When you really think about it, you don’t need to pick sides with beer. There is no Ale vs. Lager. Ales and Lagers are extraordinary broad categories of beer, containing flavours, colours, bodies and mouth-feels of immeasurable diversity. Let’s get the only true difference out of the way so we can move on.
Ales and Lagers are brewed with different strains of yeasts. The strain of yeast used to create Ales ferments from the top at a warmer temperature and for a shorter time. Lagers, on the other hand, are bottom-fermented at a cooler temperature and for longer.
These opposite processes do create different types of beer, but it would be unfair to categorize all Ales as bitter, dark, heavy and all Lagers as easy-drinking, light and yellow. To drive this point further, please see the Beer Advocate’s “Beer Styles” list. They have broken it up into Ales and Lagers. Look at the diversity! If you had a Doppelbock at a bar, you would swear it was an Ale. It’s very heavy and filling; it often tastes like liquid bread, yet it’s a Lager. Enjoying an easy-drinking, fruity Lambic? Oops, it’s an Ale. We all need to remember that old saying, “Don’t judge a book by its cover.”
CAMERON’S DARK 266 – CREAM ALE
Let’s take a look at Cameron’s beers. We have a deceptive Dark Lager- Dark 266 that scares most “Lager” drinkers away with its colour. Although Dark Lagers look like stouts or deep heavy ales, their body is consistent with that of regular lagers. What gives them their unique colouring is the extended roasting of the malted barley. Dark Lagers contain low to moderate levels of sweetness as well as bitterness, and their noble hop flavor should be low but perceptible. Although unusual today, Lagers were mainly dark until the 1840s; pale lagers were not common until the later part of the 19th century when technological advances made them easier to produce. One try of our Dark 266 and we’re sure you’ll “have a dark side” too!
The beer that started our company was a Cream Ale! Cream Ales were developed in the late 1800s by brewers who wanted to combine the rapid fermentation process of ale with the taste and feel of lager. Because of this, Cream Ale is often referred to as the “hybrid beer.” Cream Ales are top-fermented, after which they typically undergo an extended period of cold conditioning or lagering. The result is a pale golden to straw yellow beer with a very mild flavor and a rich, creamy texture. Cream Ale tends to be light on the hops, and the flavor may be further mellowed with the addition of corn during the fermenting process. The beer tends to hover around five percent alcohol and it is designed to be refreshing without being overly aggressive.
So here’s our advice to you: Next time you buy a beer, don’t get hung up on whether it’s a Lager or Ale. Just try something new!
In the early seventeenth century, Saint Patrick’s Day was made an official feast day. Folks would gather and pay their respects to St. Patrick by attending church, wearing green as well as feasting and drinking in his honour! Over the decades it has grown to be the most celebrated Saint’s Day in the world!
