The Session February 2025: The best beer you can drink at home right now

Oh dear, I can see where this is going. Participating in The Session each month (where beer writers from all over post something on the same day on the same topic) is going to be the only thing I write on this blog, and I’m going to feel ridiculously guilty that I don’t have time to post anything else. Well, that’s where we are right now anyway.

Boak & Bailey have set the theme for Session #144 – what’s the best beer you can drink at home right now? This is perhaps a strangely difficult question for me. Since I spend an awful lot of time writing about beer, a lot of my home beer drinking takes place for work purposes. Researching an article can sometimes require sampling one or more beers, taking photographs and making notes. This means that quite often the cans I crack are not necessarily the ones that I’ve chosen for that moment, but more likely something that needs to be tasted.

I can hear you breaking out the tiny violins now. But honestly, it can be a chore. Sometimes you want a night off. But deadlines wait for no one. So press on I must.

This gives me a new conundrum when writing for The Session though. What would I drink, if I had free choice? What is the best beer I can get my hands on at home? This brings me on to a different subject – the supermarket beer.

I can’t help but feel like the mass availability of high quality beers in the supermarkets has been much maligned, at least from what I see on social media. Particularly, it must be said, in a certain craft beer Facebook group where mention of beers from the mega-mart are verboten. I get that highlighting breweries that haven’t achieved big listings is important, and that supporting breweries and indie bottle shops by buying direct is also a very, very good thing. But I also think that it’s great that we are seeing so many independent brewers getting a little bit of space on The Big Shelves.

When I see a social media post celebrating Attic in Asda or Brew York in Morrisons, I don’t think “Grrr… sell outs!” I think “Hooray! Good for them! Well done!” A supermarket contract, while margins may be incredibly, stupidly tight, is still a sign of hard work on the part of the brewery team paying off and – hopefully – a relatively long term, sizeable order for them to fulfil that will keep the wolves from the door. Do I wish that supermarkets paid them more? Of course. Overall though, I see these contracts as a good thing. Regular work for brewers, more exposure to high quality independents for consumers who might not even know what a bottle shop is.

What would I buy then? What would be the best beer for me to purchase and enjoy at home. Well, I can narrow this down by process of elimination. If I’m buying for home, then I’m buying something to drink that day or within the next couple of days. That means that I’m going to go to Morrisons, the only major supermarket within easy reach of my house.

If I’m in the mood for a beer, it will most likely be consumed in the evening, after Bam Bam is safely tucked up in bed. That means I’ll be finishing off my work for the day and I’ll probably be quite tired. I don’t want anything to big on ABV, just something tasty to enjoy in front of the telly or doing a spot of crafting.

I’ll disregard the macro brands and run my finger along the shelf to see what’s left. That Tripel Karmeliet catches my eye, as does the Westmalle Tripel. Both represent excellent value, but are far too strong for my casual evening beer. Wilde Child’s Brownie Hunter chocolate fudge brownie stout sounds like a bit of a giggle, but I haven’t tried it before. If it’s too sweet or doesn’t have enough body, I’ll be sad. So that won’t do either.

I want something familiar, that I know I love. Something that never lets me down. That leaves me with William Bros Talking Head APA, Siren Soundwave IPA or Ossett’s White Rat. They are all reliable and formidable quality. I’d be happy with any of them. But for today’s fictional drinking experience, I’m plumping for the White Rat.

I think it fits the brief. It’s an excellent beer. It’s widely available. It’s not going to make me think too hard, I’ll just enjoy drinking it. So for nothing but vague, personal reasons, White Rat is the best beer to drink at home right now. If you are me.