It all comes down to yeast temperature
Ale yeast works fast at warmer temperatures, around 18 to 24 degrees Celsius. Lager yeast works slowly at cold temperatures, around 10 to 15 degrees Celsius. That’s it. That single fact creates almost every difference between the two. A brewery’s choice of yeast, and the temperature it ferments at, determines whether you’re drinking an ale or a lager long before you open the bottle.
Ales ferment quick and loud
Because ale yeast is warm-loving, it finishes its job in a week or two. The yeast reproduces rapidly, eats the sugars fast, and produces alcohol quickly. The speed means ale yeast leaves behind more flavour compounds called esters and phenols—fruity and spicy notes that give ales their character. A West Coast IPA, a hazy pale ale, a sour with Okanagan cherries: all ales. All of them carry distinctive yeast-produced flavours that make them taste interesting and complex. The brewers aren’t hiding the yeast character; they’re celebrating it.
Lagers ferment slow and clean
Lager yeast takes its time. It needs colder temperatures, which means slower yeast activity, which means the whole fermentation stretches out over three to four weeks. The slowness matters. Cool temperatures mean the yeast produces fewer esters and phenols. Instead, lagers taste clean and crisp. You taste the malt sweetness and the hop bitterness without much yeast character getting in the way. A Czech pilsner, a standard lager: clean, bright, refreshing. The yeast does its job quietly in the background.
Why breweries choose one or the other
Ale yeast gives you flavour complexity and warmth. It’s energetic and bold. Lager yeast gives you clarity and drinkability. It’s precise and calm. Neither is better than the other; they’re different tools. Our core lineup has both because neither tells the whole story of what beer can be. The ale drinker and the lager drinker both have a place at the bar, and they’re both drinking exactly what they should be.