Summer’s here and for beer drinkers, that’s welcome news. Beer, after all, is refreshing, hydrating and not too high in alcohol; no wonder British pub gardens are packed out with people clutching their pint glasses during the warmer months. And no wonder anyone worth their salt turns up to a BBQ with a decent six pack (and we don’t mean the Calvin Harris kind). But which beer to choose? Our guide brings you the best of the bunch, from bitters to lagers, wheat beers to IPAs – and more. Whether you’re a traditionalist or fancy something more contemporary – a hybrid, even – we’ll help you stock up your fridge and cupboards with the very best beers that 2018 has to offer. Don’t forget to read our buyer’s guide too, particularly if you don’t know your lager from your lambic or your porter from your stout. Cheers!
What are the most common types of beer?
Lager
The most commonly consumed of all beers, lager was a Czech invention that came out of new techniques that allowed malt to be lightly kilned so it remained pale. It uses different yeast from ales and needs a longer, cooler fermentation. The majority of popular brands are pale lagers, which are brewed to be crisp and refreshing, with a smooth finish. They have high carbonation and medium to high hop flavour. Dark lagers (known in German as Dunkel beers) use grains that are roasted for longer – ranging from amber to black, they’re much rarer than their pale equivalents.
Ale
Ales are darker and fuller-bodied than lagers, as well as being more robust, complex and bitter, with hints of fruit or spice, and a hoppy finish. There are many types, including bitter, mild, pale ale, abbey ale and nut brown. Ales have more individual characteristics than lager, though their alcoholic strength is similar.
IPA
India Pale Ale (or IPA) is one of the most popular ales – and indeed beers – around. Pale ale originally meant an ale that had been brewed from pale malt and the original IPAs were heavily hopped for transport to colonial India. IPAs now have a strong association with Canada and the United States, where many breweries produce their own versions. Session IPA refers to the lower alcohol version (mostly below 5% ABV) of US-style IPA, which is usually fruity, zesty and bitter.
Bitter
Bitter, a British style of pale ale, comes in a huge variety of colours, types and strengths from 3% to 7% ABV. Sub-types include light ale (low alcohol bitter, of ten bottled), session bitter (up to 4.1%; includes IPA), best or special (strength between 4.2% and 4.7%), premium or strong (4.8% or over) and golden ale (summer ale).
Porter
Porter is a London-style, dark, almost black, fruity-dry, ale. It is brewed with roasted malts to impart flavour, colour and aroma.
Stout
Although stout and porter are very similar, stout is darker and heavier, with a rich, creamy head. It’s flavoured and coloured by barley. Slightly sweeter to the taste than porter, stout also uses a portion of unmalted roasted barley, leading to some delicious, toasted flavors such as chocolate, coffee, oatmeal or cream.
Pilsner
This is a refreshing, crisp and light yellow lager with a bitter, hoppy flavour. Pilsner originated in the Czech Republic and tends to be light in colour, ranging from light straw to golden, with strong hoppy, spicy and floral flavours. Some of the most iconic beers derive from the pilsner style, including Budweiser.
Wheat beer
In a wheat beer, a significant quantity of the mash contains wheat. Because wheat contains more protein than barley, wheat beers have a hazy look, thicker heads and a silky mouthfeel. They are highly effervescent and light in flavour, making them great summer beers.
Lambic
This version of wheat beer is the oldest beer style in the west. A Belgian beer that is exclusively brewed in and around Brussels (because the sourness depends on the local wild yeasts of the Brettanomyces strain), it is prepared in the traditional way. However, vents are later opened in the roof to allow in wild yeast to ferment the beer.
The best beers in the world: 23 delicious brews and one box you’ll want to sample
Duvel Tripel Hop Belgian Golden Ale: The best Belgian strong ale
Price:£2.50 | Buy now from Tesco
Belgium, still considered by many to be the greatest brewing nation of all, has had its brewing styles copied and modified the world over. But if you want the best of the real deal, then look no further than this exceptionally well balanced, aromatic beer. A glass of golden gorgeousness will await you once you’ve chilled and poured this crisp lager. It’s made with three hop varieties (the third is changed each year to keep you on your toes), with hoppy aromas and tangy, yeasty and bitter flavours. Just be careful: at 9.5 per cent, it’s slightly stronger than the classic Duvel, itself a potent brew.
