Oh Kevin, don't get me started.....oh drat, you already did!!
Ale is beer. Beer is not necessarily Ale.
Beer is a generic term for what you get after the brewing process.
You must make beer first, in order to make Whiskey. You must make wort before making beer.
Ale is a top fermented beer, generally fermented quicker at higher overall tempertures. Lagers and Pilsners are bottom fermented beer, which I affectionately now refer to as, simply, SWILL. :barf:
I don't mean to offend anyone, really, but, i can no longer drink a Pilsner or Lager.
Ale is the oldest out of the three. A Pilsner is essentially a Lager, but is a distinct sub-set, characteristic of a lighter taste, and higher clarity.
Now comes US Laws which is what cloud people's brains. "Ale" is the term mandated by some state law for any beverage fermented from grain, with an alcoholic strength above that which can legally be named "beer," without regard to the method of fermentation or the yeast used. This distinction is not obsolete, but it is idiosyncratic and varies depending upon laws.
So, in the US (North America) people tend to think Beer is Beer, and Ale is Ale.
it's just a govt consipracy, pay it no mind.
Suffice to say, generally, Ales can be ramped up in Alchohol content, while Pilsners and Lagers generally hover at or below 5% ABV. Guinness is an Ale, yet it is only 4.5% ABV. So, it is not scientific fact that ALEs are always higher in ABV than lagers, but they can acheive much higher numbers depending on how they are brewed.
I am a fan of Pale Ales, and more specifically, India Pale Ales.
India Pale Ales have a higher ABV and bitterness, but are offset by larger rate of hopping, which tends to balance the Flavor-Bittereness-ABV
You end up with an Ale of higher alchohol content, not overly bitter, and still a great full flavor.
I can't remember the last time I drank an IPA under 6% ABV
6% ABV is almost considered "Light" in the IPA world.
It is an acquired taste, especially if you have been drinking Pilsners and Lagers. Once you acquire the taste, you will never go back.
SO, tell us more about this Canadian Survival Kit???
)
. Heres to our neighbors to the north (south in my case). Thank you for some of my favorite things. Molson, hockey and Crown Royal!