So the difference between medieval ale and (present day)ale ? Or the difference between medieval ale and (present day) beer ? Is that what you think they mean?
> In medieval England, ale was an alcoholic drink made from grain, water, and fermented with yeast. The difference between medieval ale and [medieval] beer was that [medieval] beer also used hops as an ingredient.
At the time these historical recipes would have been brewed, folks referred to a beverage made with malted barley and yeast as "ale" and beverages made with malted barley, yeast and hops as "beer."