would with a shaken soda.

Another feature that makes it worth making ale in 2-liter bottles is that not everyone has space in their refrigerator to accommodate a 5-liter canister. After two days in the refrigerator, you must pour the finished ginger ale into any other container (even the same canister), passing it through cheesecloth. After which the ale can already be drunk, but I like to leave it for another day or two, then it becomes highly carbonated and more tasty, in my opinion.

I hope you enjoy my ginger ale recipe, although it has a very specific taste.

pivopennoe.ru

ale recipe

Dmitry Aleksandrovich

For the recipe you will need:

Dry light malt - 2.1kg

Crystal malt - 227g

Munich malt - 57g

Chocolate malt - 99g

Brown sugar - 227g

Dextrin powder - 113g

Gypsum - 1/2 tsp.

Salt - 3/4 tsp.

Hops - 80g

Water - 22l

Sugar - 3/4 cup

Yeast for ale - 14g.

Pour the malt with water, heat to 66°C and leave for about an hour in a warm place. Place a colander on the pan, discard the grains and rinse with hot water (up to 50°C). Use all liquid for further preparation. Dissolve dry malt, gypsum, Brown sugar, dextrin and salt in a volume of water equal to 7.5-8 liters and boil. Add the first variety of hops along with brown malt and cook for about half an hour. Add fragrant hops at the last moment. Cool the liquid to 20-25oC and add yeast. Pour the liquid into sterile containers, filling them 2/3 full. Ensure that the vessels are sealed and leave to ferment for 5-7 days. Carefully pour the finished beer into another vessel, being careful not to disturb the resulting sediment. You can do this in two stages with an interval of two days, and then you will get beer without sediment. Boil sugar and add to beer. Bottle the beer. Close the bottles, leaving some free space under the lid. Ale can be tasted after 1-3 weeks.

Ilyasovna

To make 10 liters of ginger ale:

* 3 and 3/4 pounds cane sugar (1 pound = 453 grams)
* 3 and 3/4 ounces grated fresh ginger root (1 ounce = 28.3 grams)
* 1 ounce of cream of tartar (crystalline sediment that falls out during wine production, alcoholic fermentation, aging and processing of wines).
* 4 lemons, quartered
* 1 packet of ale yeast

Cook all ingredients over low heat for 30 minutes. Cool to 17 degrees and add yeast. Leave to ferment for 24 hours, then strain. Let it ripen until fermentation ends.

In film production, it is used as a visual substitute for real beer to prevent actors from getting drunk.

What is ale? Ginger ale? Is this beer or not?

Natalia

Types and brands of ales:

Bitter
Light Ale
Mild Ale
India pale ale
Barley wine (Barley wine)
Stout
Porter
Brown ale
Old ale
Lambic
Alt

Mir@zh

ale is always beer

Denis Tereshchenko

Analogue of beer, alcohol

Alexander Tulenkov

El beer in English. They make it from the same thing as beer!

Master

This is something similar to beer, but it will be stronger. The stuff is delicious.

Maria

such booze. A K

Arina

This is Schweppes

Alena Lyakh

Ale (eng. ale) is a strong, bitter beer produced by rapid top fermentation at a relatively high temperature.
Ale has been known in England since at least the 15th century. , a similar drink without hops was brewed back in the 7th century.



Crafting recipe

Ingredients for 5 gallons:
3 and 3/4 pounds cane sugar
3 and 3/4 ounces grated fresh ginger root
1 ounce cream of tartar
4 lemons, quartered
1 packet ale yeast

It tastes like Soviet Buratino.

Ginger ales are presented in Russia under the Evervess and Schweppes brands.

