What Exactly Is Real Ale?
Walk into a traditional British pub and you'll likely see a row of hand pumps — those distinctive tall levers on the bar. Pull one of those and you'll get a glass of real ale, also known as cask-conditioned beer. But what makes it "real"?
The term was popularised by the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA), founded in 1971, to distinguish traditionally produced draught beer from the keg beers that were rapidly taking over British pubs at the time. According to CAMRA's definition, real ale is a beer that:
- Is brewed from traditional ingredients (malted barley, hops, water, yeast).
- Undergoes a secondary fermentation in the container from which it is served.
- Is served without the use of extraneous carbon dioxide.
In practice, this means the beer continues to condition and develop flavour right up until it is poured into your glass — a living product, rather than a pasteurised one.
How Real Ale Is Brewed
The brewing process for real ale follows the classic stages of all beer production, but with a crucial difference at the end:
- Malting — Barley grains are germinated and then kilned (dried). The degree of roasting determines the colour and flavour of the finished beer, from pale golden ales to rich dark stouts.
- Mashing — The malted barley (the "grist") is mixed with hot water in a vessel called the mash tun. Enzymes convert the starches into fermentable sugars, creating a sweet liquid called wort.
- Boiling and Hopping — The wort is boiled, and hops are added. Hops contribute bitterness (to balance the sweetness of the malt), aroma, and act as a natural preservative. Different hop varieties produce wildly different flavours.
- Fermentation — Yeast is added to the cooled wort, converting sugars into alcohol and CO₂. This primary fermentation typically takes several days.
- Cask Conditioning — This is what makes real ale "real." The beer is racked into casks with a small amount of priming sugar and sometimes dry hops. A secondary fermentation occurs inside the cask, carbonating the beer naturally and developing complexity of flavour.
Serving Real Ale: The Cellar Craft
A skilled cellar person is as important to a good pint as the brewer. Casks must be stored at the correct temperature (typically around 11–13°C), "stillaged" (laid horizontally), vented to release excess CO₂, and left to clear before service. A badly kept cask can ruin even the finest ale.
Styles of Real Ale to Try
| Style | Colour | Flavour Profile | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bitter | Amber | Balanced malt and hop bitterness | Fuller's London Pride, Timothy Taylor Landlord |
| Mild | Dark brown | Malty, low bitterness, often sweet | Banks's Mild, Hobsons Mild |
| Golden Ale | Pale gold | Hoppy, refreshing, often citrusy | Hop Back Summer Lightning |
| Porter | Very dark | Roasted malt, chocolate, coffee notes | Fuller's London Porter |
| IPA | Amber to gold | Strong hop bitterness and aroma | Thornbridge Jaipur |
Tips for Enjoying Your First Pint
Real ale is served at cellar temperature — not ice cold. This can surprise newcomers used to lager. Don't let that put you off; the slightly warmer serving temperature actually allows the complex aromas and flavours to come through. Take a moment before drinking to smell the beer — much of the flavour experience is in the aroma.
If a pint seems flat, hazy, or vinegary, it's perfectly acceptable to politely return it to the bar. A good landlord will always replace a badly kept pint without question.