This week on Beer, Together, we crack open a West Coast IPA that might just reset everything we thought we knew about modern craft beer.

We’re drinking Outland Brewery’s West Coast IPA — now renamed Dead Reckoning — a 5% classic that leans hard into caramel malt, citrus hops, and that unmistakable dry bitterness.

But this episode quickly becomes something bigger…

Have we overcomplicated beer?

Somewhere between hazy IPAs, NEIPAs, and fruit-loaded brews, have we forgotten what an IPA is actually meant to taste like?

We dive into:

• What defines a true West Coast IPA
• Why clarity used to matter (and why it doesn’t now)
• The role of malt vs hops in flavour
• Whether “craft beer” even needs a definition
• And whether big brewers can still make “craft” beer

We also get into some proper pub nostalgia — Bass, London Pride, 6X — and how those beers shaped what we expect from a pint today.

🍔 Food pairing?
Think fatty, salty, bold:

• Smash burgers
• Sausages
• BBQ meats
• Mature cheddar
• Fried chicken

This is a beer that doesn’t cuddle your food… it argues with it — and wins.

⚔️ Choose Your Fighter
We put it head-to-head with the reigning champion, Neck Oil, across:

• Flavour
• Drinkability
• Occasion

And for the first time in weeks…

We crown a new winner.

This isn’t just about one beer — it’s about where beer culture is heading.

👉 Are we chasing trends… or rediscovering what made beer great in the first place?

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This one wasn’t planned… but the best ones never are.

It’s Elton’s birthday 🎂 so we’ve ditched the format, grabbed a couple of Camden Pales, and spent 15 minutes doing what Beer, Together is really about — sharing stories.

From how we met nearly 25 years ago, to a genuinely surreal near-miss story involving a pub, a bomb scare, and a missing phone… this episode is less about the beer, and more about why we started this in the first place.

Because sometimes the best pint isn’t the most complex, rare, or hyped —
it’s the one you already know, shared with people who matter.

🍺 In this episode:

• Why Camden Pale is our “safe pint”
• The idea of a safe, risky, and wildcard beer
• How working in pubs changes how you see everything (yes… even lightbulbs)
• The story of how we met — and nearly didn’t
• Why community matters more than tasting notes

No “Choose Your Fighter” this week.
No overthinking.

Just a quick birthday beer… with you lot.

#BeerTogether #CraftBeerUK #PubTalk #BeerChat #CamdenPale #BeerCommunity #UKPubs #BeerReel #DrinkDifferent #DrinkTogether

This week on Beer, Together, we take on something completely different — Fresh Pulp from Buxton Brewery, a 6% double dry-hopped New England IPA… and let’s just say, it divides opinion.

From the first pour, this one is loud. Hazy, juicy, and packed with tropical fruit flavours — pineapple, mango, citrus — it’s a full-on fruit assault. But does more flavour actually mean a better beer?

We break down:

• What double dry hopping really does to a beer
• Why NEIPAs (New England IPAs) are so hazy and fruit-forward
• The role of hops like Citra, Chinook, Centennial, El Dorado… and the newer British Harlequin hop
• Whether beers like this are built for enthusiasts… or just for trying once

There’s also a proper reality check on drinkability. At 6%, this isn’t your easy-going pint — it’s a first drink of the nightbeer… if that.

We also dive into:

• The story of Buxton Brewery — from a 40L garage setup in 2009 to a full-scale operation
• Our own (failed) home brewing adventures
• Why some beers fight your food instead of complementing it
• And where this actually fits in a real drinking occasion

🍽️ Food Pairings?
Surprisingly, this one leans toward bold, punchy flavours:

• Kimchi fried chicken
• Salty cheeses
• Pickles & relishes

⚖️ Choose Your Fighter
Can anything beat our reigning champion Neck Oil?

We score on:

• Flavour
• Drinkability
• Occasion

…and let’s just say, Fresh Pulp has a fight on its hands.

🍺 This is what Beer, Together is all about — trying beers you might not pick yourself, figuring out where they fit (if they fit at all), and having a proper conversation about it.

👍 Tried Fresh Pulp? Agree or completely disagree with us?

Join the conversation:
📲 Instagram: @BeerTogether123
🎙️ Follow the podcast on Spotify to be part of the community

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#CraftBeerUK
#NEIPA
#HazyIPA
#BeerPodcast
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