Explore every episode of the podcast Beer, Together 🍺 – Finding what’s worth sharing.

New Forest beer festival, 40 real ales, 50 ciders and one very traditional country pub — Beer, Together is unexpectedly back.

We head to the Cuckoo Inn for a surprise episode from its real ale and cider festival, drinking New Forest IPA and working our way through a proper old-school beer festival.

There’s Rebellion Brewery's Bee's Knee honey beer, disappearing festival ales, questionable cider aromas, live music, camping, burgers and the slight logistical problem of trying to record a podcast in a packed little country pub.

But it also gets us talking about something bigger: what makes a great pub? Are traditional pubs becoming impossible to run? Are taprooms and bottle shops starting to replace them? And what happens when the only beer somebody can find locally is Madri?

Plus, we start revealing what's coming in Beer, Together Series 2, including listener beer suggestions, some very small breweries, a more structured journey through the series — and one unexpected lager-drinker confession.

Series 2 begins on the first Friday in October. Follow Beer, Together now so you don't miss it.

Mad Squirrel Sumo is a 4.7% hazy pale built around Summit and Mosaic — and tasting it raises a bigger question: can an independent craft brewery get into Wetherspoons, supermarkets and more taprooms without losing what made people care about it in the first place?

Sumo is the beer we used for our never-released practice recording before Beer, Together properly began. Now it finally gets its own episode.

We get into the citrus, mango and grapefruit, the dry bitter finish and whether “dank herbs” is actually a useful way of describing a beer. For Matt, Sumo is pretty much the Goldilocks beer: not too sweet, not too fruity and not too bitter, with enough dryness to make you immediately want another mouthful.

Then there’s Mad Squirrel itself. We talk about the brewery’s journey from Red Squirrel and traditional cask beer towards modern craft styles, its taprooms, supermarket presence and the slightly dangerous word in our recording: Wetherspoons.

Is getting an independent beer in front of thousands more drinkers clever growth — perhaps introducing people to Mad Squirrel who might then visit one of its own bars — or does going that mainstream risk alienating the people who liked the brewery in the first place?

We also pair Sumo with spicy Asian food, Tex-Mex, jerk chicken, Korean fried chicken, strong blue cheese and the sort of heavyweight burger this beer can actually stand up to. Fish tacos, for reasons best left to the episode, are temporarily banned.

Finally, Sumo faces current Choose Your Fighter champion I Can Get Better at Tesco for a Quid. Taste. Drinkability. Memorability. The result is fairly emphatic.

This is the final episode of Season 1, but Beer, Together returns in October. Follow the podcast now and the first episode of Season 2 will be waiting for you when we’re back.

And help choose what goes into the fridge next: send us the beers you love, hate or simply want to hear us struggle to describe via Beer Tasting 123 and Beer Together 123 on Instagram and TikTok.

1. Mad Squirrel Sumo: the beer that started Beer, Together
2. Summit + Mosaic: why Sumo gets its name
3. Tasting Sumo: citrus, mango, grapefruit and bitterness
4. Why Sumo is the “Goldilocks beer”
5. From Red Squirrel to modern Mad Squirrel
6. Can Mad Squirrel scale without losing its identity?
7. Mad Squirrel in Wetherspoons: clever move or big risk?
8. Pub snobbery, chains and finding your tribe
9. What food pairs with Mad Squirrel Sumo?
10. Choose Your Fighter: Sumo vs I Can Get Better at Tesco for a Quid
11. The Vault City beer Matt couldn't finish
12. Sumo takes the final 3–0 victory
13. Which beers should we try in Season 2?

DEYA Steady Rolling Man has twice topped We Are Beer’s Top 50—but is this 5.2% pale ale really Britain’s best beer?

Elton and Matt review its Mosaic, Motueka, Amarillo and Idaho 7 hops, its famously soft, pillowy mouthfeel, the Robert Johnson blues story behind the name and why different batches of Steady Rolling Man can offer a different drinking experience.

Then DEYA faces I Could Get Better At Tesco For A Quid in Choose Your Fighter as Beer Together debates drinkability, complexity and what really makes a great British craft beer.

Follow Beer Together for weekly beer reviews, brewery stories, food pairings and two opinions delivered with considerably more confidence than preparation.

DEYA Steady Rolling Man review
Britain’s best beer
best British craft beer
DEYA Brewing Cheltenham
pale ale review
Mosaic hops
Motueka hops
hazy pale ale
We Are Beer Top 50
British beer podcast
craft beer tasting
beer food pairing

00:00 A new Choose Your Fighter champion
[TIME] DEYA Steady Rolling Man first taste
[TIME] Is this Britain’s best beer?
[TIME] Mosaic, Motueka, Amarillo and Idaho 7
[TIME] Why each batch can taste different
[TIME] Robert Johnson and the Steady Rolling Man name
[TIME] The beer’s soft, pillowy mouthfeel
[TIME] Food pairings for Steady Rolling Man
[TIME] Pale ale, hazy pale or IPA?
[TIME] Choose Your Fighter
[TIME] The Beer Together series finale

Can craft beer justify costing more than a supermarket can? Matt and Elton review I Could Get Better at Tesco for a Quid, the 4.5% Session IPA from Pretty Decent Beer Co.

