International Beer Day 2021: Fruity ales, doughnuts and cocktail ideas

5 August 2021, 18:44 | Updated: 7 August 2021, 09:49

There's so much great beer out there... and it's more versatile than you think!
There's so much great beer out there... and it's more versatile than you think! Picture: Heart
Heart

By Heart

August 6th is International Beer Day - we've picked out some of the best draughts and cans to celebrate all year round!

Crosstown x Beavertown

Beavertown's Pastry Stout is inspired by Crosstown's creme brulee doughnuts
Beavertown's Pastry Stout is inspired by Crosstown's creme brulee doughnuts. Picture: Crosstown

To celebrate Beavertown’s 9th birthday, Crosstown has teamed up with the North London brewery to create a pastry-inspired brew - and it's not for the faint hearted at ABV 12%!

Pastry Stout is rich, sweet and delicious, and perfect for enjoying as an after-dinner treat. It is inspired by Crosstown’s popular Crème Brulee doughnut and features notes of vanilla and caramel.

To celebrate the partnership, they’ve released 50 limited edition Crosstown x Beavertown Beer Boxes which includes the either six Crosstown favourite doughnuts or cookies, plus three cans of Crosstown x Beavertown Pastry Stout (330ml) and three Beavertown Neck Oil Session IPA (330ml).

Where to buy: Crosstown, from £34.95

Jubel

These beers are vegan and gluten free
These beers are vegan and gluten free. Picture: Jubel

This vegan, gluten-free beer brand comes in Grapefruit, Peach and Elderflower flavours.

It is a refreshing and light bodied craft lager cut with fruit. The founders of Jubel were inspired to create the beers to fill the gap in the market between sweet cider and bland lagers.

Where to buy: Whole Foods Market, £2.49 a can 

korev

korev comes in plastic-free packaging
korev comes in plastic-free packaging. Picture: korev

korev is the flagship lager of Cornish-based St Austell Brewery - the UK’s largest independent, family-owned brewery.

Brewed in a helles style at 4.8% with a clean, crisp taste, korev captures the laid laid-back essence of Cornwall. It is the perfect summertime sipper, ready to be enjoyed with weekend BBQ’s, picnics in the park, or some well-earned down time. 

korev comes in a handy 6-can fridge pack and 100% plastic free packaging. 

Where to buy: Morrisons, £5 for 6x330ml Can Pack 

Read now: Delicious low or no alcohol beer brands to try this summer

Raise a glass to International Beer Day 2021
Raise a glass to International Beer Day 2021. Picture: Alamy

Lowlander 4% Cool Earth Lager

This is a refreshing pilsner
This is a refreshing pilsner. Picture: Lowlander

Lowlander Beer is an award-winning brewery from The Netherlands – literally the Lowlands.

Each of its botanically brewed beers has a unique story and a unique flavour. Lowlander’s ‘Chief Botanical Officer’, Frederik Kampman, has a background working in Gin.

He said: "As soon as I got into the world of distilling, I was gripped by the number of herbs and spices used. As a beer lover, I started to wonder what these botanicals could add to beer."

4% Cool Earth Lager is a clean, crisp and hoppy Pilsner brewed with fragrant lemongrass for a subtle zesty zing.

Where to buy: Westons Cider and Wise Bartender

Fruit beers from Aldi

These refreshing beers have a delicious fruity taste
These refreshing beers have a delicious fruity taste. Picture: Aldi
  • The Hop Foundry Sharp Tongue Grapefruit Pale Ale - delicious fruit-infused lager with notes of citrus, this grapefruit pale ale is vibrant and fresh - perfect for those summer evenings (440ml can, £1.39, Aldi)
  • 10-4 New England IPA - Full and juicy with a tropical fruit twist, these unique New England IPA flavours will be a hit for those with a sweeter palate (440ml can, £1.39, Aldi)
  • The Hop Foundry Strawberry Lager - A berry delicious tinny - this balanced and crisp lager has a delicious strawberry aroma; a winner in the hot weather (440ml can, £1.39, Aldi)

Fourpure

The colourful multipacks are great to take to a BBQ or picnic (pre-chilled of course!)
The colourful multipacks are great to take to a BBQ or picnic (pre-chilled of course!). Picture: Fourpure

Fourpure is one of London’s most popular craft breweries known for creating innovative and delicious beers. 

Based in Bermondsey, you can also visit their taproom and enjoy a bite to eat with a freshly poured pint or two!

Their signature line-up includes:

  • Lager (light, crisp, refreshing)
  • Session India Pale Ale (tropical, hoppy, drinkable)
  • Citrus Session India Pale Ale (tangerine, juicy, easy)
  • India Pale Ale (tropical, pine, caramel)
  • Citrus India Pale Ale (orange, mango)
  • Hazy Pale Ale (juicy, soft, tropical)

Where to buy: Fourpure, prices start from £2

Beacon & Buck

Make sure your fridge is always full of craft beer with a subscription
Make sure your fridge is always full of craft beer with a subscription. Picture: Beacon & Buck

Treat yourself to a craft beer subscription service from Beacon & Buck which makes it easier than ever to keep your fridge stocked with delicious craft beer.

The subscription service allows customers to choose from three different styles of box, with different flavoured profiles of beers to match their taste.

Where to buy: Beacon & Buck

Salcombe Pale Ale

This citrusy beer is so refreshing on a hot day
This citrusy beer is so refreshing on a hot day. Picture: Salcombe Brewery

Salcombe Pale Ale (ABV 4.6%) is a fresh, full-bodied and powerfully hopped pale ale.