Alex

Ginger Ale is a sweet, highly carbonated drink with the aroma of ginger.
Used neat or as a component of a cocktail with strong alcohol(vodka, gin, whiskey). In film production, it is used as a visual substitute for real beer to prevent actors from getting drunk.
Crafting recipe
Jamaican Ginger Ale (Boston Brewing Company recipe, no longer brewed).
Ingredients for 5 gallons:
* 3 and 3/4 pounds cane sugar
* 3 and 3/4 ounces grated fresh ginger root
* 1 ounce cream of tartar
* 4 lemons, quartered
* 1 packet of ale yeast
Cook all ingredients over low heat for 30 minutes. Cool to 17°C and add yeast. Leave to ferment for 24 hours, then strain. Let it ripen until fermentation ends.
It tastes like Soviet Buratino.
The drink was invented in the 70s of the 19th century.
Ginger ales are presented in Russia under the Evervess and Schweppes brands.

Perhaps it’s worth starting with the fact that this rather popular question is, in essence, not entirely correct. The fact is that beer means everything low alcohol drinks obtained as a result of alcoholic fermentation of malt wort. Thus, ale that falls entirely under this category is only one of the varieties of beer. That is, formally the question is: “how does ale differ from beer?” is the same nonsense as, say, the question: “how does grappa differ from brandy?”

However, in the beer culture inherent in the post-Soviet space, beer is actually identified with its other variety - lager. Accordingly, when asking the above question, a Russian-speaking lover of low-alcohol malt products actually wants to understand for himself how ale differs from lager. And this is the question that is really worth answering.

Modern ales

Before talking about the distinctive features of ale, it would be useful to determine which drinks are classified as this type of beer.

Today, almost the only place where the tradition of mass production and consumption of ale has been preserved is the British Isles. It is therefore not surprising that the vast majority of modern varieties of this drink are of British origin.

  1. Bitter ale

    Appeared in England around the 15th century. It got its name due to the addition of previously unknown hops to the drink.

  2. Pale ale

    Compared to the average bitter counterpart, it is a stronger and richer drink with a nutty and fruity flavor.

  3. India Ale (standard and double)

    Close to pale, but stronger and contains large quantity hops Thanks to these features, the drink could easily be transported to the most remote corners of the British Empire.

  4. Mild ale

    It is characterized by a pronounced malt flavor, low density and minimal alcohol content. This drink has both light and dark variations.

  5. Brown ale

    In addition to all shades of brown color, it has a strong malt flavor and a characteristic nutty aroma.

  6. Strong ale

    Superior to lighter versions in terms of density, alcohol content and malt intensity. Its taste may contain fruity notes or a sourish tint. Old, aged, and dark ales are also considered special varieties of strong ale.

  7. Barley wine

    A drink that often contains more than 10 degrees of alcohol. It has an extremely rich malt taste, but hop and fruity notes are also not alien to it.

  8. Red ale

    Beer with a rich red or reddish-amber color and a pronounced malt taste. The drink is especially popular among British Celts. Accordingly, it is divided into Irish and Scottish varieties. Irish red ale has buttery, creamy, and caramel flavor notes from the addition of corn, rice, or sugar.

  9. Scotch ale

    Malt wash, from which local whiskey is distilled. This drink has a completely predictable full-bodied malt taste and a smoky aroma unusual for its English counterparts.

  10. Porter

    A very dark drink made from highly dried barley grains and so-called roasted malt. According to its characteristics, it also belongs to the category of ales. It has a pronounced nutty flavor and increased foaminess. In addition to the classic English porter, today there is a strong (rich) porter, popular among American producers, as well as Baltic porter, flavored with nuts, caramel or licorice, produced in the countries of the region of the same name.

  11. Stout

    An Irish derivative of brown porter, distinguished by the presence of distinct coffee notes and a burnt taste in the flavor bouquet, as well as perfect light resistance. Nowadays, along with the classic version, containing a relatively high percentage of alcohol, there are the sour oyster stout, the Irish dry stout, its English sweet “colleague” containing lactose, as well as the imperial and tropical stouts that easily endure the vicissitudes of transportation.

In addition, the concept of ale includes such drinks as Trappist beer produced in Belgium, Holland and France (including the famous Quadrupel), red or Burgundy (according to the wine color of the drink) Flanders ale of Belgian origin, Bavarian Wheat beer, as well as The old beer comes from Dusseldorf, Germany.