We taste the tropical mango, tangerine and grapefruit flavours delivered by Simcoe and Mosaic hops, uncover the one-star Google review behind the beer’s extraordinary name and ask whether supermarket beer can ever offer the same value as a small independent brewery.

There are spicy food pairings, arguments about bottle shops and taprooms, an attempt to define what “craft beer” actually means and another question nobody asked: should anyone spend £19.50 on a bottle of beer?

Then I Could Get Better at Tesco for a Quid enters Choose Your Fighter against long-reigning champion Seven Giraffes. Can a beer born from a one-star review finally take the title?

Follow Beer Together on Apple Podcasts or Spotify and send us your beer suggestions for Series Two.

Instagram and TikTok: @BeerTogether123
Matt’s beer account: @BeerTasting123

23 beer tastings and three standout craft beers: Anspach & Hobday London Black, St Ives Brewery Slipway and Oakham Ales Citra. Beer, Together goes live from Southwark Park for our most chaotic episode yet — tasting nitro stout, New England IPA, session IPA, pale ale, lambic, sour beer, wheat beer and more while becoming steadily less capable of recording a podcast.

We begin with London Black by Anspach & Hobday, the 4.4% nitro porter brewed in South London. Is it simply London’s answer to Guinness, or does its creamy mouthfeel, roast coffee, chocolate, red-fruit sweetness and softer bitterness make it a genuinely different stout? We compare London Black with Guinness, discuss why nitro changes the texture, and match it with oysters, barbecue meat, slow-cooked dishes and chocolate brownies.

Next is Slipway from St Ives Brewery: a 5% New England IPA brewed with Simcoe and Idaho 7 hops. Expect apricot, passion fruit, peach, floral aromas, gentle spice and a soft oat-led mouthfeel. It became one of our favourite beers of the entire London Craft Beer Festival, prompting comparisons with Beavertown Neck Oil and a debate over whether Slipway is the fuller, fruitier and more satisfying session IPA. We also cover its alcohol-free version and pair it with fish tacos, grilled chicken, burgers, spicy street food, citrus salads and creamy cheese.

Our third featured beer is Oakham Ales Citra, one of the UK’s best-known single-hop beers. We explore how Oakham helped introduce the Citra hop to British drinkers, why the beer’s grapefruit, lychee, gooseberry and mango flavours still stand out, and how its dry bitterness avoids becoming another thick “fruit juice” IPA. We also discuss its Champion Golden Beer of Britain wins and why Citra works with pizza, tomato and basil dishes, spicy Asian food, beef and venison.

The festival promises around 800 beers from breweries across London, Britain and beyond, but our ambition quickly collides with heat, loud music and generous pours. This episode captures the real London Craft Beer Festival atmosphere in Southwark Park: packed brewery tents, traditional hand-pulled ales, neon-lit craft beer bars and two hosts attempting to keep useful tasting notes.

Those are only the three favourites. Along the way we also taste Orbit Beers’ tzatziki sour and Peel Belgian wit, Five Points XPA, Radio City Shortwave table beer, Timmermans Kriek Black Pepper lambic, Signature Brew Roadie session IPA, Proper Job, Mad Squirrel Roadkill and several beers we can no longer reliably identify.

There are cherry sweets, banana foam sweets, cucumber battery acid, rave music, questionable counting and an unsuccessful attempt to find Vault City’s Iron Brew sour. We compare modern craft beer stands with traditional cask ale breweries, explain lambic fermentation and coolships, discuss food pairings, and discover exactly what happens when two podcast hosts try to sample more than 20 beers in one afternoon.

Which beer won the day: London Black, Slipway or Citra? Was the Timmermans cherry lambic genuinely vile, or was Elton simply defeated by cherries? Can a 2.8% table beer still have real body? And at what point did “responsible tasting” become “we are still ambulatory”?

This is Beer, Together at the London Craft Beer Festival: honest beer reviews, British craft beer, brewery stories, beer tasting notes, food pairings and the slow collapse of two men who believed tiny glasses could not possibly be dangerous.

Listen to the end for the original festival exit recording — preserved despite several attempts to justify deleting it.

Follow Beer, Together and join us every Friday for more beer reviews, brewery history, tasting notes, food matching and Choose Your Fighter.

London Craft Beer Festival 2026
London Craft Beer Festival podcast
London Black Anspach and Hobday
St Ives Brewery Slipway
Oakham Citra beer review
British craft beer podcast
London beer festival
Best UK craft beers
Craft beer tasting
Nitro stout versus Guinness

Fruli Strawberry Beer shocks two fruit-beer sceptics: could this be the best Belgian fruit beer we have ever tasted?

Elton and Matt review Fruli, the 4.1% Belgian strawberry beer from Huyghe Brewery, made using wheat beer and real strawberry juice. Expect an enormous strawberry aroma, a creamy yoghurt-like flavour, subtle vanilla and banana notes, and a surprisingly balanced finish.