Its orange twist raises a glass to Salcombe’s 19th century fruit trade, with orange, pink grapefruit and anise on the nose.

It is dry hopped with Summit and Simcoe, for a robust, complex beer that’s bursting with flavour.

Where to buy: www.salcombebrewery.com, £24 for 12 x 330ml cans


Beavertown Bones

Bones is the new lager from Beavertown
Bones is the new lager from Beavertown. Picture: Beavertown Brewery

Earlier this week Beavertown Brewery launched a brand new lager, Bones.

It's described as 'Dead Refreshing. Dead Crisp. Dead Good' and is available on both draught and in 330ml cans.

Where to buy: Beavertown, prices start from £2

Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield amazed by clever dog able to fetch beer

Estrella Galicia beer gift

The kit comes complete with cool branded glasses you can reuse
The kit comes complete with cool branded glasses you can reuse. Picture: Iberica

Enjoy a taste of Spain without worrying about amber lists and PCR tests with this bumper haul of Estrella and manchego.

Every kit contains:

  • 1 x Estrella Galicia world lager
  • 1 x matching glass
  • 1 x Estrella Galicia 1906
  • 1 x matching glass
  • 1 x Estrella Galicia coupage
  • 1 x matching glass
  • A trio of Manchego
  • 125g Manchego truffleo
  • 125g Manchego curadoo
  • 125g Manchego romero
  • 1 x Estrella Galicia tasting card
  • 1 x Black branded packaging 


Where to buy: Iberica, £35

Sapporo

Sapporo is one of Japan's best beers
Sapporo is one of Japan's best beers. Picture: Sapporo

Sapporo Premium Lager is Japan’s oldest beer and has been brewed since 1876.

Sapporo is a classic Japanese beer, easy to drink, with no aftertaste and a clean, crisp taste with 4.7% alcohol.

Where to buy: Japan Centre, £2.55 a can

West Berkshire Brewery

Enjoy all the best offerings from this small brewery... in a box
Enjoy all the best offerings from this small brewery... in a box. Picture: West Berkshire Brewery

Discover some of West Berkshire Brewery's best brews in a box of 16 beers.

Contained are bitter, lager, pale ale, pilsner and IPA.

Each box contains the following:

  • 2x 500ml Good Old Boy 4% Best Bitter
  • 2x 500ml Maharaja IPA 5.1% IPA
  • 2x 500ml Mister Chubb’s  3.4% Session Bitter
  • 3x 330ml Renegade 4.1% Lager
  • 2x 330ml Stoney Lane 4.9% Pilsner
  • 2x 330ml Detour 4.5% Pale Ale
  • 1x 330ml Solo <0.5% Pale
  • 1x 330ml Solo <0.5% Pilsner
  • 1x 330ml Solo <0.5% Peach Pale

Where to buy: West Berkshire Brewery Discovery Box £30

Kentish beer subscription box

Get nine exciting beers to your door every month
Get nine exciting beers to your door every month. Picture: Macknade

Sign up to this subscription and on the 15th of each month for 3 months you will get NINE great beers, delivered direct to your door.

Handpicked by Macknade hop heads, every beer is produced in Kent from a variety of hops cultivated around the world and grown in the Garden of England, with the selection ranging from pale to dark and several stages in between.

Alongside your beers, you’ll receive informative tasting notes each month and a score card booklet with your first box, so you can keep a note of your favourite tipples.

Where to buy: The Kentish Beer Subscription from Macknade, £38.00 inc. VAT

Beer cocktails

Yes, you read that right! Cocktails! That can of lager at the back of your fridge might be the new base of your favourite boozy concoction.

Here are some recipes to get you started...

Can’t Have Your Cake And Drink It, by Brandon Stewart of Meatliquor Queensway

Citrusy beer and a Jaffa Cake - what a combo!
Citrusy beer and a Jaffa Cake - what a combo! Picture: Hungry Comms

Ingredients:

  • 30ml Bacardi Fuego
  • 10ml Mozart Dark Chocolate
  • 10ml Triple Sec
  • 5ml caramel syrup
  • 125ml Stiegl Grapefruit Radler
  • Jaffacake for garnish

Method:

  1. Pour the rum, triple sec, Mozart dark and caramel syrup into a shaker and shake.
  2. Single strain the contents into a stein or glass then top with Stiegl Grapefruit Radler and garnish with a Jaffa cake on the rim.
  3. Enjoy the weird and wonderful creation.

Das Pirate, by Jordan Elliott-Peart from Meat Liquor Shoreditch

This two tone cocktail is a stunner
This two tone cocktail is a stunner. Picture: Hungry Comms

Ingredients:

  • 35ml Aluna rum
  • 15ml Disaronno
  • 75ml Stiegl Grapefruit Radler
  • 20ml Lemon Juice
  • 10ml Passion fruit syrup
  • 10ml Pineapple syrup
  • 35ml Pineapple juice
  • 5ml Grenadine
  • 5ml Wray &Nephew
  • Half passion fruit
  • Grapefruit peel

Method

  1. Catalina glass-4 cubed ice topped with crushed ice
  2. 5ml Grenadine (at the bottom glass)
  3. Add all ingredients apart from Wray & Nephew and Radler into Boston tin with ice and shake.
  4. Strain into glass and top with Radler.
  5. Cut out seeds from passion fruit and fill with Wray & Nephew as garnish along with grape fruit peel.