Ale vs. Mead — What's the Difference?

Ale is a type of beer brewed using a warm fermentation method, resulting in a sweet, full-bodied and fruity taste. Historically, the term referred to a drink brewed without hops.As with most beers, ale typically has a bittering agent to balance the malt and act as a preservative.

Mead (), or fermented honey water, is an alcoholic beverage, sometimes with various fruits, spices, grains, or hops. The alcoholic content ranges from about 3.5% ABV to more than 18%.

A usually full-bodied beer that has been fermented at a relatively warm temperature.

An alcoholic beverage made from fermented honey and water.

A serving of this beer.

A meadow.

(dated) A beer made without hops.

An alcoholic drink fermented from honey and water.

A beer produced by so-called warm fermentation and not pressurized.

(US) A drink composed of syrup of sarsaparilla or other flavouring extract, and water, and sometimes charged with carbon dioxide.

A festival in English country places, so called from the liquor drunk.

(poetic) A meadow.

An intoxicating liquor made from an infusion of malt by fermentation and the addition of a bitter, usually hops.

A fermented drink made of water and honey with malt, yeast, etc.; metheglin; hydromel.

A festival in English country places, so called from the liquor drunk.

A drink composed of sirup of sarsaparilla or other flavoring extract, and water. It is sometimes charged with carbonic acid gas.

A general name for beer made with a top fermenting yeast; in some of the United States an ale is (by law) a brew of more than 4% alcohol by volume

A meadow.

United States anthropologist noted for her claims about adolescence and sexual behavior in Polynesian cultures (1901-1978)

United States philosopher of pragmatism (1863-1931)

Made of fermented honey and water