Plural of ale: types of beer made with a particular kind of yeast that floats to the top during fermentation, giving them a fruity flavor.
From Old English 'ealu,' related to Old Norse 'öl' and possibly to Latin 'alumen.' Ales predate beer by hundreds of years—originally made without hops.
Ales are actually older than beer itself—before hops were discovered, people fermented grain into ale for thousands of years, and it was safer to drink than water in medieval times!
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