Seven summery beers made in Notts

Real ale - it's not all warm and heavy - despite what the yanks think about how we like our beer.
Illicit by Black MarketIllicit by Black Market
Illicit by Black Market

And with such a wealth of different beers made on our doorstep (there are over 75 breweries in Notts) don't be scared by the huge variety on offer.

Let us guide you through some of the top beers made in the county to quench that summer thirst.

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Recommendations come from Paul Edwards, Pubs Officer for Mansfield & Ashfield Camra and Andrew Ludlow of Notts Camra.

StrawBEERY Milkshake - a recent addition by Nottingham craft brewers Black IrisStrawBEERY Milkshake - a recent addition by Nottingham craft brewers Black Iris
StrawBEERY Milkshake - a recent addition by Nottingham craft brewers Black Iris

1. Hop On, 3.8%

Kings Clipstone Brewery at Kings Clipstone are a more established brewery but don't brew too frequently. The guys arrange two marque festivals each year, in a field behind their HQ, featuring their beers, and their 'Hop On 3.8%' is a great summer session beer.

Paul says: "It's a light blonde session ale with a fine hoppy aftertaste. Cascade hops give this beer a slight citrus tang."

2. Black Market Illicit, 4.3%

Hop On - a hoppy summer beer made in King's Clipstone.Hop On - a hoppy summer beer made in King's Clipstone.
Hop On - a hoppy summer beer made in King's Clipstone.

The Warsop brewery's beer is actually brewered at Welbeck Abbey in Worksop, and has Taste of grassy hops joined by a touch of lemon. Mild dry bitter ending according to one user on Ratebeer.com earning it the title of Nottinghamshire's champion beed in February.

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Paul says: "A pale ale that combines the finest American hops and yeast with locally sourced malts that gives a unique citrus hoppy flavour.

At the brewery bar itself, Illicit is served through a regular or chilled pump from the same cask for those preferring a more refreshing pint on a hot summers day."

3. Priory Gold, 4.7%

Priory Gold has 'citrusy aroma, culminating in an intense bitter finish' according to our experts at Camra.Priory Gold has 'citrusy aroma, culminating in an intense bitter finish' according to our experts at Camra.
Priory Gold has 'citrusy aroma, culminating in an intense bitter finish' according to our experts at Camra.

Prior's Well Brewery is an independent company run by two Mansfield lads, based in Old Mill Lane Industrial Estate, and run by two friends.

Camra Paul says: "Pale gold in colour with a citrusy aroma, pleasant hop flavours from USA hops culminating in an intense bitter finish."

4. Harvest Pale 3.8%

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A classic Notts beer that everyone should know - Castle Rock's 'finest' blonde is brewed with a gently-kilned malt, and a blend of American hops added during the brewing process for 'exceptional poise'. "It's distinct hop flavour leads to a crisp finish, winning it numerous awards over the years," said the brewery.

StrawBEERY Milkshake - a recent addition by Nottingham craft brewers Black IrisStrawBEERY Milkshake - a recent addition by Nottingham craft brewers Black Iris
StrawBEERY Milkshake - a recent addition by Nottingham craft brewers Black Iris

5. Strawbeery Milkshake 5.5%

Nottingham Craft-brewers Black Iris made this summery cooler in collaboration with the Kean's Head pub the Lace Market, released in Nottingham Craft Beer Week 2016. Each batch also includes 80 kilograms of pureed strawberries and vanilla pods to provide the seasonal flavour

Nick Folkard heads the Basford brewery with Alex Wilson. He said: "Oats and wheat as well as lactose (an unfermentable sugar) combined with a higher-than-normal mash temperature create a beer that is full-bodied with a silky mouthfeel, balancing the natural acidity of the fruit and a bittering hops."

6. Fountaindale, 4.2%

Made by Lincoln Green Brewing Company in Wigwam Lane, Hucknall, will be a newcomer to the area, available from August 1 at Dukeries Lodge, Edwinstowe.

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Lincoln Green are keeping the Robin Hood heritage alive with their namesake beers, like Marion and Archer - which are also great smooth, summery ales.

Hop On - a hoppy summer beer made in King's Clipstone.Hop On - a hoppy summer beer made in King's Clipstone.
Hop On - a hoppy summer beer made in King's Clipstone.

We can't give you a taste guide for this one yet - we've not tried it. These guys also have their own micro-pub in Hucknall attached tot he brewery - the Beer Shack.

7. Scuba Mozz 5.2

Another newcomer, Langwith Brewery only get set up in Hermitage Way by Christmas and launched their first beer, Scuba Mozz, in May. The three-human (two men, one woman) team are bringing the personal touch to their beers. They're naming their core beers after interesting characters they come across, and 'Scuba Mozz is thusly named after a liverpublian scuba diver who was 'mad as a box of frogs', said director Steve Pownall

"But we're trying not to be too wacky with the beers," he added. "We want to earn out stripes by just doing really good beer, and this is a stronger amber as a modern take on a traditional bitter and a bit more complexity. A smooth start and bitter finish."