Matt Tremblay is the author of "The Home Brewing Success Blueprint"
Home Brewing | Beer Making Courses
The funny thing about pale ale is that of all things, pale it is not. Its coloration is normally between bronze and amber-red. Some early drinkers of pale ale are recorded as referring to it as a "thick and muddy" brew. The beer itself can be reliably traced back to the mid 1700s where a brewery by the name of Hodgson's near London, England produced its beer for the giant East India Company. The style first reached mainstream popularity in the mid 1800s, and has been going strong ever since.
A true to style pale ale can usually be described as being moderately hopped, with a slight nuttiness (and maltiness) usually as a result of the pale ale malt used by most brewers to produce this type of beer. Traditional high grade pale ales are cask conditioned. By that I mean they spend time in oak kegs to mature, with the oak usually imparting some flavor enhancements to the maturing beer.
Somewhat of a sub category of pale ales is "India Pale Ales (IPA)". There is a fascinating story behind the creation of the IPA.
At around the time that pale ales were coming into popularity, British colonialism was at its peak. The need for a beer that would keep well on its journey to supply the beer drinkers of the empire was massive. But there was a dilemma. Since no one had invented an effective means of keeping beer cold to prevent it from spoiling, the precious cargo brought to the new worlds would go bad during the long voyage. Fortunately, a solution was soon discovered:
They decided to use the natural preservative qualities of hops to their advantage by adding what by today's standards would seem to be massive quantities of hops to the beer. It likely took a while for beer drinkers to get used to this new incredibly bitter drink, but it really caught on. The style began to flourish even back home in Britain.
Even though today there are still very few examples of true "IPA" that are hopped as extensively as they were in the Victorian era, some similar examples are available from local microbreweries. Their simple isn't enough of a market for any of the big manufacturers to take on brewing a beer with that kind of intense bitterness.
Classic Producers:
Bass
Marston's
Samuel Smith
Sierra Nevada
Summit
- Related Videos
- Related Articles
- Ask / Related Q&A
- Things To Remember When Home Brewing Beer
- Flavored Home Brew Beer: It's Time For a Change
- Home Brewing Recipes Make Some of the Best Beer
- Home Brewing Beer - A Fantastic Hobby and Pastime - If You Know How!
- Making Beer at Home - What Home Brew Beer Kit is Best?
- Home Brewing Beer – Women Can Get In On The Suds Too!
- 5 Reasons You Start Home Brewing Beer with a Homebrew Kit
- 5 Reasons You Should Start Home Brewing Beer With a Homebrew Kit
What You Need To Know About Herbs and Growing Them
By: Pat Mctigue | 02/12/2009Herbs and growing them is a very relaxing hobby. Growing herbs is not as difficult as some would think. While many may have a green thumb that turns everything brown, herbs are quite forgiving provided you don’t forget about them.
O Scale Model Trains –Take Another Look
By: Scott Olewiler | 02/12/2009I think some of the current appeal for O scale trains is the memories we have from childhood of playing with those 3railed oval tracks, which were easy to replace after a derailment, something kid's hands just struggle with in HO scale, let alone N scale or Z scale. The appeal of O scale to me is partly that and partly something else.
Find out more about American prototype Marklin model trains
By: Philip Redfearn | 02/12/2009American prototype Marklin model trains are often only used by a small and tight knit group of enthusiasts. This is because Marklin is a German based company and usually creates trains for the European market. In general they manufacture models on a three rail track, which is something very uncommon in North America.
College Football Week 13 - 6 Top 25 Teams Upset on the Road, Bloom Comes Off of the ACC Title Game
By: Ed Bagley | 02/12/2009Six AP Top 25 teams can testify what a pain in the butt road games are—all were upset during college football's 13th week of play, and 2 of the 6 will be facing off in the Atlantic Coast Conference championship game this week. The away losers included Georgia Tech, Clemson, Pittsburgh, Oklahoma State, Mississippi and North Carolina. Read the full story.
Addressing Spam Aion Kinah
By: hally | 02/12/2009As executive producer Lance Stites time for some of the key issues raised in the Aion community last week, had the address for targeting other issue is a priority for the team here at NCsoft: game traffic money Real (RMT), and advertising as "spam for aion kinah." These activities are something that we are now actively fighting. They are also something that can help us, and something that is constantly challenged necessary in the future.
Ed Bagley's Top 25 Poll - Week 13 - 6 Upsets Scramble the Rankings
By: Ed Bagley | 02/12/2009Six AP Top 25 teams can testify how dangerous road games are—all were upset during college football's 13th week of play, and 2 of the 6 will be facing off in the Atlantic Coast Conference championship game this week. The away losers included Georgia Tech, Clemson, Pittsburgh, Oklahoma State, Mississippi and North Carolina. These events caused changes in my Top 25 Poll. Here is how I see it this week:
Build A Simple Hovercraft Using This New Guide
By: Gary Bansir | 01/12/2009If you want to learn how to build a simple hovercraft this is the guide that will show you how to do it. It wont cost a fortune, and it can be done in under 12 hours.
Finally A Complete DIY Hovercraft Building Guide
By: Gary Bansir | 01/12/2009After trying to build a diy hovercraft and failing many times, its great to get my hands on a step-by-step guide. Maybe now I'll stop sinking?
Beers of the World Featuring: the Ponderous "pale Ale"
By: Matt Tremblay | 13/11/2006 | HobbiesBecome a Beer Connoisseur! Discover the Beers of the World.
How to Easily Craft Delicious Root Beer and Soda in your Home Kitchen
By: Matt Tremblay | 05/10/2006 | Art & EntertainmentHow to Easily Craft Delicious Root Beer and Soda in Your Home Kitchen