Real ale
Real ale is the name coined by the
Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) for a type of
beer defined as "beer brewed from traditional ingredients, matured by
secondary fermentation in the container from which it is dispensed, and served without the use of extraneous carbon dioxide".
Cask ale or
bottle conditioned beers are sometimes referred to as real ales, though by the terms of CAMRA's definition not all cask or bottle conditioned ales are real ale; in particular, some American style brewpubs may use collected carbon dioxide during the serving process which would disqualify them from the claim to real ale status.
The fundamental distinction between real and other ales is that the
yeast is still present and living in the container from which the real ale is served, although it will have settled to the bottom and is usually not poured into the glass. Because the yeast is still alive, a slow process of
fermentation continues in the cask or bottle on the way to the consumer, allowing the beer to retain its freshness. Another distinction is that real ale should be served without the aid of added
carbon dioxide, or
top pressure as it is known. Common methods of dispense are the hand pump, or "by
gravity" direct from the cask. Electric pumps are occasionally seen, especially in
Scotland. Cask ales which are kept "fresh" by the use of a cask breather do not qualify as real ale. A cask breather works by adding carbon dioxide into the cask to replace the beer as it is drawn off thus extending its saleable life.
The expression has been heavily promoted by CAMRA to catch the attention of the media in the UK since the 1970s when there were very few independent breweries left, and most production had gone over to
filtered and
pasteurised ales served under
carbon dioxide pressure ("keg beer").
*
Cask ale*
Filtered beer*
Keg beer *
Draught beer* The
Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA)
*
ginger ale*
Beer Mad - Good starting point
*
The Directory of UK Real Ale Breweries - Information on real ale brewers in the UK
*
DeeCee's Beer Pump Clips - Images of pump clips that are attached to the hand pumps in pubs
*CAMRA's
Good Beer Guide*
Real ale in bottles