We ask whether Fruli is the perfect beer for people who do not normally like beer, compare it with fruit cider and alcopops, and discuss the best Fruli food pairings—from Eton mess, cheesecake and goat’s cheese to duck salad and mild Thai curry.

Then Fruli enters Choose Your Fighter against Williams Bros Seven Giraffes. Can the Belgian strawberry beer finally end its winning streak?

Plus old nightclub fridges, terrible 1990s shots, a disastrous night drinking port in Lisbon and a preview of our London Craft Beer Festival episode.

Follow Beer Together on Apple Podcasts so next week’s festival episode appears automatically.

Anything else

Discoverability keywords and phrases

Fruli Strawberry Beer review
Fruli beer review
Belgian strawberry beer
Belgian fruit beer
Huyghe Brewery
fruit beer tasting
wheat beer review
best strawberry beer
funny beer podcast
Beer Together podcast

Suggested chapter headings

The Hostage Note
First Pour of Fruli
Strawberry Yoghurt Beer
Fruli Food Pairings
Choose Your Fighter
Festival Episode Preview

Alternative title

Fruli Strawberry Beer: Brilliant Beer or Alcoholic Yoghurt?

Social and preview hook

We opened Fruli expecting alcoholic strawberry yoghurt. Annoyingly, it might be brilliant.

Apple Podcasts promotional CTA

We’ve been climbing the Apple Podcasts Food chart this week. Help keep Beer Together moving: open Apple Podcasts, follow the show and listen to our new Fruli Strawberry Beer review.

Hosts

Elton and Matt

Audience

Belgian beer fans, fruit beer drinkers, craft beer enthusiasts and anyone who prefers their beer reviews with pub stories, arguments and very little dignity.

Double Diamond beer is back, and somehow the pint once treated like the enemy of real ale has returned as a surprisingly drinkable summer beer.

In this episode of Beer Together, Elton and Matt open a 440ml can of Double Diamond, the revived 3.8% pale ale that claims to be “brewed as a pale ale, drinks like a lager, tastes bloody wonderful.” What follows is part beer review, part British pub history lesson, and part rambling tribute to the beers your grandad probably drank while you were left outside the pub with a packet of crisps.

We get into the story of Double Diamond, from its Samuel Allsopp roots in Burton-on-Trent to its place in the keg beer revolution, its huge advertising push, and why CAMRA once saw beers like this as everything wrong with British brewing. There is talk of “Double Diamond works wonders,” old pub culture, Watney’s Red Barrel, tankards behind the bar, keg beer, lager-style pale ales, and whether bringing back nostalgic beer brands is a good idea or a warning sign.

On the tasting side, Double Diamond turns out to be lighter, crisper and more modern than expected, with citrus, a little tropical hop character, low bitterness and an easy-drinking finish. The question is whether it should be judged as a pale ale, a lager alternative, or simply a fridge-cold beer garden pint for hot weather.

There are also food pairings, including fish and chips, burgers, bangers and mash, chicken tikka masala, salty pub snacks, scotch eggs, sausage rolls and possibly halloumi that has had its tension released in boiling water. Yes, apparently that works.

Finally, Double Diamond enters Choose Your Fighter against the reigning champion, Seven Giraffes by Williams Bros Brewing. Can revived pub nostalgia beat elderflower, caramel malt and actual memorability?

Spoiler: not quite.

Also featuring: elderflower rocket fuel, Geraldine the goat, Scottish taxi drivers, Madri confusion, the Blue Stoops, Kirkstall Brewery, beer festival danger, and the promise that Elton will one day prepare an intro properly.

Beer reviewed: Double Diamond
Style: Pale ale / lager-style pale ale
ABV: 3.8%
Brewery connection: Samuel Allsopp / Kirkstall Brewery
Previous champion: Seven Giraffes by Williams Bros Brewing

New episodes every Friday. Subscribe, download, and join Elton and Matt for more beer reviews, pub nostalgia, craft beer arguments and occasional useful information.

Northern Monk Faith is in the glass this week as Beer Together takes on one of the UK’s best-known modern craft beers: a 5% hazy pale ale from Leeds with big gateway beer energy, soft tropical fruit, pineapple, citrus, stone fruit and a clean, gently bitter finish.

In this episode, Elton and Matt crack open Faith by Northern Monk and ask whether it still deserves its reputation as one of the beers that helped bring hazy pale ale, NEIPA-style flavours and modern craft beer into the mainstream. Is Faith the perfect first step for someone moving from lager into craft beer? Is it still interesting enough for people who chase double dry-hopped, experimental, limited-release cans? And does being available in supermarkets make a beer less “craft”, or just more successful?

We get into the history of Northern Monk, its Leeds roots, its proudly northern identity, and how Faith became a recognisable name in UK craft beer. The tasting notes lead us through tropical fruit, pineapple, light citrus, stone fruit, oats, wheat, a soft body, low bitterness and that clean finish that makes you reach for another sip without feeling like the beer is shouting at you. We also compare it to other familiar supermarket craft beers, including Beavertown Neck Oil, Camden Pale Ale and BrewDog Hazy Jane, and ask where Faith sits in that everyday craft beer line-up.

