Three Lakeland beers

Food & drink
Three Lakeland beers post image

The English Lake District is one of the most beautiful and spectacular parts of the British Isles. Mountains tower over lush valleys and deep lakes. There’s a long and proud brewing tradition in these parts, and some excellent pubs.

Hawkshead Brewery supplied me with a couple of excellent pints – Lakeland Gold and Red. Red was on tap, a deep amber colour, bitter, sweet and very good indeed. Lakeland Gold, bottled, was extremely bitter and fruity. Lakeland Gold amassed a wealth of awards and nominations over the last couple of years, all justified.

Both Red and Lakeland Gold were extremely successful beers, especially when drunk in the garden of a tiny pub in Borrowdale valley on a sunny afternoon in the shadow of the mountains.

Hesket Newmarket Brewery’s High Pike was another gem – bottle conditioned, a bitter and complex beer with a nutty taste and a lingering slightly chocolaty aftertaste, which comes from a mix of three different hops.

Hesket Newmarket Brewery is a remarkable story in itself. A co-operative, owned by the villagers of Hesket Newmarket (bus service – once a week), the brewery has breathed life into the village and produces some superb beers, gaining the approval of Prince Charles along the way.