18 best British lagers that are even better than a pub pour

Fascinated by the precision of German brewing and the idiosyncratic nature of Belgian beers, Lost and Grounded produces a selection of outstanding lagers. One particularly interesting beer is the Bristol brewery’s “running with sceptres” – an India pale lager. Brewed with pilsner, Vienna and caramalts, the beer is dry-hopped and fine-tuned using traditional techniques.

Citrus notes of orange juice, lemon and grapefruit rind are joined by dank pine presence and some light malt and additional grass notes. On the palate, firm bitterness develops with juicy fruit savours of peach and orange, plus sweet-spiciness and back notes of pine, grainy barley and fine herbal notes which transpire before a dry, bitter finish takes hold.

Specialising in lagers, Geipel Brewing strives to reinvent British lagers, focussing on flavour rather than heavy branding and industrial production methods. From a barn on a hillside in rural North Wales, Geipel produces a strong range of beers. Here traditional brewing methods are used, beers are carbonated naturally and conditioned for at least one month at near-freezing temperatures.

Initially brewed as a collaborative effort with nearby Heavy Industry Brewing, aloha from Bala is a modern take on a classic pilsner, with new world hops incorporated to deliver bold aromas complemented by some sourness. Tropical notes more typical of India pale ales are prominent, including savours of melon, pineapple and papaya. And of course there’s the classic lager notes of cereal, toasted grains and pale malts. A gorgeous, unusual pils.

Leith-based Donzoko Brewing Company was set up with an aim to fulfil a niche sorely lacked in the UK craft scene: Germany-inspired lager. Sharing a love of classic lager styles with Braybrooke Beer Co, Donzoko’s Vienna lager is a true collaboration. It’s originally brewed by Reece Hugill and Mario Canestrelli – the owner and head brewer of Donzoko and Braybrooke respectively. Vienna malt and caramel malt are joined by classic German hops which impart a light bitterness and floral hop presence to this excellent take on the amber lager style.

Based on a farm in Great Hormead, East Hertfordshire, Baron Brewing focuses on brewing modern styles, with a particular emphasis on highly hopped ales and fresh lagers. There’s a slightly experimental approach, also, as no two batches are exactly the same, with the brewery’s website describing Baron Brewing as “a playground for beer”.

With each style pushed to its limits, with the evolution and development of new flavours, the Baron Manhunt is a Bavarian-style pilsner, hopped with Mandarina Bavaria, including a light dry-hopping. It’s then lagered for six weeks for optimum freshness. Zippy orange and tangerine notes dominate the nose alongside bready malt and grassy hop aromas, while marmalade, biscuit and a grassy bitterness develop on the palate, complete with a pleasant drying finish.

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Launched by the restaurateurs behind London’s 10 Greek Street, Braybrooke Beer Co’s founders have been hard at work to develop a range of lagers brewed to exacting German principles. Malts are imported from Bamberg, hops are sourced from a farm in Tettnang, while yeast is delivered from Augsburg, all brewed with British water that has gone through reverse osmosis to make it perfect for brewing.

Braybrooke’s take on a traditional Bavarian helles lager is malt-forward and easy drinking, brewed with pilsner and Munich malts, gently hopped with Hallertau tradition. Cereal, floral hops and malty notes are joined by a clean, light bitter finish.

The south London brewery’s first gluten-free beer to join the core foundation range, Peckham helles is a solid addition to the line-up. To remove the gluten, newly developed enzymes are used, without the use of non-traditional brewing grains such as sorghum or maize. German pilsner malt is joined by Hallertau Mittelfrüh hops for Brick Brewery’s take on a classic Bavarian helles lager.

Once brewed, the beer is fermented, slowly conditioned and filtered for crystal clear clarity. Light malt aromas are joined by some white bread and fruity yeast esters, while pleasant malt notes continue on the palate alongside herbal spice and soft bitterness which lingers on the crisp finish with further malt presence.

Manchester Union Brewery is the city’s only brewery solely dedicated to craft lager and uses a decoction mashing technique when producing its beers. Ultimately moving portions of the mash from tank to tank, heating the mixture far more than typical brewing methods, this process releases melanoidin due to the Millard reaction, which also releases a small amount of tannins. These tannins are present in the brewery’s after dusk – an eminently refreshing black lager with a silky mouthfeel, a touch of caramel sweetness, bread and dark fruit notes, complete with a dry, bitter finish typical of Saaz hops.

Initially launched with a focus on barrel-aged and mixed fermentation beers, Wiper and True has recently opened a new headquarters in Bristol’s Old Market, with room to increase the brewing operations using a custom-designed German-engineered brewkit. Inspired by the brand’s head brewer and his time as master brewer at Doemens, the York street helles is a Munich-style lager. It’s crisp and dry with some herbal notes alongside smooth malt, cereal, lemon rind, some jammy sweetness and restrained bitterness which lingers on the finish with a hint of black pepper. A refreshing, easy-drinking Munich-style lager.

