Top 10 British Beers You Need to Try

#10: Sharp’s Doom Bar

In the United Kingdom, there’s few beers more famed than this smooth brand, currently one of the bestselling cask beers around. A winner of numerous awards, including the People's Choice Award for Favourite Cask Ale in 2016, this amber ale is unfiltered, unpasteurized, and is served from the barrel without any additional pressure from nitrogen or carbon dioxide. Established in 1994, this ale has stayed at the top of its game with its multifaceted blend of sweet, roasted malt, dried fruit, and just a touch of bitterness, leaving you with a finish that is both dry and invigorating.

#9: Theakston’s Old Peculier

The recipe for this famous beer, also referred to as Lunatic’s Broth, is simple: a brew mainly consisting of roasted barley combined with hops. The full-bodied end result, however, is far from simple, with tones of cherry and fruit dominating the complex, delicious flavour. The most beloved of the ales brewed by T&R Theakston in the region of North Yorkshire, this beer most likely has its origins in the 1800s, with the old English practise of brewing strong, dark stock beers in the winter season to add to beers brewed in the summer.

#8: Spitfire Premium Kentish Ale

Commonly referred to as the the Lager of Britain, this brand of barley soda was invented in tribute of the 50th anniversary of the Battle of Britain. With a blood-orange hue and an aromatic blend that smacks of marmalade, grapes, raspberry and hints of spice, this ale has enjoyed plenty of prestige in the beer community, especially after its gold medal win at the Brewing Industry International Awards. Coming from the oldest brewery in England, founded in 1698 in the English county of Kent, the beer is even protected by the European Union’s initiative in preserving and promoting quality agricultural products and foodstuffs.

#7: Harvey’s Blue Label

It has been called the ultimate session ale by some, and at 3.6% alcohol by volume content, it is definitely one of the lighter beers on our list. Fans of stouts and porters may not be its biggest fans, but for easy drinkers, its sweet, malty taste softened by its characteristic hoppiness will have you reaching for another bottle. Made at the oldest independent brewery in the county of Sussex, this brew of liquid bread is derived from the company’s Sussex Best Bitter, which won in the Best Bitter category at the Great British Beer Festival two years in a row.

#6: Newcastle Brown Ale

Also called broon, dog, and Newkie Brown by its drinkers, this is perhaps one of the most famous British beers in the world, and was at one time the most widely dispersed alcoholic beverage in the UK. Known as the working man’s beer and linked with England’s heavy industry, this copper-coloured ale refreshes with its hints of fruit and malty flavours and a distinctively bitter, enjoyable finish. Originally produced in the city of Newcastle upon Tyne, it is now brewed by Heineken, who announced in 2015 that they would get rid of the chemical which gives the drink its distinctive brown hue. Controversial, ay.



Another one of the UK’s greatest hits in the cask department, this ale is enjoyed and beloved all around the world, although nowhere quite as passionately as in England’s capital. The most important product of Fuller’s Brewery by the River Thames, this perfect balance of malt and hops has satisfied Brits since the 1950s, twice named the Champion Beer of Britain since its introduction. The official beer of the London Marathon, it is named after a flower which grew amongst the rubble of the city after it was bombed during World War II.

#4: Barrell & Sellers Best Bitter

The brewery recommends this bitter ale to be served chilled, but not too chilled, and in truly English fashion, with a pickled egg in a bag of crisps. Even without the extras, this beer is marvellous in its simplicity. The beer is made with crystal malt, which is combined with barley and heated water to make a sort of mash, and then boiled with local hops and finished off with a bit of yeast for fermentation. That’s basically all the ingredients, but when you have a refreshing bitter brewski like this one, you don’t need much more tinkering around.

#3: Thornbridge Breweries Jaipur IPA

Some would say that the key to the deliciousness of this hoppy delight with hints of sweet fruity citrus is the American hops used, but with over 100 awards won around the globe, whatever it is, it sure is working! Golden in colour and with spicy aromatic tones, this bottle of suds was inspired by American craft brewers. One of the first craft breweries on the scene in Britain, and with only a relatively recent startup in 2005, Thornbridge Breweries has nevertheless made quite a splash in the beer world, winning over 350 awards in just over 10 years, many being for the smooth and refreshing Jaipur.

#2: Old Speckled Hen

Originally brewed in 1979 in honor of the 50th anniversary of the MG car factory in the city of Abingdon, Oxfordshire, it has never looked back since and is currently exported to some 40 countries worldwide. With traces of coffee, grain and toasty malt in its flavour, this golden amber brew was also showcased as Michael Jackson's "Beer of the Month" in his recurring column for The Independent. The beer’s popularity blossomed into other acclaimed products from the Greene King Brewery, most notably the strong Old Crafty Hen, the pale Old Hoppy Hen, and the award-winning Old Golden Hen.

#1: Hobgoblin

Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock, you’ve undoubtedly tried, heard of or at least caught a glimpse of this beloved product of the Wychwood Brewery, currently its most trendy and popular brew. The first beer in the UK produced with an illustrated label, Hobgoblin also broke new ground with what they called their “ruby” style of beer, with a full body and a rich combination of chocolate toffee flavouring, fruity characteristics, and some palpable bitterness. The beer’s advertising campaign has singlehandedly challenged drinkers of the more widespread pale lager, although it's making waves in it own right, as it was presented by Prime Minister David Cameron to President Barack Obama as a gift during the 2010 G-20 Toronto summit. If it’s good enough for them, it’s good enough for us!