A Week of Appreciation... [UK Pubs] A Brief History of Ale

The oldest recorded recipes for beer date back to the Sumerians, some 5000 years ago. But archaeological evidence from Africa and China suggests that forms of brewing existed long before this. Making beer is believed to be as old as making bread, although no one is quite sure which came first (just as the debate on the chicken and the egg).

Ale was an important drink in medieval times and the fermentation process was considered almost supernatural. Even the word "ale" has some Old English roots suggesting sorcery, magic and intoxication.

Drinkers in the bustling ale houses a hundred years ago had their ale in ceramic cups that had whistles baked into the handles. The customers would blow these to order a refill.

Today, of course you can get ale in almost any British pub. If you ask me, Ale is a winter drink, and the biggest variety of ales is found in the winter. You can have ales with different colours and tastes, whatever suits yourself.