Pale Ale Craft Beer

The Pale Ale is, next to the IPA, the best known and most popular beer style of the Craft Beer movement. The top-fermented beer is characterized especially by its higher bitterness and the fruity aroma of the hops. The color can go from straw yellow to an amber.

Beer style facts: Pale Ale

• Appearance: Golden to pale yellow, sometimes even amber; sometimes (and depending on the variant) with a distinct cloudiness.
• Aroma: Fruity hop notes dominate aroma and taste. Usually, however, not too strong. Aromatics can vary depending on the hop varieties used. Light, rather restrained malt aroma. Slender body, mildly bitter and usually very drinkable.
• Alcohol: 4-6%.
• Classic Beer: Sierra Nevada Pale Ale

Pale Ale, what is it?

You could call the Pale Ale the Pilsner of England. Because while in Germany the bottom-fermented lager became the epitome of beer, in England it is the top-fermented ale. Along with the Pale Ale, it is the bitter beer style that the British like best. The term Pale Ale is derived from light beer color. This tended to be darker before the beer style was developed in the 18th century, but with the invention of air kilns, which dried the malt with warm air rather than smoke, it became possible to kiln-dry malt more gently and, above all, lighter in color. This was very well received by the British population and the new technique became the standard. The typical English Pale Ale has a dry body reminiscent of cookies and gray bread. The hop aroma is spicy due to the use of English hop varieties and smells of herbs or tea, sometimes floral.

Sierra Nevada - the pioneers of modern Craft Beer Pale Ale

With the start of the American Craft Beer movement, especially in the U.S., locally available hops were used, giving American Pale Ales a citrusy and, more rarely, tropical aroma. One of the pioneers and quasi inventors of the American Pale Ale is the Sierra Nevada Brewery on the West Coast of the USA. With their Pale Ale, a standard was brewed that was copied and imitated worldwide, and not only by amateur brewers. This beer has influenced countless breweries worldwide and is now an absolute classic!

The rediscovery of the Pale Ale - juicy and smooth

Nowadays, there are numerous reinterpretations of the beer style. Similar to India Pale Ale, there are also subcategories, such as New England Pale Ale, which is less bitter but more cloudy and juicy. Hop varieties from New Zealand are also in vogue. Because of this, some Pale Ales are also called International Pale Ale.

The relatively low amount of alcohol (between 4% and 6%) makes you want to drink a few more Pale Ales straight away. Perfectly goes with a nice BBQ or hamburger. But really, anything that's put on the grill or other roasted meats like chicken and chicken wings or roast pork goes well. Fried foods, especially fish, are also great with a Pale Ale.

Pale Ale recommendations from Beyond Beer

Want to get to know Pale Ales but can't decide? Then try one of our recommendations!

Hopfenstopfer Citra Ale: This Pale Ale combines citrusy hop notes with beginner-friendly drinkability. The flavor is beautifully balanced between hop aromatics, malt notes and a mild bitterness.

Beavertown Gamma Ray: This beer sparked a craft beer boom in England after its release in 2011. Today, Gamma Ray is already something of a classic Pale Ale. Tropical and citrusy in taste, pleasantly bitter and just insanely delicious!

Lervig Easy: The Easy from the Norwegian brewery Lervig focuses on drinkability. Which doesn't necessarily mean that the taste suffers as a result. On the contrary, the Pale Ale convinces with tropical-grassy notes, a soft mouthfeel and a cloudiness that is more in the direction of New England Pale Ale.

Order wonderfully fruity Pale Ales now

If you're looking for a great Pale Ale, Beyond Beer is the place to go. We have plenty of excellent examples of this beer style in stock. Always fresh, always changing in our assortment.