Northampton - The Fourth Best Place To Drink Good Beer In The UK

According to a Cask Marque Press Release, Huddersfield is the best town in Britain to get a decent pint of real ale.

The criteria used to determine if a beer passed their quality standards was temperature, appearance, aroma and taste, although of course all of these are in the eye of the beholder and I have no evidence that the inspectors are any more skilled at beer tasting than you or me. Huddersfield 's beer scored higher on average than anywhere else.

Sheffield and Derby are recognised as meccas for the real ale afficianado, but both fail to make the top ten. I can of course hear cries from the back saying that tickers who drink in these two places don't care what their beer tastes like so long as it's new, and that is an argument I have made before. I must say though that I have very rarely had a bad beer in a ticker's pub. Of course inspectors visited far more than just recognised real ale haunts anyway.

What is pleasing is that the two places I do most of my drinking: Northampton and Leicester are both in the top ten so based on that fact there's a really good chance I'm drinking better beer than you!!

Ten Happening UK Breweries - The Near Misses

Time got the better of me yesterday, so here's the list of those breweries which were close to making the top ten, but for one reason or other just missed out. I have chosen ten near misses but could easily have chosen more. There are tens of other great breweries in this island, so just because one hasn't been mentioned in the last three days, doesn't mean I don't like it, or rate its products pretty highly. Don't get upset if your favourite hasn't been mentioned, but please tell me why I am wrong!! I'm not going to go into too much detail of each brewery as that would be cumbersome. I'll just give a flavour.

Atomic was formed in Rugby in 2005, and generally produces pale hoppy beers. They have their own tied house in Rugby: The Victoria, which is a very friendly establishment, but take note that it does not open all day. They do brew a 9% beer Disaster which I have yet to try but is on my wish list.

Bradgy'r Bryn Cyf is a splendidly named brewery from Denbigh in Wales with a dual language website. This is another brewery formed in 2005. I must confess I have only had one of their beers, the simply named Bitter, but it was so good that the brewery deserves a mention. I need to find more of their beers!

Dark Star would be on many people's top ten list, and it was close for me. This brewery was formed in 1994 at The Evening Star, a fantastic real ale pub in Brighton, but has since relocated across the border into Ansty, West Sussex. They brew a huge range of beers, all of which are pretty decent. Their Hophead is renowned for huge hoppy flavours for only being 3.8%, and is a multi-award winner.

Durham is mostly famous for its strong bottled beers, although their cask beers are non too shabby. It was formed in 1994 in Bowburn, just outside Durham. Their 10% Temptation is a menacing Imperial Stout and the 8% Benedictus is a strong barley wine. A lot of their cask beers are very pale, and to prove this fact have the word "white" in their name. You can't go far wrong with any of these beers.

Grainstore does not appear to have a functioning website at the moment but that doesn't mean they don't know how to brew. It has been in operation since 1995 in Oakham, Rutland, and brews their own range of beers as well as those for the fictional Steamin Billy Brewery. Rutland Panther was Champion Mild of Britain in 2005, and won the overall Silver for CBOB. In my opinion all of their beers are good whether they be dark or light but their Ten Fifty does seem to have a cult following. They have their own pub at the brewery location, called The Old Plough.

Great Oakley was formed in 2005 in the village of that name in my home county of Northamptonshire. I am lucky enough to see their beers all the time, and they are all worthy of drinking if there are no scoops to be had. The pub I visit the most The Malt Shovel is their brewery tap even though it's a good 20 miles away, and features all of thir short run beers as well as the regular range. The 4.6% old ale Delapre Dark, originally a festival special has now become a permanent beer and has already started winning awards.

Harveys is the biggest and oldest concern on any of the lists, being formed in Lewes in 1790. However age is not an obstacle to brewing bloody good beer. Harveys beers have a distinctive taste. I always find peppery flavours in their bitters, especially Armada Ale which is without question one of my favourite English bitters. Sussex Best Bitter is also a wonderful beer which won overall silver in last year's CBOB competition. However it is their bottled Imperial Stout which has made them famous throughout the world. I must confess to not being the biggest fan of this beer, but plenty of people are.

Kilderkin is a brewery I have blogged about a couple of times previously. It is another brewery I have only had one beer from: Double, but that was a lovely beer, and I love the fact that they are trying Europen styles so much that they deserve a place on this list.

