Real ale in a bottle is a natural live product which contains yeast for a slow secondary fermentation in the bottle. This process provides wonderful fresh flavours and a pleasant, natural effervescence.
How to Identify a Real Ale in a Bottle
The technical term for real ale in a bottle is bottle-conditioned and this is what appears on most bottled real ales. You can also check the label on bottle beers for the “CAMRA says this is real ale” logo which forms part of its Real Ale in a Bottle Scheme.
If you are in any doubt about whether a beer is a real ale in a bottle, just hold it up to the light and see if it contains any sediment – the life-giving yeast that makes all the difference.
10 Reasons to buy real ale in a bottle
1) It’s a living product, which means lots of stimulating, fresh flavours.
2) It’s the nearest thing to a pint of real ale down at your local.
3) It’s not artificially carbonated; the pleasant effervescence is generated wholly by the yeast in the bottle.
4) Almost all bottled real ales are made from just four natural ingredients: malted barley, hops, water and yeast – there are no additives or E numbers.
5) It’s mostly brewed by small or regional breweries and sold locally, so you’ll be helping your local economy.
6) It’s a hand-crafted product and brewers take extra care when producing real ale in a bottle.
7) There is so much variety to be enjoyed – well over 500 real ales in a bottle are now produced in the UK.
8) There are some magnificent bottled real ales from other countries, which go to prove that life outside Britain isn’t all bland, international lagers.
9) It makes an excellent accompaniment to food and with so many different bottled real ales available, it’s fascinating to try to match their flavours with various dishes. Try real ale in a bottle instead of wine for a change.
10) Most importantly… It tastes great
To see the beers available at the festival click here.