Pale Ale beer

Whether you would like to know something about the color of pale ales, the history of it, the flavors or which glassware to drink your pale ale from. You’ve come to the right place. We bring you hop-forward beers in many different styles and flavors. But what exactly is a Pale Ale?

What is a Pale Ale?

Now that’s a broad term; pale ale. Between the Beer Judge Certification Program, the Brewers Association, and the closer-to-home Bierkeurmeestersgilde, it’s pretty much a catch-all for everything from Belgian-style blondes and ambers, golden ales, English bitters, to the lighter, less hoppy and lower-ABV brother of the IPA-family, American Pale Ale.

The history of the Pale Ale

The introduction of coke — made by heating coal or oil in the absence of air — was a breakthrough for upcoming industrial areas in the early modern age. Using the material as fuel for stoves and forges meant considerably less air pollution, generating the needed heat without smoke and soot. Furthermore, this turned out to be very useful in the brewing industry when it came to kilning germinated grains, resulting in lighter malts and therefore beers.

To shy away from much discussion about the origins of pale ales, let’s just take a look at the aforementioned beer styles, introduced by our favourite quote from brewing historian James Sumner:

“Such general terms as ale, porter etc … cannot by their nature have any solid ‘correct’ definition over all time and space, in spite of the efforts of various prescriptive authorities.”

Pale Ale Color

The name might give the impression that pale ales are commonly yellow-gold in appearance, but the amber-to-copper coloured Special Belge are considered pale ales as well. Examples of the Special Belge — or Belgian Pale Ales — are pretty common in the Netherlands and Belgium, with De Koninck and Palm dominating this field. Moderately malty, somewhat fruity, and easy-drinking are what characterize this style. They differ from their overseas cousin, the English Bitter, in its yeast character. The colour in the Special Belge usually comes from either the use of cara malt or added candy sugar.

Belgian Blond pales in comparison — heh — to the Special Belge; it’s often more gold than amber. Fruity esters and phenolic spices dominate the flavour profile, with malt aroma being more subtle. This style is often part of the classic Belgian Holy Trinity of abbey beers, being Blond, Dubbel, and Tripel.

Pale Ale Taste

Bitter and Pale Ale were often used interchangeably in England’s beer history. Nowadays Bitter is it’s own style, divided in Ordinary, Special/Best, and Extra Special Bitter (ESB), with colours ranging from golden to amber, and from deep copper to light brown. Low carbonation is a shared characteristic, with the biggest difference between the three being the increasingly perceived malt and hop aromas and flavors.

The original Pale Ale and the American Pale Ale

A beer bridge between England and The United States is formed by the Golden ale. This pale ale is slightly more hop-forward like the American Pale Ale, but carries British ingredients commonly found in Bitters; even though the hop profile is sometimes carried by the use of citrusy American hops. Golden ales tend to be in the 4,0% – 5,5% range, but their heavyweight brother, the Strong Golden Ale, is a pale ale with the capacity to knock you off of your barstool.

Pale Ale with Hops!

American Pale Ales are beers we are a bit more comfortable with.  What can we say, we just love hoppy beers! Pale and refreshing, this is the style that put the modern day USA on the beer map. Youngtimers Anchor Liberty Ale and Sierra Nevada Pale Ale are downright classics, and have inspired a true beer wave in the past few decades. American Pale Ales are generally slightly more balanced than IPAs, and more accessible for beerdrinkers-to-be. Now well known hop varieties like Citra and Cascade have made their way into the hearts of breweries all over the world through their use in the American Pale Ale, derived from English pale ales but made with all American ingredients.

Pale Ale Varieties of Uiltje Brewing Company

Talking about derived, there is a lot of variety found within this style. Session pale ales, juicy pale ales, hazy pale ales, milkshake pale ales, fruit pale ales; New England pale ales; you name ’em, there’s one to be found.

Like our Trackdown Juicy pale ale! Initially, this beer was meant for beginning ale drinkers. To give them an alternative for pilsners. However, many experienced craft beer gurus love this juicy, fruity and hazy beverage! Have a look at our pale ales and try them yourself!

The tastiest pale ales delivered fresh to your home!

You can order the tastiest pale ales online at Uiltje Brewing Co. Pale ale is a collective name for a broad spectrum of beers: from Belgian blonde beers to English bitters and American pale ales (for more information, head to our pale ale page). But here at Uiltje we prefer not to make it too complicated. We have a great love for hops, and therefore focus on the more hoppy and fruity versions. If you order pale ales from us online, we will ensure that your beer ends up in your fridge as soon as possible. These hoppy creations taste best fresh!

Discover our hoppy and fruity pale ales

The pale ale is one of our favourite beer styles. As we are real hopheads, when we think of pale ales we mainly think of American pale ales. We also like to give our own twist to this popular beer style by experimenting with brewing malts, hops and different combinations thereof. The result is beer that is somewhat similar to an IPA, but slightly more malty and less bitter. So would you like to get acquainted with speciality beer or are you looking for an alternative to lager? Then our pale ales are the perfect beer style to start with!

Discover the pale ales from Uiltje Brewing

In Uiltje’s core range you will find two pale ales: Dikke Lul 3 Bier! And Trackdown. Trackdown is an ideal entry-level beer for novice speciality beer drinkers, but is also very much appreciated by seasoned craft beer enthusiasts for its flavours and fruitiness. Dikke Lul 3 Bier! goes a little further. With no fewer than four types of hops, this pale ale creates a true taste explosion. In addition to our core range, we regularly brew smaller quantities of other pale ales. Keep an eye on this page to get your hands on a fresh batch!

Looking for something other besides pale ales?

Looking for more great beers besides pale ales? Then check out our webshop. Are hoppy and fresh beers your thing? Then be sure to try our beloved IPAs and or fruity beers. Are you looking for something totally different? Then you should definitely get to know our stouts and porters. Try as many as you like and discover your favourites!

Why buy pale ales online from Uiltje Brewing?

Buying pale ales online from Uiltje means that you will always enjoy the freshest beer (read here why we think fresh drinking is so important). The beer is sent to you directly from the brewery, without detours or shadowy intermediaries. This way your beer always tastes best. Another advantage of buying beer online at Uiltje is that you can quietly delve into all the ins and outs of our beer. Take your time to read the detailed descriptions and dive into ABVs, IBUs and EBCs. Or delve further into the wonderful world of this delicious beer on our pale ale page. If you still have questions, then please do not hesitate to contact us!