Now that the weather is getting warmer, we're all about the pale ales! The crisp, clean flavors of these beers are perfect for hot afternoons next to the grill. What pale ales are you enjoying right now?
Beer Guide: All About Pale Ale
There are some key characteristics that most pale ales share. They are generally brewed with paler malts using a top-fermenting yeast and at a slightly higher temperature than other types of beer. The finished beer does tend to be paler in color, though they can range from very light golden to darker amber. They are also clear ales with no yeast sediment.
Pale ales are typically very hoppy and have bold bitter flavors with floral aromas and undertones of malty sweetness (especially on the finish). These beers really perk up the taste buds and open your eyes! Some common flavor associations are grassy, floral, citrus, tangy, and mineral.
We find India pale ales (IPAs) to be especially bitter, which makes sense given the legend that this style became popular with East India Company traders because the hops kept the beer preserved over long sea voyages. On the other hand, double pale ales tend to be a bit mellower. They have hops added at both the beginning and end of brewing for more rounded flavors and aromas.
In both cooking and food pairing, we like the fresh flavor of pale ales with seafood and salads - as in our recipe for Linguine with Mussels and Dandelion Greens. We also think pale ales go well with spicy foods like Indian, Thai, and Mexican because of their cooling and palate-cleansing qualities!
Recently, we've really enjoyed Smuttynose Shoals Pale Ale, Dale's Pale Ale, and Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA. What others would your recommend trying?
Related: Beer-Brined Chicken on the Grill
(Image: Flickr member i does tze rue-bot licensed under Creative Commons)
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Sierra Nevada Pale Ale.
view Annegret's profile
I love a bit of bitterness, and I love IPAs, but I have to say I don't ever detect bitterness in IPA. To me, it tastes almost floral, bursting with complex and bright flavors. Perhaps it's a personal palate oddity ...
view HaveForkWillTravel's profile
Last summer I really enjoyed Brooklyn Brewery's Summer Ale. Lots of herb and citrus flavor -- a tiny bit of champagne notes, even! Very, very nice in the summer.
view faith's profile
Favorite Pale Ales -
Mirror Pond out of Deschute's Brewery in Oregon is one of my favorites - oh so very tasty. Heavier hops but also maltier than many pales.
Bell's Pale Ale from Kalamazoo, MI is nice - a bit more bitter than I like my pales, and not very complex, but that can be what is needed sometimes.
Great Lakes Burning River is nicely balanced, lightly hopped and lightly citrusy. I can drink more of these than I should.
Done pretending I know stuff about beer. :)
view LauraII's profile
An excellent IPA is Bell's Two Hearted Ale. It's brewed in Kalamazoo, Mich. We used to drink this all the time when I went to school at Michigan State.
It has a very bold taste, but not so much that you can't enjoy a few bottles. It used to be more difficult to find, but it's become pretty popular in recent years. You can find it at most stores with a good beer selection.
view jordand3's profile
i will never grow tired of Sierra Nevada. it is my favorite "can get most anywhere" beer. bell's two hearted is also a fave.
view nenasadije's profile
Harpoon makes a great IPA if you're in the Northeast and can get it.
view rbelrbel's profile
Yard's Philly Pale Ale, crisp and citrusy!
view travers's profile
Terrapin Rye Pale Ale is awesome! And yeah, Sierra Nevada is always a good backup.
view stolichnaya's profile
Summit Pale Ale.
view clampers's profile
That beer looks really good right about now.
view art's profile
I was going to say Terrapin Rye too! The local grad student hangout has Terrapin pints for $1.50 on Thursdays (our typical day there).
view Jeni_Rae's profile
Hooray for Bell's Two-Hearted Ale! It's long been my favorite: not too floral, not too hoppy, but juuuust right! And we can finally get it in Illinois again!
Another recent find is Acme's California IPA. Really nice, and well-balanced. I've also enjoyed Lost Coast's Indica IPA, Victory's HopDevil, and Flying Dog's Double Dog Pale Ale.
But if any of you hop fiends out there can find it, get your hands on some Bell's Hop Slam. They only make it once a year, and now's the time. It's a bit pricey, but man is it good! It packs a punch, too, so fair warning. :)
http://www.abreadaday.com
view eprewitt's profile
Harpoon IPA or Whale's Tale Pale Ale. Dear god the Whale's Tale! So delicious! And sadly, only available on Nantucket.
view willson's profile
It is not a pale ale but Sierra Nevada Summerfest, that is summer to me!
view thill's profile
I don't generally like beer, but I haven't tried many varieties. However, I know I like cider. Are pale ales similar to cider at all? It would be nice to have a beer I could actually tolerate.
view confusednazgul's profile
There are literally WAY too many to list... kudos to someone up there mentioning Mirror Pond, which is my fav though i cannot get it in the Southeast... another unavailable here is a beer called Hop Hearty from the New Glarus Brewery in WI. (only available in WI, i think - but it is outstanding...)
down south - the Sweetwater IPA is far superior to their other pale ale - 420. Also, Highland Brewery in Asheville NC makes a few great pale ales - st. terese's, kashmir, and Gaelic.
and i'll also agree that Terrapin Rye PA is great as well...
view TDS7's profile
PS - one of the best IPAs out there is Bridgeport IPA from portland OR. Really, if it is an IPA from Oregon, then it will be great.
view TDS7's profile
Seconding Bridgeport IPA as well as Mirror Pond. Lagunitas and Stone IPAs are also very good - strong and hoppy.
view Tangledgray's profile