Best of Devon
Barnaby’s Brewhouse | Ethic Ale (4%) | Organic Ale | Staverton
The Brewery: Combining an ecological approach with a passion to produce truly unique organic beers, Barnaby and Tim started their fully sustainable brewery in 2016. Engineers by trade, they developed several innovative gadgets and controls, utilise second hand machinery and renewable energy to brew great beer. They were recently named ‘Heroes of Net Zero’ at the COP 26 for their amazing efforts.
The Beer: Furthering their sustainability focus, Barnaby's Brewhouse took their brewing expertise and launched a beer in partnership with Enactus to raise money for sustainability projects. The beer itself is a light ale with a satisfying bitter aftertaste and we love that when you're sipping away you;re also helping protect the planet.
Utopian Brewing | Dark Lager (5.4%) | Lager | Bow Crediton
The Brewery: Richard and his team have brought a fresh range of original craft lagers powered by sustainable resources and made entirely from British ingredients. Their lagers are traditionally brewed using state of the art kit and Rich constantly brings out new brews.
The Beer: Utopian’s interpretation of a Bavarian Dunkel Style comes with a strong flavour. Overall very well balanced and very drinkable - we enjoy its maltiness and the nutty taste. We suggest you start by having it cold and you’ll see an interesting flavour transition as it warms up a bit. Props to using British ingredients only.
Black Tor Brewery | Pride of Dartmoor (4%) | Pale Ale | Christow - GF
The Brewery: Black Tor is an award-winning independent brewery located in Devon’s stunning Dartmoor National Park. Jonathon has built a reputation for high quality, wonderful tasting, unique beers and we’re a big fan of both him and his beer.
The Beer: A very refreshing, malty amber ale with biscuity caramel notes and a sweet floral finish. Easy to drink and a true Devon classic - now gluten-free since recently!
Powderkeg Brewery | Speak Easy (4.3%) | Transatlantic Pale | Woodbury Salterton - GF
The Brewery: With strong influences from the US craft and European classic brewing scene,
John and his team add their own unique twist to make contemporary English beers. Their ‘Modern English’ style and the meticulous brewing techniques prove popular with drinkers from all walks of life, both craft enthusiasts and more traditional drinkers.
The Beer: This American Pale possesses a strong British influence. Chinook, Palisade and Citra hops give a strong fruity taste and its reasonable ABV makes it easy to drink. We enjoyed the dry, clean finish and the well balanced bitterness. This one’s gluten-free.
Buckland Brewers | Red Head (7.1%) | Red Ale | Buckland Brewer
The Brewery: Starting to sell commercially in 2016, Dutchman Frits has home-brewed since holidaying in England as a teen. He benefits from the brewery’s own borehole and gives the remaining grains to their lively family of goats. They love to experiment with different yeasts and their plans for a tap room and shop on site is well under way!
The Beer: The Red Head was designed as one of Buckland’s first commercial beers and when each of their beers was named after a hair colour. The malty, lightly hopped, beautiful dark red beer is contained within a traditional Steinie bottle and boasts a 7.1% ABV, in line with the traditional Belgian style beers.
Steel Brew Co. | Plymouth (5.5%) | Pale Ale | Plymouth
The Brewery: After starting to brew in their garage in 2018, the team now has a stylish new brewery and taproom in Plymouth’s historic Royal William Yard. Nick has big plans for the future and aims to shake up the status quo. Definitely worth a visit when down in Plymouth!
The Beer: The award-winning full-bodied Plymouth Pale Ale is one of Steel’s flagship beers and we understand why. This cloudy, rather dark pale impresses with a unique malty sweet taste and a subtle spice. Low in carbonation and rich in hops - very tasty!
Exeter Brewery | IPL (3.9%) | Organic Lager | Devon
The Brewery: Beginning to brew back in 2003, Exeter Brewery created Devon’s first Organic ale and Organic Lager. The brewery also donates spent grain to local farmers and their herds of hungry cows to help them with their sustainability quest.
The Beer: The IPL, standing for ‘Its Proper Lager’, is made with high quality all-organic ingredients, carefully brewed together to give an authentic and drinkable beer. Refreshing, light and citrusy with a pleasant amount of carbonation and a sweet apple and vanilla aroma.
Salcombe Brewery | Shingle Bay (4.2%) | Golden Ale | Kingsbridge (*)
The Brewery: The founders John and Gerry purchased the brewery in 2016 after more than 30 years of holidaying in Salcombe. We were impressed by the state-of-the-art brewing equipment which attracts many visitors and allows them to brew such a variety of tasty brews.
The Beer: This one’s a very smooth, easy drinking golden ale with a subtle malty backbone. Overall a clean, rather traditional brew with a refreshing citrus aroma. It’s got an enjoyable aftertaste and is the ideal beer to start off the night!
All beers are suitable for vegans except for the ones marked with asterisk (*). GF stands for Gluten-Free!