As an American who likes beer, I thought I’d landed in heaven after moving to Sheffield, England.

The real ale culture there is intense, and it seemed like there was a pub on every street corner.

English beer is different from American beer in a few ways. The temperature is higher — cellar-cool, rather than artificially chilled — and the pints are larger: 20 fluid ounces, rather than 16. The ABV — alcohol by volume — is smaller to compensate, but that also means you get a wider range of flavor and style. Basically, the moment I sipped my first proper British pint, I was obsessed.

England also has a lot of beer festivals, and CAMRA — the Campaign for Real Ale — is an organization that sponsors many ale-related events. I bought a membership, attended a few dull... Read More