It would soon be time for dinner and I proposed a glass of the very hoppy Shepherd Neame Spitfire as an aperitif. My friends MsTimidityThinlady and her laddish boyfriend, Jack Behaving-Badly were horrified at such a suggestion. They had all sorts of reasons why a classic British ale was inappropriate. After that, I spent a long winter evening mulling over the extraordinary resilience of the great beer myths. Before dinner serve yourself an appetisingly hoppy beer in a decent-sized burgundy glass or goblet.
Beer is a drink made from grain, usually malted barley, and spiced with hops.
The most widely available type of beer both in Britain and worldwide is lager. None of the above. This makes for cleaner rounder flavours, but arguably less complexity than is found in ales. All beer has some bitterness. Some would argue for balance, as exemplified by English classics such as Fuller's London Pride or Marston's Pedigree.