Get to know the British Isles’ easy-drinking style of brewing with these 9 beers

When you think about the world’s great beer cultures, several come to mind. Germany and the Czech Republic excel at lagers. Belgium is famous for Trappist-style ale, witbier and divinely complex traditional sour beers. And over the past 30 years or so, the craft brewing movement has put the United States on the beer map.

But in many ways, the beers of the British Isles are the parents to them all.

Early American craft brewers took inspiration from the pale ales and IPAs of England. The Vienna and Marzen lager styles arose from a trip by two European brewers to learn about British malting techniques. Belgium’s famous Duvel beer was originally brewed to honor British soldiers who fought in Belgium during World War I and is made with a yeast originally sourced in Scotland.

Beer culture in the British Isles is built around conviviality. Generally low alcohol makes the beers conducive to enjoying several pints in the pub with friends. The easy-drinking beers are an accompaniment to the gathering, not the reason for it.

English Pale Ale, also known as “bitter,” is less forcefully hoppy than its American progeny. As the name suggests, it is a bitter brew. But the bitterness is amply countered by toffee and biscuit malt.

Bluebird Bitter from Coniston Brewing Co. is one of my favorite English beers. It disappeared from the Minnesota market for a time, but I’m happy to report that it’s back. This crystal-clear, copper-colored pale ale presents a nice balance of malt and hop. The malt is biscuity, reflecting the character of English Maris Otter malt. Light notes of caramel add to the malt palette. Woody, herbal hop flavor accompanies assertive bitterness that bites the back of the tongue. A hint of orange marmalade intensifies as the beer warms.

Moor Beer Co. in Bristol, England, is doing interesting work, making beers that they call “live, natural and vegan-friendly.” With beers that are unfiltered, unrefined and refermented naturally in the package to create carbonation, they aim to bring the British tradition of cask-conditioned ales to all their packaging formats, whether cask, keg, bottle or can.

I would be remiss if I failed to mention a great, locally made example of English pale ale — Summit Extra Pale Ale. At tasting events, I like to pour the St. Paul-brewed beer blind. When made to pay attention, drinkers rediscover the greatness of this award-winning beer. Bitterness is the driver, but it’s neither overly intense nor harshly lingering. Herbal and earthy hop flavors carry through from the start to the finish. All that sits on a bed of biscuit and toffee malt with a light, balancing sweetness. Orange marmalade-like fruitiness rounds out the whole experience.

Old ale is a stronger English style once brewed as a beer to be aged. Moor’s Old Freddy Walker is an excellent example. It presents a smooth and warming profile with a complex mélange of English beer flavors. Malt is the main player, with rich notes of caramel, toffee and biscuit. A touch of roast in the finish enhances the otherwise low bitterness. Dark berries, plum and dates abound.

Porter was once one of the most popular beers in the British Isles. It was also one of the first mass-produced products of the Industrial Revolution. Large London breweries pumped out hundreds of thousands of barrels of the inky-black brew; even the famed Guinness was founded as a porter brewery.

By the 1950s, porter had lost its luster and brewers stopped making it. But the style has made a comeback in the past decade, with new brewers crafting their own versions.

One example is Bad King John from Ridgeway Brewing in Oxfordshire, England. The label warns of an extremely robust and roasty brew. It’s not really all that extreme, but it is delicious. Burnt toffee and molasses are central flavor components. Burnt roast on the tip of the tongue enhances the moderate bitterness and lingers into the finish. Espresso and dark chocolate syrup float throughout.

Trappist ales are normally associated with Belgium, but the monks at the Mount St. Bernard Abbey in Charnwood Forest, England, have brought Trappist brewing to the U.K. Their Tynt Meadow English Trappist Ale is like an English old ale fermented with a Belgian yeast strain and has all the characteristics of an old ale. It’s malt-forward with notes of caramel and toffee, chocolate, prominent dried dark fruits and subtle roast. Belgian yeast brings banana and spice, giving an impression of banana bread. The beer is moderately sweet but goes out with a dry finish.

Scottish beers lean more to the malty side than those of England. Belhaven Brewery’s Scottish Ale is a great and readily available example of the Scottish export style. Poured into a glass, it exhibits a clear copper color with tons of creamy off-white foam. Caramel malt dominates the aroma and the flavor, with toffee overtones and a hint of roast at the finish. Hop bitterness is low to let the rich malt shine through.

I was thrilled to see Minneapolis Town Hall Brewery’s Hope and King Dark Ale available in stores in 16-ounce cans. This excellent Scottish ale is one of my favorite beers from one of my favorite breweries. This one is full-on malty. Smooth caramel and biscuit lead the way as background notes of chocolate roast enhance the low bitterness and lend an impression of dryness to the finish. It’s silky and delicious.