what is real ale?
'Real ale', also called 'cask-conditioned' ale or
beer, is brewed from traditional natural ingredients, essentially hops, yeast,
water and 'malted' barley (barley that has been soaked in water and allowed to
germinate, releasing its sugars, and then heated both to stop the germination,
and also depending on extent of heating, to affect flavour, colour and 'body'
of the beer). Other additional ingredients can be used for different beer types
and flavours, and to aid the brewing process. Yeast, hops and the type of water
also significantly affect the flavour and nature of the beer, as does brewing
time, temperature, and vessels and equipment used.
There are two main myths about cask
ale. the first is that all real ale is strong, the second is that
it is always served warm. In fact, cask ale comes in many forms, from
a low strength Mild of around 3.2 per cent alcohol by volume, a Bitter
of 3.5 to 3.8 per cent, a Best or Special Bitter of 4 to 4.5 per cent,
an Extra
Special Bitter of 5 per cent or more, and then even more powerful Old
Ales, Barley Wines and Winter Warmers that can reach as high as 10 or
11 per
cent. Cask-conditioned
beer, by its very nature and method of production, is cellared and served
at a higher temperature than lager and is normally stored and served at
around 12 degrees C/57 degrees F, not warm, and it is
this temperature that
best
expresses the
skill of the brewer in developing rich, ripe and tempting aromas and
flavours in
his brews. Warm beer has unpleasant tastes, while real ale that is served
too cold loses those rich malt and hop aromas the brewer has created.
Cask-conditioned ale
is one of the wonders of the beer world. No other style can offer such
depth and complexity. |
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