There is also a proper craft beer debate: what does “craft beer” actually mean in the UK? Should craft beer have a tighter definition? Does independence matter more than scale? Can a beer still be craft if you can buy it next to dishwasher tablets in Sainsbury’s? We compare the looser UK pub definition with stricter European ideas of craft and artisanal beer, and end up somewhere between admiration, suspicion and mild confusion.

As always, there is food pairing chat. Faith gets matched with barbecue halloumi, buffalo chicken wings, Thai food, Vietnamese food, herbs, spice, citrus and anything fresh enough to work with a soft, fruity pale ale. There is also a warning about katsu curry, a brief halloumi boiling tip, and the usual level of completely unnecessary threat-based storytelling.

Then Choose Your Fighter returns as Northern Monk Faith goes up against Seven Giraffes by Williams Bros. Faith brings smooth, tropical, easy-drinking hazy pale ale energy. Seven Giraffes brings elderflower, biscuit, caramel, hops and a more memorable botanical character. Which beer wins on taste, drinkability and character?

This is a funny, opinionated UK craft beer podcast episode for fans of Northern Monk, Faith hazy pale ale, NEIPA, pale ale, supermarket craft beer, beer tasting, beer history, beer and food pairing, independent breweries and the ongoing argument about what craft beer actually is.

Beer Together is a beer podcast about tasting beer properly, arguing about it badly, and trying to work out why some beers stick in your head while others quietly behave themselves. New episodes drop every Friday.

Featured beer: Northern Monk Faith
Style: Hazy Pale Ale / NEIPA-style Pale Ale
ABV: 5%
Brewery: Northern Monk, Leeds
Key tasting notes: tropical fruit, pineapple, citrus, stone fruit, soft body, gentle bitterness, clean finish
Also discussed: Seven Giraffes by Williams Bros, Beavertown Neck Oil, Camden Pale Ale, BrewDog Hazy Jane, UK craft beer, gateway beers, supermarket craft beer, beer definitions and food pairings

Seven Giraffes IPA from Williams Brothers Brewing is the focus of this Beer Together craft beer review, as we taste a Scottish gluten-free IPA from Alloa and ask whether this unusual beer is really an IPA, an ESB, a golden ale in disguise, or simply one of the most drinkable beers we have tried so far.

This week’s episode explores Williams Brothers Brewing, the Scottish family brewery behind Seven Giraffes, including its origins as a Glasgow home brew shop, the story of a traditional heather ale recipe, early brewing in a railway station, and the move to Alloa, a town with strong beer and malting connections. We also look at the wider Williams Brothers range mentioned in the episode, including heather ale, Scots pine ale, gooseberry wheat ale, seaweed ale and elderberry black ale.

The beer itself gives us plenty to talk about. Seven Giraffes IPA is a 5.1% gluten-free IPA made with seven different malts, including lager malt, wheat, Maris Otter, Vienna, pale rye, pale crystal and Munich. We discuss how those malts shape the flavour, bringing caramel, sweetness and body without becoming too heavy or biscuity. We also talk through the hop profile, including First Gold, Cascade and Styrian Goldings, alongside elderflower and lemon, and how those floral and citrus notes lift the beer into something lighter, brighter and more memorable.

As a beer tasting podcast, we dig into the full drinking experience: colour, aroma, flavour, balance, drinkability, bitterness, carbonation, malt character, elderflower aftertaste, IPA style, and whether Seven Giraffes would work for both experienced IPA drinkers and people who normally avoid IPAs. Matt does not usually like elderflower, which makes his reaction to this beer even more interesting.

There is also plenty of pub chat along the way, from questionable Hawaiian shirts and not Googling “lei” on a work laptop, to foraging in the Lake District, elderflower wine bubbling away at home, old pub beer batter traditions, dial-up internet memories, Father’s Day beer choices, and whether your dad would trust the beer but question the label.

For food pairing, we move away from the obvious burger or fish and chips match and explore why Seven Giraffes IPA feels more like a posh picnic beer. Think pork pie, sausage roll, roast chicken with lemon, garlic and thyme, goat’s cheese tart, herbal salads, lighter fish dishes and food with floral, citrus or savoury notes that work with the elderflower, lemon and caramel malt.

We also test Seven Giraffes against our craft beer definition discussion, including the Italian-style craft beer test around independence, production size, pasteurisation and filtration, before landing on what we call UK pub logic: this is a proper independent craft beer, even if we cannot legally certify it by the Italian definition from the can alone.

Finally, Seven Giraffes enters Choose Your Fighter against the current Scottish champion, Vault City’s You Choose We Brew. We compare flavour, drinkability, character and memorability, and decide whether this balanced, floral, caramel-led Scottish IPA has enough to beat the big mango sour from last week. The result gives us a brand-new Choose Your Fighter champion.

