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Lager vs ale: what’s the difference?

The yeast, the temperature and the time. A side-by-side comparison, where lager yeast came from, the hybrids, and alcohol-free versions of both.

By Rich, founder of Unhopped · Published 4 November 2026 · Sources checked 4 November 2026

The short answer

The yeast, the temperature and the time. Ale is brewed with top-fermenting Saccharomyces cerevisiae, which ferments quickly, in 2–7 days, at around 15–24°C.[1] Lager is brewed with bottom-fermenting lager yeast at around 5–10°C,[2] then usually stored cold for weeks to mature: lagering.[3] That’s how American and most other craft brewers draw the line, the BJCP says. German brewers see lager more as a way of conditioning beer, which is why they call Kölsch “a top-fermented lager beer”.[4]

Below: the two side by side, where lager yeast came from, the beers that are a bit of both, what “ale” means in a British pub, and alcohol-free versions of each. For lager on its own, see what is lager?

Lager vs ale, side by side

Ale and lager compared. Temperatures and times are from The Oxford Companion to Beer; strengths from the BJCP 2021 Beer Style Guidelines.
AleLager
YeastTop-fermenting Saccharomyces cerevisiaeBottom-fermenting Saccharomyces pastorianus, a hybrid of ale yeast and a cold-tolerant wild yeast
Fermentation temperature15–24°C5–10°C
Fermentation timeQuick: 2–7 daysFollowed by weeks of cold storage
MaturingVaries by styleLagering: weeks on the yeast near freezing; traditionally up to three months, 21 days typical today
Typical stylesBitter, golden ale, pale ale, IPA, stoutPilsner, helles, festbier, Märzen, dunkel, bock
Strength (BJCP examples)Ordinary bitter 3.2–3.8%; American IPA 5.5–7.5%Czech pale lager 3.0–4.1%; doppelbock 7.0–10.0%
Alcohol-free examplesDrop Bear Yuzu Pale Ale, Big Drop Pine Trail Pale AleLucky Saint Unfiltered Lager, Jump Ship Yardarm Lager

Sources: Oxford Companion to Beer;[1][2][3] Libkind et al.;[5] BJCP.[6]

How warm each yeast likes itTypical fermentation temperatures, from The Oxford Companion to Beer.

Ale yeastLager yeast

Ale yeast

Ale (top-fermenting)

Lager yeast

Lager (bottom-fermenting)

Sources: Oxford Companion to Beer.[1][2]

Show as a table
How warm each yeast likes it
YeastFamilyFermentation temperature
Ale (top-fermenting)Ale yeast15–24°C
Lager (bottom-fermenting)Lager yeast5–10°C

The yeast is the difference

Ale yeast is the older of the two. Lager yeast, Saccharomyces pastorianus, is “a domesticated species created by the fusion of a Saccharomyces cerevisiae ale-yeast with an unknown cryotolerant Saccharomyces species”, as a 2011 paper in PNAS put it. The same team found the cold-tolerant parent in southern beech forests in Patagonia and named it Saccharomyces eubayanus.[5] So lager yeast is part ale yeast and part a cold-tolerant wild yeast, and it works at 5–10°C.[2]

Where lager yeast came fromAle yeast plus a wild, cold-loving yeast, as described by Libkind and colleagues in 2011.
Ale yeastSaccharomyces cerevisiae, the top-fermenting yeast of ales.Parent 1
A cold-tolerant wild yeastSaccharomyces eubayanus, found in southern beech forests in Patagonia and named in 2011.Parent 2
Lager yeastSaccharomyces pastorianus, a hybrid of the two. Lager was first brewed in the 15th century.The result

Source: Libkind et al., PNAS, 2011.[5]

The beers that are a bit of both

Some styles mix the methods. Kölsch, from Cologne, is a pale, top-fermented beer that is then lagered, and its name is protected for breweries in and around the city.[7] German brewers would call it “a top-fermented lager beer, not an ale”.[4] Altbier takes its name from the “old” style of brewing with top-fermenting yeast; it is “fermented at cool ale temperatures, then cold conditioned.”[8] You can try the first without the alcohol: Früh Kölsch 0.0% is the 0.0% version of Früh’s Kölsch, one of the Cologne breweries the BJCP names. More in what is Kölsch?

What “ale” means in a British pub

Bitter is a British ale style: in the BJCP guidelines an ordinary bitter is just 3.2–3.8%.[6] Golden ale is the British answer to lager: the BJCP says “modern golden ales were developed in England to take on strongly-marketed lagers.”[9] Pale ale and IPA are ales too, as is stout.

Lager and ale strengths comparedStrength ranges for a few common styles in the 2021 BJCP Beer Style Guidelines. Kölsch and altbier are hybrids.

LagersAlesHybrids

Lagers

Czech pale lager
German pils
Munich helles
Munich dunkel
Doppelbock

Ales

Ordinary bitter
British golden ale
American pale ale
American IPA

Hybrids

Kölsch
Altbier

Source: BJCP 2021 Beer Style Guidelines.[6]

Show as a table
Lager and ale strengths compared
StyleFamilyStrength (ABV)
Czech pale lagerLagers3–4.1%
German pilsLagers4.4–5.2%
Munich hellesLagers4.7–5.4%
Munich dunkelLagers4.5–5.6%
DoppelbockLagers7–10%
Ordinary bitterAles3.2–3.8%
British golden aleAles3.8–5%
American pale aleAles4.5–6.2%
American IPAAles5.5–7.5%
KölschHybrids4.4–5.2%
AltbierHybrids4.3–5.5%

Alcohol-free lager and alcohol-free ale

The split carries over into alcohol-free beer: brewers still make lagers and ales, then either remove the alcohol or brew to a low strength from the start. Lucky Saint says its lager “is brewed the same way as a full-strength beer”, then has the alcohol removed by vacuum distillation.[10] Our guides rank both families: the best alcohol-free lagers, the best alcohol-free pale ales and the best alcohol-free IPAs, and for darker ales, the best alcohol-free stouts.

