Be Excellent To Each Other

My girlfriend's best friend is visiting from Germany at the moment, and is asking about a proper "British" beer to try while she's here.

Any recommendations for specific brands and varieties that are at least vaguely drinkable? I know next to nothing about beer, other than than to go for bottled rather than canned beers, and that bitter, ale and so on are the traditional British variants of beer.

Carling Black Label.

Sharps Doom Bar is my ale of choice.

Cras's choice or Hobgoblin

or any local brew

Always ask the barman what the local brew is.

Love Hobgoblin this time of year.
Other favourites are Betty Stoggs, Tanglefoot, and Old Hooky.

Jesus Christ, where to begin? Here's a few off the top of my head:

Stouts: Oyster, Young's Double Chocolate
Ale: Old Speckled Hen, Fortyniner, Hobgoblin
Golden Ale: Old Golden Hen, Burning Gold
Blond beer: Boondoggle, Summer Lightning, Harvest Pale
Best: Ringwood, Ruddles

I'm not a massive fan of traditional IPA, much prefer US style craft ones like Punk or Sierra Nevada.

Most stuff made by the Williams Brothers though "Fraoch" is their bestest. "Midnight sun" is also right good.
Almost everything made by Glesga's West Brewery. It's all made in accordance with the Reinheitsgebot too.
The Arran Brewery's "Sunset"
Holt's "Maplemoon" even though they've added flavours to it.
Cannae go wrong with Tanglefoot, Speckled Hen or Hobgoblin.
Tennent's Super.

It's what I'm drinking right now.

From shops, I'd generally go for any of Old Speckled Hen, Abbott Ale, Hobgoblin, Doombar or spitfire.

Although my preferred strategy is to go to a pub and see what they have available. Requires suitable company though. And a not shit pub.

Their Joker IPA is also right tasty.



You jest (I hope!) but when we were in Rome a couple of years back it was presented as a premium and exotic beer, to the extent that some bars even had like the proper light up sign things above the door announcing to the world that they stocked it as if that was a good thing. It was proper .

Poor cellermanship, dirty pipes, or just getting to the end of the barrel will ruin the experience.
If they're enthusiastic about their beer, they'll happily offer her a sample if she asks.

Canned ales are pretty good nowadays, too.

Black Sheep
Old Empire
Blanford Fly
Tanglefoot
Bath Ales Gem

That's Cornish.

Technically it's Canadian

Also Cornish.

Canada's cornish? I do admire a people whose reach exceeds their grasp.

There's always something pleasing about asking for 'a pint of Doom, please', especially if you exaggerate the right syllables.

Krušovice

Disclaimer: May not be British. Or good.

Everyone should try that stuff once...*

... and aye, the Talis seem to love the stuff. Though I bet they don't neck a pint run around the block & neck the second one as soon as they get back. Amateurs
*...but I'd avoid Special Brew unless you want to be mocked for being a fancy continental type.

Adnams Broadside and Abbot are two of my favourites. Both have a strong, complex flavour and a higher ABV. Doom Bar is a great session beer if you can find a pub where they care for it.

Pour some Old Rosie down her, too.

GET OUT OF OUR BEER THREAD CIDER FREAK

Is that Ange's sex name?

Cider freak! Cider freak! She's cider freaky!

I'd hazard a guess that it would be.

Ange told me that it has good healing properties. Whenever she feels a prick, she puts it in cider.

Yocks to MaliA.

I'm not that big a fan of Old Empire or Spitfire though. Okay, but tastes a bit meh to me.

Black Sheep (medium ale, great standard)
Rigwelter (dark ale)
Landlord (refreshing pale ale but with a good body)
Bluebird Bitter (one of the nicest I've known)
Sam Smiths Oatmeal Stout (YUMMY!)
Tanglefoot (good cheapish four pack standard)
Bath Gem (wonderfully refreshing ale)
Badger Gold (perfect summer ale)

Brewdog's Punk IPA is my absolute favourite ale, but I guess it's not very traditionally British.

I'd also agree with Doom Bar being nice and Old Speckled Hen is pretty decent. My local brewery is Tring Brewery, and they have some really nice ales if you can find them. Side Pocket is their most popular beer and I can confirm it's really good. I also got very, very drunk on Moongazing during a tour of the brewery a couple of months ago, but again that's an American hopped ale. Brewed over here though.

Edit: Of course, the trick is to just find a nice pub that serves local ales and give some of them a try, as I believe Mr Dave suggested. Most pubs will let you try an ale before you buy - if you ask, they'll just pour you a taster into a small glass.

What was the verdict?

Duchy Originals Organic Old Ruby Ale is really nice, only seen it for sale in Waitrose. Normally I give Prince Charles overpriced food and drink products a wide birth but this one is worth the money