Ale is beer. Beer includes ale and in some usages ale includes beer. The brewing process is the same but many traditional ales were
"top-fermented" while most lagers were "bottom-fermented" - which I think has to do with whether the solids in the brewing float on top or sink to the bottom. I'm sure some experts on here can set me straight.
Have noticed that in talking about beer with many people on this site there only experience seems to have been with inexpensive watery brews. While I am not by any means a beer expert (I mostly drink wine but I do drink some beer) I do know that the better brews smell and taste quite good and often rich and can be quite complex like the taste of wine.
