Why the distinction between Beer and Ale?

So the whole "beer is anything below 5% and ale is anything above 5%" is gone? sweet.

 

Yeah, couple years ago legislation was changed. The news is trickling down to the rest of the country.

Funny thing is -- either Europe hasn't heard, or they have one hell of an inventory of labels!

 

And thus ended the confusing need for aleadvocate.com.

 

Porter's ARE ales, though...

 

You really need to go back and read the whole thread...

 

Yes, TX is beginning to move away from it's archaic, misinformed beer laws. The craft scene is subsequently flourishing.

Back on topic...porterbeeralestoutbierlagermaltbeverage

 

My eyes do not gleam...thankyouverymuch. Maybe that IS the problem.

 

Yeah, probably. I will admit that I am being lazy at this point. My bad.

 

Ale is beer, but not all beer is ale.

 

Agreed. But we shouldnt stick rigidly to it, just be informed by it. Flow with the changes. If we are going to be bound by the past, then ales cant be hopped. That changed, and then it changed again (at least in US English). Such is life and language.

 

No, its saying that we speak a different language from the Germans and Brits.

Its a different manner of classification. Using the same terms admittedly confuses things, but not that much, in context. As Ive mentioned before, I see dinosaurs flying around every day. Its a different classification system than the one that causes people to think "T Rex" when someone says dinosaur.

 

I see where you're coming from. But a classification system which places different beer types under the name of just one of them seems both unnecessary , misleading and pointless. By all means place Poodles, Retrievers and Dachshunds under a single heading of "dogs" , just don't call them all Poodles.
Actually ales became hopped centuries ago (otherwise we would have had no IPA) , Beers metamorphosed into Porters.

 

Its a system that places under a heading determined by type of yeast.

It may not be the only, or even the best, way to do it, but it is a sensible system.

"Ales" are brewered with S. cerevisiae.
"Lagers" are brewerd with S. pastorianus.

We will need a 3rd name when someone brews a beer with S. eubayanus. And Brett just confuses everything.

It may not be the naming convention in Germany or Britain, but it works here.

 

So all I have to do is choose one of these yeasts and make my own Hefeweizen?

Just like every other lazy shortcut Americans fall back on, unfortunately.

 

Must have been awesome to sip beer during live Hendrix, Stones, Doors, etc.

 

Interesting side note: In England the distinction is usually between "Beer" and "Lager" with the former referring to ales (top fermented malt beverages of all varieties). This is because Lagers broke so late over there (c.a. 1960's) and the word "Beer" came to use long before that. The word "ale" itself is less commonly used and is more of a heritage- and/or technical term.

Here is Fuller's head brewer describing Honey Dew as "a great way to introduce Lager drinkers to a [real] Beer":

 

Captain Slow. AKA James May. He was in Fuller's advertisements last I was in London.

 

The British also use the term "lager" to refer only to fizzy, yellow, crap beers like Stella, Bud, etc., as in your quote. He's not talking about people who drink Dopplebocks, etc. A number of times, during trips there, I've gotten mildly frustrated talking with them because they have such a narrow meaning for lager. Cask ale drinkers there often insist lagers are all lousy beers.

 

Lager has been brewed in the UK since the 19th century
http://barclayperkins.blogspot.co.uk/2013/11/lagers-during-ww-i.html
but was very much a minority drink until the 1970s.
Ale in Britain is all other beer except stout and porter.
http://zythophile.wordpress.com/2010/10/11/look-will-you-all-stop-misusing-the-word-ale-thank-you/