The great hops of the uk

[Bryn]

Slightly misleading title - I was expecting heated discussion re the relative merits of Goldings vs Fuggles...

Indeed, just how many of the ales and beers mentioned here use British hops. Skim off the froth and I fear one will all to often catch a whiff of Germany.

[french frank]

Pirates don't drink beer they drink cider or grog

You mean these pirates, do you:

In my experience, they're certainly cider drinkers.

Black Sheep Ale

[cloughie]

Indeed, just how many of the ales and beers mentioned here use British hops. Skim off the froth and I fear one will all to often catch a whiff of Germany.

You may be right but with small breweries it's worth checking, you may need to look for a degree or two of proof!

[Nick Armstrong]

I only really like draft beers:

Ringwood's "Old Thumper"

Hook Norton's "Old Hooky"

Adnams' "Broadside"

For a lighter beer: Fuller's "London Pride" or Shepherd Neame's "Spitfire"

[Anna]

I don't often buy beer but I like Bath Ales. In particular their Golden Hare and the Ginger Hare is very zingy!

[ahinton]

I don't often buy beer but I like Bath Ales. In particular their Golden Hare and the Ginger Hare is very zingy!

I'm afraid that almost a quarter century of living in Bath did nothing to get me onto either those ales or Rugby! Sad and unreformable, moi, I suppose...

[Lateralthinking1]

I note that a croydon-based correspondent recognises the South but not the South-West!

Gentlemen no swearing please. It was the three from the Isle of Wight that made me err on the side of caution. Now I look back on it, I realise that I meant Adnams and not Abbot. That's the problem with sobriety. It affects the brain cells.

[Simon]

There seem to be a few small breweries doing well. Abbeydale in Sheffield is quite well-known now, and there's one not far from me near Bakewell. The best ale I've had recently was Belgian Blue from Bradfield Brewery.

The first time I had ale from a micro brewery was in Exmouth in the 90s. The guy showed us round. Wonderful stuff.

If you want a really wholesome ale currently though, the Co-op do a bottled organic one. Excellent it is.

[MrGongGong]

Also worth knowing is that Sainsburys "Taste the difference" (what on earth does that mean ? between Coal and Blue Cheese perhaps ?)

IPA is made by Shepherd Neame

Batemans Christmas beer "Rosey Nosey" is rather good

[BBMmk2]

Have Sainsbury'stheir own ale? hmmm! Also, I havnyt had for a loing time now, and that is the Duchy of Cornwall do a rather nice organic ale!

[MrGongGong]

Have Sainsbury'stheir own ale? hmmm! Also, I havnyt had for a loing time now, and that is the Duchy of Cornwall do a rather nice organic ale!

"Duchy of Cornwall" my arse
good for slug traps maybe ?

[cloughie]

"Duchy of Cornwall" my arse
good for slug traps maybe ?

Doubt it - the slugs go round in gangs here!

[Nick Armstrong]

"Duchy of Cornwall" my arse

I hate it when you beat around the bush, Mr GG...

[Byas'd Opinion]

There's been a bit of a boom in brewing in Scotland over the past 10 years or so, with a lot of good small breweries opening. Among my favourite beers from up here are:

Brewdog Edge
Caledonian 80/-
Harviestoun Bitter and Twisted
Kelburn Red Smiddy
Orkney Dark Island
Orkney Red McGregor
Williams Brothers Joker IPA

[Chris Newman]

When oi were a lad me muvver's milk were King 'n Barnes ales brewed in the Bishopric in Horsham. Their beer were real strong an' 'oppy in flavour but not too daft in alcohol so you did not get too daft yerrself. Sadly some Dorset dossers bought 'em out and what's now called King and Barnes is bland pissy stuff aptly brewed in Blandford. Refuse to touch the stuff and their own stuff: Hall and Woodhouse.

Now I'm old an' live in Wiltshire. We used to 'ave a good microbrewery, Hopback Brewery, but they gotten big an' moved out of Salisbury an' now have two companies. Very variable stuff since they started selling to Tesco, Sainsbury an' co. Shame. In fact, John Gilbert of Hopback based his first beer (GFB...Gilbert's First Bitter, geddit?) on King 'nd Barnes Bitter (Strong flavour but only 3.5% alcohol).

Harveys o' Lewes still make a good drop in Sussex but t' good news in Horsham is Willum King of King 'n Barnes were so disgusted by the Blandford bilgewater brewed in 'is family name he set up William King in Horsham and it's fair stuff. Also Andy Hepworth, the ole 'ead brewer from King 'n Barnes , well great stuff, he set up 'is own brew'ry too. Horsham be reet lucky: it 'as two good breweries. In South Wiltshire we be mostly stuck with the Blandford pee but oi can get Hepworths in Marks and Spencers and some pleasant Butcombe beer from Bristol be creeping into the area, as well as the occasion drop of Ringwood and Hidden Brewery.