Ale is different from beer according to several significant parameters. When making ale, the method of top alcoholic fermentation, known to the Sumerians and ancient Egyptians, is used. It is based on the lightness inherent in yeast fungi growing in the Old World. During the fermentation process, such yeast inevitably floats to the surface of the liquid, forming a kind of cap. Only with the discovery of America did a heavier variety of yeast come to Europe, which settles during fermentation to the bottom of a vat or barrel. Subsequently, it was these yeasts that began to be used in the production of lager.

Ale fermentation temperatures range between 15 and 24°C as lighter yeasts prefer heat. Their overseas counterparts feel much more comfortable at lower temperatures (5-14°C, and sometimes lower). The latter circumstance makes it possible to reduce the rate of reproduction of various microorganisms in the liquid, and thereby protect the beer from rapid souring. However, the possibility of using American yeast on an industrial scale, and therefore introducing lager into mass production, appeared only with the invention of powerful refrigeration units.

Fermentation at higher temperatures, accompanied by an intense release of various ester compounds and natural flavors, makes the ale brighter and richer, although less stable and controllable than lager.

In addition, thanks to the same thermal factor, the process of primary ripening of ale occurs much faster than in the case of lager. It lasts on average from two weeks to two months.

Classic ale, unlike lager, is not pasteurized or filtered. Therefore, he continues to wander, as the English say, until the last drop. This “live” drink has an incomparably brighter and more individual taste, but its shelf life is limited to a few days.

And finally, the vast majority of ales have historically been designed not to achieve alcoholic intoxication, but to quench thirst. Accordingly, compared to the average lager, ale contains an order of magnitude less alcohol and significantly less carbon dioxide.

Summarizing all of the above, it can be noted that from the point of view of the direct consumer, ale is weaker, richer and more capricious, while lager is a stronger, stable and transportable drink.

At the same time, it is worth emphasizing that the capriciousness and instability of ale, as a rule, lies in the fact that it can be either good or excellent. It’s not for nothing that, as one of our readers noted, when blind tasting various varieties of a foamy drink, beer lovers in the overwhelming majority of cases choose not lager, but ale.

The answer to the question of how ale differs from beer in taste or appearance may surprise an inexperienced lover of this drink. The fact is that all varieties and varieties of beer that are produced today belong to one of two large groups - ales or lagers. Thus, comparing ale with beer is incorrect - these are not two different types, but one included in the other.

The key difference between ale and lager beer is different types yeast that ferments at different temperatures. The result is two fundamentally different drinks: a light, refreshing and versatile lager and a complex, multi-faceted and whimsical ale.

Lager

The yeast used to make lager is collected at the bottom of the fermentation tank. This is where the concept of “bottom fermentation” comes from, which can be found in the description of various types of beer. Lager yeast begins to actively ferment already at a temperature of 8 degrees and absorbs everything nutrients that they can detect. The resulting beer is less sweet than ale and contains fewer flavor notes.

Another difference is the aging conditions. The lager is aged at a very low temperature - from 0 to 7 degrees. In such conditions, the beer spends about a month, after which it acquires the famous refreshing taste and light aroma.

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When making ale, the yeast is collected at the top of the vat, and the fermentation temperature is maintained between 15 and 22 degrees. The ale resulting from such fermentation can be compared in properties to wine: the taster will find many subtle notes in its taste, but it cannot be served with any dishes. Each type of ale goes well with certain dishes and snacks.

The conditions for aging and storing ale also differ. The aging period of the ale is several weeks, and the temperature is from 4 to 13 degrees. Soft conditions extracts allow you to preserve rich taste qualities ale. For this reason, ale is rarely served chilled: in order to reveal all the facets of the taste and aroma of ale, it must be drunk at room temperature.

Thus, there is no difference between ale and beer at all, and ale and lager can only be compared from the perspective of their properties - they are so different.

The most popular question that owners, bartenders and regulars hear is: what is the difference between ale and beer? There is no answer to it, because the question itself is fundamentally wrong. To understand this, you will have to dive into the topic of types of foamy drink.

