English Beer
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Everyone jokes about warm beer in England,
and you may in fact get served a pint that is a bit
close to tepid for your liking, but this is rare.
While most pubs will serve you chilled beer,
it probably won't be the ice-cold variety that Antipodeans
are more familiar with.
More than 1,000 different brands of beer are brewed
in Britain daily, with the most common being lagers
and ale. British beers - particularly some of
the independent labels - are world-renowned, and the
beer lover will soon discover some new favourites.
Unfortunately, far too many travellers to the UK stick
to the mass-produced beers that they drank
back home, or local versions of insipid international
brews.
'Real ale' is making a comeback in Britain
(and throughout the world), with traditional methods,
the eschewing of additives, and a renewed emphasis
on quality over quantity being at the forefront. Real
ales typically undergo a secondary fermentation or
maturation process in the keg or bottle, which can
result in a more distinct flavour and body.
Ten Great Beers
We have done an office poll, read the books,
tasted the beer - and have decided to share these
ten beers (in no particular order) with you all. Some
you will have heard of, others will hopefully become
favourites...
- Newcastle Brown Ale - a northern favourite,
with a rich malty flavour.
- Worthington White Shield - a pale ale from
the Bass stable.
- Marston Pedigree - a Burton bitter of renown.
- London Pride - a Fuller's brewery mainstay.
- Spitfire - from Shepherd Neame, brewing
since 1698.
- London Ale - a Young's export special variety.
- Abbot Ale - Greene King produced.
- John Smith Bitter - produced at the excellent
brewery in Yorkshire.
- Tetley Bitter - another Yorkshire classic.
- Guinness - OK, an Irish name of world-wide
renown, but the real deal matches the hype. Fly
to Dublin and visit the brewery. A new 'ice cold'
variety is just as tasty.
Also -
For more information on real ale, beer festivals,
and historic pubs, visit the
Campaign For Real Ale site.
Visit our Pub Of The
Month or our guide to London's Historic
Pubs.
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