Boasting a culture and heritage at least as rich and varied as wine or spirits, beer is no longer seen as merely a crude intoxicant knocked back on a Friday night to help blot out the everyday. It has become not only something you drink, but something you taste, appreciate, cook with, brew yourself and celebrate! In the absence of a single UK beer information resource, BeerExpert has been brewed up by a team of aficionados with the aim of aiding navigation through the heady waters of the beer world.
The size and shape of a beer glass will affect the way the aroma and taste of a beer translates to the palate, as well as affecting its colour and overall appearance. In countries such as Germany, Belgium and Holland, where a wide range of beers are enjoyed, there are …
How can you improve on beer, the nations favourite drink for more than a millennia, more prevalent an influence on society over time than, arguably, anything other than the pursuit of romance (which very often goes hand in hand with beer)? Well, it’s a tough call, but the Beer Expert …
Beers are often referred to as ‘strong’, ‘light’, ‘heavy’ or ‘mild’. These categories are not necessarily binding, and many systems have sprung up for categorising a beer by strength. However, there are some broad systems that can be used, and that still apply to some styles of beer, which are …
Throughout history different regions of the U.K. have been known for brewing their own specific types of beer. Although regional differences have largely faxed out over time, with many British brewers now brewing beer varieties traditionally brewed abroad, some of these regional traditions hold up, and it is often felt …
Lager is an immensely popular type of beer, characterised by a clean taste and high levels of carbonation thanks to its particular brewing style. There are a wide variety of lagers ranging from dark to light and sweet to bitter, the most common being the ‘pale-lagers’ or pilsners. Lagers are …
Stout is a specialist variety of ‘Porter’ named after the porters who worked on London’s docks, who favoured the drink over other ales – a dark beer made from dried malt, roasted unmalted barley, hops and soft water. It is characterised by a smooth consistency with a creamy head of …
Real Ale is defined as beer that’s still ‘alive’ when it’s served: That is to say, real ale must contain yeast in the barrel, often leaving small yeast residues in the drink itself. Brewing beer in this way makes for a fresher pint, with a stronger mix of flavours. CAMRA …
The word ‘bitter’ is used in Britain to describe pale ale and other similar types of beer. The word has been in use since the early 19th century, when beer brewers began to develop and expand upon the production of pale ale. Bitters range greatly in colour, taste and strength, …
Draught beer generally refers to beer that is hand pumped from a barrel (a keg or cask) and served in glasses, usually in a pub or bar (see article: ‘Family Brewers’ for more information on ‘cask beers’). These days canned beer may be referred as draft beer, especially if it …
Beer has been bottled since the middle ages for convenience sake. It caught on amongst wealthier classes in the 1600s as a useful means of being able to enjoy beer at home whilst avoiding the ‘rabble’ that frequented inns, or whilst taking part in outdoor pursuits such as hunting and …