What is Real Ale?

Real ale is the name created by the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) in 1973 for a type of beer defined as "beer brewed from traditional ingredients, matured by secondary fermentation in the container from which it is dispensed, and served without the use of extraneous carbon dioxide".  The term "traditional ingredients" is designed to prevent artificial preservatives or cheap adjuncts or chemicals from being used in the making or storing of the beer.

Real ale or ‘cask condition’ ale is a beer made using traditional techniques.   The main difference between real and other ales is that the yeast is still present in the bottle or cask from which the beer is served.  The yeast settles to the bottom and is not meant to be poured into the glass- so be careful with some of our bottled beers! This means the process of fermentation (sugar turning to alcohol) is still happening up until the point you open the beer, making sure it has the freshest and most natural taste.  Cask condition ales tend to have a shorter shelf life so need to be consumed quite close to purchase, I’m sure that won’t be a problem though!