France finally gives us a beer we actually enjoy — and then immediately confuses us by calling it a pils.

This week we’re in Carcassonne, inside a 700-year-old fortress, drinking Ciutat Pils from Les Brasseurs de la Cité, a small artisanal brewery based in Carcassonne. Ciutat is the Occitan word for “the city”, and the brewery describes itself as a family-run artisan beer producer reconnecting with Carcassonne’s brewing history. 

The beer itself is 4.5%, bottom fermented, and described as a pils with pleasant bitterness and Central European-style aromas. But the moment we pour it, things go sideways: it’s hazy, murky, maltier than expected, more floral, more bitter, and not quite what either of us would confidently call a pilsner. 

There’s also chat about French beer culture, why wine dominates the South of France, why supermarket beer shelves feel weirdly sad, why Desperados is everywhere, and why Matt briefly relocates Carcassonne to Wales.

A surprisingly good beer. A questionable pils. A fortress. Some frogs. And two men slowly losing confidence in their French pronunciation.

Beer, Together — finding what’s worth sharing.

Matt tried Leffe Blonde for the first time in 20 years. It did not go well.

This week on Beer, Together, we’re on the Canal du Midi for the second of our France specials, drinking Leffe Blonde from a 750ml bottle and asking whether one of Europe’s most recognisable Belgian beers still deserves its reputation.

There’s abbey history, AB InBev, monks, marketing, banana notes, clove, honey, Belgian beer trauma, questionable pronunciation, and the return of Matt’s long-standing problem with beers that smell even slightly of banana.

We talk about the story of the Abbey of Leffe, how the beer’s historic identity sits alongside modern global ownership, and whether Leffe Blonde can really be considered craft under our working Italian craft beer definition: independent, under 200,000 hectolitres, unpasteurised and unfiltered.

We also get into the important stuff: what food Leffe actually belongs with, whether it works better with pork, chicken, bacon, chips and mayonnaise, or even a roast dinner, and whether a famous beer can still be worth sharing when one of us absolutely detests it.

Expect Belgian beer, boat noise, French canal chaos, monks, marketing, a suspicious amount of banana, and two mates trying to work out whether Leffe is a classic, a gateway beer, or just a very well-made pint that Matt never wants to drink again.

His name is Matt.
He is Elton.
And we are Beer, Together.

Finding what’s worth sharing.

Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and Goodpods.
Follow us on Instagram and TikTok: @BeerTogether123 and @Beertasting123

#LeffeBlonde
#Belgianbeer
#Abbeybeer
#Beerpodcast
#Beerreview
#Craftbeer
#ABInBev
#CanalduMidi
#France
#Foodpairing
#Banana
#Belgianblondeale
#Beertasting
#Podcast UK

This week Beer, Together goes international.

Recording from a canal boat on the famous Canal du Midi in southern France, Elton and Matt crack open a bottle of 3 Monts Saison from Brasserie Saint-Sylvestre and explore one of Europe's most traditional beer styles.

What exactly is a Saison? Why were they brewed for farm workers? And how has a humble farmhouse beer evolved into the 6.5% French classic we're drinking today?

Along the way we discuss:

🍺 The history of Saison beer
🇫🇷 The last historic brewery of French Flanders
🧀 The incredible food markets of Narbonne
🦐 Perfect food pairings for a French farmhouse ale
🚤 Life aboard a canal boat on the Canal du Midi
🏆 Whether 3 Monts can dethrone Dead Reckoning in Choose Your Fighter

Expect canal boats, questionable French pronunciation, excellent food recommendations and a beer that surprised us both.

Find us on Instagram & TikTok:
@beertogether123

#BeerTogether #CraftBeer #FrenchBeer #Saison #ThreeMonts #CanalDuMidi #BeerPodcast #DrinkDifferentDrinkTogether

This week on Beer, Together, we crack open a West Coast IPA that might just reset everything we thought we knew about modern craft beer.

We’re drinking Outland Brewery’s West Coast IPA — now renamed Dead Reckoning — a 5% classic that leans hard into caramel malt, citrus hops, and that unmistakable dry bitterness.

But this episode quickly becomes something bigger…

Have we overcomplicated beer?

Somewhere between hazy IPAs, NEIPAs, and fruit-loaded brews, have we forgotten what an IPA is actually meant to taste like?