Key specs – Volume: 330ml; ABV: 9.5%; Beer type: Belgian strong ale; Country of origin: Belgium
Northern Monk Eternal: The best session IPA
Price: £2.29 | Buy now from BeerHawk
At 4.1%, this light, thirst-quenching, hoppy beer is definitely at the sessionable end of the IPA spectrum. You get sweet tropical and citrusy flavours with a biscuity malt base. Hazy, pale, dry and aromatic, it’s on the slightly sweet side with a medium body. It’s also one of the only British beers to have got a medal at the World Beer Cup. Cloudy orange with a fluffy white head, it is moreish in the extreme.
Key specs – Volume: 330ml; AB: 4.1%; Beer type: IPA; Country of origin: England
Drygate Chimera: Like lager? Love IPA? Then this is one of the best India Pale Lagers
Price:£1.80 | Buy now from Sainsbury's
A hybrid between a lager and an IPA, this has gone a storm ever since its release by this Glasgow-based brewer – so much so that it’s now available in supermarkets, where you’ll spot it next to some of the most popular IPAs. On the nose, it’s tropical with citrus, herbals and florals coming through, but then you get a bitterness and maltiness in the mouth, which goes surprisingly well with the more zesty flavours, especially the orange. A really interesting cloudy orange beer, it’s great for the more unconventional drinker who enjoys pushing boundaries and mixing things up a bit. A seriously good beer with backbone.
Key specs – Volume: 330ml; ABV: 5.9%; Beer type: India pale lager; Country of origin: Glasgow, Scotland
First Chop JAM Mango Pale Ale: A light, fruity American pale ale
Price:£2.55 | Buy now from First Chop
Fruity beers can be sickly sweet and, even if they’re not, the fruit part can dominate all other flavours. Not so with this punchy blond ale in which the mango is subtle yet gives a welcome summer bite – ideal for hot days. The beer is brewed with gluten free barley malt and is intense, spicy and hoppy with a bitter, citrusy aftertaste. Hazy and yellow coloured, with a foamy white head, it has lush tropical aromas of apricots, lemon and – of course - mango. This fruity beauty comes from a Manchester based brewery that was first established in 2012, specialising in gluten free and vegan beers.
Key specs – Volume: 330ml; ABV: 4%; Beer type: APA; Country of origin: Manchester, England
Timothy Taylor’s Landlord: One of the best British pale ales
Price:£1.80 | Buy now from Waitrose
One of the most famous beers to come out of Yorkshire, this pale ale is a true British classic. Hoppy, malty and zesty with a long, bitter finish, it is traditionally brewed using Golden Promise malted barley, whole leaf hops and Knowle spring water. Launched back in 1952, Timothy Taylor’s Landlord has won more major awards than any other beer, including four times CAMRA Champion Beer of Britain. Drink it between 11C and 13C and, if you want to pair it with food, the citrus notes mean it goes a treat with fish and chips. It is a lovely deep amber colour with a thick head – something that, alas, you will also have the following morning if you consume too much.
Key specs – Volume: 500ml; ABV: 4.3%; Beer type: Pale ale; Country of origin: England
Cantillon Kriek: The best lambic beer? Probably...
Price:£7 | Buy Cantillon Kriek from Beer Hawk now
Lambic is the Marmite of the beer world; some consider it too sour and acidic to even be considered a beer, let alone a decent one, while others think it’s the result of the most cultured brewing process out there. If you’re a fan, then you absolutely have to get your laughing gear around this world-renowned offering from Cantillon – an authentic lambic that’s been brewed with cherries. Not surprisingly, it’s a rich red colour, with strong aromas of the fruit, along with wheat and oak. This leads into robust cherry flavours that are balanced with that classic lambic tartness and a touch of vanilla. Depending on your taste, it's either a beauty or a beast.
Buy Cantillon Kriek from Beer Hawk now
Key specs – Volume: 375ml; ABV: 5%; Beer type: lambic; Country of origin: Belgium
Bristol Beer Factory Milk Stout: One of the smoothest, tastiest milk stouts
Price: £3.10 | Buy now from Honest Brew
Vegans, avert your eyes. Milk stout incorporates lactose, a sugar found in cow’s milk. Why? Because lactose doesn’t turn to alcohol during fermentation, thereby giving a unique sweetness and creaminess to soften the classic bitterness. It’s no wonder that this noteworthy variant of stout (also known as sweet stout or cream stout) is making a resurgence. But doesn’t that mean this classic dark beer winds up a bit like a milkshake? Strangely not. This one, in particular, is smooth and full of flavour with some beautiful balancing between the lactose sugar and the classic burnt flavours. A traditional, award-winning stout recreated for contemporary times.
