From London to Sussex and Devon, breweries are cropping up all over the country as our national thirst for quality lager blossoms, driven by our obsession with provenance and support of independents.
Good news, then, that summer is here and with it a season of kicking back in the garden with an ice-cold beer among friends.
Who’s in?
A lesson in lager
Far from loutish, lager – meaning ‘store’ in German – is actually one of the most refined styles of beer. Breweries upping quality to counteract the once-negative reputation (from being blamed as the fuel for drunken fights to being served so cold you can’t taste the flavour).
Brewed and conditioned at low temperatures from bottom-fermenting yeast, lagers can be pale, amber or dark with the former being the most popular in Britain. They’re highly carbonated and light and refreshing in taste.
“Beer’s cultural and historic importance in the UK is undeniable,” says Lauren Carrol, chief marketing officer at BrewDog, Britain’s biggest craft brewer.
“British beer has seen multiple important eras and evolutions with the craft beer movement being the most recent. For us, British brewing heritage is vitally important to our roots, but the international influence on historic styles is what makes the UK beer scene one of the most eclectic and exciting.”
It arrived in the UK from Germany in the mid-19th century and soon found itself an army of fans. If you’ve ever wondered how it’s made, Carrol says the drink is made with “bottom-fermenting yeast strains and is fermented at cooler temperatures than other beers. With a smooth, crisp flavour profile, lagers are often brewed with low-alpha-acid hops, contributing to their mild taste and clean finish.”
With a summer of sport here, it’s a truly exciting time to crack open a can (or bottle).
Here's the ultimate list of the best British lager to buy and try right now.
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BrewDog Lost Lager 4 x 440ml
You can’t talk about British lager and not mention BrewDog: the Scottish-based brand arguably kickstarted the craft beer revolution.
At 4.5 per cent, Lost is a crisp and refreshing pilsner-style lager with vibrant citrus and stone fruit notes. Not only is it extremely sessionable thanks to the addition of Spalter Select and Saphir hops, but it’s brewed using wind power and a third less water, making it a sustainable serve too.
Buy now £5.50, Amazon
Salcombe Brewery Breeze Lager
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ll have heard of Salcombe, the seaside town in Devon that’s overtaken Sandbanks as the priciest spot on the coast. Luckily, you can get a taste of the town from the comfort of home with Breeze Lager by Salcombe Brewery, a sessionable brew that’s bursting with tropical fruit, spicy notes and orchard blossom. Team with fresh seafood to bring out the best of its elegant and refreshing flavours.
Buy now £2.79, Amazon
Signature Brew Studio Lager
Studio Lager is the brainchild of Signature Brew, the Walthamstow-based brewery-cum-music venue in east London, and combines quality Noble hops with water, yeast and malt to serve up floral notes and a bitter finish. With all the hallmarks of an instant classic, it’s no wonder it’s winner of a Great Taste Award.
Buy it directly from the website and enjoy a curated playlist to go with your lager. It couldn’t be more London if it tried.
Buy now £25.00, Signature Brew
Nirvana Brewery Cloudy Lemon Lager
As the UK’s only dedicated lo/now brewery, it’s hardly surprising that Nirvana Brewery in Leytonstone offers some of the best booze-free British beers. Our pick is the 0.2 per cent Cloudy Lemon Lager made from Bavarian lager and lemonade to create a refreshing sip that’s lightly carbonated and beautifully balanced. Another winning ‘lager’ from London.
Buy now £2.70, Ocado
Loose Cannon 676 Lager 2023
Thought the Cotswolds was all flatcaps, David Beckham and spaniels? Think again. This lager from Loose Cannon Brewery in Oxfordshire is the real deal. As one of its original lagers, it’s lightly hoppy with soft caramel and citrus notes, proving that local resident Jeremy Clarkson isn’t the only one who can make Cotswolds beer (although Hawkstone isn’t half-bad, either…)
Buy now £29.88, Laithwaites
Curious Brew Lager
Pure and fresh, Curious Brew – hailing from its namesake brewery in Ashford, Kent – combines Halletau Blanc, Galaxy and Cascade hops with Champagne yeast and Nelson Sauvin hops to spectacular effect. It’s clean, fruity and aromatic, making it one of the most elegant beers we’ve ever tasted, and we’ve tasted a lot. Brilliant with a burger.
Buy now £18.00, Majestic
Adnams Dry Hopped Lager Beer
Brewed in Southwold, Suffolk, Adnams Dry Hopped Lager – an excellent thirst-quencher – is all bright, tropical fruit flavours thanks to a winning combination of Australian Galaxy hops and pale malts. Expect notes of peach and a subtle citrus bitterness with a crisp finish. A toast from the coast, if you will. No wonder it bagged a win at the World Beer Awards 2024.
Buy now £19.95, Amazon
Brixton Brewery Coldharbour Lager
Inspired by its namesake lane – the epicentre of Brixton’s eclectic nightlife, no less – this Pilsner-style lager is crisp, clean and floral. It’s bursting with all the character of a craft beer but all the lightness of a lager, making it perfectly-balanced and all-too easy to drink. Fresh and vibrant – just like the bohemian crowd found in this bustling London neighbourhood.
Buy now £2.40, Ocado
M&S Helles Lager
Made for Marks & Sparks by Harbour Brewing Co., the Cornwall-based brewery in Bodmin, Helles Lager has all the hallmarks of a crowd-pleasing session ale. It’s light and crisp, which makes for seriously easy-drinking, while it’s perfect for light food like seafood and sarnies. Its full flavours are produced by combining high-quality lager malt and Noble hops with spring water.
Buy now £6.25, Ocado
Lowrise Lager
As the name suggests, Lowrise Lager is a low-calorie (87, to be precise, which is 35 per cent fewer than most UK lagers) but full-strength beer (4 per cent) with tropical aromas and a crisp, dry finish. It’s the brainchild of four London friends who wanted to drink lighter without compromising on the flavour of the lagers they loved. We’d say they’ve succeeded in this hazy-hued wonder that’s perfect for summer sessions.
Buy now £2.20, Waitrose
Innis & Gunn Lager
Brewed in Perth, Scotland, Innis & Gunn Lager is full-bodied – something the brewery has become famed for – but crisp, light and refreshing with a seriously smooth finish. It combines Naked Golden Oats with Super Styrian and Styrian Golding hops to produce its distinctive soft richness and citrus zing.
Buy now £4.95, Tesco
Hepworth Brewery Blonde Lager
Hepworth Brewery in Horsham, Sussex, was opened in 2000 to produce beers and lagers of distinction in cask, keg and bottle used locally-sourced ingredients wherever possible. This, its Blonde Lager, is just that with a distinctive crisp flavour an floral notes derived from the citrussy Admiral hop.
Buy now £2.10, Abel & Cole
Toast Brewing Rise Up Lager
Made from surplus bread – yes, really – Rise Up Lager from London-based Toast Brewing turns leftover loaves into liquid gold with 100 per cent of profits going to charities that protect the natural world. Thankfully, the Helles-style beer – clean, crisp and light – is delicious to boot.
Buy now £2.10, Ocado
