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

Guillaume, Pizza Port, Ocean Beach, Belgian session/other Belgian ale category. —Peter Rowe, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Mar. 2024

Winter Cask Classic at Denizens Brewing Cask ale — the flavorful, naturally carbonated beer traditionally served in British pubs — is hard to find around the D.C. area. —Chris Kelly, Washington Post, 1 Feb. 2024

Pour it into tall glasses, where the bubbles dance like snowflakes, and sip on the citrusy aroma of this Christmas ale. —Jessica Chapel, Condé Nast Traveler, 1 Dec. 2023

Today — March 25, 2024 — is Oberon Day, the annual release of Bell's Brewery's beloved summer wheat ale, which many in Michigan consider to be the symbolic beginning to warm temperatures ahead in the state. —Brian Manzullo, Detroit Free Press, 25 Mar. 2024

On the way, two drop out of the mission, but are waiting, ales in hand, for the others’ return. —Sara C. Hahn, The New Yorker, 19 Mar. 2024

These ales are served at cellar temperature — usually 50 to 55 degrees. —Jay R. Brooks, The Mercury News, 12 Mar. 2024

Ariel ale, most of the handwritten signs held aloft during demonstrations have read: Get out, Ariel. —Amy Wilentz, The Atlantic, 7 Mar. 2024

The medium-bodied ale incorporates essential flavors from the ice cream, featuring notes of lemon, pie crust, and lemon tart candies. —Haadiza Ogwude, The Enquirer, 1 Mar. 2024

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

Kids Definition

ale

noun

ˈā(ə)l 

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