28 Pints Of Just Really Decent Beer You Should Try

Beer is good for the soul.

Beer; nectar of the gods, brew of kings (and queens). We all know there's nothing better than a pint of the amber stuff.

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But most importantly, we all know that nothing beats a *proper* pint of quality beer. But... there are so many breweries out there. Where to start?

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None of this Bud Light or Beck’s crap. I like my beer strong, full-bodied and on tap in a stonkingly good pub thanks.

We asked a bunch of beer drinkers and industry experts to tell us the beer we should get to know ASAP. So there’s no more excuse to keep drinking the watery piss that passes as “beer”.

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We talked to brand ambassadors, beer bloggers, writers, and a lot of people who just plain love beer. It's time to get down to your local, and cop a pint of this quality fare.

Here's what they suggested.

1. Korev lager by St Austell

Instagram: @st_austell_brewery

"I love Korev's simplicity, above all. It's what a lager should be – fresh and crisp, balanced, easy to drink. It's not too bitter, not too sweet, and is nice and delicate and golden. Like a Cornish beach.

"I'm really tired of craft beers, I'm afraid. They're overpriced, over-malty, and aren't designed with the football in mind.

"I'm aware Korev might not be the purest beverage. But it does use an interesting range of hops. Maybe it's the nostalgia of having a few with a pasty more than anything. Regardless, I'd much rather knock a Korev back then a dark, metallic-tasting craft brew that was probably made by Budweiser anyway."

– Josh Barrie, journalist and online editor of Country & Town House, London

2. Arise by Burning Sky

Instagram: @brightonlainer

"Burning Sky's Monolith should be in everyone's beery top 10 (not really, beer is an open and welcoming church to all tastes), and all of their saisons and barrel aged offerings make me come over all faint. But when it comes to a pint of sunshine in a glass, arise Sir Arise. Another beautifully session-able beer that brings all the flavour."

– Clare Doherty, sales at Beavertown Brewery, London

3. Hoppiness by Moor Beer Company

Twitter: @search

"As ‘craft’ goes, batch to batch variation is to be expected, but Moor Hoppiness has been consistently tremendous for years. On keg it’s a real delight, the cans are absolutely rock solid, but on cask this beer really sings. Wonderfully bitter but contrasted with an almost barley wine-esque malt character and a huge dry hop hit."

– Joe Dick, general manager at The Hanging Bat, Edinburgh

4. Landlord by Timothy Taylor

Instagram: @globalbeers

"Timothy Taylor's the ‘Landlord’ is a favourite of mine for a few reasons. Beyond its retro look and packaging it’s got a beautiful amber colour that bellows ‘DRINK ME!’.

"Once you’ve got the amber nectar-filled vessel up to your face, the taste and fruity, hoppy, nose wont leave you disappointed. The lingering sweet and full flavour, combined with the lower ABV makes for a cracking session beer while watching back to back sports matches or having a long over due catch up with friends."

– Greg Swaby, head of group marketing at The Breakfast Group, London

5. Cwtch by Tiny Rebel Co

Twitter: @cheekydrinks

"I'm sure you've heard the saying, 'you taste with your eyes' right? If you bought the whole range of Tiny Rebel Co. bottles, you could never open them and still have an awesome art collection. I wouldn't recommend not drinking these beers, however. Perfectly balanced and packed with flavour, they taste as good if not better than they look. When you see them, get involved. Cwtch is my personal favourite as it was the first in their range for me to try & is an amazing example of a beautifully balanced red ale."

Lewis Cooke, Bar Manager at Épernay, Manchester

6. London Lager by Meantime

Twitter: @ThePilgrimOak

"Lager is a hugely popular beer, and Meantime's offering is one of my favourites, with notes of caramel, pepper and citrus. It also goes amazingly well with a curry or slice of pizza."

– Emma Cooke, lifestyle writer at Buzzfeed UK, London

7. Double Chocolate Stout by Young's

Don Lavange / Via Flickr: wickenden

"Many years ago, I went on a beer inspiration trip to London. One of the first beers I tried on draught was Young’s Double Chocolate Stout. At that time flavoured stouts were less common in Sweden, and I still remember the smell of chocolate, coffee and vanilla that jumped up from the glass and grabbed my nose. It was so incredible that a beer could smell and taste like that. Nowadays it's still one of my favourite stouts on draught – especially if I can drink it London."