We dive into:

• What defines a true West Coast IPA
• Why clarity used to matter (and why it doesn’t now)
• The role of malt vs hops in flavour
• Whether “craft beer” even needs a definition
• And whether big brewers can still make “craft” beer

We also get into some proper pub nostalgia — Bass, London Pride, 6X — and how those beers shaped what we expect from a pint today.

🍔 Food pairing?
Think fatty, salty, bold:

• Smash burgers
• Sausages
• BBQ meats
• Mature cheddar
• Fried chicken

This is a beer that doesn’t cuddle your food… it argues with it — and wins.

⚔️ Choose Your Fighter
We put it head-to-head with the reigning champion, Neck Oil, across:

• Flavour
• Drinkability
• Occasion

And for the first time in weeks…

We crown a new winner.

This isn’t just about one beer — it’s about where beer culture is heading.

👉 Are we chasing trends… or rediscovering what made beer great in the first place?

🍺 Join the community:
Instagram: @beertogether123
Spotify: Follow + comment
Download the episode to support the show

#beertogether #craftbeeruk #westcoastipa #ipa #beerpodcast #beertalk #drinkbetterbeer #indiebeer #beerlover #beerstagram #ukcraftbeer #podcastclips #newpodcast #beercommunity #hopheads

This one wasn’t planned… but the best ones never are.

It’s Elton’s birthday 🎂 so we’ve ditched the format, grabbed a couple of Camden Pales, and spent 15 minutes doing what Beer, Together is really about — sharing stories.

From how we met nearly 25 years ago, to a genuinely surreal near-miss story involving a pub, a bomb scare, and a missing phone… this episode is less about the beer, and more about why we started this in the first place.

Because sometimes the best pint isn’t the most complex, rare, or hyped —
it’s the one you already know, shared with people who matter.

🍺 In this episode:

• Why Camden Pale is our “safe pint”
• The idea of a safe, risky, and wildcard beer
• How working in pubs changes how you see everything (yes… even lightbulbs)
• The story of how we met — and nearly didn’t
• Why community matters more than tasting notes

No “Choose Your Fighter” this week.
No overthinking.

Just a quick birthday beer… with you lot.

#BeerTogether #CraftBeerUK #PubTalk #BeerChat #CamdenPale #BeerCommunity #UKPubs #BeerReel #DrinkDifferent #DrinkTogether

This week on Beer, Together, we take on something completely different — Fresh Pulp from Buxton Brewery, a 6% double dry-hopped New England IPA… and let’s just say, it divides opinion.

From the first pour, this one is loud. Hazy, juicy, and packed with tropical fruit flavours — pineapple, mango, citrus — it’s a full-on fruit assault. But does more flavour actually mean a better beer?

We break down:

• What double dry hopping really does to a beer
• Why NEIPAs (New England IPAs) are so hazy and fruit-forward
• The role of hops like Citra, Chinook, Centennial, El Dorado… and the newer British Harlequin hop
• Whether beers like this are built for enthusiasts… or just for trying once

There’s also a proper reality check on drinkability. At 6%, this isn’t your easy-going pint — it’s a first drink of the nightbeer… if that.

We also dive into:

• The story of Buxton Brewery — from a 40L garage setup in 2009 to a full-scale operation
• Our own (failed) home brewing adventures
• Why some beers fight your food instead of complementing it
• And where this actually fits in a real drinking occasion

🍽️ Food Pairings?
Surprisingly, this one leans toward bold, punchy flavours:

• Kimchi fried chicken
• Salty cheeses
• Pickles & relishes

⚖️ Choose Your Fighter
Can anything beat our reigning champion Neck Oil?

We score on:

• Flavour
• Drinkability
• Occasion

…and let’s just say, Fresh Pulp has a fight on its hands.

🍺 This is what Beer, Together is all about — trying beers you might not pick yourself, figuring out where they fit (if they fit at all), and having a proper conversation about it.

👍 Tried Fresh Pulp? Agree or completely disagree with us?

