Once again I have been searching for some new alcohol in the form of an ale. I recently got two from the same brand to try out. Off Menu IPA was one of those I was looking forward to trying. This is an IPA and is 5.9%, so is on the stronger side of a drink. It was a hazy golden colour, nice head and once again very drinkable. Sometimes the stronger ales can taste too strong which is off-putting to me, but I am happy to say this was really easy to drink.

Both Camden Pale Ale and Off Menu are really nice drinks. Easy to drink, fresh and crisp. Whether you’re looking for an alternative to Brewdog or or just want to try these out, I can recommend them both. Too-cold temperatures can mute the flavours, so it’s worth taking beer out of the fridge in advance to warm up a little before serving. Pale ales and IPAs are at their best at 7-10°C, and for traditional British ales it's 10-13°C. If you’re looking for something to serve alongside grilled meat such as burgers, ribs, or other fatty meat dishes, our experts recommend choosing a bitter, malt-driven beer that cuts through the fat, such as a West Coast-style IPA. Lagers like pilsners, which are bubbly and bitter, also do a good job of cutting through fat and salt. Make sure your glasses are properly clean. Bubbles adhering to the side of the glass means they’re not completely clean, and can influence the taste of the beer. Even the best beers can fall flat in the wrong environment. Follow these tips from our beer experts to keep yours in top condition:

This category featured IPAs from a selection of popular brands including Beavertown, Goose Island and Greene King. Try cutting through, complementing, and contrasting flavours too. For example, you could try a sharp citrussy beer with oily sardines, or a sweeter beer with salty halloumi. Camden Town brewery has had such success with its Helles pale lager that IPA wasn’t on the menu. Perhaps owners AB InBev had a word...

Previously I have reviewed Goose Island IPA and Midway, both drinks were nice. Camden Pale Ale and Off Menu are similar in that one is fairly light in alcohol, with the other being stronger. Our panel of four independent beer experts blind-tasted 34 beers across four different categories in April 2023 to find the best branded options available in supermarkets for the summer and beyond. We’ve taken all our lager learnings to create a north London take on the West Coast style - brewed with clean Californian ale yeast and fresh, early harvest Simcoe hops, used it at 4 stages of the brewing process to get a beer that’s hoppy, clean and tropical. High-strength IPAs went head to head in this category, which included beers from BrewDog, Camden Town Brewery and St Austell. Be mindful when pouring in case there's sediment at the bottom of the bottle. Our experts recommend leaving the final centimetre in the bottle just in case.At times I have found a few of the lighter ales quite weak tasting and not too pleasant, but this went down well. It’s a really easy to drink can.