| Beer has been a staple in England for centuries, | | | | most popular of these are Whitbread, Bass and |
| dating back to the days of Chaucer. The most | | | | Guinness. |
| popular type of beer in England is ale. Ale is a type | | | | In England the term "light beer" is used to refer to a |
| that is brewed using hops and malt, making it strong | | | | pale beer, such as a light colored lager. Beer is made |
| and rather bitter. The English prefer ale (darker beer | | | | using hops. The dried flowers of this plant are used |
| that uses more hops) to lager type, which is popular | | | | to impart a slightly bitter flavor to beers and ales. In |
| in America. | | | | England, hop shoots are widely available and are |
| In England, beer has traditionally been kept in the | | | | cooked and served as a vegetable. |
| cellars of the many pubs. Although not refrigerated, | | | | Stout is a dark beer that originated in the British Isles. |
| the temperature is cooler than room temperature. | | | | Stout has a strong hops smell and is made with |
| The English prefer their beer to be only slightly cool, | | | | dark-roasted barley which gives it a deep dark color |
| while those in the United States drink beer as cold as | | | | and slightly bitter taste. Pale Ale is also common, |
| possible. | | | | which is a slightly lighter in color. The darker the color |
| English pubs also sell a good amount of stout and | | | | of the beer the more hops and barley have been |
| porter. Stout is a darker, heavier hopped ale that has | | | | used in the brewing process. |
| a creamy head when poured into a glass. Porter is a | | | | Beer does not age as wine does and is best |
| dark beer, which was often known as the | | | | consumed as fresh as possible. Beer is usually |
| workingman's drink. | | | | low-alcohol, typically less than 5% by weight. Water |
| In the past, English pubs were tied to specific beers | | | | makes up most of the beer or ale, so the taste of |
| because they were owned by that brewery. In | | | | the water used will make a distinct difference in the |
| recent years the laws have relaxed, allowing pubs to | | | | taste of the finished product. This may explain why |
| offer many types of beer. Still, many of the local | | | | people often prefer the beer brewed closest to their |
| pubs are owned and operated by breweries. The | | | | home. |