Join the conversation:
📲 Instagram: @BeerTogether123
🎙️ Follow the podcast on Spotify to be part of the community

#BeerTogether
#CraftBeerUK
#NEIPA
#HazyIPA
#BeerPodcast
#BuxtonBrewery
#BeerReview
#DrinkDifferent
#UKBeer
#PodcastUK
#BeerLovers
#IndieBeer
#HopHeads

Bank Holiday Sunday. No work tomorrow. A 500ml bottle of Adnams Ghost Ship… this could go anywhere.

This week on Beer, Together, we’re drinking one of the UK’s most recognisable ales — and asking a simple question: is Ghost Ship actually good, or is it just the safest pint in the pub?

Brewed in Southwold by Adnams, Ghost Ship has quietly become a staple across pubs, supermarkets and bottle shops. It’s the beer you order when you walk into a place and think, “I’ll start here while I work out if this pub knows what it’s doing.”

We get into:

• That citrus hit (lemon, lime) and subtle floral notes
• The biscuity malt backbone and dry ale finish
• Why it feels fuller than a lager but softer than a big IPA
• How it bridges the gap between traditional bitter and modern craft beer

It’s not flashy. It’s not trendy. But it might be one of the most important beers in the UK right now.

We also go slightly off course (as always), covering:

• Southwold ghost stories, smuggling folklore and the Black Shuck legend
• Why seaside towns seem to have more ghosts than people
• The rise of low and no alcohol beer (including Ghost Ship 0.5%)
• Whether “bollocks” counts as a swear word (seriously)

Then it’s back to Choose Your Fighter, where Ghost Ship takes on Neck Oil across:

• Flavour
• Drinkability
• Occasion

Can the dependable pub classic finally knock the modern favourite off its perch?

Ghost Ship is a 4.5% pale ale that sits firmly in the “sessionable” category. It’s widely available, consistent, and easy to trust — which is exactly why it’s become such a go-to pint across the UK.

Flavour profile:

• Citrus: lemon, lime
• Light floral notes
• Biscuity, malty backbone
• Dry, slightly bitter finish

Food pairings:

• Fish & chips (perfect match)
• Sausage rolls
• Pizza
• Spicy food and curries
• Anything slightly oily (balances the bitterness)

We also explore why Ghost Ship works as a gateway beer:

• approachable for lager drinkers
• familiar for bitter drinkers
• a stepping stone into IPAs and craft beer

Adnams has been brewing in Southwold since the 19th century, with roots on the site going back much further. The brewery remains independent and produces a wide range of cask ales, bottled beers and low-alcohol options, while also investing heavily in sustainability and energy-efficient brewing.

This is a beer built on consistency, not hype — and in hospitality, that matters more than people think.

If you’re new to beer, Ghost Ship is often recommended as a starting point into ale. It has more flavour than lager, but without the heavy bitterness or intensity of stronger IPAs. That balance is a big reason why it’s become so widely stocked across the UK.

We also touch on how beers like this are handled in pubs. Unlike lager, cask-style ales rely more on proper storage, temperature and care — which is why ordering a familiar pint can tell you a lot about how well a pub is run.

There’s also a broader question: what actually counts as craft beer?
Using the Italian definition (independent, under 200,000 hectolitres, unpasteurised), Ghost Ship doesn’t fully qualify — but that raises an interesting point about how the term “craft” is used in the UK versus reality.

Whether you’re into traditional British ales, modern craft beer, or just looking for a reliable pint, Ghost Ship sits right in the middle — and that might be exactly why it works.

👉 Join the community:
Instagram: @beertogether123
Matt: @beertasting123

Follow, download and send us your beer suggestions — we want to feature what you’re drinking.

Beer: Ghost Ship
Brewery: Adnams
Style: Pale Ale
ABV: 4.5%
Origin: Southwold, Suffolk

#BeerPodcast #UKBeer #Adnams #GhostShip #PaleAle #PubCulture #CraftBeer #BeerReview #BritishBeer #BeerLovers #SpotifyPodcast #BeerTogether

Milk stout shouldn’t work in today’s craft beer scene… but somehow it still does.

Sweet, creamy, and completely different to anything else behind the bar — this one splits opinion fast. Is it a hidden classic… or a beer that never moved on?

This week on Beer, Together, we dive into Black Sheep Milk Stout and uncover what makes it so different from the Guinness, craft beers, and IPAs we’re used to. From the role of lactose in brewing to why it completely changes the drinking experience, this episode goes deep into a style that’s quietly been forgotten — but never disappeared.

We get into:
– Why milk stout tastes sweeter (and why that matters)
– The real difference between milk stout and dry stout
– Why Guinness feels completely different on draft vs bottle
– The story behind Black Sheep Brewery and its “outsider” roots
– How milk stout became associated with a very specific type of drinker
– And whether modern craft beer trends are accidentally bringing it back

There’s also a proper rabbit hole into pub culture — from historic Dublin pubs like the Gravediggers to the reality of how Guinness is brewed and consumed around the world (including a surprising twist involving Nigeria).

And as always, we break down the real-world experience:
– When would you actually drink this?
– What food does it go with (and what definitely doesn’t)?
– Is it a one-and-done beer… or something you’d come back to?

If you’re into craft beer, UK pubs, beer reviews, or just honest conversations about drinking culture, this one’s a proper deep dive into a style most people overlook — but probably shouldn’t.

Whether you’re exploring the best beers in the UK, comparing craft beer vs mainstream beer, or just looking for a relaxed beer tasting podcast with real hospitality stories, this episode gives you a fresh perspective on where milk stout fits today.

Give it a listen, follow the podcast, and share it with someone who thinks they “don’t like stout” — this might change their mind.

Keywords:
milk stout, craft beer UK, stout vs Guinness, beer tasting podcast, UK pub culture, Black Sheep Brewery, sweet stout, beer reviews, hospitality stories, drinking culture, food and beer pairing, classic beers, British pubs, craft vs mainstream beer

#BeerPodcast #CraftBeerUK #Guinness #PubCultureUK #BeerReviews
#Stout #HospitalityLife #DrinkingCulture #UKPubs #BeerTasting

Is Neck Oil actually a great beer… or just the safe option? 🍺

In this episode of Beer, Together, we take on one of the most recognisable beers in the UK — Neck Oil — and ask the question most people don’t: is it genuinely good, or just everywhere?

From pub fridges to craft beer taps, we break down what makes a “go-to” beer, and whether popularity actually means quality.

We get into:

* Why some beers dominate UK pubs

* The difference between “safe” and “great” beer

* How beers like Neck Oil became so widely available

* Real pub decision-making (what you actually order vs what you say you like)

There’s also the usual mix of stories, opinions, and the kind of conversation you only really get a couple of drinks in.

No snobbery. No scripts. Just honest talk about beer and pub culture.

⸻

If you enjoy craft beer, UK breweries, pub culture, and relaxed, funny conversations about food and drink, Beer, Together is for you.

This episode touches on:

craft beer, Neck Oil, Beavertown, UK beer scene, pub culture, beer choices, and everyday drinking habits.

Follow Beer, Together for new weekly episodes.

Is Thornbridge Jaipur still one of the best IPAs in the UK — or has the beer world moved on?

In Episode 3 of Beer, Together, we dive into one of Britain’s most iconic pale ales and ask whether it still deserves its reputation in today’s craft beer scene.

We get into how beer styles have changed, why hazy and juicy IPAs have taken over, and whether classic, bitter IPAs like Jaipur still hit the mark.

Expect honest opinions, no snobbery, proper pub chat, food pairings, and real insight from years working in pubs and hospitality.

This isn’t a review show — it’s a conversation about what’s actually worth drinking.

New episodes weekly.

⸻

In this episode:

Thornbridge Jaipur review, classic IPA vs modern IPA, hazy vs clear beer, bitter vs juicy IPA, UK craft beer scene, Sheffield breweries, British brewing heritage, hop character and balance, beer flavour profiles, sessionability vs strength, beer trends UK, pub culture and ordering habits, what sells in pubs, how customers choose beer, branding vs taste in craft beer, iconic UK beers, independent breweries UK, beer and food pairing, curry and IPA, street food and beer, pub snacks and drinks, hospitality industry insight, real pub stories, casual beer conversation, no beer snobbery, honest beer opinions, drinking with friends, social drinking culture, discovering new beer, what beer to drink, best IPA UK, beer recommendations, craft beer podcast UK, beer discussion podcast, relaxed podcast, storytelling podcast, hospitality podcast UK, bar and restaurant experience, behind the bar insight, UK pub life, beer lovers podcast, beginner beer guide, beer without hype, beer vs marketing, classic beers revisited, modern craft beer debate