Friday Five: Best Bitter

When people ask me what I miss most about home, I always say the pubs, the football, the beers, the culture (comedy; theatre; music); friends and family - not necessarily in that order. So, I managed to get in some of all of that while back (although Boro v Burnley may not rate in the football category; comedy perhaps?).

It would be fair to say that I had more than five different beers, but for the Friday Five, here are the favourites.

5 Beers I Drank in England:

1. Rebellion Mutiny - all of the Rebellion Ales are fabulous, but the Mutiny at the brewery itself would have to be a favourite. It's full-bodied, reddish in colour, an ESB style premium beer, with a great balance of malty hoppy goodness. Yes, of course I'm biased because it's my local beer, but it's a great one to have!
2. Thwaites Wainwright - named after Alfred Wainwright, hill-walker and guidebook-writer born in Blackburn Lancashire, this has been the sponsor ale for Lancashire Cricket Club since 2005. I had a pint in a pub on Knightsbridge, after watching the Olympic women's 10km open water swim. It's a beautiful golden colour, made with Maris Otter pale malt, and has a citrus hoppy flavour. It was extremely refreshing on a hot sunny day (I got sunburned in Hyde Park, which is a bit embarrassing) and I recommend it to all the athletes who want to remove the taste of the Serpentine.
3. Captain Cook's Endeavour - drank it at the beer's home brewey, The White Swan, in Stokesley. Bronze in colour and strong in taste with a malty, fruity, bready blend of flavours - perfect with a Yorkshire pudding. Yum!
4. Wychwood Bountiful - a seasonal beer released to celebrate harvest festival. It's a chestnut ale with sweet fruit flavours and a biscuity smell. Cousin Rachael bought me a pint at the Bull and Butcher in Turville, thinking it might be appropriate, for some reason... I liked it, but having seen the pump clip, I wouldn't buy one for myself!
5. Sambrook's Pumphouse Pale Ale - had a pint of this at the Bree Louise beer festival in Euston. Sambrook's is a Battersea brewery (brewing since 2008) so it was nice and local, golden hay colour with a zesty, spicy taste (New Zealand Hallertau hops have been used) - sitting outside the pub with friends on a summer evening. This is the taste of summer: happy times!