RCH is a brewery which just brews consistently well. They were formed in 1982 in Burnham-on-Sea, Somerset, but have since moved to West Hewish. They brew a number of beers and bottle some of their most well known. Beers to watch out for are Santa Fe, a 7.3% barley wine, and their porter, Old Slug, both quality beers.

Traquair is the final brewery on the list, and is included because of its wonderful strong bottled beers. Formed in 1965 in Innerleithen, Scotland, the vast majority of their produce goes onto bottles. House Ale, and Jacobite Ale are pretty commonly available and are both masterpieces. If you see them do not miss out.

That's it then. The twenty most exciting, most consistent British breweries around at the moment in my opinion. Let me know what you think.

Ten Happening UK Breweries - Part 2

So today it's the turn of part two of my exciting article about the ten most happening breweries in the UK. Yesterday I talked about the first five alphabetically Acorn, Alehouse,BrewDog, Buntingford and Crouch Vale. Number six and the first for today is:

Harviestoun. Maybe a controversial choice due to their connection with Caledonian, but that doesn't stop them making good beers. The brewery started operations in 1985 and have moved in 2004 to their present location in Alva, Scotland. They are known Worldwide for Schiehallion, their cask lager which in bottled form is exported globally. This beer has won four silvers and three golds in its class at GBBF. However it's not their most decorated beer as Bitter and Twisted has won Champion Beer of Scotland twice, Champion Beer Of Britain once and a SIBA Supreme Champion of Scotland award. Both these beers are delicately hopped and full of flavour. My personal favourite though is Old Engine Oil, a 6% dark beer based on a 1970s recipe. This beer is full of malty flavours as well as licquorice and chocolate. It is sheer quality!

Oakham is another multi award winning brewery. Formed in 1993 in the small town in Rutland after which it is named, they expanded and moved to Peterborough in 1998. They really need no introduction, but their JHB (Jeffrey Hudson Bitter) won Champion Beer Of Britain in 2002. Oakham make good use of American hops in their beers, particularly Mount Hood and Willamette, and it is pale hoppy beers for which they have become famous; Bishops Farewell being a stronger fuller flavoured golden ale. I used to think Oakham was a bit of a one trick pony, brewing lovely beers but not really diversifying. That was until I tried Hawse Buckler, a stunning 5.5% Porter which came out at the back end of 2006. If Oakham can brew dark beers this good as well as their goldens then they truly are a force to be reckoned with. I look forward to future occasional dark beers.

Roosters was probably my favourite Britsh brewery back in the 1990s. They are based in Knaresborough in North Yorkshire and commenced brewing in 1993. As well as the Roosters label they brew short run beers under the name Outlaw and over a typical year they will brew many different beers including festival specials. Roosters makes a big deal of brewing with quality ingredients, and all their beers are wonderfully aromatic. My particular favourite is Yankee, an excellent beer with lovely citrus flavours and aromas which is possibly the most moreish beer brewed in these islands. Other beers of distinction are Oyster Stout, and Leghorn.

Thornbridge is based at Thornbridge Hall in the picturesque village of Ashford-in-the-Water in Derbyshire, and is a collaboration with Kelham Island. They commenced brewing in October 2004 and quickly picked up a big reputation. Their beers are big on flavour, even their two 2.9% milds Pollux and Kastor are said to be outstanding beers. Their most well known, and the winners of most awards are the 5.9% IPA, Jaipur and the 7.7% Imperial Stout St Petersburg. Both of these are wonderfully brewed classy beers. They are also brewing other IPAs based on US West Coast hops. it is little wonder that one of the brewers at BrewDog (see yesterday) cut his teeth here.

Williams Bros is the tenth brewery on the list. This Scottish brewery was formed in 2003 and inherited the recipes from Heather Ales. With this came an excellent portfolio including Alba, Ebulum and Fraoch, brewed with Scots Pine, Elderberry and Heather respectively. These are all interesting beers using interesting ingredients, but they are executed very well. It's not just these quirky beers that Williams are good at though. Their Black, Gold and Joker 5 are also excellent beers. With such a diverse repertoire of beers Williams fully deserves to be on this list.

