So how do Ales in England differ from Microbrew Ales in the US

[Taverner]

Anyone have both?

I'm not talking anything mainstream in the US - but how do American Microbrew Handcrafted Ales compare to the many ales available on tap in the UK?

[Taverner]

1. C'mon - someone's gotta know!

[jpgray]

2. The brewers live in England? They use Fuggles instead of Cascade hops?

It's mostly your brew style and your ingredients--I'm not sure on specific equipment differences or anything like that.

[SOteric]

3. In many U.S. States,

'ale' is the term mandated by state law for any beverage fermented from grain with an alcoholic strength above that which can legally be named "beer," without regard to the method of fermentation.

In most European countries, 'ale' is a term applied specifically and only to beers brewed from barley malt in the top fermented methods.

Cheers. :toast:

[NashVegas]

4. We Can Stand Proud

It's not a matter of what's better, though. While the US got glutted with Bud & Miller, and various regional piss-waters, popular UK brews included Bass, Guiness/Harp, MacEwans, etc. We can thank the Brits for not giving up their love of their local brews - and good national brews.

My fave that I wish was exported here is St. Austell's Tribute Ale.

Young's seemed fairly popular, but I wasn't very impressed. It was okay but not great.

[EstimatedProphet]

5. Depends on how you mean compare

Are microbrews as good a quality as real ales in England? Some are, yes. Do they taste comparable? Yes and no. Real ales are often cask-conditioned in barrels, and are therefore much less carbonated. They're usually served warmer too. Both those things affect the flavor a bunch.

[Thirtieschild]

6. Our English son-in-law drinks his ale (and beer over here) warm

[pokerfan]

9. It's not warm, dammit!

It's cellar temperature. I have had the pleasure of visiting the UK four times in my life and I despise the warm beer stereotype.

Now when it's a a billion degrees outside and I've just finished mowing the lawn, I can suck down an ice cold Bud with the best of them but I am not under any illusion that I am savoring a fine malted beverage. Just a cold carbonated beverage with a bit of an alcohol kick.

But a truly good beer does not have to be served at 33 degrees.

To answer the OP's question, I think many American microbrews stand up well by comparison simply because there are so many. I would be more interested in finding out what UK beer fans think of our microbrews.

[Bennyboy]

7. For me....

The beers here are generally more heavily flavored.

At the brewery I am affiliated with (Jack Russell Brewing out of Camino CA)we brew traditional English ales. even though we use some of the same recipies and the same hops. malts etc, our beers are more flavorful than their english counterparts.

Now I only have experience with what is sold in the US as british beers. I have never been there, so I am not sure of the diffference between the two if there is one.

Newcastle is a good example. I love brown beers but Newcastle does nothing for me. Every single CA brown I have ever tasted had more flavor and was much richer in color and body that Newcastle is.

[muriel_volestrangler]

10. That's roughly true, IMO

Microbreweries tend to brew for people being more adventurous in taste, while most British brewers are aiming to produce beers that people will stick with as favourites, so go more for a 'happy medium' - but still with far more taste than the American mega-brews.

Newcastle Brown Ale isn't one of my favourites either - not much body, as you say. But since it's widely available in bottles, it's an OK standby if you find yourself in somewhere they don't really care about beer - a hotel bar, for instance. But even there, in the past few years, brewers have often managed to sell them an acceptable beer they can keep on tap without specialist knowledge. I'd certainly expect an average pub to have a couple of bitters on tap that are more interesting than Newkie Brown.

I'd say Sam Adams is the nearest in concept to how a lot of British breweries run - commercial, but with some commitment to an interest in taste and style. It's also the only big brewer I saw in the USA listed under 'imports' :rofl: .

[T_i_B]

8. From the Campaign for Real Ale website

http://www.camra.org.uk/

Real ale is a type of beer defined by its traditional production.

Also known as "cask conditioned" beer; the fundamental distinction between real and other ales is that the yeast is still present in the container from which the beer is served, although it will have settled to the bottom and is not poured into the glass.

Because the yeast is still alive, the process of fermentation continues in the cask or bottle on the way to the consumer ensuring a fresh and natural taste.

And yes, I'm a CAMRA member myself. I should also point out that the Great British Beer Festival is taking place this week in Earls Court, although I Will probably not be attending this year. Nonetheless, that's the best place I've seen for American beers over here, although many punters still give US brews a wide berth in my experience.

http://www.camra.org.uk/page.aspx?o=gbbf