"由麥芽發酵製成的令人陶醉的酒精飲料",古英語 ealu "啤酒,啤酒",源自原始日耳曼語 *aluth-(也源自古撒克遜語 alo,古諾爾斯語 öl),其起源不確定。可能來自一個意味着"苦"的原始印歐語根(也源自拉丁語 alumen "明礬"),或者來自 PIE *alu-t "啤酒",來自 *alu- 根,具有"巫術,魔法,佔有和醉酒"的含義[沃特金斯]。這個詞從日耳曼語借入到立陶宛語(alus)和古教會斯拉夫語(olu)。
In the fifteenth century, and until the seventeenth, ale stood for the unhopped fermented malt liquor which had long been the native drink of these islands. Beer was the hopped malt liquor introduced from the Low Countries in the fifteenth century and popular first of all in the towns. By the eighteenth century, however, all malt liquor was hopped and there had been a silent mutation in the meaning of the two terms. For a time the terms became synonymous, in fact, but local habits of nomenclature still continued to perpetuate what had been a real difference: 'beer' was the malt liquor which tended to be found in towns, 'ale' was the term in general use in the country districts. [Peter Mathias, "The Brewing Industry in England," Cambridge University Press, 1959]
在15世紀,直到17世紀,啤酒代表了長期以來一直是這些島嶼本土飲料的未加酒花的發酵麥芽飲料。啤酒是15世紀從低地國家引進的加酒花的麥芽飲料,最初在城鎮中很受歡迎。然而,到了18世紀,所有麥芽飲料都加了酒花,這兩個術語的含義發生了悄然變化。事實上,這些術語一度成爲同義詞,但當地的命名習慣仍然繼續延續了一個真正的區別:'啤酒'是在城鎮中容易找到的麥芽飲料,'啤酒'是在鄉村地區廣泛使用的術語。[彼得·馬蒂亞斯,《英國釀酒業》,劍橋大學出版社,1959年]
意思是"在這裏喝了很多啤酒的節日或歡樂會議"在古英語中(見 bridal)。