English Pale Ale

Old Speckled Hen

Greene King PLC ABV: 5.2%

Old Speckled Hen may be a bar stool stalwart, but the beer was born only in 1979 to commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of an MG car factory in Abingdon. (Old Speckled Hen was the name of the paint- covered automobile that workers used as the factory runaround—the "owld speckled un.") Despite nearly being killed off in favor of lager production, the Hen has endured to be a clear amber looker crowded with smooth flavors of caramel and toasted malt, plus fruity butterscotch aromas and a mild herbaceous hop profile. We recommend nabbing OSH in a nitro-pour can.

Bass Pale Ale

Bass Brewers Limited ABV: 5%

During the late nineteenth century Bass dominated the drinking landscape in Great Britain, becoming the country’s most popular ale. Today it’s an international icon shipped the world over (Bass was the first foreign beer sold in Japan, in 1860), owing its enduring success to its approachability. The glowing copper ale speaks of sweet malt, caramel, and the earth, featuring a mild fruity hop character and a speck of bitterness hanging out on the back end.