Traditional English Bitter: The Beer Style Britain Should Be Proud Of
In a world of heavily hopped IPAs, tropical pale ales and increasingly experimental craft beers, sometimes it is worth going back to where great British beer really made its name — the traditional English bitter.
For generations, bitter has been at the heart of the English pub. It isn’t designed to overpower you with hops or alcohol. A properly made bitter is about balance: malt, hops, gentle bitterness and drinkability all working together.
And despite the word “bitter”, a good traditional bitter doesn’t simply taste bitter. Depending on the brewery and recipe, you can find flavours of biscuit, toasted malt, caramel and nuts, balanced against the earthy, floral or gently spicy character traditionally associated with English hops.
What Makes a Traditional English Bitter?
The foundations are remarkably simple: malted barley, hops, yeast and water.
But creating a really good bitter from those ingredients takes considerable skill.
The malt normally provides much more character than you would expect from many modern pale beers. Pale and crystal malts can provide the amber colour and distinctive biscuit, toast and caramel flavours associated with the style.
Traditional British hop varieties bring bitterness and aroma without necessarily dominating the beer.
Then there is the yeast.
English ale yeast can contribute another layer of character, producing subtle fruity notes that become part of the overall flavour rather than something that sits separately from the malt and hops.
The result should be a beer where no single ingredient completely dominates.
That is part of what makes bitter so enjoyable.
You can drink a pint and actually want another one.
Bitter Doesn’t Have to Mean Strong
Another great British brewing tradition is the session beer.
Historically, many bitters were deliberately brewed at relatively modest strengths. You could enjoy a few pints in the pub without drinking the equivalent strength of some of today’s 6%, 7% or even stronger craft beers.
There is therefore tremendous skill involved in producing a beer at around 3.5–4.5% ABV that still has body, aroma and flavour.
A brewer cannot simply rely upon alcohol or enormous quantities of hops to create impact.
The beer itself has to be good.
Essex Has a Fantastic Microbrewery Scene
One of the things I particularly enjoy about beer today is just how local brewing has become again.
Here in my home county of Essex, we have more than 20 microbreweries and small breweries producing some excellent beers, including their own interpretations of bitters, amber ales, pale ales, porters and stronger traditional beers.
You don’t necessarily have to travel across Britain looking for a great pint.
Sometimes there is an exceptional beer being brewed just a few miles from your front door.
One of my local examples is The Billericay Brewery, which began life as Billericay Brewing Company in 2012 and operates its brewery, micropub and shop in Billericay. Over the years it has brewed more than 50 different beers. (The Billericay Brewery)
Their range demonstrates perfectly how much variety can exist within traditional and modern British brewing.
Billericay Dickie – 4.2%
Probably the closest example in their regular range to the traditional bitter style is Billericay Dickie, a 4.2% bitter amber ale.
The brewery describes it as a balanced amber ale with a darker, hoppy character reminiscent of old English bitters, finished with a slight malt sweetness. (billericaybrewing.co.uk)
That’s exactly the sort of balance I look for in this style.
Billericay Zeppelin – 3.8%
Then there is Billericay Zeppelin, a 3.8% pale amber ale.
It is deliberately lighter and more sessionable, with a gentle hoppiness and lighter texture. (billericaybrewing.co.uk)
It demonstrates an important point about traditional British brewing: a beer doesn’t need to be strong to have character.
Rhythm Stick – 4.8%
Move slightly higher in strength, and you find Rhythm Stick at 4.8%.
This is a richer amber ale, with a smooth character, slight hoppiness and a darker sweetness that develops into an almost caramel-like finish. (billericaybrewing.co.uk)
It’s a great example of what malt can contribute to an English-style ale.
Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll – 5.0%
And then there is the brilliantly named Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll.
At 5.0%, this is actually Billericay Brewery’s flagship American IPA rather than a traditional English bitter. It uses three American hop varieties alongside several malts to produce a bigger, fruitier flavour while remaining relatively refreshing. (billericaybrewing.co.uk)
I think beers like this belong in the conversation because they show how our independent breweries can respect traditional brewing while also experimenting with more modern styles.
Why We Should Support Our Local Breweries
Britain has an extraordinary brewing heritage.
Yet many people automatically pick up a nationally advertised lager without considering what is being produced locally.
That is a shame.
Independent breweries help keep brewing skills alive. They experiment with recipes, support pubs and taprooms, create local employment and, perhaps most importantly, keep regional beer interesting.
There is something special about drinking a beer and knowing that the brewery is only a few miles away.
That connection between beer, brewer and location is something the enormous multinational beer companies can never completely reproduce.
English Bitter Deserves Another Look
For some younger beer drinkers, the word “bitter” can sound rather old-fashioned.
I think that should change.
A beautifully kept pint of English bitter remains one of the great beer styles.
It doesn’t need 10 different American hops.
It doesn’t need to be cloudy.
It doesn’t need to be 7% alcohol.
And it certainly doesn’t need a ridiculous list of ingredients.
It simply needs to be well brewed, properly conditioned and served correctly.
If you’ve spent the last few years drinking nothing but lager or heavily hopped craft IPA, find a good independent brewery and order a pint of their bitter or amber ale.
Better still, look at what is being brewed in your own county.
You might be surprised by just how many great British beers are being made practically on your doorstep.
BeerBelly.store — Celebrating Great Beer, Great Breweries and Great British Brewing.