As we look further into the year of 2021, the summer season is on the horizon and now many pubs with a beer garden are able to function and operate in a safely distance manner, as the COVID-19 restrictions continue to ease, the whole of the UK’s pub industry is hopeful that from Monday 17th May, Indoor Hospitality can resume!
However, this post is not about restrictions or what is happening in the months to come, primarily I am here to deliver a blog post on my personal top 5 beer styles that everyone can enjoy in the sun, whether it’s in a beer garden, a local holiday or in the back garden of your own home!
As I’ve mentioned a couple of times before, many beer connoisseurs like myself tend to go through a phase where our palates change from time to time and these styles listed below are the ones I purposely recommend you all to sample along with the matching food.
Style 5 – Pilsner
Over the past couple of years, pilsner’s have been exclusively popular within the UK! Pilsner’s are generically found in Czech Republic and can be considered as a strong beer, majority of Pilsner’s are classified as a lager, but it has been clarified that many cask ales are starting to be produced using pilsner malt.
Flavours of pilsner’s can vary between each drink, most common flavours include citrus, lemon and herby textures. The only pilsner I’ve personally sampled is lager based and it’s brewed locally in Burton Upon Trent by Molson Coors Brewing Company via Sharp’s Brewery, it’s called Offshore Pilsner! You’ll mostly find pilsner’s available in small stein glasses, just like this one below!
The real question is what specific food matches well with a pint of Offshore Pilsner or any Pilsner in that matter! Well, from recent sampling, I would honestly say, Fish and Chips is best matched! The lemony texture that is compounded in the beer is balanced perfectly well with freshly battered fish and tendering chunky chips, it’s honestly beautiful!
I mean who doesn’t enjoy a beer whilst indulging into a pile of Fish and Chips! I certainly love it!
Style 4 – Pale Ale
Pale Ales are within doubt one of the most popular styles of beer that is available on the consumer market, the issue being there are so many types such as IPAs, DIPAs, the understanding of the name of each Pale Ale style is represented on how the beer is brewed.
All pale ales are subsequently available in cask ale and can be found majority of the time on the hand pumps, it’s also understood that pale ales are the most consumed drink that many people enjoy within the UK, whether the beer is being purchased from a pub or a shop.
So why do we all love pale ales in the heat? The answer is simple, taste!
Most brewed pale ales are balanced between aroma and flavour and to be truthfully honest most pale ales that I’ve sampled in the past have been perfect, especially the texture of fruity flavours that linger on the palate. The appearance is also key when it comes to pale ales, all you have to look for is a straw/blonde colour and also pale effectively means light.
If I had to recommend a pale ale to you all, I would certainly suggest sampling Masterpiece IPA 5.6% ABV that is proudly brewed by The Heritage Brewing Company in Burton Upon Trent! You’re probably thinking wow, that’s strong and yes I will accept it is, but you cannot underestimate the taste, sweet fruits that are combined with toffee to deliver a spiced finish, believe me, it’s beautiful!
It doesn’t end there though, to complete the puzzle, this specific beer or most pale ales match perfectly well with a meaty burger and a portion of fries, or better still, if you’re at home why not decide to have a BBQ and enjoy a selection of meaty products to go with your pale ale! Now that’s a treat!
Are you feeling hungry, or thirsty, or even a bit of both?
Style 3 – Sour Beer
I will admit, sour beers are my least favourite style of beer, just because the aftertaste from some of the sour beers that I’ve sampled before has been quite strong, so why did I decide to include sour beers within this post, the fact is sour beers are a go-to drink to enjoy and swiftly drink in the sun.
Over the past couple of years, the craft brewing market in the UK has grown exponentially and many craft ale drinkers are starting to find a new soft spot for many sour beers.
The first sour beer I sampled was last year in the first lockdown and I have to say I really disliked it and it was then I decided is this a style of beer that I am really going to enjoy in the future, well now I can gladly say, I absolutely love sour beers, especially ones with many vibrant and tropical flavours.
This outstanding sour beer that is deep red in colour is unexpectedly perfect for a warm summers day. Just like the pale ales, sour beers can be balanced throughout but sometimes the sourness kick can be intense.
On the other hand, if you’re wanting to try a sour beer, or you are keen sour beer fan, then I personally suggest Crumble In The Bronx is the best sour beer to sample, it’s brewed up north in Leeds by Ridgeside Brewery and the tasting notes just make this beer sound amazing, jammy and tarty with apple and blackcurrant.
If you are wanting to sample a sour beer with some food, then I would personally recommend a Ham, Pineapple Pizza would match perfectly, the combination from the pineapple and the sourness of the beer would be best suited together.
If you are a beer drinker and interested in sampling a style of beer that has a unique taste, I highly recommend you all to try sour beers.
Style 2 – Bitter
When us beer drinkers think of bitters, sometimes we believe the beer delivers a delightful kick on the aftertaste, sometimes though the bitterness can be intense and can make the beer taste rather unpleasant.
Over the past couple of years, I’ve sampled a fair amount of bitter beers and it has come to my attention that stronger bitter beers deliver a spicier kick, whereas bitter beers which are below 5% ABV are a lot more sweeter, if any of you are like me then I would definitely suggest sweeter bitter beers.
There are plenty bitter beers to go for, but one that I will ultimately request you all to try is a favourite of mine and many other beer connoisseurs and that is the red triangle legend, Draught Bass (4.4% ABV)
Draught Bass has been one of the most populated beers within the UK since 1777, it’s one of the sweetest bitters available on the consumer market, Bass can be available widely in many pubs within the East Midlands and further afield.
A standard bitter or any bitter can be indulged perfectly with a classical and British Sunday roast, especially if you are feasting on a piece of topside beef, that matches amazingly!
I apologise if I am making you hungry as you read this post!
Style 1 – Porter
The final style of beer that can be consumed whilst relaxing outside in the sun is in fact a porter believe or not! The funny thing is though many beer connoisseurs enjoy porters in the winter, there are certainly some porters that we all can enjoy all year round.
Burton Bridge Brewery are a leading example who brew a terrific porter that is packed full of tremendous flavours, the name of this beer is called Burton Bridge Porter (4.5% ABV).
After stuffing your faces with all of this delicious food, I believe it’s only correct to end on a high with a sweet treat, and what more could you ask for than a chocolate brownie with ice cream, yum yum!
This now wraps up my latest blog post which has been based on my personal top 5 styles of beer to enjoy in the heat, I really hope you’ve all enjoyed it and I shall be back next week with a brand new post!
I wish you all a fantastic weekend!
Cheers
5Comments
May 7, 2021 at 9:22 pm
No apology necessary! Good drink needs to go alongside good food, though many a drink can be enjoyed in company or in solitude to the same tasty effect. A sour beer alongside a homemade pineapple and ham pizza, maybe even ambitiously grilled one warm evening, sounds lovely!
Thanks for sharing. 🙂
May 7, 2021 at 10:19 pm
I personally find it inspirational to match many different drinks with a variety of different foods. I’m looking forward to matching more food with drink in the near future.
May 10, 2021 at 6:37 pm
Ugh, love this, you have me ready for summer! Sour beers are def a favorite of mine for those hot nights.
May 11, 2021 at 11:51 am
I totally agree with you 😁
May 13, 2021 at 11:29 am
Always good to know what drink goes with what food! This has got me ready for summer – here’s hoping the sunny weather comes soon enough, I’ve had enough of all these storms and rainy days!