Ale, fermented malt beverage, full-bodied and somewhat bitter, with strong flavour and aroma of hops. Popular in England, where the term is now synonymous with beer, ale was until the late 17th century an unhopped brew of yeast, water, and malt, beer being the same brew with hops added.

Where did ale come from?

In medieval England, ale was an alcoholic drink made from grain, water, and fermented with yeast. The difference between medieval ale and beer was that beer also used hops as an ingredient. Virtually everyone drank ale.

When was ale invented?

In the 13th century AD, beer finally started being produced commercially in Germany, England, and Austria. You know we would get back to Germany at some point. The Germans were brewing beer (which they called ol, for `ale') as early as 800 BCE.