Belgian & French Ales are the historic everyday drinking beers of Belgium and France. This category includes what Belgian brewers might call the "low fermentation" beers, or lower alcohol beers that are closer to the alcohol content that we are used to in most beers. (The "high fermentation" or higher alcohol beers are found in the Belgian Strong Ale category.)
Colors, flavors and styles within this category vary greatly from beer to beer, but these are the everyday drinking beers that originated in Belgian and French farmhouses.
Given the extremely wide range of Belgian beer styles that are still brewed today, it can be very complex and controversial to attempt to categorize these beers by style. In fact, many Belgian beers defy categorization to the extent that they are lumped into the Specialty category of the Belgian and French Ale style that includes beers of varying alcohol levels.
