What makes the perfect beer?

How much you enjoy your pint boils down to a handful of simple but crucial variables

As with art, cars and flatscreen TVs, beer is a subjective area. Whereas one person might go weak at the knees (literally) over a pint or two of chocolatey stout, another might get a buzz off a refreshing, citrussy sour. But for Neil Bain, master brewer at Woodforde’s Brewery in Norfolk ( woodfordes.co.uk), there are one or two essentials that every good pint should boast: “Whatever the beer, a good mouthfeel and a beautiful balance are a sure sign that it’s been brewed with skill,” he explains.

How the beer is served and what food you pair it with are other important considerations (more about that on the next page). Sometimes, though, how much you enjoy a pint can simply boil down to its suitability for the season. Neil says, “The perfect beer probably varies with the occasion on which it’s being drunk, so a cold, aromatic ale goes down well on a hot summer’s day, while a full-bodied old ale can be a treat in front of a roaring fire in the middle of winter.”

As for what kinds of beers are in vogue at the moment, Neil insists that it’s a good time to be a drinker. “The new breed of craft brewers are pushing the boundaries, which makes for a very exciting beer market,” he says. “India Pale Ales are popular, but beers with ‘murk’ are becoming popular too, as are fruit beers and sours. I suspect that we’ll end up going full circle and eventually return to well-balanced, sessionable beers.”