The drinks report: beer

Want to know which beer you should be drinking? Look no further than crazily successful restaurateur Scott Collins, founder and MD of MEATliquor. When he’s not quality controlling what he sells, he’s tirelessly researching what’s new and interesting in his own time… Over to you, Scott, for the canned heat.

STIEGL GOLDBRÄU

This has got to be one of my favourite lagers around. It’s full bodied, soft and smooth (it’s made with Alpine Spring Water don’t you know) with a nice hoppy finish. Super balanced. The label looks great and they also make the awesome Grapefruit Radler too. Being a classical music lover, I find it reassuring that Mozart was all over it back in the day. True story.

TINY REBEL CALI

I loved this beer when it first came out, it was a bit more ‘West Coast’. Over the years, they’ve modernised it. Now, it’s pretty hazy but it still reminds me of all those high bitterness West Coast IPAs (Ninkasi’s Total Domination IPA from Eugene in Oregon is a favourite). Lots of juice, pine, mango, grapefruit and tropical goodness. Just like their Clwb Tropicana, another great beer from the Tiny Rebels.

MIKKELLER EVERGREEN

What can I say about Mikkeller that hasn’t already been said? They’re the dudes of the beer world; they do, and everyone follows. This Evergreen is a Hazy Session IPA and it kicks ass. I’m all about drinkability at the moment and this does the job every time. Hazy, juicy and smashable.

BROOKLYN BEL AIR SOUR

I don’t know what I like more, the beer or the name. Everything that Brooklyn does is cool, Garrett Oliver is the Don. I’m a big sour beer fan but not always sessionable but this one you can have four or five pints (not when operating heavy machinery).

It’s light, tart, dry yet fruity. But it’s not made with fruit!? How do they do that? Lactobacillus, that’s how. Google it.

NORTHERN MONK NORTHERN STAR MOCHA PORTER

These guys are on fire at the moment. Since we opened ML in Leeds I’ve admired their work. I like a dark beer at this time of year (the odd one in ten). I’ve been known to drink the odd coffee too so for me, this is a banger. It’s brewed with the coffee from Northern Star Coffee Roasters in Leeds. It’s rich, smooth and full bodied, just like me.

CAMDEN HELLS IN HIBERNATION LAGER

“Beer is the best damn drink in the world”. Well, that’s what Jack Nicholson said, but he was wrong, it’s lager and that’s why I have two of them on the list. I know it’s not ‘cool’ to like Camden anymore since they were bought by the Amazon of beer world but I couldn’t give a shit. Everything they brew is still tasty and this takes lager to another level. It reminds me of being sat in a log cabin laying on a bed of pine and spruce. Ouch.

Some of these beers are available from MEATliquor.com some of the time and euroboozer.co.uk where all the of beers are available.

This article was first published in Issue 22 of the CODE Quarterly magazine. To read the digital version, please click here