If you enjoy craft beer podcasts, Scottish beer, IPA reviews, beer tasting, independent breweries, gluten-free beer, Williams Brothers Brewing, food pairing, funny pub stories, or discovering beers worth sharing, this episode is for you.

We started with puckered faces and an emphatic “absolutely not”. We finished the can, admitted we’d buy it again and somehow crowned it our new Choose Your Fighter champion.

This week, we’re drinking Vault City’s Hot Honey Apple Mango — a 6.2% smoothie sour combining fresh apple, tropical mango, chilli flakes and Scottish blossom honey. It looks like a defrosted ice lolly, pours like mango juice and eventually leaves Matt wondering whether the heat in his chest is chilli or the beginning of a medical emergency.

Created through Vault City’s You Choose, We Brew competition from more than 2,000 suggestions, this is a beer designed to challenge expectations. But is it genuinely well-crafted, or has modern beer finally disappeared into complete madness?

We explore Vault City’s rise from small-batch Edinburgh brewery to one of Britain’s best-known sour beer producers, why heavily fruited sours divide drinkers and whether this might work better as a shared dessert drink than a traditional pint.

There are food pairings including vanilla cheesecake, coconut panna cotta, fish tacos, Korean fried chicken and strong cheese. Elton also attempts to turn it into a spicy mango margarita or a dangerously drinkable Bellini.

Then Hot Honey Apple Mango faces reigning champion Dead Reckoning West Coast IPA in Choose Your Fighter, judged on flavour, drinkability and character. The result irritates both of us.

Finally, we check Vault City against the Italian legal definition of craft beer: independence, annual production below 200,000 hectolitres and beer that is unpasteurised and unfiltered.

Would you drink a hot honey, apple and mango smoothie sour? Tell us what you think and follow Beer, Together for a new episode every Friday.

Beer, Together — finding what’s worth sharing.

France finally gives us a beer we actually enjoy — and then immediately confuses us by calling it a pils.

This week we’re in Carcassonne, inside a 700-year-old fortress, drinking Ciutat Pils from Les Brasseurs de la Cité, a small artisanal brewery based in Carcassonne. Ciutat is the Occitan word for “the city”, and the brewery describes itself as a family-run artisan beer producer reconnecting with Carcassonne’s brewing history. 

The beer itself is 4.5%, bottom fermented, and described as a pils with pleasant bitterness and Central European-style aromas. But the moment we pour it, things go sideways: it’s hazy, murky, maltier than expected, more floral, more bitter, and not quite what either of us would confidently call a pilsner. 

There’s also chat about French beer culture, why wine dominates the South of France, why supermarket beer shelves feel weirdly sad, why Desperados is everywhere, and why Matt briefly relocates Carcassonne to Wales.

A surprisingly good beer. A questionable pils. A fortress. Some frogs. And two men slowly losing confidence in their French pronunciation.

Beer, Together — finding what’s worth sharing.

Matt tried Leffe Blonde for the first time in 20 years. It did not go well.

This week on Beer, Together, we’re on the Canal du Midi for the second of our France specials, drinking Leffe Blonde from a 750ml bottle and asking whether one of Europe’s most recognisable Belgian beers still deserves its reputation.

There’s abbey history, AB InBev, monks, marketing, banana notes, clove, honey, Belgian beer trauma, questionable pronunciation, and the return of Matt’s long-standing problem with beers that smell even slightly of banana.

We talk about the story of the Abbey of Leffe, how the beer’s historic identity sits alongside modern global ownership, and whether Leffe Blonde can really be considered craft under our working Italian craft beer definition: independent, under 200,000 hectolitres, unpasteurised and unfiltered.

We also get into the important stuff: what food Leffe actually belongs with, whether it works better with pork, chicken, bacon, chips and mayonnaise, or even a roast dinner, and whether a famous beer can still be worth sharing when one of us absolutely detests it.

Expect Belgian beer, boat noise, French canal chaos, monks, marketing, a suspicious amount of banana, and two mates trying to work out whether Leffe is a classic, a gateway beer, or just a very well-made pint that Matt never wants to drink again.

His name is Matt.
He is Elton.
And we are Beer, Together.

Finding what’s worth sharing.

Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and Goodpods.
Follow us on Instagram and TikTok: @BeerTogether123 and @Beertasting123

#LeffeBlonde
#Belgianbeer
#Abbeybeer
#Beerpodcast
#Beerreview
#Craftbeer
#ABInBev
#CanalduMidi
#France
#Foodpairing
#Banana
#Belgianblondeale
#Beertasting
#Podcast UK

This week Beer, Together goes international.

Recording from a canal boat on the famous Canal du Midi in southern France, Elton and Matt crack open a bottle of 3 Monts Saison from Brasserie Saint-Sylvestre and explore one of Europe's most traditional beer styles.

What exactly is a Saison? Why were they brewed for farm workers? And how has a humble farmhouse beer evolved into the 6.5% French classic we're drinking today?

