Ale to the selling of beer labeled "strong beer" that had actually been diluted with small beer. In medieval times, ale may have been safer to drink than most water (the germ theory of disease was unheard of, and the sterilizing properties of boiling unknown); however, there is no period evidence that people were aware of this nor that they chose to drink ale for this reason. The alcohol, hops, and some ingredients in gruit used to preserve some ales may have contributed to their lower load of pathogens, when compared to water. However, ale was largely safer due to the
Ale Municipality Ale Municipality Ale Municipality ("Ale kommun") is a municipality in Västra Götaland County in western Sweden. Its seat is located in the town of Nödinge-Nol, more precisely in Alafors at Ale Municipality was created in 1974, when the former municipalities of Nödinge, Skepplanda and Starrkärr were amalgamated. The new entity got its name from the old Ale Hundred, which had approximately the same territory. It built one of the first indoor bandy arenas in Sweden (and subsequently in the world), which was the first in Götaland, located in Bohuslän. Inhabitants figures from 2000. Ale has three sister cities: Result of