Key specs – Volume: 500ml; ABV: 4.5%; Beer type: stout; Country of origin: England
Five Points Railway Porter: A great go-to porter
Price:£2.49 | Buy from Honest Brew now
Brewed with East Kent golden hops, this sophisticated dark beer certainly packs a punch with its coffee and cocoa flavours, which are beautifully balanced with a hint of chocolate and caramel for sweetness and smoothness, all leading to a long, gentle, dry, bitter finish. Porter used to be London’s go-to brew, so it’s apt this one is produced in Hackney by the Five Points Brewing Company. We found it slightly less dense than more classic-style porters, but it still has that gratifying, malt-driven boldness. Rich, smooth and deep.
Key specs – Volume: 330ml; ABV: 4.8%; Beer type: porter; Country of origin: England
Bellfield Brewery Lawless Village IPA: The best gluten-free, vegan-friendly IPA
Price:£29.40 for 12 | Buy now from Amazon for £29.40
Since this Edinburgh-brewed, copper-coloured aromatic American IPA beer hit the shelves in 2016, it’s become a massive hit, winning a whole bunch of prestigious awards. Full-bodied and bursting with flavour, it’s hoppy, earthy and fruity, with a refreshing citrusy finish. Named after the brewers’ local neighbourhood of Portobello, it’s one of the best gluten-free and vegan-friendly beers we’ve tried. A real corker for the summer months, although you’d be silly to rule it out the rest of the year.
Key specs – Volume: 330ml; ABV: 4.5%; Beer type: IPA; Country of origin: Scotland
Birra Moretti: The best easy-drinking lager
Price:£12 for 12 | Buy now from Ocado
If you’re looking for the ultimate party or BBQ lager, you can’t go wrong with this Italian beer, which uses a traditional brewing process that’s kept this beer popular since 1859. A crisp, clean and classic lager, it’s pale golden in colour with a white head. Moretti is lightly hopped and malted, with a slight bitterness and good fizz. Nobody’s suggesting it’s the ultimate in sophistication, but for a hot summer’s day it’s everything you need – and, like any good Italian brew, it goes well with food as well.
Key specs – Volume: 330ml; ABV: 4.6%; Beer type: lager; Country of origin: Italy
Brewdog Dead Pony Club: A light, tasty 3.8% pale ale
Price:£1.80 | Buy now from Sainsbury's
This Scottish brewer and pub operator, known as much for its radical publicity stunts as its award-winning beers, is experiencing whopping annual sales increases and their beers and now served in BrewDog bars as far afield as Gothenburg, Sao Paulo and Tokyo. Truth is, they don’t make a single bad beer, but our favourite is Dead Pony Club, a Californian pale ale that’s big on hops. Expect a light golden colouring with a slight haze with a foamy white head, light carbonation and fruity, malty and grassy aromas which lead into a grassy and citrus bitterness. The mouthfeel is smooth, with a slight bite. An extremely quaffable, straightforward beer.
Key specs – Volume: 330ml; ABV: 3.8%; Beer type: pale ale; Country of origin: Scotland
Thornbridge Jaipur: One of the best traditional British IPAs
Price:£1.80 | Buy now from Waitrose
Thornbridge Jaipur, available in cask, keg and bottle, has a huge fan base, scooping over 100 awards from around the world. A golden beer with a strong head that quickly disappears, it’s full of citrus and tropical aromas and flavours, balanced by a malty base. With six types of hops (Chinook, Centennial, Ahtanum, Simcoe, Columbus, Cascade) it’s a complex beer, which starts off soft and smooth and builds up to an intense bitterness, with a lovely long finish. It’s wonderfully refreshing, albeit on the strong side, and it’s not too fruity or hoppy. Shame they’ve recently reduced the bottle size, though.
Key specs – Volume: 330ml; ABV: 5.9%; Beer type: IPA; Country of origin: England
Cumbrian Legendary Ales Loweswater Gold: A brilliant golden ale
Price: £36 for 12 | Buy from Cumbrian Legendary Ales
The worst golden ales can be dull and watery, but the best are smooth, flavoursome and deliciously refreshing. This award-winning golden ale from Cumbrian Legendary Ales, a small lakeland brewery, mixes lager malt with German hops and the beautiful, fresh water of the region, creating a beer that pours a pale gold colour with a bubbly white head. There are citrus and light caramel flavours, then a subtle bitter finish to end. Just the beer to end a long summer walk with, once you’ve built up a bit of a thirst.