Along the way we discuss:

🍺 The history of Saison beer
🇫🇷 The last historic brewery of French Flanders
🧀 The incredible food markets of Narbonne
🦐 Perfect food pairings for a French farmhouse ale
🚤 Life aboard a canal boat on the Canal du Midi
🏆 Whether 3 Monts can dethrone Dead Reckoning in Choose Your Fighter

Expect canal boats, questionable French pronunciation, excellent food recommendations and a beer that surprised us both.

Find us on Instagram & TikTok:
@beertogether123

#BeerTogether #CraftBeer #FrenchBeer #Saison #ThreeMonts #CanalDuMidi #BeerPodcast #DrinkDifferentDrinkTogether

This week on Beer, Together, we crack open a West Coast IPA that might just reset everything we thought we knew about modern craft beer.

We’re drinking Outland Brewery’s West Coast IPA — now renamed Dead Reckoning — a 5% classic that leans hard into caramel malt, citrus hops, and that unmistakable dry bitterness.

But this episode quickly becomes something bigger…

Have we overcomplicated beer?

Somewhere between hazy IPAs, NEIPAs, and fruit-loaded brews, have we forgotten what an IPA is actually meant to taste like?

We dive into:

• What defines a true West Coast IPA
• Why clarity used to matter (and why it doesn’t now)
• The role of malt vs hops in flavour
• Whether “craft beer” even needs a definition
• And whether big brewers can still make “craft” beer

We also get into some proper pub nostalgia — Bass, London Pride, 6X — and how those beers shaped what we expect from a pint today.

🍔 Food pairing?
Think fatty, salty, bold:

• Smash burgers
• Sausages
• BBQ meats
• Mature cheddar
• Fried chicken

This is a beer that doesn’t cuddle your food… it argues with it — and wins.

⚔️ Choose Your Fighter
We put it head-to-head with the reigning champion, Neck Oil, across:

• Flavour
• Drinkability
• Occasion

And for the first time in weeks…

We crown a new winner.

This isn’t just about one beer — it’s about where beer culture is heading.

👉 Are we chasing trends… or rediscovering what made beer great in the first place?

🍺 Join the community:
Instagram: @beertogether123
Spotify: Follow + comment
Download the episode to support the show

#beertogether #craftbeeruk #westcoastipa #ipa #beerpodcast #beertalk #drinkbetterbeer #indiebeer #beerlover #beerstagram #ukcraftbeer #podcastclips #newpodcast #beercommunity #hopheads

This one wasn’t planned… but the best ones never are.

It’s Elton’s birthday 🎂 so we’ve ditched the format, grabbed a couple of Camden Pales, and spent 15 minutes doing what Beer, Together is really about — sharing stories.

From how we met nearly 25 years ago, to a genuinely surreal near-miss story involving a pub, a bomb scare, and a missing phone… this episode is less about the beer, and more about why we started this in the first place.

Because sometimes the best pint isn’t the most complex, rare, or hyped —
it’s the one you already know, shared with people who matter.

🍺 In this episode:

• Why Camden Pale is our “safe pint”
• The idea of a safe, risky, and wildcard beer
• How working in pubs changes how you see everything (yes… even lightbulbs)
• The story of how we met — and nearly didn’t
• Why community matters more than tasting notes

No “Choose Your Fighter” this week.
No overthinking.

Just a quick birthday beer… with you lot.

#BeerTogether #CraftBeerUK #PubTalk #BeerChat #CamdenPale #BeerCommunity #UKPubs #BeerReel #DrinkDifferent #DrinkTogether

This week on Beer, Together, we take on something completely different — Fresh Pulp from Buxton Brewery, a 6% double dry-hopped New England IPA… and let’s just say, it divides opinion.

From the first pour, this one is loud. Hazy, juicy, and packed with tropical fruit flavours — pineapple, mango, citrus — it’s a full-on fruit assault. But does more flavour actually mean a better beer?

We break down:

• What double dry hopping really does to a beer
• Why NEIPAs (New England IPAs) are so hazy and fruit-forward
• The role of hops like Citra, Chinook, Centennial, El Dorado… and the newer British Harlequin hop
• Whether beers like this are built for enthusiasts… or just for trying once

There’s also a proper reality check on drinkability. At 6%, this isn’t your easy-going pint — it’s a first drink of the nightbeer… if that.

We also dive into:

• The story of Buxton Brewery — from a 40L garage setup in 2009 to a full-scale operation
• Our own (failed) home brewing adventures
• Why some beers fight your food instead of complementing it
• And where this actually fits in a real drinking occasion

🍽️ Food Pairings?
Surprisingly, this one leans toward bold, punchy flavours:

• Kimchi fried chicken
• Salty cheeses
• Pickles & relishes

⚖️ Choose Your Fighter
Can anything beat our reigning champion Neck Oil?

We score on:

• Flavour
• Drinkability
• Occasion

…and let’s just say, Fresh Pulp has a fight on its hands.

🍺 This is what Beer, Together is all about — trying beers you might not pick yourself, figuring out where they fit (if they fit at all), and having a proper conversation about it.

