This Saturday’s Independent Magazine carried an advert / feature placed by CAMRA, suggesting a selection of bottled ales and bitters that can be “served refreshingly cool… the perfect tipple to accompany summer barbecues at home or the pub.” 10 to 14 degrees celsius, ideally…

And the seven cool-ones of choice are:

• Wychwood Hobgoblin
• Fuller’s London Pride
• Caledonian Deuchars IPA
• Brakspear Brakspear Bitter
• Brains SA
• Sharp’s Doom Bar
• Greene King Greene King IPA

I can vouch for Hobgoblin, Deuchars IPA and Greene King IPA – all very nice indeed at cellar temperatures – although I wasn’t all that impressed when I tried a draught pint of Brakspear Bitter a couple of weeks ago (mind you, it was mid-session when I was on something much stronger and heavier, so maybe that wasn’t the best time to try it).

The last three are now on my ‘to try’ list. We’ve just had a brick barbecue built in the back garden (which could explain the recent spate of crap weather) so hopefully I’ll be able to get a few in for the first time we fire it up…

Brewery: Hardy & Hanson’s (Greene King)
Origin: Bury St Edmonds, England
ABV: 4.3%
Version: 500ml bottle
Source: Sainsburys

Named after Ye Olde Trip To Jerusalem pub, the oldest inn in England, which looks like a place I’ll have to visit if I’m ever in Nottingham.

A fairly well balanced bitter with malt flavours at the start and citrus hops following on. While not an exceptional ale it’s very refreshing and it’s easy drinking nature makes for a quaffable session beer. From what I’ve read the cask version is a different, and much better, beast so that gives me another reason to visit that pub.