Difference between Ale and Bitter Whats the difference between a bitter and an Ale? Is it the manufacturing process or the ingredients that make these different drinks?
Bitters are ales; the English term bitter is generally equivalent to pale ale.  Pale ales are made from pale malt and many types are heavily hopped.  The term bitter refers to the bitterness inherent in their hoppy character when compared to other beers like stouts and porters.

Note that like many beer terms, taxonomy is not hard and fast, e.g. a blonde could be considered a pale ale but few would refer to it as a bitter!