Real Ale in a Bottle

EVERYTHING YOU WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT REAL ALE IN A BOTTLE

WHAT IS REAL ALE? | WHAT IS REAL ALE IN A BOTTLE? | IS IT BETTER? | ARE THERE ANY OTHER ADVANTAGES? | IS IT NEW? | WHO BREWS REAL ALE IN A BOTTLE? | ARE THE BOTTLE VERSIONS OF WELL KNOWN CASK BEERS REAL ALE IN A BOTTLE? | IS IT JUST BRITISH? | AREN'T ALL FOREIGN BEERS LAGERS? | HOW CAN YOU RECOGNISE IT? | HOW TO POUR IT? | CAN THE SEDIMENT BE DRUNK? | WHERE CAN YOU BUY IT? | WHAT ARE THE BEST KNOWN EXAMPLES?

WHAT IS REAL ALE IN A BOTTLE?

Real ale in a bottle is beer that contains a small amount of live yeast, allowing it to evolve and mature in the bottle, by an additional fermentation.  This has the same effect as the sediment in a cask of real ale in a pub.  If kept correctly, bottled real ales can go on maturing for many years. 

Real ale in a bottle is not filtered or pasteurised.  Although bottled beers often seem fizzy, with real ale in a bottle, the fizziness (or carbonation) is entirely natural, a result of the live yeast.