Real ale is a traditional British beer style defined by CAMRA. It's made with traditional ingredients and undergoes secondary fermentation in the container it's served from, without added carbon dioxide.
How it is made
Real ale is characterized by the presence of living yeast in the container from which it is served. The slow fermentation process continues in the cask or bottle, helping maintain freshness. Real ale must be dispensed without added carbon dioxide, typically using a hand pump or by gravity directly from the cask.
History
The term 'real ale' was coined by CAMRA in the 1970s to draw attention to the decline of independent breweries. At that time, most production had shifted to filtered and pasteurized ales dispensed with added carbon dioxide. CAMRA promoted this term to preserve traditional brewing methods.
Types and styles
While some cask or bottle-conditioned ales may be called real ales, not all qualify. Some American-style breweries use carbon dioxide during dispensing, which disqualifies them from being real ales. Additionally, cask ales that remain fresh through air exchange mechanisms in the casks are not considered real ales as this process adds carbon dioxide.
Adapted from the Russian Wikipedia article Настоящий эль, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.