Here's a link which explains the difference between ales (eloj) and lagers (lageroj) succintly.

sudanglo:I presume Todd that you have had a look at the Vikipedia entry under 'biero'. There's a stump there for 'stokbiero' - presumably somebody's notion of lager. However I see no reason for not using 'lagero'.

In fact, I didn't check the Vikipedia. I always seem to forget that source. But I see that stokbiero is indeed the term used. It seems an odd choice, and I doubt it would be very understandable. Of course, if I used lagero I'll have to explain it anyway.

When I was a lad, I remember that we would say mi prenos pajnton da amara for I'll have a pint of bitter - also 'milda' for mild.

Yes, when I worked in a pub in 1974 these were standard orders, stated in what sounded to my yankee ear like "point a bi'-er might", but it was there and then that I acquired a taste for English pale ales that I've never lost.

You would like the pub 2 minutes from where I live. It usually has half a dozen 'real ales' from all over the country changing the selection regularly. In Ramsgate, on the sea front, we have our own micro-brewery (Gadds Ales) which has produced some award winning beers. Might be something on the Internet you could find by Googling 'Gadds'

I don't think I've had any of the Gadds brews. I've sampled a few Shepherd Naeme ales, from a few miles south of you. Spitfire Ale is very nice. Next time I'm in the neighborhood, possibly this summer, I'll buy you a pint.

@Miland -- This is a good example of the question of whether a new root is actually needed. In terms of simple logic, the answer is no. Rather than use supra and suba as adjectival nouns, it seems reasonable to have a root as a partner for elo. Every beer is fundamentally a lager or an ale, so the words seem appropriately "foundational" to deserve roots.

sudanglo:Here's a link which explains the difference between ales (eloj) and lagers (lageroj) succintly.

There's also "steam beer", which is a kind of hybrid. It uses lager yeast but is fermented quickly at higher temperature typical of ales. San Francisco's "Anchor Steam" is the only steam beer I've ever seen or tried.