What is the difference between Ale and Lager beer?

Question

And what typical us beers are of each, like Budweiser is Lager.

Answer 1

Ales are top-fermented beers; sweet, flavorful, full-bodied, and fruity.

Lagers are bottom-fermented in cool cellars and come out crisper, cleaner, and mellower.

The top 3 American beers, Miller, Coors, and Budweiser, are all types of Pilsners, which are in effect super-lagers.

Almost everything you'll see is some kind of lager, otherwise it will very clearly announce itself as an ale in the name or on the label. Stay away from Miller, Coors, and Bud and try some of your local craft-brewed beers from micro-breweries or brewpubs. They can be fantastic and really open you up to a whole new world of flavor.

Answer 2

Read all about it here http://diffen.com/difference/Ale_vs_Lage...

They explain differences in fermentation, flavor, subtypes. Even a Youtube video explaining the difference.

Answer 3

The most basic differences between the two are the yeasts used and the temperatures at which they are brewed.

Ales are the oldest and largest branch in the beer family tree. They use top fermenting yeasts at higher (room) temperatures. The flavor profiles tend to be broader with notes of dried fruits, nuts, wood and breads among others coming through.

Common examples:

Guinness, New Castle, Hoegaarden and 312.

Lagers (literally meaning 'storage') are a newer and much smaller branch. They are brewed using bottom fermenting yeasts and refrigerated temperatures. The beers are then cold stored (lagered) for a period of time before maturation. The flavor profile tends to be more subdued and crisp with less flavors from the yeast and more from the grains coming through.

Common examples:

Budweiser, Miller, Stella and Samuel Adams*.

These of course are the most cursory differences between the two and I having** even gotten into the hybrids (Kolsh) and oddballs (Lambic) that don't quite fall into either category.

*Samuel Adams Boston Lager of course...they do make a few ales.

** Sorry "haven't" is what I meant. I really hate the new spell check program here.

Answer 4

Thanks for asking this question, I also learned this today.