👍 Tried Fresh Pulp? Agree or completely disagree with us?

Join the conversation:
📲 Instagram: @BeerTogether123
🎙️ Follow the podcast on Spotify to be part of the community

#BeerTogether
#CraftBeerUK
#NEIPA
#HazyIPA
#BeerPodcast
#BuxtonBrewery
#BeerReview
#DrinkDifferent
#UKBeer
#PodcastUK
#BeerLovers
#IndieBeer
#HopHeads

Bank Holiday Sunday. No work tomorrow. A 500ml bottle of Adnams Ghost Ship… this could go anywhere.

This week on Beer, Together, we’re drinking one of the UK’s most recognisable ales — and asking a simple question: is Ghost Ship actually good, or is it just the safest pint in the pub?

Brewed in Southwold by Adnams, Ghost Ship has quietly become a staple across pubs, supermarkets and bottle shops. It’s the beer you order when you walk into a place and think, “I’ll start here while I work out if this pub knows what it’s doing.”

We get into:

• That citrus hit (lemon, lime) and subtle floral notes
• The biscuity malt backbone and dry ale finish
• Why it feels fuller than a lager but softer than a big IPA
• How it bridges the gap between traditional bitter and modern craft beer

It’s not flashy. It’s not trendy. But it might be one of the most important beers in the UK right now.

We also go slightly off course (as always), covering:

• Southwold ghost stories, smuggling folklore and the Black Shuck legend
• Why seaside towns seem to have more ghosts than people
• The rise of low and no alcohol beer (including Ghost Ship 0.5%)
• Whether “bollocks” counts as a swear word (seriously)

Then it’s back to Choose Your Fighter, where Ghost Ship takes on Neck Oil across:

• Flavour
• Drinkability
• Occasion

Can the dependable pub classic finally knock the modern favourite off its perch?

Ghost Ship is a 4.5% pale ale that sits firmly in the “sessionable” category. It’s widely available, consistent, and easy to trust — which is exactly why it’s become such a go-to pint across the UK.

Flavour profile:

• Citrus: lemon, lime
• Light floral notes
• Biscuity, malty backbone
• Dry, slightly bitter finish

Food pairings:

• Fish & chips (perfect match)
• Sausage rolls
• Pizza
• Spicy food and curries
• Anything slightly oily (balances the bitterness)

We also explore why Ghost Ship works as a gateway beer:

• approachable for lager drinkers
• familiar for bitter drinkers
• a stepping stone into IPAs and craft beer

Adnams has been brewing in Southwold since the 19th century, with roots on the site going back much further. The brewery remains independent and produces a wide range of cask ales, bottled beers and low-alcohol options, while also investing heavily in sustainability and energy-efficient brewing.

This is a beer built on consistency, not hype — and in hospitality, that matters more than people think.

If you’re new to beer, Ghost Ship is often recommended as a starting point into ale. It has more flavour than lager, but without the heavy bitterness or intensity of stronger IPAs. That balance is a big reason why it’s become so widely stocked across the UK.

We also touch on how beers like this are handled in pubs. Unlike lager, cask-style ales rely more on proper storage, temperature and care — which is why ordering a familiar pint can tell you a lot about how well a pub is run.

There’s also a broader question: what actually counts as craft beer?
Using the Italian definition (independent, under 200,000 hectolitres, unpasteurised), Ghost Ship doesn’t fully qualify — but that raises an interesting point about how the term “craft” is used in the UK versus reality.

Whether you’re into traditional British ales, modern craft beer, or just looking for a reliable pint, Ghost Ship sits right in the middle — and that might be exactly why it works.

👉 Join the community:
Instagram: @beertogether123
Matt: @beertasting123

Follow, download and send us your beer suggestions — we want to feature what you’re drinking.

Beer: Ghost Ship
Brewery: Adnams
Style: Pale Ale
ABV: 4.5%
Origin: Southwold, Suffolk

#BeerPodcast #UKBeer #Adnams #GhostShip #PaleAle #PubCulture #CraftBeer #BeerReview #BritishBeer #BeerLovers #SpotifyPodcast #BeerTogether

Milk stout shouldn’t work in today’s craft beer scene… but somehow it still does.

Sweet, creamy, and completely different to anything else behind the bar — this one splits opinion fast. Is it a hidden classic… or a beer that never moved on?

This week on Beer, Together, we dive into Black Sheep Milk Stout and uncover what makes it so different from the Guinness, craft beers, and IPAs we’re used to. From the role of lactose in brewing to why it completely changes the drinking experience, this episode goes deep into a style that’s quietly been forgotten — but never disappeared.

We get into:
– Why milk stout tastes sweeter (and why that matters)
– The real difference between milk stout and dry stout
– Why Guinness feels completely different on draft vs bottle
– The story behind Black Sheep Brewery and its “outsider” roots
– How milk stout became associated with a very specific type of drinker
– And whether modern craft beer trends are accidentally bringing it back

There’s also a proper rabbit hole into pub culture — from historic Dublin pubs like the Gravediggers to the reality of how Guinness is brewed and consumed around the world (including a surprising twist involving Nigeria).

