If you have ever looked at a tap list and wondered why some beers are called ales and others lagers, you are not alone. Ale vs lager is one of the most common questions we get across the bar, and the answer is simpler than most people expect.
That is the whole distinction. It is not about color, strength, bitterness or where the beer is from. It is about the yeast and the temperature it works at.
Every beer starts with the same four ingredients: water, malt, hops and yeast. Yeast is the only one that decides ale or lager. (Our post on how beer is made walks through the whole process.)
Warm fermentation makes fruity compounds called esters, which give ales notes of banana, berry, pear, stone fruit, spice or clove. That is why ales taste more aromatic and layered.
Cold fermentation keeps yeast flavors quiet, so lagers come out clean, crisp, mellow and smooth. They seem simple, but there is nowhere for a flaw to hide, so they take real precision to brew well.
| Ales | Lagers | |
|---|---|---|
| Flavor | Fruity, spicy, expressive | Crisp, clean, mellow |
| Aroma | Stronger, more complex | Subtle, restrained |
| Body | Fuller, richer | Light to medium, smooth |
| Bitterness | Often higher | Usually lower |
| Finish | Layered, lingering | Clean, refreshing |
Neither one is better. They are just different experiences.
More on every style in our guide to ale vs lager vs IPA vs stout, and on lagers in particular in lager beer: facts, flavors and pairing.
Neither, by definition. Alcohol depends on how much malt and sugar goes in and how much the yeast eats, not on the type of yeast. You can find 3% English milds and 14% imperial ales, 3% light lagers and 10% doppelbocks.
Pick an ale if you like aromatic beer, fruit or spice, bold hops and a fuller body. Try an IPA, a wheat beer or a pale ale.
Pick a lager if you like crisp, clean beer with a lighter body and a smooth finish. Try a pilsner, a helles or a Vienna lager. If Seattle's hop-forward IPAs feel like a lot, a lager is a gentle way in.
Seattle is known for ales, especially IPAs, pale ales and creative small batches. But the Ballard brewery district now pours everything: hop-heavy ales, proper lagers, hybrids and experiments, and many local breweries make excellent craft lagers. Knowing ale from lager makes any of their tap lists easier to read. Our Ballard brewery district guide has the full list.
Beer and pizza are a natural pair, and knowing which you are drinking makes it better. Crisp lagers like pilsner and helles cut through rich cheese and reset your palate after every bite. Hoppy ales like pale ales and IPAs stand up to spicy sauce, cured meat and bold toppings. Try a pilsner with our Queen Margherita, or an IPA with the Pepperoni Godfather and its hot honey.
What is the difference between ale and lager? The yeast and the temperature. Ales ferment warm with top-fermenting yeast and taste fruitier and more aromatic. Lagers ferment cold with bottom-fermenting yeast and taste cleaner and crisper.
Is ale or lager better? Neither. They are two fermentation styles that give different experiences. It comes down to what you like.
Are all dark beers ales? No. There are dark lagers too, like dunkel and schwarzbier.
Are all light beers lagers? No. Blonde ales, Kölsch and Belgian wheat beers are pale ales.
Which is stronger, ale or lager? Neither by definition. Strength depends on how much malt and sugar goes in, not on the yeast. There are 3% milds and 14% imperial ales, 3% light lagers and 10% doppelbocks.
Which has more calories? Calories follow alcohol and leftover sugar, not ale versus lager. A stronger beer of either kind has more.
We are at 2446 NW Market St in Ballard, next to the Nordic Museum. We pour fourteen rotating taps in 5, 8 and 16 ounce sizes, so you can put an ale and a lager side by side without committing to two pints, and the current list is always on our Untappd page. There is a fourteen-door fridge of cans and bottles to take home at store prices, or drink any can here for $2 corkage.
Eat something with it: pizza on organic Washington flour dough, made fresh here. Families are welcome, dogs are welcome inside and on the patio, and the patio is where you want to be on a dry day.
What is on tap · Types of beer: the full guide · See the menu