Buy from Cumbrian Legendary Ales
Key specs – Volume: 500ml; ABV: 4.3%; Beer type: golden ale; Country of origin: England
Beerbods The Beer Writers’ Dozen: The best mixed case
Price: £36 | Buy from Beerbods now
You don’t have to look far these days to find a case of mixed beers – practically every supermarket does them, plus all the top beer specialists. This box of 12 is easily our favourite. Chosen by some of the UK’s most famous beer writers, it covers a wide range of types, all of which hail from the UK, and not a single one is disappointing. We also like the fact that each one comes with notes by the writer, while five percent of proceeds go to the British Guild of Beer Writers – a worthy organisation, if ever there was one. Among the best of the bunch are Pete Brown’s choice of Worthington’s White Shield, Jessica Boak and Ray Bailey’s choice of Harvey’s Imperial Stout and Mark Dredge’s Gadds No. 3 from Ramsgate Brewery.
Key specs – Volume: various; ABV: various; Beer type: various; Country of origin: UK
St Austell Proper Job: A classic IPA to be reckoned with
Price: £1.70 | Buy now from Tesco
Many people think this gets its name from being a ‘proper’ India Pale Ale, but in fact Proper Job is dedicated to the 32nd (Cornwall) Regiment who defended their garrison during the Indian Mutiny in the 1800s. In recognition of a ‘Proper Job’, Queen Victoria awarded the 32nd the honour of becoming a Light Infantry Regiment. It’s a modern, light beer with Cornish-grown Maris Otter malting barley and American Cascade, Chinook and Willamette hops. Strong, golden, hoppy, citrussy and well balanced, it is highly refreshing and dangerously scrumptious, as well as being excellent value for money. It was first brewed in 2005 for the St Austell Brewery Celtic Beer Festival and can occasionally – if you’re lucky or live in the South-West – be found on cask.
Key specs – Volume: 500ml; ABV: 5.5%; Beer type: IPA; Country of origin: England
Guinness Original Stout: The best stout? Maybe not, but it's not half bad – and it's cheap
Price: £4.75 for 4 | Buy now from Ocado
Guinness was one of the few breweries to continue making stouts into the 20th century, and its classic brew still remains the benchmark for Irish or dry stout. Having now been brewed for over 200 years, the black coloured beverage with light head is one of the most iconic sights when it comes to booze and we think that a glass of this draught version, served chilled, is one of the most satisfying drinking experiences you’ll get. It’s refreshing, bittersweet, velvety and smooth. But don’t forget to pour it correctly, holding your glass at a 45 degree angle, pouring slowly to enable the head to develop.
Key specs – Volume: 440ml; ABV: 4.1%; Beer type: porter; Country of origin: Ireland
Weihenstephan Hefe Weissbier: The best German wheat beer
Price: £2 | Buy now from Waitrose
From the world’s oldest brewery, this multi award-winning classic wheat beer is crisp and clean, with aromas of bananas, nutmeg and cloves. It’s fruity, lightly spicy and malty on the palate, golden yellow in cloud and cloudy with a creamy white foam. It’s also full-bodied and fabulously Bavarian - the kind of beer you can enjoy on its own or with fish and seafood, or even spicy cheese for a light, refreshing experience. We like the ultra-smooth finish too. Summer is the season of wheat beers, so this is one to savour on a hot sunny day.
Key specs – Volume: 500ml; ABV: 5.4%; Beer type: Wheat beer/German hefeweizen; Country of origin: Germany
Best of the rest
Brewdog Nanny State: The best low alcohol beer
Price: £1.30 | Buy now from Waitrose
Low or no alcohol beers have historically been, at best, bland and, at worst, undrinkable. But things have changed and for whatever reason you’re on the wagon, there’s now a whole host of options that taste like real beer. Some, including this one, contain a trace alcohol content – in this case, 0.5 per cent - but that’s one of the reasons it’s so flavourful. Packed with hoppy flavours (including Centennial, Amarillo, Columbus, Cascade, and Simcoe), there’s depth and punch, with a tangy citrus zing going on.