– Jonas H Andersson, beer blogger and owner of Pilsner NU, Sweden

8. Dorset Gold by Palmer's

Instagram: @theferryinnsalcombe

"If you're looking for a light, refreshing ale for summer, rather than relying on mass produced, ice cold lagers, you can't go far wrong with the light hoppyness of Palmer's Dorset Gold. It's Palmers original summer ale, and if you want a perfect beer for that picnic, this is the one for you."

– Jacob Ingram, beer blogger at Drinkstagrammer, Wigan

9. Brown Ale by Cloudwater

Twitter: @SurfingandBeer

"I really struggle to pick just one Cloudwater, because pretty much everything they touch is liquid gold. In the end, I've gone for their brown ale, because it's a much maligned beer style that Cloudwater has sprinkled with their Cloudwater magic dust. Surprisingly light, with a toasty biscuittyness, it's the beer equivalent of a walk in the park on a crisp autumn day."

– Clare Doherty, account manager at Beavertown Brewery, London

10. Black Cab by Fuller's

Twitter: @pinkandtweed

"If you’re looking for a unpretentious stout with those traditional hints of coffee and bitter dark chocolate, Black Cab is hard to beat. You can find it on draught in almost any Fuller's pub if you fancy a taste of London, stout brewing history."

– Jacob Ingram, beer blogger at Drinkstagrammer, Wigan

11. Punk IPA by Brew Dog

Instagram: @isimmusic

"Punk IPA by Brew Dog has that full, hoppy pale ale taste, but isn’t too overbearing. Exposure to more intensely flavoured beers in the last few years has slightly dampened my enjoyment of regular lagers. I could pick a more obscure brewer but this has the virtue of being widely available and still really good!"

Adam Park, co-creator of The Gannet, London

12. Bloody 'Ell by Beavertown

Instagram: @offieandtoffee

"A juicy and fruity blood orange IPA that's amazing for this time of year. It's really something with the warmth from the fruit, and the bitterness from the hops. It just works like a dream."

– Kamilla Hannibal, digital content manager at Beavertown Brewery, London

13. JHB by Oakham Ales

Instagram: @plonsdale

"This is often my 'canary in the coal mine' as to how a pub keeps its beer, because this delicate but delicious session ale needs a little TLC to be at its best. An almost mousse-like head should lead into the lightest of lemon curd spread over a brioche base, finishing off on a light grassy bitterness - basically, when it's bang on form, it's like taking little sips of sunshiny happiness."

– Melissa Cole, beer writer and author of Let Me Tell You All About Beer, London

14. Longhorn IPA by Purity

Instagram: @browns.leeds

"Although not described as a ‘session IPA’, I’ve spent many Saturday afternoons drinking Longhorn in a way that can only be described as a session.

"Although it’s got a complex taste, it’s not too heavy and doesn’t go overboard on the bitterness in comparison with other IPAs. Purity’s Longhorn certainly satisfies an everyday IPA drinkers tastes but keeps things light enough to please the masses. It’s my everyday beer."

– Nik Koster, director of Garnish Communications and regular beer judge, Hampshire

15. Red IPA by Sadler's

Twitter: @supersalesagent

"Sadler’s Red IPA is the perfect break from those harsh, hoppy American style IPAs flooding the market. It pairs the typical bitter finish and citrus of an IPA with the smooth caramel, and fruity finish of a red ale. You might have to take a trip to its home in the midlands to get it on tap, but it’s worth the trip."

– Jacob Ingram, beer blogger at Drinkstagrammer, Wigan

16. pHuscia by London Brewing Co

Instagram: @biteandbottle

"If you want to give your tastebuds a bit of a wake up call, this delicately-balanced fruited Berliner Weiss is just the ticket. If sours are new to you, then think of it as a tingly sour berry sherbet – it has the same sort of acidity and fizz. It's also utterly awesome with oysters should you feel like indulging!"

– Melissa Cole, beer writer and author of Let Me Tell You All About Beer, London

17. Far Skyline by Buxton

Twitter: @Voltamanchester

"A number of UK brewers have clumsily latched on to the Berliner Weisse style and misunderstood it. Buxton grasped it and got it completely spot on, with the twist of a heavy handed tropical dry hopping. Dry and tart, Far Skyline makes for a juicy palate cleanser, or a refreshing summer drink. In typical Buxton fashion the lily was further gilded with ‘Very Far Skyline’ spending a stretch in Chardonnay barrels."