So that's the full ten, and for me is an excellent list of producers of many different styles from ancient recipes, through standard English bitters to modern beers using copious amounts of US hops. As I said yesterday, no one will agree with all ten on this list, but maybe your favourite is on here. Tomorrow I will discuss the near misses and those bubbling under.

Ten Happening UK Breweries - Part 1

I'm not in a position to try every single beer brewed in the UK, and neither would I want to be, but I've had enough to be able to form an opinion as to which breweries are consistently brewing quality stuff. Over the next couple of days I will talk about what I believe are the ten happening breweries in the UK at the moment. Some of them are pushing the boat out and brewing, what are for these isles, extreme beers, while others are just doing the good things very, very well. By no means have I tried all their products, but those that I have, and talking to others about those that they have, leads me to have great faith in my list. I am presenting my list alphabetically; five today, and five tomorrow. You will doubtless disagree with some of my ten, but hopefully you will agree with some of them. I would be interested to hear what you think.



Acorn of South Yorkshire has been in production since 2003. It is a 40 barrel plant, and is a favourite with brewers in the Barnsley area, and of course, further afield. Acorn were awarded a silver award in last year's Champion Bitter section at GBBF with Barnsley Bitter. It's beers like this which Acorn do so well. Standard old fashioned English bitters are their forte, although their Gorlovka Imperial Stout is a beer to be reckoned with. I don't think Acorn will ever try to match the American style hoppy beers which other brewers are attempting at the moment. In fact I think their maltier beers are their best products, and seem to be what Yorkshire drinkers on the whole prefer, so I think they will, and indeed should stick to what they are doing so well.

Alehouse is a brew pub in St Albans (their website is not up to much at the moment). It is based in The Farmers Boy which used to be the home of Verulam. Alehouse know their hops. The beers I have tried have all been very hoppy, even their Robust Porter, and they've all had a great malt backbone. A fair few of their beers tell you which hop they use in the beer's name, which I personally like as it educates you to the different flavours of each individual hop. Most of the beers are mid strength, although the 9.6% monster Rick's End Game Technique is a thing of beauty. You don't see their beers in pubs very often, but I am lucky that they are popular at my local Beer Festival.

BrewDog of Fraserburgh, Scotland, has already been mentioned in detail in my report of Derby Beer Festival. They commenced brewing only three months ago, but have already built up a huge reputation with discerning beer drinkers. The two beers I had at Derby were the only ones I have tried so far (although I know there will be some of their range available at a RateBeer gathering I am attending next month), and they were both real beauties. BrewDog like big beers with big flavours. They describe themselves as "two guys trying to make the best beer we can", and I think they are doing a pretty good job. Punk IPA is one of the hoppiest British beers I've had and it can real carry off the hops. It's so very drinkable and moreish, and at 6% packs just the right punch. Riptide is their 8% stout which also goes down a treat. They have also produced a stronger stout which has been matured in various whisky barrels, and also produce a pretty decent lager. This brewery can only go from strength to strength.

Buntingford may be a surprising choice for many, but this is one of the most consistent breweries around at the moment. Most of their beers are on the hoppy side, but they are generally delicate, well balanced, easily drinkable hoppy beers rather than bursting with flavour. Buntingford has been brewing since 2001 and is based in Royston, Hertfordshire. They have brewed quite a large range of beers over those years, and continue to brew specials in addition to their stock beers Highwayman IPA and Challenger. You may well have flagged their beers at festivals in favour of more decorated breweries but next time you see one try it, hopefully you won't be disappointed. Make sure also that you read the brewer's blog.

Crouch Vale needs no introduction. This Essex brewer has won Champion Beer Of Britain in each of the last two years with Brewers Gold. This may not be the best beer in Britain but it is good enough, tasty enough and palatable enough to win such an accolade. This year is Crouch Vales 26th in operation, and despite their success they are still a tradition brewery relying on quality products. They brew decent milds and porters as well as Golden Ales for which they are famous. At one point Brewers Gold Extra, the 5% big brother of their flagship beer was ranked in the top 50 beers in the world on RateBeer, it is still in the top 100. All of their beers are worth having wherever possible.

So that's the first five, and we're only at the letter C so plenty of choice left to fill the next five. Tune in tomorrow folks.