And as always, we break down the real-world experience:
– When would you actually drink this?
– What food does it go with (and what definitely doesn’t)?
– Is it a one-and-done beer… or something you’d come back to?

If you’re into craft beer, UK pubs, beer reviews, or just honest conversations about drinking culture, this one’s a proper deep dive into a style most people overlook — but probably shouldn’t.

Whether you’re exploring the best beers in the UK, comparing craft beer vs mainstream beer, or just looking for a relaxed beer tasting podcast with real hospitality stories, this episode gives you a fresh perspective on where milk stout fits today.

Give it a listen, follow the podcast, and share it with someone who thinks they “don’t like stout” — this might change their mind.

Keywords:
milk stout, craft beer UK, stout vs Guinness, beer tasting podcast, UK pub culture, Black Sheep Brewery, sweet stout, beer reviews, hospitality stories, drinking culture, food and beer pairing, classic beers, British pubs, craft vs mainstream beer

#BeerPodcast #CraftBeerUK #Guinness #PubCultureUK #BeerReviews
#Stout #HospitalityLife #DrinkingCulture #UKPubs #BeerTasting

Is Neck Oil actually a great beer… or just the safe option? 🍺

In this episode of Beer, Together, we take on one of the most recognisable beers in the UK — Neck Oil — and ask the question most people don’t: is it genuinely good, or just everywhere?

From pub fridges to craft beer taps, we break down what makes a “go-to” beer, and whether popularity actually means quality.

We get into:

* Why some beers dominate UK pubs

* The difference between “safe” and “great” beer

* How beers like Neck Oil became so widely available

* Real pub decision-making (what you actually order vs what you say you like)

There’s also the usual mix of stories, opinions, and the kind of conversation you only really get a couple of drinks in.

No snobbery. No scripts. Just honest talk about beer and pub culture.

⸻

If you enjoy craft beer, UK breweries, pub culture, and relaxed, funny conversations about food and drink, Beer, Together is for you.

This episode touches on:

craft beer, Neck Oil, Beavertown, UK beer scene, pub culture, beer choices, and everyday drinking habits.

Follow Beer, Together for new weekly episodes.

Is Thornbridge Jaipur still one of the best IPAs in the UK — or has the beer world moved on?

In Episode 3 of Beer, Together, we dive into one of Britain’s most iconic pale ales and ask whether it still deserves its reputation in today’s craft beer scene.

We get into how beer styles have changed, why hazy and juicy IPAs have taken over, and whether classic, bitter IPAs like Jaipur still hit the mark.

Expect honest opinions, no snobbery, proper pub chat, food pairings, and real insight from years working in pubs and hospitality.

This isn’t a review show — it’s a conversation about what’s actually worth drinking.

New episodes weekly.

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In this episode:

Thornbridge Jaipur review, classic IPA vs modern IPA, hazy vs clear beer, bitter vs juicy IPA, UK craft beer scene, Sheffield breweries, British brewing heritage, hop character and balance, beer flavour profiles, sessionability vs strength, beer trends UK, pub culture and ordering habits, what sells in pubs, how customers choose beer, branding vs taste in craft beer, iconic UK beers, independent breweries UK, beer and food pairing, curry and IPA, street food and beer, pub snacks and drinks, hospitality industry insight, real pub stories, casual beer conversation, no beer snobbery, honest beer opinions, drinking with friends, social drinking culture, discovering new beer, what beer to drink, best IPA UK, beer recommendations, craft beer podcast UK, beer discussion podcast, relaxed podcast, storytelling podcast, hospitality podcast UK, bar and restaurant experience, behind the bar insight, UK pub life, beer lovers podcast, beginner beer guide, beer without hype, beer vs marketing, classic beers revisited, modern craft beer debate

Episode 2 of Beer, Together.

Has craft beer lost the plot? 🍺

In this episode of Beer, Together, we get into the reality of craft beer in the UK — from the rise of BrewDog to what it actually feels like in pubs today.

Is craft beer still exciting, or has it just become the safe option?

We cover:

* The rise (and shift) of craft beer culture

* BrewDog’s impact on the UK beer scene

* Whether mainstream success has dulled the edge

* Real pub stories, bad decisions… and a chicken in a box

No scripts. No snobbery. Just honest conversation about beer, pubs, and everything around them.

⸻

If you enjoy craft beer, UK breweries, pub culture, and relaxed, funny conversations about food and drink, Beer, Together is for you.

This episode touches on:

craft beer, BrewDog, UK beer scene, pub culture, beer trends, independent breweries, and real-life pub experiences.

New episodes weekly — follow Beer, Together for more.

Every good story starts with a first pint.

In our first episode of Beer, Together, we sit down, crack open a beer and talk about why we’re doing this — from years in pubs and hospitality to the moments, people and drinks that stuck with us.

We get into what makes a beer worth sharing, how our tastes have changed over time, and what you can expect from the podcast going forward.

No scripts, no snobbery — just honest chat, good beer and the start of something.

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