Wells & Young’s
UK, 4.8%ABV 

Hold a pint of Directors up to the light and you’ll notice that the colour of the beer matches the colour of the pump clip. There’s no coincidence there, the dark ruby red hue comes from the use of roasted barley in the brewing process. Directors stands as a true stalwart in the real ale world of micro brews, themed beers and seasonal ales. It also happens to be the favourite beer of Steve Coogan’s alter ego Alan ‘A-ha’ Partridge. Don’t let that put you off though, first brewed by Courage in the late 1700s and now owned by Wells and Young’s, this bitter really drinks easily. The 4.8% ABV delivers a fruity mouthful balanced with a strong hoppy finish. It goes down great with a Sunday lunch. The beer itself gets its name from the fact that the directors of the Courage brewery in Alton, Hampshire, used to reserve this brew for themselves as an in-house perk. Rumour has it that an employee sneaked a sample out to a local pub where it was greeted with great enthusiasm. The breweries directors were then persuaded to market it to the general public as Alton IPA. Locals knew what this new beer really was and called it Courage Directors, and eventually that name stuck. Well worth a try, if only to pay homage to Radio Norwich’s finest DJ, and most definitely best enjoyed at the hotel bar of a Linton Travel Tavern. GT