Traditionally, Russian residents associate beer with light lager, so when trying ale, they ask themselves the question mentioned above. In fact, ale, like lager, is a type of beer, so asking how it differs from a foamy drink is not entirely correct.

Distinctive features of ale

So what is the difference between ale and beer in our usual understanding? Here are a few main points:

  • The ale is produced using top-fermentation technology. Brewer's yeast is light enough to float to the top and form a head. Lager is prepared differently, using heavier fungi that settle to the bottom of the barrel.
  • Light yeast loves heat, so ale fermentation occurs at temperatures from +15 to +24 degrees. Such conditions cause intense release of essential compounds and natural flavors. This makes the beer richer but less stable.
  • Classic ale remains alive until the last drop. It is neither filtered nor pasteurized. That is why the drink has such a bright, unforgettable taste.
  • Ale contains much less alcohol than lager. The fact is that initially this type of beer was used to quench thirst, and alcoholic drink became much later. The preparation technology has remained unchanged, therefore, compared to lager, ale contains less carbon dioxide.

Types of ale

To never confuse ale and lager, just remember which drinks exactly belong to the ale family:

  • Bitter, pale, India, soft, brown, strong ale;
  • Barley wine;
  • Scotch ale;
  • Porters;
  • Stouts;
  • Trappist beer.

Want to know for yourself the difference between ale and top-fermented beer? Check out the German pub Jager Haus!

An easy drinking pint, often with subtle flavours. The balance is slightly malty at times with an initial soft toffee/caramel sweetness, a slightly biscuit-grainy flavor and a touch of roasted dryness on the finish. Some versions may place more emphasis on caramel and sweetness, while others emphasize grainy flavor and toasted dryness.

Aroma:

Low to moderate malt aroma, either neutral grainy or with a slight caramel toasty toffee character. May have a very slight oily character (although this is not required). Hop aroma is low, earthy or floral to absent (usually not present). Quite clean.

Appearance:

Medium amber to medium reddish copper. Transparent. Low head, creamy to brownish, medium longevity.

Taste:

Moderate to very low caramel malt flavor and sweetness, sometimes with a toffee or lightly buttered toast character. The flavor is often quite neutral and grainy, and can take on light toast or biscuit notes, ending with a light roasted grain flavor that gives the finish a characteristic dryness. Optional light earthy or floral hop flavor. Medium to medium-low hop bitterness. Finish is medium dry to dry. Clean and round. There are few or no airwaves. The balance leans slightly towards the malt side, although the use of a small amount of roasted grain may slightly increase the perceived bitterness.

Mouthfeel:

Medium-light to medium body, although examples with low diacetyl content may have a slightly slippery feel (not necessarily). Moderate carbonation. Round. Moderately fermented.

Comments:

There are several variations within the style, so the recommendations are broad enough to cover them all. Traditional Irish examples are relatively lightly hopped, grainy, with a slight toasty dryness on the finish, and overall fairly neutral. Modern export samples are more caramel and sweet, and there may be more esters. American craft versions are often stronger versions of Irish export examples. A growing Irish craft beer scene is exploring bitterer versions of traditional beers. Finally, there are some commercial examples that sound Irish but are essentially international amber lagers, with a slightly sweet flavor and low bitterness. These recommendations are based on traditional Irish examples, with minor allowances for export and modern Irish craft versions.

Story:

While Ireland has a rich ale brewing heritage, modern Irish red ale is essentially an adaptation or interpretation of English bitters with less hopping, and a little toastiness that adds color and dryness. Rediscovered in Ireland as a craft style, it now forms a major part of most breweries' lineups, along with pale ale and stout.

Characteristic Ingredients:

Typically a little roasted barley or black malt for a reddish color and a dry, roasty finish. Basic light malt. Historically, caramel malts were imported and more expensive, so not all brewers used them.

Style Comparison:

A less bitter and hoppy Irish equivalent with a drier finish due to the presence of roasted barley. More fermented, less caramel flavor and body than the same gravity.