Serve in a nonic pint at 10-13 °C
What it tastes like
Despite the name, an ordinary bitter is not very bitter by modern standards. What you taste is balance: biscuit and toffee from British pale and crystal malts, an earthy, woody, sometimes marmalade-like note from English hops such as Fuggle and East Kent Goldings, and a light fruitiness from English ale yeast. It is usually under 4% alcohol, so the flavour has to come from good malt and careful fermentation rather than strength.
The name came about in English pubs in the nineteenth century, when drinkers wanted to tell the paler, hoppier draught beer apart from mild. Traditionally it is served from the cask, naturally conditioned, pulled by hand pump at cellar temperature with low carbonation. That soft texture is a large part of its character.
Bitter is a family of strengths. The ordinary version is the lightest, best bitter sits in the middle and the strongest ones are sold as ESB. All share the same malt and hop backbone, and all are built for a long session over conversation.
Style profile
- Look
- Gold to copper amber, clear when well conditioned, with a modest off-white head that may be thin on a cask pour.
- Aroma and flavour
- Biscuit, bread crust and light toffee, earthy and woody English hops, a hint of orange marmalade and soft fruit from the yeast.
- Mouthfeel
- Light body, low carbonation, a dry finish with a lingering but gentle bitterness.
- Ingredients
- British pale ale malt such as Maris Otter with a little crystal, English hops like Fuggle or East Kent Goldings, an English ale yeast and water with some sulphate.
In India
A real cask bitter is close to impossible to find in India: cask ale needs a cool cellar and fast turnover, neither easy in our heat, and most brewpubs serve every beer ice cold from a keg. When an Indian brewpub does pour a bitter, ask for it a little warmer than the lagers so the malt can speak. Its low strength makes it a sensible choice for a long lunch, and the toffee note works well with Indian roasted and tandoori dishes.
At the Indian table
Food pairings contributed by Anuradha Rao
- Mutton seekh kebabToasty malt picks up the char from the tandoor and the earthy hops match the cumin and coriander.
- Aloo tikki chaatThe low bitterness leaves room for the tamarind and the biscuit malt suits the crisp potato.
- Parsi salli botiThe sweet and sour mutton gravy and the toffee in the malt meet comfortably.
- Mysore pakThe ghee and gram flour sweetness sits well against a dry, mildly bitter finish.
Brewed in India
We could not verify a session-strength English bitter on a current Indian tap list. A few brewpubs brew one as a seasonal, so ask your local brewer.
Want the long read? English bitter