Beers of the week

This week, I’m drinking beer

It dawned on me last year that I was going to have to look for something other than writing wine columns to make my fortune. In fact writing itself, the only thing I’ve ever been good at, is never going to pay for ballet lessons and skiing holidays for my daughter. Instead I’m going to learn to make beer. While branded lager sales decline, small-scale brewing is enjoying a boom in Britain as people look for something more interesting to drink. A friend of mine has lots of space in his house in Yorkshire where we can brew the stuff and eventually we’ll grow our own hops in the garden. It’ll be totally local and sustainable and, hopefully, delicious. This week I’ve been checking out the competition…

Grain Norfolk Brewery IPA, 6.5%, 50cl, £3.30: www.grainbrewery.co.uk

IPA (India Pale Ale) beers were originally packed with hops and alcohol to survive the long journey to India. By the time they arrived they had mellowed. Until recently, beers sold as IPA have been rather pale shadows of these Imperial monsters but the Americans have revived the old style and sold it back to us. This one is intensely hoppy and persistent.

Fullers ESB, 5.5%, 50cl, £1.99: www.tesco.com

A great one for winter as it’s rich and malty with quite a bit of alcohol. Hoxton Stout, 6%, 50cl, £2.70: www. bottleapostle.com Most people know Guinness but stout was originally a London style. This one, from the Redchurch brewery in the East End, tastes of chocolate and coffee – excellent in cake recipes.

Side Pocket For A Toad, 3.6%, 50cl, £1.84: www.asda.com

In comparison to the previous beers, this is a light bitter to drink in large quantities. Beers like this, characterful but very low in alcohol, are uniquely British.