VCF Europa & My Appearance at Oxford

From: Aaron Christopher Finney <af-list_at_wfi-inc.com>
Date: Fri Apr 21 14:39:51 2000

On Fri, 21 Apr 2000, Roger Merchberger wrote:

> Erm... if you don't want to upset the locals, call it an "ale." ;-)
> Technically, however, beer is made with hops as a bittering agent, ale is
> made with spices other than hops, IIRC.

Technically, yes. Ale goes all the way back to Sumeria, and was composed
of malted grains, yeast, and water. Around the 15th-16th centuries, hops
was added for bittering and as a natural preservative. Beer has become,
however, a generic term for Ales (using hops), Real Ales (traditional
ancient recipe), Lagers, and others. Of course the difference between an
"ale" and a "lager" is the fermentation temperature and type of yeast
used.

Cheers,

Aaron (who has an IPA finishing secondary right now...already delicious!)
Received on Fri Apr 21 2000 - 14:39:51 BST