Twenty breweries: Crouch Vale

It wouldn't surprise me if 'Crouch' became rhyming slang for pale and hoppy ale.

Since winning the CAMRA Champion Beer of Britain award in 2005 and 2006,"Brewer's Gold" has become Crouch Vale's flagship ale and the standard to which many new microbrewers aspire. Since 1981, Colin Bocking and the Crouch Vale crew have been supplying the South East with plenty of hoppy beer as well as a few darker delights along the way. But it's the paler beers that have made their name, being resolutely unfraid to use quality German and American hops to great effect.

Their seasonal brews often showcase hop varieties and are renowned for both their quality and their unpredictability; the website states that their offering is subject to change due to "ingredient availability issues and strange brewers' whims". Which sounds a perfect plan to me.

Why try? They're the very definition of pale, hoppy ale.

What to look for? Brewer's Gold, the rarer Brewer's Gold Extra and any of those adventurous seasonals.

Where to buy? Their heartland is Essex and the South East but as wholesalers with an extensive network the beers do escape across the country. Bottles
can be bought online from Ales By Mail.