Key specs – Volume: 330ml; ABV: 0.5%; Beer type: low alcohol beer; Country of origin: Scotland
Brewski Barbarian: The best Scandinavian beer
Price: £4 | Buy now from Beer Hawk
We love the quirky packaging and defy anyone who appreciates good IPA not to instantly fall in love with the contents. The enticing tropical, grassy, citrusy and hoppy aromas lead onto a bold, zesty ale with biscuity malt base and creamy mouthfeel. It’s a hazy, sunny golden coloured ale with a generous frothy white head. It’s also exceptionally well balanced and refreshing, with a creamy smooth finish due to the added lactose. One of the classiest IPAs we’ve come across.
Key specs – Volume: 330ml; ABV: 6%; Beer type: IPA; Country of origin: Sweden
Moor Beer RAW: The best modern British bitter
Price:£2.39 | Buy now from Honest Brew
RAW, produced by Bristol-based Moor Beer, was commissioned to be the house beer for the Royal Artillery Arms and Real Ale Weston, but unfortunately they both closed. ‘The landlord and drinkers were already huge fans of Merlin’s Magic, but wanted something a bit hoppier,’ says Moor, which now makes it available to select pubs. It’s a contemporary beer – hoppy but without being overly bitter, the only danger of which is that it’s very moreish (sorry, couldn’t resist), and it works exceptionally well in a can (many beers don’t). A cloudy orange colour, with an off-white head, you get malt, caramel and hops on the nose and light, sweet herbal flavours, with just a slight bitterness.
Key specs – Volume: 330ml; ABV: 4.3%; Beer type: bitter; Country of origin: England
Tiny Rebel Cwtch: The best Welsh beer
Price:£2.49 | Buy now from Beer Hawk
There’s no shortage of great Welsh beers around, which is no surprise when you consider that as early as the 6th century, there are tales of Druids creating intoxicating preparations. But this is our clear favourite. Behind the quirky, eccentric brewery branding, there are some seriously vibrant, flavour-packed beers including The Cwtch (pronounced butch, but with a ‘c’, meaning a cuddle or cubby hole), which is their take on a Welsh Red Ale. A blend of six caramel malts and three citrus American hops, it’s amber-coloured with tangy, tropical and piney aromas and an added sweetness in the mouth. This leads to a fair – but not overpowering – bitterness to finish.
Key specs – Volume: 330ml; ABV: 4.6%; Beer type: Welsh red ale; Country of origin: Wales
St Peter’s Organic Best Bitter: A great organic beer
Price:£1.85 | Buy now from Waitrose
This amber coloured beer ticks all the organic boxes, complete with Soil Association accreditation. And it tastes great too. Organically grown Chariot malted barley forms the mash, while organically grown Goldings hops give the hoppy flavours. It’s a full-bodied bitter in which the malt and bitterness come to the fore immediately, with the slight sweetness and florals doing a great job of balancing the whole thing out. This Best is smooth, intense with a refreshing finish. If you like it, check out St Peter’s Brewery’s other offerings –its range of traditional and modern ales don’t miss a trick, with gluten-free and alcohol-free options, just to name a couple.
Key specs – Volume: 500ml; ABV: 4.1%; Beer type: bitter; Country of origin: England
Innis & Gunn Rum Cask Oak Aged Beer: Rum and ale working in perfect harmony
Price: £1.50 | Buy now from Waitrose
Ruby-red in colour, this beer is finished for 60 days over American oak barrels that previously contained navy rum, the result of which is a warming, Caribbean-influenced character with rich fruit, vanilla and spiciness coming through, along with a slightly smoky finish. Light brown with a tan head, it’s one for those who prefer their beer on the sweeter side. The Scottish brewery Innis & Gunn has an interesting back story too, as it raised £2.5m through a Crowdcube campaign to help open new bars in England and increase production of their oak-aged beers.
Key specs – Volume: 330ml; ABV: 6.8%; Beer type: rum cask ale; Country of origin: Scotland
Samuel Smith Taddy Porter: The best traditional porter
Price: £2.70 | Buy now from Amazon for £2.70
This Yorkshire-produced porter is as dark and full-bodied as it gets; just the kind of thing you can imagine being swigged back in those oldy-world pictures of half-cut geezers sat by the fire that adorn the walls of ancient pubs. Once you’ve poured this black beauty with its creamy head, you get aromas of roasted malt and musky yeast, while flavours include chocolate, coffee, figs and roasted bitterness with a long sweet finish. It’s tangy, intense, dry and bitter – what more could you want from a traditional porter?
Key specs – Volume: 550ml; ABV: 5%; Beer type: porter; Country of origin: England