ale

noun

\ ˈāl

\

Definition of ale

1 : an alcoholic beverage brewed especially by rapid fermentation from an infusion of malt with the addition of hops

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

More than 100 years ago, British brewers like Horace Brown noticed that dry hopping led to more re-fermentation in casks of ale. — Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, "How to get that great “hoppy” beer taste without the exploding bottles," 5 Oct. 2018 Even the natural ales that have visible chunks ginger floating in them are still filled with sugar (check the label; anything above zero grams is too much sugar). — Chloe Metzger, Marie Claire, "Ginger Ale Isn't Good for Upset Stomachs," 9 Oct. 2018 Most North American brewers looked to traditional European brewing cultures for inspiration: British ales or Belgian or German beers, according to Shellhammer. — Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, "How to get that great “hoppy” beer taste without the exploding bottles," 5 Oct. 2018 Meanwhile, the Sauvignon Blanc balances the ale with crisp, mineral tasting notes. — Claudia Mcneilly, Vogue, "Wine-Beer Is the Perfect Hybrid Drink to Sip From Summer to Fall," 3 Aug. 2018 Dome Faux'm cream ale, 8th Wonder Brewery's signature, is at various portables on all levels and the Centerfield Market. — Craig Hlavaty, Houston Chronicle, "A drinker's guide to the beer and booze options at Minute Maid Park," 11 Apr. 2018 Multiple rooms inside and cask-ale area outside make for a great venue. — Marc Bona, cleveland.com, "Winter Warmer Fest packs in beer-loving crowd, many brewers," 4 Mar. 2018 That means a wider audience for Alpine's beloved ales, including Nelson. — Fox News, "Best American IPA beers," 30 Oct. 2015 Drinks: Wake up with the Pick Me Up, a blend of Journeyman Snaggle Tooth coffee liqueur, rye, bitters, Dark Matter cold brew coffee and cream ($14) or go for a beermosa made with Aleman Brewing's LadiesMan wheat ale ($6). — Samantha Nelson, RedEye Chicago, "Do summer right with these 15 new Chicago brunches," 1 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'ale.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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More Definitions for ale

ale

noun

English Language Learners Definition of ale

: an alcoholic drink that is similar to beer

See the full definition for ale in the English Language Learners Dictionary

ale

noun

\ ˈāl

\

Kids Definition of ale

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

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