A short history
Ale was a household staple in medieval England, usually brewed by women known as alewives. Hops arrived from the Low Countries in the 15th century and were resisted for years before “beer” won out over unhopped “ale.”
The Industrial Revolution turned London into a brewing powerhouse. Porter, a dark, strong beer loved by the city’s workers, was brewed in vast vats; in 1814 one burst at the Horse Shoe Brewery, releasing a flood of beer that killed eight people. Burton upon Trent, with its mineral-rich water, became famous for pale ales, and hoppy, well-attenuated pale ales shipped to India became known as IPAs.
By the 1970s, big breweries had pushed fizzy keg beer hard. A consumer group, CAMRA (the Campaign for Real Ale), formed in 1971 to protect cask ale and is now one of Europe’s largest consumer organisations.
The beer culture
The pub, short for public house, is the heart of English social life. Pub signs, snugs, open fires and quiz nights are part of the fabric. You order at the bar, not at the table, and buying “rounds” for your group is a cherished custom.
Cask ale is the national treasure. It is unfiltered and unpasteurised, finishes conditioning in the pub cellar and is served by handpump, with gentle natural carbonation at around 11–13°C. That is cool, not warm, whatever the jokes suggest. Because cask beer is alive, a good cellar manager can make or break a pub.
Signature styles
- Bitter: from light ordinary bitter to Extra Special Bitter, balanced, biscuity and moderately hopped.
- English IPA: earthy and floral with English hops such as Fuggle and East Kent Goldings.
- Porter and Stout: London’s dark exports, now revived by modern brewers.
- Mild: low-strength, malty and dark, once the drink of miners and factory workers.
- Barleywine and Old Ale: rich, strong, sometimes aged for years.
- Brown Ale: nutty and sweet in the south, drier in the north-east.
Traveler’s tip
Look for pubs listed in CAMRA’s Good Beer Guide, and visit the Great British Beer Festival in August if your timing works. Order by the pint or half pint, and ask the bar staff what is pouring best that day. Burton upon Trent and London’s Bermondsey Beer Mile make excellent brewery crawls.