A new beer range from professional rugby player Greg Bateman, People’s Captain is centred on an ethos of bringing people together over a selection of great beers. Plus, the company donates a portion of proceeds to Bateman’s own charity, The People’s Captain Foundation, which supports Britain’s mental health.

From the People’s Captain core range of five beers, Stereotype is an English-style lager, unlike pilsner which requires far more pressure to allow the Hellertau hops to do their work. The result is a crisp, refreshing lager with delicate earthiness and plenty of fruit aromas.

Since launching in 2011, Signature Brew has been on a mission to unite people through the power of fresh beer, great music and unforgettable experiences. Based in Walthamstow, the brewery has a strong core range, but has also famously brewed a selection of beers in collaboration with various musicians and bands, including the likes of Hot Chip, The Darkness, IDLES and Mastodon. From the brewery’s core range, the vegan-friendly studio lager is brewed with Hallertau tradition hops. With plenty of pilsner malt on the nose, flavours of bread and citrus are complete with some feint pine notes, concluded with a dry bitter finish which lingers.

Operating from the Estuary View brewery in the Devon countryside, Salcombe Brewery Co. has introduced breeze, a new session lager, to its discovery range. Joining the range’s beers such as island street porter and Salcombe pilsner, breeze has been specifically designed to appeal to the brewery’s growing fan base, using two contrasting British hops – jester and boadicea. While the jester lends a tropical fruit savour to the lager, boadicea brings subtle spicy notes and hints of orchard blossom to the table. Ultimately, it’s a well-balanced, highly quaffable and elegant lager.

Hackney’s largest independent brewery, The Five Points Brewing Company has been committed to craft beer and the local community since 2013. Joining standout beers such as Five Points railway porter, the brewery has recently introduced Five Points lager to its range.

A British-hopped lager with goldings from fifth-generation family hop farm Hukins Hops in Kent, Five Points lager is currently only available in mini kegs, which hold 5l. Easy drinking with grassy and spicy aromas, it has a slightly sweet character with bread notes from the malt used and is completed with a refreshing, crisp and balanced finish.

A small, fully independent brewery in Wood Green, London, The Goodness Brewing Co. launched just before the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, but has doubled turnover year-on-year and tripled tank capacity in just 48 months. Sunshine is one of the brewery’s most popular beers and is a vegan and gluten-free kölsch style lager.

A lager style originating from Cologne, kölsch lager is warm fermented and conditioned at cold temperatures, generally referred to as a hybrid between ale and lager. The Goodness Brewing Co’s version is eminently drinkable, crisp with low bitterness and some stone fruit hints which develop on the palate and continue on the finish.

Somerset-based farmhouse brewery The Wild Beer Co. was born from a love of fermentation and barrel-ageing shared by founders Andrew Cooper and Brett Ellis. Set against the backdrop of the rolling Somerset countryside, the brewery produces its range of beers using nature, science, and “a little Somerset magic”. Modern, creative techniques are combined with often unusual ingredients to produce interpretations of some of the world’s oldest beer styles. Its rolling pils is a crisp Italian-style pilsner, with the brewers having fine-tuned each element of the beer. Ultimately it provides a thirst-quenching pilsner with firm, refreshing bitterness along with bold aromas of lemon, fresh cut grass, lime and herbal notes.

Although renowned for using innovative techniques such as oak cask maturation, Scottish brewer Innis & Gunn’s lager is fairly full-bodied but also restoratively fresh. Produced with a blend of hops including super styrian and styrian goldings, Innis & Gunn lager has a lightly hoppy aroma with faint citrus notes of orange and lemon, plus floral hops. On the palate, a decent pale malt character prevails, followed by a lightly bitter finish with smoothness provided by the use of naked golden oats in the brewing process.

Beartown Brewery was founded in 1994, focussing on a range of traditional and craft styles. The family-run Cheshire-based brewery has recently rebranded and specialises in high-quality craft beers, including its Beartown Lager. A helles style lager, the beer is crisp and refreshing. The flavour profiles are fairly subtle, yet it’s an easy-drinking lager ideal for pairing with various different foods.

Launched by two local couples in 2013, Brixton Brewery has become one of London’s most popular craft brewers, heavily inspired by the part of the city its founders call home. Coldharbour lager, for instance, takes its name from Coldharbour Lane, where travellers to London once found shelter, inspiring the name of the pilsner-style lager with its Bohemian origins. Brewed with Hallertau Mittelfrüh and Hallertau blanc hops, Brixton Brewery’s Coldharbour lager is crisp, clean and floral with light hoppiness and some sour citrus presence. It’s not the most exciting lager on the list, but it’s refreshing and quaffable.

Camden Town Brewery has introduced unfussy unfiltered lager to its core range, joining beers such as Camden hells lager, pale ale and off menu IPA. Inspired by German kellerbiers, unfussy is an unfiltered lager designed to have a tank-fresh taste. Aromas of pale malt, toasted grains, lemon and straw join a surprisingly fresh taste with further pale malt and lemon, plus cereal and a hint of hedgerow. Medium-bodied with lightly prickly carbonation, the unfussy unfiltered lager is complete with a dry, clean finish.