Try the difference: two lagers, two ales and a Kölsch

All in stock at The Alcohol Free Co, Dry Drinker or Wise Bartender on 4 November 2026.

Lucky Saint Unfiltered Lager · 0.5% ABV · Unhopped score 8.7 · from £2.93 a bottle in a case of 24 at Dry Drinker (4 November 2026)

Lager: our top-scoring alcohol-free lager, a pilsner-style beer brewed at full strength then de-alcoholised by vacuum distillation, Lucky Saint says.

Buy at The Alcohol Free Co →Also at Dry Drinker →Our page on it →

Jump Ship Yardarm Lager · <0.5% ABV · Unhopped score 8.1 · from £2.88 a can in a case of 24 at Dry Drinker (4 November 2026)

Lager: Jump Ship’s flagship, brewed to below 0.5% without removing alcohol.

Buy at Wise Bartender →Also at The Alcohol Free Co →Our page on it →

Drop Bear Yuzu Pale Ale · 0.5% ABV · Unhopped score 8.5 · from £2.19 a can in a case of 24 at Dry Drinker (4 November 2026)

Ale: an American-style pale ale with yuzu, with lemon, lime and grapefruit over biscuit malt, Drop Bear says. Vegan.

Buy at The Alcohol Free Co →Also at Dry Drinker →Our page on it →

Big Drop Pine Trail Pale Ale · 0.5% ABV · Unhopped score 8.5 · from £2.54 a can in a pack of 24 at The Alcohol Free Co (4 November 2026)

Ale: Big Drop’s pale ale, with “rosy floral aromas” and “a balanced but obvious bitterness”. The version in the shops contains lactose.

Buy at The Alcohol Free Co →Also at Dry Drinker →Our page on it →

Früh Kölsch 0.0% · 0.0% ABV · from £2.18 a bottle in a case of 12 at Dry Drinker (4 November 2026)

Both: the 0.0% version of Früh’s Kölsch, Cologne’s top-fermented beer. “In taste it’s a real FRÜH, but without alcohol”, the brewery says (our translation).

Buy at The Alcohol Free Co →Also at Dry Drinker →Our page on it →

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Questions people ask

What is the main difference between lager and ale?

The yeast. Ale uses top-fermenting yeast at around 15–24°C and ferments in days; lager uses bottom-fermenting yeast at around 5–10°C, then is usually stored cold for weeks.

Is pale ale a lager?

No. Pale ale is an ale, brewed with top-fermenting ale yeast. A pilsner or helles is the pale lager equivalent.

Is Kölsch a lager or an ale?

A bit of both. It’s top-fermented like an ale, then lagered. German brewers call it a top-fermented lager beer.

Is lager or ale stronger?

Neither, as a rule. In the BJCP guidelines, ales run from an ordinary bitter at 3.2–3.8% to an American IPA at 5.5–7.5%, and lagers from a Czech pale lager at 3.0–4.1% to a doppelbock at 7.0–10.0%. The alcohol-free versions we list are 0.0% to 0.5%.

Are there alcohol-free ales?

Plenty: pale ales, IPAs, stouts and more. See the best alcohol-free pale ales and the best alcohol-free IPAs.

Sources

Opened and checked on 4 November 2026. Beer facts, prices and stock come from each beer’s page on Unhopped and the shops’ own listings on the same day.

  1. Jones NR. Ale. In: The Oxford Companion to Beer, ed. Garrett Oliver (Oxford University Press, 2012), via Craft Beer & Brewing. beerandbrewing.com
  2. Dale C. Bottom fermentation. In: The Oxford Companion to Beer, ed. Garrett Oliver (Oxford University Press, 2012), via Craft Beer & Brewing. beerandbrewing.com
  3. Dornbusch H. Lagering. In: The Oxford Companion to Beer, ed. Garrett Oliver (Oxford University Press, 2012), via Craft Beer & Brewing. beerandbrewing.com
  4. Beer Judge Certification Program. 2021 Beer Style Guidelines: Introduction to beer styles, basic categorization. styles.bjcp.org
  5. Libkind D, Hittinger CT, Valério E, Gonçalves C, Dover J, Johnston M, Gonçalves P, Sampaio JP. Microbe domestication and the identification of the wild genetic stock of lager-brewing yeast. PNAS. 2011;108(35):14539–14544. doi:10.1073/pnas.1105430108. PubMed Central (open access)
  6. Beer Judge Certification Program. 2021 Beer Style Guidelines: vital statistics for styles 1A, 1B, 2A, 3A, 3B, 4A, 4B, 5B, 5D, 6A, 7A, 7B, 8A, 8B, 9A, 11A, 12A, 18B and 21A, each given on the style’s own page (the link is the index of styles). styles.bjcp.org
  7. Beer Judge Certification Program. 2021 Beer Style Guidelines: 5B Kölsch. styles.bjcp.org
  8. Beer Judge Certification Program. 2021 Beer Style Guidelines: 7B Altbier. styles.bjcp.org
  9. Beer Judge Certification Program. 2021 Beer Style Guidelines: 12A British Golden Ale. styles.bjcp.org
  10. Lucky Saint. Frequently asked questions. Opened 4 November 2026. luckysaint.co

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