The beers of southeastern England are brewed with water high in calcium carbonate, which leads to pale, insipid brews - which no doubt explains the popularity of imported lagers in London and its southern stockbroker belt. Plzen water caught on early. In 1295, the year the city was founded, King Vaclav II granted all residents the right to brew beer. Municipal libraries followed 600 years later so the town certainly had its priorities sorted. The choice here is between the noble Fuggles, Goldings and hops from the Devon North Downs.
Hops play a starring role in determining the ultimate flavour of a beer.
Introduced in the 15th century as a preservative, hops' bitterness balances the sweet barley malt flavours. Gil's brewery is a triumph of Heath Robinson make-do. Only gravity is allowed to move the liquid between the various stages of the brewing process. The final step is bottling the ale in one of those 500ml bottles that Metal Box makes for Namibia Breweries. A R1 deposit is charged on each one.