– Joe Dick, general manager at The Hanging Bat, Edinburgh

18. Creme Brûlée by Dark Star

Twitter: @corneliusbeers

"This beer is in the style of a sweet stout. The beer itself is brewed using unfermentable lactose sugar, roasted malts and a generous dose of vanilla. You get a really nice caramel flavour but not overly sweet like you would expect it to be. Weighing in at 5.9% ABV you can sink a few but I wouldn't recommend session drinking this bad boy."

– Tony Kousoulou, bartender at East London Liquor Company, London

19. Pale Fire by Pressure Drop

Piwny Radek / Via Instagram: @piwnyradek

"Hackney based Pressure Drop produce one of London’s favourites, Pale Fire year round. Flavoursome, balanced, bitter and very, very hoppy. Often hard to drink anything else when it’s flowing freely in your favourite watering hole."

– Kieran Hawkins, hospitality manager at Beavertown Brewery, London

20. King of Hearts by Wild Card

Instagram: @moodselector

"Even in the golden age of beer, finding a good blonde brew can still be tough. Brewed with lager malts and dry hopped with citra hops, the Wild Card team have created a beer that’s incredibly refreshing.

"It’s got genuine tropical fruit flavours – you’ll immediately taste grapefruit, passionfruit and mango. It’s basically the Del Monte fruit cup of beers. Best drunk on draught, it's the perfect pub-garden beer. My first pint of King of Hearts usually indicates summer."

– Nik Koster, director of Garnish Communications and regular beer judge, Hampshire

21. Organic Lager by Samuel Smith

Twitter: @blackheartswine

"The lager market is dominated by a load of weak, watery euro beers that taste exactly the same. This organic beer is a breath of fresh air and one of the best lagers on the market. It has a lightly hoppy flavour with hints of sweet grass and should be hunted down by any real lager fan."

– Jacob Ingram, beer blogger at Drinkstagrammer, Wigan

22. London Sour by The Kernel

Instagram: @simonchandler

"Pretty much everything that these guys do is perfection, but London Sour (and any of its fruit-infused incarnations) is a gift from the beer gods. This, and also their Table Beer, are also fantastic for folks like me who occasionally fancy something below 4%."

– Clare Doherty, sales at Beavertown Brewery, London

23. Pint by Marble Brewers

Twitter: @TheMarbleArch

"Does what it says in the tin. This is one of the most session-able beers in the world. If you really want to experience it at its best, get thee to Manchester and visit the weird slope-floored Marble Arch (don't wear heels if you plan on more than three, trust me!). The balance of biscuity malt flavours and herbal hop aromas with a juicy, almost dried apricot middle, make this simply sublime."

– Melissa Cole, beer writer and author of Let Me Tell You All About Beer, London

24. Honey beer by Hiver

Twitter: @thisiscolt

"Just over a year ago, I had my first taste of Hiver honey beer. I love beer, and have a huge sweet tooth (Fuller's Honey Dew is another favourite) so I fell for this pretty much instantly. It gets the balance between mead-like sweetness, and proper beer flavour just right."

– Emma Cooke, lifestyle writer at Buzzfeed UK, London

25. Lemon and Raspberry Saison by Partizan

Instagram: @hophideout

"Tart and fruity and refreshing and sharp and wonderful. If I see it on the bar, I find it difficult to leave until the keg finishes. This beer makes me so happy that sometimes I glaze over just thinking about it."

– Clare Doherty, sales at Beavertown Brewery, London

26. London Porter by Fuller's

Drew Allen / Via Flickr: drewesque

"I adore Fuller's London Porter. It really showcases the Black Malt the style is famous for. Beautiful coffee roast and dark chocolate notes. Smooth and hugely satisfying. It has a low ABV despite the bold flavours, so it's great for multiple rounds, or for accompanying anything from a roast to a rich chocolate dessert."

– Maggie Eckl, bartender at Dead Rabbit and barback Dear Irving, New York

27. Birdie Flipper by Long Arm

Twitter: @longarmbrew

"Always fun to order- this beer has loads of flavour and is one for all ale lovers – it's only in a couple of pubs and it's a rare find. It's MALTY – I only found it when asking for the 'most Marmite-y beer' (it didn't disappoint)."

– Paddy Freeland, beer lover, London

28. Session IPA by Cloudwater

Twitter: @corneliusbeers

"Manchester’s Cloudwater came sprinting out of the gates in 2015, turning many a head in the process. This Session IPA is part of their Spring range for 2016. Brewed using the New Zealand Hop, Nelson Sauvin, it is insanely tropical without being overly sweet. At only 4.5% you could sup a few too many pints of this over a long, sunny afternoon."

– Kieran Hawkins, hospitality manager at Beavertown Brewery, London