Norfolkdave
05-06-2006, 01:41 PM
English Real Ale or Roo Water from Australia.......:lmao Hopped beer or Organic beer that our old ponigranit drinks................ROUND ONE.
You can't read much about English beers without running into the term "real ale." While the subject encompasses more subtle issues, a basic definition can be provided in 35 words or less:
"A name for a draught (or bottled) beer brewed from traditional ingredients, matured by secondary fermentation in the container from which it is dispensed and served without the use of extraneous carbon dioxide."
The pinnacle of real ale is represented by "cask-conditioned ale"-the usual draft format for serving such products. A cask is a stainless steel (or occasionally wood) barrel which is made to be laid on its side while the beer is served. The term "cask-conditioned" indicates that secondary fermentation of the ale has taken place inside the cask.
A group called the Campaign for Real Ale (http://www.camra.co.uk/) (CAMRA) in Britain has been working since 1971 to revive and preserve the traditions of "real" and "cask-conditioned" ale. Fortunately, they have been quite successful. Draft bitters and some pale ales may be "real ales" when you drink them in the UK these days.
It is hard for a U.S. consumer to understand British beer without tasting a good British ale. British ales are generally fruitier, softer, and more delicate than their U.S. counterparts, and often have more nuanced hop character. Getting a feel for what CAMRA has been able to preserve in Britain involves going further than just seeking out a pint of the ubiquitous Newcastle Brown Ale or Bass Pale Ale. In many major U.S. markets there is a thriving niche market supported by smaller importers of bottle-conditioned British ales. King and Barnes, Young & Co., and Fuller's are independent British brewers with bottle-conditioned (containing live yeast) products represented in the U.S. market. Many other labels from more eclectic, outstanding small brewers are also sporadically available. Some enterprising importers have even managed to successfully air-freight cask-conditioned (i.e., with live yeasts) real ale to the United States for a select handful of American bars.
Beyond the artisanal beers there is an increasing selection of canned and bottled English ales available to the U.S. consumer, most of which are of good quality when fresh, and represent a contrast to the styles of beer available from U.S. micros. For instance, Yorkshire brewer Samuel Smith's ales represent a good cross-section of the diversity of ale styles from England, and are readily available in well-stocked beer retail shops.:wa:
You can't read much about English beers without running into the term "real ale." While the subject encompasses more subtle issues, a basic definition can be provided in 35 words or less:
"A name for a draught (or bottled) beer brewed from traditional ingredients, matured by secondary fermentation in the container from which it is dispensed and served without the use of extraneous carbon dioxide."
The pinnacle of real ale is represented by "cask-conditioned ale"-the usual draft format for serving such products. A cask is a stainless steel (or occasionally wood) barrel which is made to be laid on its side while the beer is served. The term "cask-conditioned" indicates that secondary fermentation of the ale has taken place inside the cask.
A group called the Campaign for Real Ale (http://www.camra.co.uk/) (CAMRA) in Britain has been working since 1971 to revive and preserve the traditions of "real" and "cask-conditioned" ale. Fortunately, they have been quite successful. Draft bitters and some pale ales may be "real ales" when you drink them in the UK these days.
It is hard for a U.S. consumer to understand British beer without tasting a good British ale. British ales are generally fruitier, softer, and more delicate than their U.S. counterparts, and often have more nuanced hop character. Getting a feel for what CAMRA has been able to preserve in Britain involves going further than just seeking out a pint of the ubiquitous Newcastle Brown Ale or Bass Pale Ale. In many major U.S. markets there is a thriving niche market supported by smaller importers of bottle-conditioned British ales. King and Barnes, Young & Co., and Fuller's are independent British brewers with bottle-conditioned (containing live yeast) products represented in the U.S. market. Many other labels from more eclectic, outstanding small brewers are also sporadically available. Some enterprising importers have even managed to successfully air-freight cask-conditioned (i.e., with live yeasts) real ale to the United States for a select handful of American bars.
Beyond the artisanal beers there is an increasing selection of canned and bottled English ales available to the U.S. consumer, most of which are of good quality when fresh, and represent a contrast to the styles of beer available from U.S. micros. For instance, Yorkshire brewer Samuel Smith's ales represent a good cross-section of the diversity of ale styles from England, and are readily available in well-stocked beer retail shops.:wa: