What is Masturbitter?

No, that isn’t a typo or a new niche style of German beer, it’s a limited-edition craft beer with one aim in mind – to break down the taboos of male sex toys and sexual wellness.

Over recent decades, there has been an increase in women’s confidence and comfortability to discuss sexual pleasure in an open way, but for many men it remains a private no-go topic. Or rather, the topic itself is spoken about, but with a layer of humour or irony.

Luxury sexual wellness brand LELO has conducted research which shows almost 60% of men don’t feel comfortable talking to their friends about these topics, despite nearly half admitting to using them. But when discussing matters over a pint, men said they did feel more inclined to open up. This sparked a stigma-breaking idea.

Teaming up with the Great Beyond Brewing Company in Hoxton, London, LELO created this bold, new craft beer, and with the intriguing name, stand out sexual design and statistics on the can itself, there’s no escaping the topic when sharing these with your mates.

It might just be a beer, but by triggering conversations like these, forward steps are being taken towards a deeper, modern understanding of masculinity and more honest, open relationships between men. After all, the humble chat over a pint has been the precursor to so many intimate conversations between men, but there’s one kind of intimacy that’s been missing.

If you want to get yourself a Masturbitter (we never thought we’d been saying that), then they’re available directly from the brewery here for £4.29!

5 Boozy Pancake Day Recipes

Whether you’re one of those people who think Pancake Day is just for the kids, or you’re tired of the same old recipes and toppings every year, how about a grown-up twist - boozy pancakes.

Alcohol is massively underrated as a cooking ingredient and great for pushing the boat out this Pancake Day. These mouthwatering recipes range in simplicity, but use beer, Baileys, Chambord, coffee, vodka, and orange liqueur for indulgent boozy twists on classic pancakes.

Beer Pancakes

It won’t be one that you think of straight away, but beer actually adds a really lovely malty, yeasty flavour to the batter. And on top of that, the carbonation creates a lighter, fluffier pancake. Once it’s done, you can take it in a savoury or sweet direction and because the small amount of alcohol cooks away, the kids can try it too. A good place to start would be with a Belgian fruit beer like cherry, and then using the same fruit as your toppings… but all your usual toppings will pair up nicely. 

Ingredients (for 5):
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 egg (beaten)
250ml beer (light)
125g plain flour
50g caster sugar
30g butter

Method:
Mix together the dry ingredients first, so that’s sieved flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Next, whilst continuously whiskiberrng if possible, pour in egg, melted butter and your favourite beer, before stirring until smooth. Set this aside (ideally for an hour but it doesn’t matter too much) and get some medium heat into the pan with a little oil. For one pancake, use about 60ml of batter and cook for about 90 seconds on each side – or until it’s starting to turn a nice golden brown. The flip to show off is optional.

Baileys Pancakes

You just knew these would be included. The creamy profile of the country’s favourite liqueur is just begging to be used for Shrove Tuesday.  A splash of Bailey’s gives mouth-watering fluffy pancakes with added indulgent richness and creaminess. These will exceed your expectations, trust us. 

Ingredients (for 5):
3 tbsp unsalted butter
3/4 tsp salt
2 tbsp granulated sugar
1 large egg
150ml milk
125g self-raising flour
80ml Baileys Irish Cream

Method:
Nothing complicated here because you can just do as you would, except swapping some Baileys in for a portion of the milk. It’s best to mix the dry ingredients first, before whisking the liquids in until it forms a light and creamy batter. Fry in oil or butter for around 90 secs until golden. Toppings can be whatever you like but try white chocolate!

Chambord Pancakes

If you’re not familiar with Chambord, then you’ll probably recognise the glamorous royal bottle. It’s the original raspberry liqueur, a velvety smooth mix of not just raspberries, but blackberries, vanilla, citrus, honey, and a little cognac – now that sounds like pancake material to us. It’s a decadent, fruity twist that splits the Chambord into the batter mix, but also as an opulent drizzle. Nom. 

Ingredients (for 5):
50g plain flour
100ml Chambord
75ml whole milk
40g dark chocolate
50ml double cream

Method:
Okay, so first mix flour, milk and 50ml of Chambord until smooth (watch the gorgeous purple colouring come to life). Coat a pan with a little butter or oil and pour 60ml of batter in. Like usual, cook for 90 seconds. In the meantime, melt chocolate in a bowl of boiling water. Combine this with double cream, and then the other 50ml of Chambord until it thickens slightly. Pour this over your pancakes for berry heaven. Be aware that some alcohol will remain in this one though!

Espresso Martini Pancakes

It was only a matter of time before coffee showed up. For adding a kick to your breakfast pancakes, how about combining them with the UK’s favourite cocktail, the Espresso Martini? It has similarities with a Tiramisu, with spongey, rich coffee flavour, and soft mascarpone on top. This one requires a little more effort, but if you need motivation then just read the ingredient list – delish. 

Ingredients (for 5):
200g self-raising flour
1 tbsp coffee (optional dilution with 1 tbsp of water)
1 tsp baking powder
1 tbsp golden caster sugar
½ tsp vanilla extract
200ml milk
2 eggs
25g melted butter

For toppings:
100ml espresso
4 tbsp caster sugar
25ml coffee liqueur
130g mascarpone
70g zero fat Greek yoghurt
1 tbsp vodka
3 tbsp icing sugar
Chocolate shavings

Method:
First, the pancake. So, simmer your coffee with water (instant is fine) with the sugar and coffee liqueur in a pan until it thickens like syrup. Leave this to cool.  Whisk all the pancake ingredients together until completely smooth and pourable. Again, 60ml ish of batter per pancake into the pan (depending on pan size and preferred thickness). For the topping, beat the mascarpone with the yoghurt, a splash of vodka and icing sugar until nicely mixed and smooth. Dollop this on top, alongside the coffee syrup you made earlier, and shave some chocolate. What a creation.

Orange Pancakes

Another tasty route to go down is zesty citrus. You could experiment with gin and lemon, but we think it might get overpowered so how about orange liqueur. Using either Grand Marnier (richer) or Cointreau (sweeter), you get a succulent, sunny pancake full of delicious orange. It might be a little light on its own, so we’ve paired it with double cream but ice cream would be delish too. 

Ingredients (for 5):
5 regular plain pancakes
85g unsalted butter (softened)
25g golden caster sugar
3 tbsp Cointreau or Grand Marnier
½ orange (zested)

For toppings:
2 oranges (juiced)
1 lemon (zested)
175g golden caster sugar
3 tbsp Cointreau or Grand Marnier
200ml double cream (softly whipped)

Method:
Combine butter, sugar, liqueur, and orange zest in a bowl and spread over your plain pancakes. Heat in an ovenproof dish for 10 minutes on a medium heat. Meanwhile, make the sauce – add your zests, juice and sugar to a pan and heat through until syrupy. Add 2 tablespoons of liqueur and reduce the heat once it starts gently simmering. Let it cool. Then add a final tablespoon of orange liqueur, and drizzle over your heated pancakes with cream. Mouthwatering stuff.

If you’re planning a proper evening of pancakes and booze, then find out which drinks go best with pancakes here!

What Should I Drink With Chinese Food?

It’s difficult to generalise when it comes to pairing drinks with Chinese food. There are ‘eight great’ culinary traditions across the country, and on top of that some like Cantonese have been heavily anglicised for British tastes.

Having said that, the same pairing rules apply, which is lighter liquids for lighter dishes, bigger and more robust drinks for equivalent dishes. There is plenty of sweetness, sourness, and spice at play so pairing drinks with Chinese food does have the potential to go badly wrong. However, we’re here to help! Chinese New Year is February 10th, so if you’re celebrating or just fancy a Chinese feast, then we’ve got some recommendations below.

White Wine

Riesling

There’s a reason Riesling is a stalwart of these guides. If we’re have to pick one drink to pair with Chinese food, then it’s Riesling. More specifically, Spätlese Riesling, which just means late harvest grapes, so you get extra sweetness driving through, as well as that hefty kick of acidity. There’s a richness there usually, but the sweetness isn’t cloying at all – think more fruity, less cloying. That fruity sweetness makes is one of the few white wines that works well with Peking duck, slicing through the fatty meat but complimenting plum sauce. Any sweet and sour dishes and noodle-based dishes with a little grease – Riesling work great. Sesame chicken too. And seafood. Riesling is just so adaptable.

Size: 750ml
ABV: 9%
Find here: £5.75 (usually more!)

Red Wine

Syrah/Shiraz

Syrah or Shiraz (they’re the same grape remember) can be great with some Chinese dishes. Find an Australian Shiraz (Clare Valley for example) with fine tannins, sweetness, and peppery, smoky, richness and you’re onto a winner. Jammy, red fruits alongside the above traits will work so well with Peking duck and spicier dishes like beef in black bean sauce. It might be wise to avoid very light dumplings and other starters with Shiraz though, because it may overpower.

Size: 750ml
ABV: 14.5%
Find here: £13.99

Grenache

Big, super fruity reds like Mourvèdre or Grenache come into play for hotter dishes, without the tannins to overdo the spice. Glazed ribs, black bean sauces, Szechuan beef – ripe reds can deal with it. Like the Shiraz, we would avoid these with lighter starters though. You could go down the Grenache Rosé route too for a well-rounded option – with a little acidity and fruity sweetness to play with.

Size: 750ml
ABV: 14%
Find here: £8.49

Sparkling Wine

Champagne

A crisp sparkler is always going to an option because of their world-beating palate-cleansing nature. Of course, Champagne is on the premium end of things, and Cava/Crémant, English Fizz and even Prosecco would work too, but as an all-rounder, this is a dreamy combo. A chilled glass eases the burn of spicier dishes and the fizz cleanses the grease. We want a Brut Champagne with some richness to cope with sweet and sour flavours too, and something like this can be the companion for spring rolls, dumplings, dim sum, shellfish, and spicier dishes.

Size: 750ml
ABV: 12%
Find here: £47.50

BEER

Wheat and White Beer

Light witbiers (wheat) and Bavarian weissbiers (white) work nicely with Chinese food, so long as it isn’t super intense. Lighter prawn starters, dumplings, spring rolls and some sweet and sour flavours – then beer is great. Witbier is typically filtered less and delivers a counterbalancing citrus with refreshing softness.

Size: 330ml
ABV: 4.9%
Find here: £6 (4 x 300ml)

We’ve got a number of food and drinks pairing guides up now, so search for what you need, and chances are we have it! How about Sushi? Or Thai?

10 Craft Beers to Try from Across the UK

We’ve all heard of craft beers, but where to actually start? With such a flourishing scene for over a decade now, it can be intimidating to get involved, but you’re missing out if not. We’ve gathered a diverse range of excellent craft beers from across the UK, from citric refreshers to chocolatey stouts.

Trust us, beer has come a long way from medieval ‘liquid bread’, and there’s so much more to it than pub lager. Have a scroll and see which of these takes your fancy and begin your craft beer journey today.

Fyne Ales Jarl

The current CAMRA Champion Beer of Scotland, Jarl is seriously well put together, easy-drinking golden ale. It’s light, full of grapefruit and lemon, with a clean, crisp feel and a little biscuity malt and subtle grassiness to round it off. This farm brewery was one of the first in the UK to use citra hops, and Jarl was their flagship trailblazer for the successful outcome of those experiments.  

Size: 500ml
ABV: 3.8%
Price: £31.20 12 x 500ml

Lost and Grounded Keller Pils

An ever-popular beer in Bristol, this is a class above your run of the mill lager. Taking inspiration from German brewing, it’s Lost and Grounded’’s top seller, with drinkers returning to its precision balance. It’s dry, crisp, clean, and fresh with hoppy depths for refreshing bitterness.

Size: 440ml
ABV: 4.8%
Price: £2.80 1 x 440ml

Beavertown Neck Oil London

One of the better-known craft beers, this is a lovely hoppy one that you’ll be able to pick up in many supermarkets and probably hear being praised a lot. It has picked up some prestigious gongs in its time, with its light, zingy brightness, and is a fantastic first stop on your craft beer journey. Think tropical fruits like passionfruit and grapefruit before an utterly refreshing finale.

Size: 330ml
ABV: 4.3%
Price: £2.50 1 x 330ml

Samuel Smith Organic Chocolate Stout

Drinkers rave about this English Stout and we can see why. Organic chocolate malt is gently roasted, joining organic cocoa for a full, luscious, creamy feel. The flavours are so satisfying and luxurious, with soft caramel, lingering malt, and incredible chocolate. It’s not as heavy as you might expect either, with a little carbonation for edge.

Size: 550ml
ABV: 5%
Price: £3.70 for 1

Traquair House Brewery Jacobite

This Scotch ale uses an ingredient always, until modern times, used in beer making and that’s coriander. The brewery itself is in Scotland’s oldest inhabited house and uses a 1738 copper kettle and oak fermenters for this fine ale. The colour is similar to cola, and the first whiff brings gentle spice and molasses. After the first sip, the sweet malts and dried fruits come through with complexity, before a malty wash finish.

Size: 330ml
ABV: 8%
Price: £3.75 for 1

Old Engine Oil Craft Stout - Harviestoun

Staying in Scotland, this old favourite has been around for years, providing an exceptionally engineered, velvety, dark, and rich stout. Premium roasted malt coats the mouth so smoothly as the mocha aroma continues into the palate, joined by cream and vanilla. It’s bulky and bold, and oh so satisfying.

Size: 330ml
ABV: 6%
Price: £44.24 24 x 330ml

Full Circle Brew Co. Looper IPA

Up in Newcastle, this is Full Circle’s flagship IPA and it’s building quite the reputation. It’s all about citrus refreshment, with juicy, zesty grapefruit and a surprising sweetness to the lemon. The pillowy feel is dreamy too, carrying the classic IPA bitterness with a trio of citra, mosaic and cashmere hops.

Size: 440ml
ABV: 6.4%
Price: £3.77 for 1

Cloudwater Fuzzy Hazy Pale

With a cult following in Manchester, Cloudwater are one craft brewery well worth keeping an eye on. They’ve only been around for about a decade but have already developed a rock solid portfolio of industry acclaimed, super popular top-quality beers. Fuzzy is part of their core range, bringing loveable brightness and stone fruits. Peach and apricot intertwine with vibrant citrus, grassy notes and well carbonated softness. Clean refreshment.

Size: 440ml
ABV: 4.2%
Price: £12 x 440ml

JW Lees Harvest Ale

This is a very prestigious ale that uses only the finest malts and earliest hops of the year. This particular ale has gained a cult following amongst enthusiasts, with robust and characterful vintages with each release. In the barleywine style (complexity and higher ABV%), it ages well and delivers a caramel nose, with rich and full figs, dried fruits, oak, and leather. It’s heavy but smooth, with zero cloying whatsoever. Legendary.

Size: 275mll
ABV: 11.5%
Price: £14.85 3 x 275ml

Buxton Brewery Yellow Belly

We’ve included this as an example of premium beer, more precisely American Imperial Stout. The whole concept of this beer is to ridicule the cowardly nature of racist groups, particularly anonymous ones, which explains the paper packaging (reminiscent of the KKK) and its controversy in America. The beer inside celebrates open mindedness and difference with interesting flavours. It’s a peanut butter biscuit stout, but with no biscuits, butter, or nuts! It’s velvety and chocolatey with roasted malt and restrained sweetness, perfectly executed for bold and big flavours. One of the most celebrated stouts on the planet.

Size: 330ml
ABV: 11%
Price: £9 1 x 330ml

If you’re looking into craft beer as part of a wider drink’s exploration, then how about discovering mead? You might surprise yourself! Take a look here.

The Drinks Subscriptions to Gift This Christmas

If you’ve picked up on someone dropping hints throughout the year with ‘I’d love to try more gins’, or ‘It’d be handy to have different beers from around the world delivered to your house each month’, then a drinks subscription is a thoughtful and useful gift.

If you know someone’s favourite drink, or that they’re wanting to get into something new, then a drinks subscription is probably the best way to do it. It takes the stress out of wandering the supermarket aisles, checking reviews and after all that, just buying your usual, and leaves it to the experts.

A new batch of your favourite drinks (or potential new favourites) from around the world, arriving at your door every month, with treats, ingredients, guides, and advice – who wouldn’t want that? Let’s explore the best of them.

The Best Cocktail Subscription to Gift This Christmas

The Cocktail Society Cocktail Subscription

The Cocktail Society leads the way when it comes to exploring different cocktails, and it’ a style of drink that massively benefits from subscription services. Cocktails don’t come cheap, so you want to be confident that when you order it, you’re gonna love it. However, it’s easy to play it safe and order that same old favourite. This box, which can arrive monthly or quarterly, contains a ready to drink 500ml cocktail, more cocktail cans from Friends of the Society, ingredients for 2 different DIY cocktails, premium snacks, recipes, guides, discount codes, and even the odd surprise too. It’s a fabulous gift for the cocktail lovers in your life, and it’s free delivery too!  

Find here: £40 per month

The Best Wine Subscription to Gift This Christmas

Majestic Wine Club

For reliability and expansive range, there is a reason Majestic are such a household name. Being part of their Wine Club gives you access to the industry expert’s favourite bottles, 12 of which you get in each case, four times a tear. You also get the ‘Six Mix’ saving, but when buying single bottles, savings and vouchers, free tickets to expert tastings and free delivery for everything. Every bottle is explained, everything can be returned without hassle, and all in all, it’s a very complete and worthwhile wine subscription experience, with 7 different subscriptions to select from. It really brings the world of wine to your front door, or your giftees door… right?

Find here: £99-£199 for a 12 bottles case

The Best Beer Subscription to Gift This Christmas

Beer 52 - The Craft Beer Discovery Club

Beer 52’s Discovery Club is all about just that, with a different themed box delivered to your door every month, containing 8 beers, Ferment magazine and some suitable snacks too. At the time of writing, all the beers celebrate the Celtic Nations, but the variety is huge so it’s great for drinkers that want to try beers from all across the world each month, all selected by experts. Delivery is free, and if you’re not keen on the beers, then they pick up the tab! Mixed beers or light beers are your choices with this one.

Find here: £27 per box

The Best Gin Subscription to Gift This Christmas

Craft Gin Club

We were big fans of their advent calendar, and their subscription is also great for the same reasons. Craft Gin Club are the biggest gin subscription in the UK, and joining it gives you access to their packed boxes. A full-sized bottle of craft gin is the highlight, but there are also ingredients for your own seasonal cocktail, the perfect pairing tonics and garnishes, various delicious treats, and glossy magazine. They list all their previous boxes on the site so you can see what you get for the money, be that December’s Manchester Gin, October’s Mexican, or July’s Scotland. They all look stunning too, and with so many gin lovers at the moment, this will definitely make someone’s Christmas.

Find here: £40-£45 per month

The Best Whisky Subscription to Gift This Christmas

The Whisky Nest

Becoming part of The Whisky Nest brings unique distilleries to your front door, with new releases, modern twists, cocktails, and other exciting ways to explore whisky. At the centre of it all is the 100ml sample, one of the largest on the market, and you’ll get all the information about that featured distillery, tasting cards and videos, free delivery, discounts, and video calls with the community – so it really is a club.

Find here: £18.95 per month

The Best Rum Subscription to Gift This Christmas

Craft Rum Club

Established in 206, Craft Rum Club now offer a really great, flexible subscription service. Each month focuses on a new destination, but you have 6 plans to choose from, so you can explore all kinds of rum, or stick to one style. You can get one bottle or two, and alongside that will be other goodies – mixers, cocktail ingredients, snacks, and their magazine. The rum is full sized too which is always a plus.

Find here: £39.95 per month

The Best Boozy Advent Calendars of 2023

It’s November which means that Christmas items have been slowly but surely popping up everywhere we look, and whilst the build up to Christmas can be stressful, there’s no reason it shouldn’t just be the kids that get all the excitement.

This year’s boozy advent calendars are being released, and aside from being a great surprise each day, they’re actually a brilliant way to explore a drink you’ve been meaning to try, with 24 miniatures giving you a taste of what’s on offer.

We’ve got something for everyone with our handy guide below identifying the best advent calendar for gin, rum, tequila, vodka, whisky, wine, cognac, and beer. Treat yourself!

Oh, and wine drinkers in particular, if you want to save yourself a bit of money then how about making your own DIY Advent with beautiful, canned wines? Take a look here!

The Best Gin Advent Calendar

Craft Gin Club Advent Calendar

The biggest gin subscription club in the UK is offering a 50ml bottle of craft gin behind each door, finishing on a special G&T on the big day itself. There’s a brand-new selection of gins picked out over the year, including seven exclusives like Tarquin’s Mince Pie Gin that you can’t get anywhere else. You also get expert suggestions for mixers and garnishes for every bottle, which you can buy as a separate bundle if you wish. We’ve had a sneak peek and we don’t want to give too much more away but gin lovers, you will not be left disappointed!

Find here: £94.95

The Best Rum Advent Calendar

The Whisky Exchange 24 Days of Rum Advent Calendar

Rum isn’t the most popular spirit for calendars, and we’re not sure why. It’s more popular for cocktails, but sipping rums are an exciting world once you find your favourite, and trying 24 different miniatures is the perfect way to do that. Not only does this calendar opens doors to every type of rum from all over – with Caribbean classics and lesser known gems from Scotland and Australia, but you also get full tasting notes to light the way and two glasses.

Find here: £84.95

The Best Tequila & Mezcal Advent Calendar

The Spirit Co Tequila & Mezcal Advent Calendar

Because of its association with shots, tequila is far from the first spirit people think of when it comes to boozy advent calendars, but despite the 30ml minis included, this is about exploring the diverse world of fresh, fruity tequila and floral, smoky mezcal. Blancos, Reposados, Añejos and Mezcals await behind each door of this lovely looking calendar, for you to truly explore a spirit dating back to the Aztecs.

Find here: £131.99

The Best Vodka Advent Calendar

Drinks by the Dram – Vodka Advent Calendar

Here’s 24 wonderfully varied 30ml vodkas to put a kick into your Christmas build up, focusing on unique blends from all four corners of the planet. Vodka is another spirit that some drinkers only have bad experiences with after trying a throat burner, so these tasters are a great introduction to what the spirit can be. Reputable brands like Chase and Cîroc are includes, as well Jaffa Cake Vodka, Brecon Five and an intriguing Chardonnay Vodka.

Find here: £89.95

The Best Whisky Advent Calendar

Master of Malt Whisky Advent Calendars

Master of Malt have a stunning selection of 14 different whisky advents, for newbies looking to get into it, seasoned dram drainers, and everything in between. The Whisky Explorer’s Edition is a great for adventures, That Boutique-y Company is for unusual independent releases, and there’s the Japanese Whisky Advent Calendar featuring some of the country’s best producers. If you’ve got the money, then there’s even the Old and Rare selection for £999, and for a Christmas you’ll never forget, there’s the Very Old and Rare calendar priced at £9,999!

Find here: £99.55-£9999.95

The Best Wine Advent Calendar

Virgin Wines Advent Calendar

One of the original players in the world of wine advents, Virgin Wines are one of the UK’s largest suppliers and this year they have premium boxes of 24 mini wines (mixed, red, or white) from across the world, with an extra special treat behind door 25 to wash down the Christmas dinner. Click the link, pick your box and you can see exactly what bottles are included.

Find here: £89.99

John Lewis Fizz

It’s not just their Christmas ad that’s the best because this bubbly bonanza is probably the best sparkling wine selection out there, with champagne, prosecco and six variations of Bottega wines. There’s a couple of Freixenet bottles and a Charles de Mignon champagne as the highlight. Christmas is all about the bubbles, and this makes every day in the run up a joy.

Find here: £140

The Best Cognac Advent Calendar

The Spirit Co Cognac Advent Calendar

After falling in love with Cognac and the release of The Three Drinkers in Cognac, we have to include this gem. Celebrating the Charente vineyards, every day brings you a touch of rich, velvety French luxury of various ages. They’re perfect for whipping up Cognac Cocktails, or sipping to find your favourite.

Find here: £200.39

The Best Beer Advent Calendar

John Lewis Beer & Snacks Advent Calendar

Christmas is the season for snacks, so why not combine them with beer in this festive box, with 14 glass bottles and 10 accompanying snacks. Lager, craft lager, pale ales and iconic pub snacks are all thrown in to bring all the pub vibes to your celebrations.

Find here: £80

If you want to save yourself a bit of money and make your own calendar, then we’ve given you 12 Canned Wines to get you on your way!

Pumpkin Ales To Enjoy This Autumn

It was a few years ago when ‘pumpkin spiced’ took over Autumn, and although it was a little later to the party, you can now find pumpkin popping up in a load of craft beers with delicious results.

Pumpkins ale, or beer, is brewed flavoured with warm spices like cinnamon and nutmeg, and often brewed with real pumpkin meat. This isn’t just a few days over Halloween either, but from September right through to the New Year, Pumpkin Ales soar in popularity.

Some traditionalists see it as a tacky gimmick, but in fact fruit ‘n’ veg have been used in beer making for centuries, as a relatively cheap way to add sugar or natural flavour. Now, don’t get us wrong, some of them are pretty naff, but, don’t dismiss them just yet because there whilst many end up cloyingly sweet with baking spice, others get it spot on…

Abbeydale Brewery - Pilgrim

An independent brewery since founding in 1996, Abbedyale have introduced pumpkin to their pale and hoppy house style with Pilgrim, part of their small batch Brewers’ Emporium range. It’s a fragrant and  full-bodied golden ale with an elegant bitterness to the finish that emits so much cosiness with those autumnal spices of cinnamon, nutmeg and all spice.

Size: 440ml
ABV: 5%
Price: £18.50 for 6

Elusive Brewery – Carve’n Yams Pumpkin Coffee Porter

A deliciously dark seasonal Porter next, with pumpkin meat and pumpkin spice added to Elusive’s sweet Coffee Porter, creating a swirl of bright single origin Hasbean coffee layered up with aromatic baking spice. Everything is balanced subtly, and the touch of creaminess combined with the flavours mirrors a Pumpkin Spiced Latté somewhat.

Size: 440m
ABV: 5.2%
Price: £25.90 for 6

Wychwood Brewery – Hobgoblin - Pumpking

This has been at supermarkets like Aldi and Morrisons in the past so keep your eyes peeled. It’s unusually light for pumpkin beer and doesn’t overload with the pumpkin spice if you’ve been put off by either of those things in Autumns gone by, then give it another go. It’s ruby coloured, earthy, apricot-y, and only presents a delicate biscuity, vanilla sweetness, rather than the intense fruity sweetness of stronger ales.

Size: 500ml
ABV: 3.8%
Price: £1.99

Barrier - The Carver Pumpkin Beer

This New York beer costs a little more because of the import, but it’s gone down very well. Tastefully brimming with all spice, nutmeg, cinnamon, clove and of course, full-bodied pumpkin, the balance of sweetness, malt and hops is perfect, an the foamy mouthfeel plays into the pumpkin pie vibes.

Size: 473ml
ABV: 6%
Price: £7.40

Some might say that just trying a pumpkin ale is experimentation enough, but why not go the whole hog and see how they do in cocktails? The spicy sweetness could work very well in many of the recipes in our Beer Cocktails guide.

Your Complete Guide to Celebrating Oktoberfest Near You

Get ready to raise your beer steins and embrace the Bavarian spirit because Oktoberfest is almost here! But wait its only September!? Well, despite its name, Oktoberfest actually kicks off in September each year, and carries on for just over two weeks so get a move on with the planning!

Originally a Munich celebration of Prince Ludwig and Princess Therese’s marriage in 1810, this colossal beer bash now has folks around the world celebrating with a hearty "Prost!"

Sprawling tents with thousands of merry-makers, millions of litres of beer being guzzled, German music filling the air – if you want a slice of the biggest beer festival on the planet then don your finest lederhosen and find yourself an Oktoberfest near you with our guide below.

Or… host your own Bavarian bash and serve up some stunning Oktoberfest foods and drinks (also listed below!)

What should you drink at Oktoberfest?

No surprises here, it’s all about German Beer. 

So many German producers will release Oktoberfest specials, but we like the hoppy, fruity profile of Hofmeister, made in the heart of Bavaria.

Erdinger is another that you can’t wrong with, in particular their Weissbier with its gentle spice and lively flavours.

For Alcohol-Free Oktoberfests, we have to shout out Lucky Saint, a classic, refreshing lager with a hoppy, citrus finish and they’re German too.

Not everyone likes beer of course, and why should you miss out on all the Oktoberfest fun? Well, sticking with the German theme, get stuck into their Pinot Noir. Did you know that they are the third largest producer of this varietal, labelling it Spätburgunder – it is so distinct. Also, that way, if anyone has a go at you for drinking Pinot at Oktoberfest, you can tell them it’s Spätburgunder and they’ll probably accept it. It’s a cool-climate red berry wine, with lots of crunch, acidity, tartness and we find it so refreshing and easy drinking – give it a go!

What should you eat at Oktoberfest?

Bratwurst is a must. Grilled onions, brioche buns, good German mustard, sauerkraut on the site – mouthwatering… and the best thing is, it all goes so well with hearty, refreshing German bier.

Other than that, Schnitzel is traditional, as our roasted almonds (often sugared as a kind of candy), all kinds of potato dishes, Currywurst and Pretzels.

Where should I go for Oktoberfest around the UK?

Oktoberfest UK, the largest tour in the country is coming to the following cities in the SOUTH OF ENGLAND, bringing authentic German bier, live oompah bands, bratwurst on the sizzle and some of Europe’s biggest Oktoberfest tents:

Chelmsford – Central Park – Friday 6th and Saturday 7th October
Crawley - Southgate Park - Friday 6th & Saturday 7th October
Guildford - Stoke Park - Friday 13th & Saturday 14th October
Milton Keynes - Campbell Park - Friday 13th & Saturday 14th October
Southend - Priory Park - Friday 20th & Saturday 21st October
Beverley - Beverley Racecourse - Friday 20th & Saturday 21st October
Colchester - Lower Castle Park - Friday 27th & Saturday 28th October
Plymouth - Central Park - Friday 27th & Saturday 28th October

For more information click here.

In BRIGHTON, there’s Oktoberfest Bottomless Brunch at Post Cook & Bier Haus every Saturday throughout the celebrations, with oompah, DJs, tables dancers and three litre sizes of Bavarian beer.

For more information click here.

LONDON obviously has a tonne of Oktoberfest events such as:

Craft Oktoberfest:
-        E&C Brewgarden (Friday 6th October and Saturday 7th October with 12+ craft beers in London’s biggest beer garden)
-        Kraft Dalston (Saturday 21st October with Korean-German fusion before Berlin techno until 2AM)
-        Mayfair Cyrpt (Saturday 14th October for the first time, a full meal and drink package for Oktoberfest).

For more information click here.

There are so many Oktoberfest events across London, like Oktoberfest At Pergola Paddington, Oktoberfest Brixton, Munich Cricket Club, Craft Beer Cruise, ALToberfest and Camden Oktoberfest, from budget options to lavish blowouts. Find one near you and Lederhosen up!

In MANCHESTER, the sprawling Freight Island will host an all-singing, all-dancing beer half on Friday 29th September and Saturday 30th September.

For more information click here.

In SHEFFIELD, Stein Haus offer a complete Bavarian offering with all the bands, dancers and live DJ sets you could wish for on Saturday 14th October.

For more information click here.

Honestly, as a nation we’ve fully embraced Oktoberfest and we can’t list every event here, so if you’re not in one of the hubs above then don’t worry, because there’s almost certainly somewhere transformed into a beer hall near you offering Oompah bands, bratwurst, schnitzel, and sloshing steins.