The real liquid of life...

Second post today....bugger all on the TV and I am listening to 'Listen Again' Cambridge Folk fest. But I read about 'Kelham Island' in Sheffield being flooded along with many others. So I cracked open a bottle of 'Pale Rider' to commiserate. This set me thinking about my favourite beers so here is a list of a few of them, starting with Pale Rider but in no particular order as weather, money, the moon, fleas on my dogs arse all influence my choice of beer. I will say however, that I drank this on draught at a beer festival and all other beers paled into insignificance except for one other.
The next beer is Marston's 'Old Empire' which is often found lurking in my cupboard in it's cool clear glass bottle reminiscent of old spice, only drinkable and it doesn't remind you of your dad's Saturday night out. Incidentally, clear glass bottles are not good for beer....dark one's are better.
Talking of the dark side, my next choice is 'Satanic mills', a porter from Wells brewery. I am a fan of milds and porters but this one surprised as did the next one Young's 'Double Chocolate Stout' which is easy drinking but has a decided kick as you'd expect at 5.2 %. I brought eight cans of this to a BBQ and they disappeared pdq. A local brewery is next with one I have had on draught only. Fugelstou's 'Northway IPA' is absolutely gorgeous and I would recommend it any time. Bateman's XB is my usual session ale and when it is in tiptop condition is an absolute delight...very refreshing. But their 'Dark Mild' is also one of my favourite milds and happily is often served not too far away (from work that is!). Moorhouse's 'Black Cat Mild' is the one mild I am more than happy to search for at beer festivals or, if I am lucky, when it is on at a local pub.
Two Welsh brews I recommend are 'Ramblers Ruin' from the Breconshire Brewery and Brains 'Dark', yet another delicious mild....Go for the cask only for the latter. I've no idea if it is available in a PISH smooth version but if it is, just don't. Ramblers ruin was that one other beer which I had at the same beer festival as Pale rider and I was the proverbial dog with two tails. Other beers which spring to mind as favourites are Hopbacks 'Summer Lightning' and Elgood's 'Black Dog'. So here is a fantastic website to peruse to your hearts content and to enrich the mind: Beermad. Go there for all you need to know and as a portal to another world. Camra is the other place to visit for information and I recommend you go join them, you know it makes sense.