Poll: Ale or Lager?

Ale all the way for me!

 

Ale. Sorry lager, I love you but...

 

I think over-all, ales are more complex and varied, and the brewer is able to be more creative with them, and as such I voted ale, but a really well-crafted later, i.e. a Vienna later, Marzen, Dopplebock, Munich dunkle, etc. are absolute things of beauty, and are among my favorite styles of beer!

 

Just another boring vote for ales...ho hum...

 

Love both but I look at it this way... if I had to have one beer the rest of my life, it's going to be an Oktoberfest of some sort (Great Lakes, Rhinegeist, Paulaner Wiesn Bier). I vote Lager.

 

I have had bad pizza

 

I agree with you, mostly. There are exceptions to the rule. You dont have to choose to ignore styles (of you are in distro or have a friend naturally). Obviously most breweries dont do this (space, time, cost) but they could.
http://jacksabbybrewing.com

 

Ahh, that's a vintage poster that dates back probably more years than any of us have been alive and is from the country where Porters were first brewed.

 

Intentional or not... that's funny!

 

The poster is dated 1877 but Brewery was in Boston.

 

Ahh, missed that second point. Thanks!

 

What does my avatar say?

 

The thing I love most about the micro revolution is that when I got old enough to drink anything (1957 in Ohio) in my area there were only two ales available but I liked them both far better than the other BMC stuff-they were Carling's Red Cap and Pabst Old Tankard. (I have no sweet tooth at all and loved the bitter taste even of these tame ales.) Was in NY when micros were first available there. My first few included Geary's Pale, Shipyard IPA and the original Red Hook IPA. What a freaking revelation!. Then we began to get Middle Ages ImPaled Ale and Beast Bitter.

 

CAMRA for one defines it as such right in the FAQ section of their website. BJCP states very clearly (in the paragraph right before your quote) that in modern craft brewing the most general categorization is by yeast type. Two paragraphs later it states "These guidelines attempt to use the modern craft beer definitions of ale, lager, and wild as the major groupings of beer styles" so BJCP obviously agrees with that definition as well. I'm lazy to research it, but would wager that the American Homebrew Association and other American beer "authorities" would define it that way as well.
Personally, I don't see why anyone would object to a kölsch or altbier being called a lagered ale...but I'm sure some would. In any case, BA puts kölsch under German Ales and other websites like germanbeerinstitute.com call it an ale based on the yeast as well.
In any case, the original point was if ales and stouts were different things. Other than in a historical context, I can't see it. Today's connotation (and denotation as far as I can see) is that one refers to a top-fermented beer and the other is a particular style category.
I'm perfectly happy to agree to disagree.

 

Now you are quoting the BJCP!

 

I think he's using it as an example that they may actually be turning a corner... but I won't try to put words in Marquis' mouth.

 

Definitions can change, organizations can change. Ales don't use hops. That statement was true long ago, 16th century or so. Hops are a vile and pernicious weed.

 

204 to 32 when I voted. I think we have driven straight through just being ugly and are approaching beaten with an ugly stick ugly.

 

Whenever I'm in Europe I explain that the Canadians are the nice North Americans. It is an explanation that is, sadly, often accurate.
But on the question of Ales and Lagers I always enjoy the passion the discussion invokes. And, while I love IPAs (ale) I do enjoy a nice lager in the NC summer heat and a nice stout/porter (I also enjoy the discussion on the difference between stout and porter) when the cooler weather reappears.

 

A poll where choosing means everyone loses. Genius...