Beer Style Guide: Get to Know British Golden with Em Sauter
Your local brewery might produce British golden ale.
It’s okay if you’ve never heard of an English or British golden ale. It’s a relatively new style in England (okay, it’s almost 40 years old but that’s modern in terms of England where buildings date back centuries) but it’s something you’re going to want to look into as it’s a refreshing and wonderful beer, especially in the summertime.
History of British Golden
The style traces its roots back to one beer style. I really love how sometimes one company or brand can create something new and lasting in the beer world. It makes beer ever-changing, ever-evolving. From Guinness creating the Irish Stout to the most recent invention of the Cold IPA from Portland, OR based Wayfinder Brewing, the British golden ale was thought to have been created by Hopback, a brewery Southwest of London near the English Channel in a small town of Downton back in 1986. This beer spawned many imitators in England and all over the world. Once enjoyed as a summer sipper, Hopback Summer Lightning is now available year-round and is still brewed.
British golden ale takes its cues from English bitters or American pale ales but instead of being amber or copper in color, the beer is very light, made with pale malt plus sometimes sugar, corn or wheat. These beers were created to take on the popularity of lagers and to offer pub goers something lighter from the cellar than darker bitters and milds. Its emphasis is on English ingredients like malt and yeast but nowadays, hops from all over can be used in this style, especially if they have a fruity note to them. We tend to lump hops into country categories because it’s easy to do but in modern brewing times, German hops can taste like pineapple (Hallertau blanc) while new wave English hops also have tropical notes (Harlequin) to them. Very exciting times.
Tasting Notes
This citrusy and floral spritzer is best paired with lighter fare like seafood and salads. The fruitiness of the British yeast strain will make an excellent contrast to bitter greens like an arugula salad with a zippy citrus dressing. And seafood choices run the gamut from lovely grilled salmon to fish and chips to shellfish. If you are going to pair this beer with food, I have some solid advice on how to best enjoy it: outdoors sitting at a picnic table with the sea salt air in your face while surrounded by your best mates. Nothing finer.
Beers to Try
Wheatland Spring Anew
Virginia-based farm brewery Wheatland Spring has a great reputation for making consistent beers across all styles. Their English golden ale was excellent as is all their beers. Anew is a collaboration with Good Word Brewing, located in Duluth, GA.
The OG and worth seeking out if you are in England. It’s always nice to try the original and tip your cap to them for inventing something wholly new. Brewed all year round, it’s a pleasant bitter, straw colored beer with a fresh, hoppy aroma. Has received possibly the most awards in Britain.
Your Local Brewery
Yes, the cop-out answer, but many smaller, neighborhood breweries are where you can find all manner of styles. When searching for best English Goldens on Untappd, many breweries I hadn’t heard of popped up from all over the globe. Pop down to your local brewery and see if they are brewing one. You might be surprised!