ale

noun

ˈāl 

1

: 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

2

: 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

At Turn Verein, the area’s German community center, revelers will have the opportunity to watch traditional dancing, listen to folk and polka bands and of course, drink steins of authentic German ale alongside classic Bavarian fare. — Camila Pedrosa, Sacbee.com, 9 Oct. 2026

Wash it down with a glass of Red Brick Hoplanta ale, brewed in Atlanta’s Upper Westside. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Oct. 2026

But the brewery, which has a partnership with the newsroom that led to the creation of a light and lemony ale called Tell the Truth, did have one. — Jodi S. Cohen, ProPublica, 5 Oct. 2026

Russell Farm Brewery, which offers small-batch coffee, modern meads and hard slushies as well as ales and lagers. — Janet Fullwood, Mercury News, 28 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Old English ealu; akin to Old Norse ǫl ale, Lithuanian alus

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing ale

• cream ale
• ginger ale
• India pale ale
• pale ale
• pot ale

Rhymes for ale

• ail
• bail
• baile
• dail
• fail
• flail
• frail
• gael
• gail
• grail
• hail
• jail

Kids Definition

ale

noun

ˈā(ə)l 

: an alcoholic drink made from malt and flavored with hops that is usually more bitter than beer