Thirst choice

Whether you’re entertaining friends or fancy a quiet drink after work, your choice of brew and how you serve it can make or break the experience. Luckily, T3 is here to offer some tips…

Lucky Buddha

The bottle this Chinese lager comes in is a work of art, and the beer (4.8 per cent) is every bit as good. As you knock back its deliciously crisp blend of malted barley, rice and hops yeast, you’ll certainly feel lucky. £1.59 for 330ml, drinksupermarket.com

Santo del Frio

One of the more adventurous beer makers, Surrey-based Siren Craft Brew teamed up with Californian company Sante Adairius to concoct this dry-hopped lager (5 per cent), which is made with blue agave syrup aged in tequila barrels, and even blue corn tortillas. Daring but delicious. £3.40 for 330ml, hophideout.co.uk

BrewDog Elvis Juice

BrewDog is one of the UK’s most popular craft beer companies and it’s not hard to see why. With a caramel malt base, intense aroma hops and a decent helping of grapefruit peel, this tasty American IPA (6.5 per cent) will get you rocking like a hound dog. £2.50 for 330ml, brewdog.com

Innis & Gunn Blood Red Sky

Vanilla, chocolate, rich fruit and Jamaican rum might sound like the ingredients of a Mary Berry flan, but that’s the recipe for this barrelaged (6.8 per cent) ale from the Scottish brewer. Warming and mellow, it’s the perfect accompaniment for a sublime summer sunset. £1.75 for 330ml, innisandgunn.com

Traquair Jacobite Ale

Based on an 18th-century recipe and relaunched to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the 1745 Jacobite Rebellion, this intense (8 per cent) and fruity ale combines hints of coriander and chocolate with a satisfying biscuity aroma to produce a finish that would make even the most hard-hearted surrender. £70 for 24 330ml bottles, traquair.co.uk/brewery

CR/AK Guerrilla

New Italian craft brewery CR/AK is setting tongues wagging with its range of stunningly packaged beers. Its Guerrilla IPA (5.8 per cent) marries Simcoe, Mosaic and Australian Galaxy hops with a malt bill and American yeast for a pleasantly bitter, tropical swig. €4.50 (£4) for 400ml, crakbrewery.com

Magic Rock Salty Kiss

With a name like a Mills & Boon novel, you’d expect this Britishmade gose (4.1 per cent) to be seductive… and it is. Combining the fruity sweetness of ripe gooseberries with the savoury edge of sea buckthorn and salt, it’s a marriage made in heaven. £2.49 for 330ml, honestbrew.co.uk

St Peter’s WithoutOriginal

This dark amber ale, brewed on an agricultural site in Suffolk, may be without alcohol, but it’s certainly not without character. Its full-bodied, malty flavour and delicately bitter finish will leave the designated driver feeling glad they brought their car. £2.10 for 500ml, stpetersbrewery.co.uk

Alpina Mobile Beer AND Grill Bar

Yes, it’s probably a First World problem, but having to traipse from the BBQ to the fridge whenever you fancy a beverage can be a real pain. A big shout-out, then, to Belgian company Alpina for shoehorning the two things into one big, shiny contraption. Sitting on four sturdy wheels, the Mobile Beer and Grill Bar features an integrated 30-litre keg with a unique refridgeration system that doesn’t require an electrical current. It also has a convenient gaspowered cooking facility. As for the price, we’re afraid it’s as eye-watering as those fried onions. £14,000 (approx), alpina-belgium.com

Biersafe

If there’s one thing that’s sure to wow your garden party guests, it’s revealing that you keep your beers in a secret underground lair. The Biersafe is a metre-long tube which, once you’ve drilled a burrow in your garden, keeps up to 12 cans cool beneath the ground. It sounds a tad gimmicky, but the Biersafe website estimates that it could actually knock £70 off your annual electricity bill. Let’s just hope the worms don’t get thirsty. €108 (£95), biersafe.de

GrowlerWerks uKeg

Don’t be fooled by the copperplated Isambard Kingdom Brunel vibe, as this little growler is crammed with tech. For a start, its vacuuminsulated, stainless-steel build and VPR cap all work to keep your booze fresh and carbonated for up to a fortnight. The adjustable cap enables you to select your desired carbonation level, and a locking-tap mechanism makes it easy to pour yourself a cold one while you’re out hiking. From $149 (£109), growlerwerks.com

Spiegelau Craft Beer Tasting Kit

Ever wondered why a pint of best bitter tastes rancid in a lager glass? It’s because certain receptacles suit certain beers. German firm Spiegelau has engineered a distinct series of beer glasses – one for IPA, one for stout and one for wheat beer – that ensure the complex aromas of each brew reach the nose, while treating your tastebuds to the optimal texture, balance and flavour intensity of each drink. £17.95, spiegelau.com