Features

How well does beer match food? Roger Protz helped devise a beer menu for Lussmann's restaurants in Hertfordshire and he invited fellow writer Melissa Cole to join him for lunch in St Albans to see how the beers measured up to the dishes on the menu

Added: Friday, March 13th 2015

Maris Otter, the barley variety favoured by craft brewers, celebrates 50 years in 2015 since it was first grown in Norfolk. It's in great demand even though big farmers and maltsters attempted to phase it out in order to grow more profitable "high yielding" barley. At Crisp's in Norfolk the malt is still produced by the time-honoured "floor malting" method

Added: Thursday, February 12th 2015

Richard Osmond, with a one-barrel 'nano brewery' at the Verulam Arms in St Albans, pays homage to medieval times with Gruit, ale made with the addition of herbs and spices. The beer matches the food in the pub, which uses ingredients foraged from the surrounding countryside.

Added: Sunday, February 8th 2015

Bruges had 20 breweries in the 20th century but most were taken over and closed by a giant lager group. But the brewing tradition is being restored. Halve Maan reopened in 2005 and has a smart new brewhouse while both Bourgogne des Flandres and Bryggja will start brewing this year

Added: Friday, January 30th 2015

Marble Brewery is a stalwart of the Manchester brewing scene and among its large range of beers Earl Grey IPA, made with the addition of bergamot, is a major talking point in the region. Pictured are Matthew Howgate (far left) and his team at the brewery. The beers are widely available and can be supped in splendour in the Marble Arch pub just yards from the brewery

Added: Monday, January 26th 2015

Bruges -- Brugge in Flemish -- has long been a beer lovers' treat. But now it has a new Beer Musuem while the main museum, the Historium, has an elegant beer cafe sponsored by Duvel Moortgat (pictured). Brugs Beertje remains one of the world's great beer bars but now there's added delight from Rose Red while Timmermans has opened a beer shop in the city and plans a new brewery to produce the renowned Bourgogne des Flandres ale

Added: Monday, January 19th 2015

Beers ranging from classic English bitter to revivalist IPAs, ancient Audit Ales, ale aged in Scottish whisky casks, strong milds and stouts and a London interpretation of Berliner Weisse stand out from the crowd. But top mark goes to Chiltern Brewery's Flanders Pale Ale, a British-Belgian beer that commemorated the links between the two countries forged during World War One. The beer was brewed by Tom Jenkinson (left) and Dave McGovern (right) with a little help -- and hindrance -- from the writer

Added: Wednesday, December 31st 2014

Northampton had two famous neighbouring breweries, Phipps and NBC. Both were destroyed by the large London brewer Watney that killed their ales in preference to keg Red Barrel. The breweries were knocked down to make way for a Carlsberg lager factory. But now the Phipps and NBC beers have risen from the grave and are being brewed again just yards from their original site

Added: Monday, December 15th 2014

Quarr Abbey on the Isle of Wight was destroyed in the 16th century by Henry VIII. But a new monastery was built in the 20th century and now the monks have teamed up with Goddards Brewery on the island to brew Quarr Abbey Ale which uses herbs and spices grown by the monks

Added: Friday, December 12th 2014

With Christmas on the horizon, brewers are gearing up for the festive season with a range of ales that will keep the cold out and the warmth in. Bateman's Rosey Nosey is building record sales while Adnams has an exclusive beer for Marks & Spencer. Lock the reindeer in the stable and get ready to glow

Added: Thursday, December 4th 2014