It’s one of life’s quiet pleasures; a nice, cold pint.
Whatever you prefer filling your glass - be it lager, ale or IPA - beer can be called upon to quench your thirst on a hot day, provide the full stop to an office day, or be raised (and inevitably spilt) in triumph when your team wins its latest match.
It’s a timeless drink with a history that stretches back to an astonishing 8000 B.C. in what is now Iraq, when Sumerian women helmed the embryonic brewing industry.
Today, practically every country has a domestic version, from India’s Cobra and Thailand’s Singa to Czechia’s Budvar. Even Iceland produces its own, despite the drink being illegal in the country until 1989.
Along with big-name brands, craft beer is enjoying a moment in the sun. Worth £1.6bn in 2023, the market continues to expand as new players throw their hat into the ring, according to data from IBIS World. We’re flooded with choices at the supermarket and in our local boozers, and yet, there’s nothing like the satisfaction of making your own.
According to YouGov, some 3 per cent of Brits said they regularly make their beer or wine at home, and half of those had been doing so for more than 10 years. In it for the long haul, beer brewing is perceived as an older person’s game - most are over the age of 55 - and hobbyists are most likely to be men (although this writer’s grandmother was once also amongst their ranks, brewing beer in a sari in-between cooking curries and roti).
It’s a fairly solitary activity, one that requires time and patience more than anything, but with plenty of online clubs and portals to help you on your journey. But brewing beer is incredibly rewarding and satisfying too. Apart from learning about the chemistry that goes into a pint and subtle nuances in flavour, you’ll be able to pat yourself on the back when it holds court at your next BBQ.
Aside from ingredients, having the right equipment is, naturally, crucial. There’s no need to fill your online basket with airlocks, beer kettles and brewing pots when all-in-one kits gather everything you need in one tidy bundle. If you’re looking to try out a new hobby and reap the rewards in the results, we’ve rounded up the best home brewing kits to help you make fresh beer with your own two hands.
Shop now
The Greater Good Fresh Brewing Co The Pinter - brewing machine and beer dispenser
Tech and beer collide in this machine, which not only allows you to dispense 10 pints of fresh beer, but to brew it yourself too.
The sustainable service from The Greater Good Fresh Brewing Co. involves ordering a 10-pint Eco-Crate via the Pinter app, before purifying, adding fresh press (a concentrated medley of ingredients) and brewing yeast to the mix, before leaving it to ferment and then conditioning in the fridge (you’ll need to clear a shelf in a normal-sized fridge). Clear step-by-step instructions with videos can be found on Pinter’s website.
When the beer is ready, tap it straight from the barrel-shaped machine into your glass. If you’ve always fancied trying your hand at making small-batch beer, Pinter puts you in the driving seat.
Design-wise, there’s a departure from black (if you want it), with red and blue options available. Beer is available on a one-off or a rolling subscription basis, so you’ll never go without, with a menu of IPA, stout, pilsner, lager, ciders and ales to choose from. Using ingredients from elsewhere will cancel the one-year warranty, so that’s something to bear in mind, but Pinter adds new options to its collection routinely which should be enough to satisfy any thirst.
Brewing at home means, short of suckling straight from the brewery, you’ll enjoy the freshest pints you’ll ever taste, made yourself.
Buy now £99.00, John Lewis
St Peters Golden Ale Home Brew Kit
More of an ale drinker? There's a kit for that too! From St Peter's comes this brewing kit that will see you craft reliably delicious-tasting pints that work out at less than a quid a go - tantalising in the current economy, we think you'd agree.
The quality of the golden ale is particularly high, which for this price, makes it a no-brainer of a purchase. Serve chilled from a keg or decant into bottles and store in the fridge until you're ready for one.
The brand also offers IPA and Ruby Red Beer kits for those keen to expand their repertoire.
Buy now £21.99, Amazon
Bottle Topped Beer Making Starter Kit: Fully Topped Ipa Home Brew Kit
Curious about brewing your own, or know someone who is? Bottle Topped’s kit has everything you need to kickstart your home brewing adventure, with ingredients like malted grains, American hops and brewer’s yeast packed in a box alongside a thermometer, a bottling wand, a fermenting bucket and more. As well as instructions, there’s also an online video to take you through every step of the process.
You’ll need to supply your own 8L stock pot and collect old beer bottles to refill.
Buy now £52.00, NOTHS
BrewDog's Elvis Juice Beer Making Kit
Find new appreciation in BrewDog’s bestselling citrusy Elvis beer by making it yourself. This kit takes you through the process step-by-step and once finished, will have your doorbell ringing off the hook as neighbours and pals come round to try the results.
The kit can be used again to brew another batch - all you’ll need to buy is another Beer Making Mix and some No-Rinse Sanitizer, sold by the brand.
Prefer Punk IPA? Find it here for £44.10.
Buy now £49.00, MenKind
Brew Bros Brewery in a Box - Classic IPA
Nail the knack of making delicious beer without stepping foot out of your front door with this all-in-one kit, which uses malt from Britain’s oldest working maltings and hops and yeast from the UK’s leading merchant established in 1865 to help you make your homegrown elixir. The set comes with a custom-made mash filtration set and is reusable, so you can continue on your brewing journey again and again.
This is a great gift for a beer fan and comes with clear instructions and online tutorials to help decipher any tricky bits. Cheers!
Buy now £42.99, Amazon
Beerworks Golden Rocket Strong Pale Ale Premium Beer Starter Bundle
A sound choice for a complete novice, this kit has it all, from the tools needed to brew beer as well as the ingredients to get you on your way. This recipe will see you making 40 pints of Golden Rocket Strong Pale Ale using US West Coast yeast, ending up with a drink that sits at around 6 per cent ABV.
The kit may not look like much, but you won't care once you've sampled the fruits of your labour. Some patience is required, as it can take up to 10 days for the recipe to fully ferment, plus a further round of up to a fortnight once bottled.
Buy now £53.00, Love Brewing
