Have 5 Old Ales to claim this badge. It then goes up a level every 5 until you reach level 100.
An Old Ale is an English style of dark ale that uses an aging process to create a richer and sweeter brew. These Ales are also sometimes a blend of an aged Ale and a new ale, similar in a way to a Gueuze but with a completely different result.
Notable examples include Theakston’s Old Peculiar, Robinson’s Old Tom and Greene King’s Strong Suffolk Vintage Ale.
For this one, have 5 beers brewed in England. And remember, they all also count towards the God Save the King badge!
As we’ve touched on the modern domination of commercial lagers in Britain already, let’s focus on England’s strong brewing traditions.
Ales originally dominated this part of the world, and while there may be some truth to the stereotype of English beer being warm and flat, Ales are remarkably versatile and range from easy drinking Golden and Mild Ales to Extra Special Bitters to Brown Ales, Old Ales, London Porters and even Russian Imperial Stouts. English brewers were relatively slow to adopt hops, yet it is also the birthplace of the hoppy IPAs that were exported all over the British Empire from working class Burton and later provided the foundation for the craft brewing revolution.
The Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) group was launched in 1971 and has grown to now be the largest single issue lobby group in the UK! CAMRA assists small breweries and promotes traditional styles and techniques such as beer being served from Casks rather than Kegs.
There are too many ale breweries in England to list, but the larger ones include Greene King, Fullers (now owned by Asahi), Adnams, Marston’s, Timothy Taylor’s and Shepherd Neame.
Of course, as the home of IPA, England has had a craft beer revolution of its own. Beginning with Thornbridge who released Jaipur in 2005, other breweries worth seeking out include Beavertown (part owned by Heineken), Meantime (fully owned by Asahi), Magic Rock (Kirin), Camden Town (Anheuser-Busch InBev) and Vocation brewing.
The country badge for Scotland. Check in 5 Scottish beers to get this one and remember, they all also count towards God Save the King.
Like the rest of Britain, Ales originally dominated the Scottish brewing scene. Now famous breweries like Tennent’s, Belhaven and Deuchars were established in the 1700s. (They are now owned by Magners, Greene King and Heineken respectively.)
Scottish brewers also developed their own styles. For a time in the 1800s, hoppy Edinburgh pale ales rivaled India Pale Ales for popularity throughout the British Empire. There is also the Scotch Ale, which lives on today. These “wee heavies” are sweet, malty, and strong.
The craft beer revolution was bought to Scotland in a big way with the launch of BrewDog in 2007. Known for their hoppy IPAs and aggressive marketing, they now own a series of pubs around the world and have inspired many other dog themed craft breweries around the world.
Other Scottish craft breweries making waves include the more traditional Innes & Gunn, the Tempest Brew Co, Fierce Beer and Fyne Ales.
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