This month’s top five new brews
We started June in Dubrovnik, where we managed to find a quirky craft beer bar (and a good selection of Croatian craft beers in various shops). We also took a day trip to Bosnia and Herzegovina and had a couple of brews at a lovely taproom in Mostar. Back in the UK, we had selections from Marstons, Northern Monk, and Adnams, before finishing the month with a mini bar crawl for my birthday.
Here’s a rundown of our favourite new brews for June 2025.
Double Northern by Northern Monk X Donzoko (UK)
Burton Ale 7%
We haven’t had many Burton Ales - it’s not exactly a common style these days - but we really enjoyed this one. It had lovely malty, marmalade flavours and was extremely moreish.
Brewer’s note: Double Northern is a modern take on a classic beer that was prevalent at the time Northern Soul was dominating dancefloors across the North of England, and a direct nod to the Burton-upon-Trent heritage of the style. We teamed up with Donzoko to create this reimagined recipe, which started with the ‘burtonisation’ of the water, pushing the mineral content much higher than we usually would.
The base combines historic Chevallier malt with Maris Otter, while Brewers Invert Sugar No.1 boosts ABV and fermentability whilst honouring traditional brewing methods. English hop varieties First Gold, East Kent Goldings and Bramling Cross deliver marmalade, earthy spice, and winter berry flavours with a bold bitterness.
Brewer’s website: Keep the Faith - Northern Monk
Milkshake IPA by The Garden Brewery (Croatia)
Milkshake IPA 6.2%
This lovely milkshake IPA was one of a handful of delicious Croatian craft beers we managed to find during our stay in Dubrovnik, and one of two beers from The Garden Brewery.
Brewer’s note: Sweet creamy and juicy. Super Milky - With 3 times more lactose than we have ever used! Subtle sweet notes of passion-fruit, mango, strawberry, and vanilla. Fermented out with unique White Labs London Fog yeast WLP066.
Brewer’s website: The Garden Brewery
Twin Pines by Northern Monk (Leeds, UK)
West Coast IPA 6.5%
Another great beer from one of our favourite breweries, Northern Monk. We do love a good West Coast IPA, and this one was very good.
Brewer’s note: Into the Wild. Embark on a adventure to the forests of the west coast. Craft brewed with Northern pride and packed with piney, zesty flavours.
Brewer’s website: Keep the Faith - Northern Monk
Pale Ale by Zmajska Pivovara (Croatia)
Pale Ale 5.3%
Another fantastic Croatian brew that we picked up on our way from the bus stop to our apartment when we first arrived. We also had a berry sour from the same brewery, which was also a good beer.
Brewer’s note: Though it's one of our pales, its flavour doesn't fade into paleness easily. Mango and citrus refreshing aromas arouses from combining four hops originated in New World. Characteristics of this ale are its full-bodied taste and tasty bitterness.
Brewer’s website: Zmajska Pivovara
BEER OF THE MONTH
Black Devil by OldbridZ (Bosnia and Herzegovina)
Russian Imperial Stout 9%
We were fortunate enough to find a great craft beer bar in Mostar, but unfortunately, we only had time for a couple of small beers and a few tasters. We decided we couldn’t miss out on this barrel-aged imperial stout, so we grabbed a couple of bottles to take back to Dubrovnik. And we’re glad we did, as it turned out to be an excellent stout and our beer of the month for June.
Unfortunately, this brewery doesn’t have a website, and neither does the bar we bought it from. But if you do find yourself in Mostar, look out for Craft Beer Garden right next to the old town as it’s definitely worth a visit. If you can’t find it, any of the locals should be able to point you in the right direction.
Honourable mention
These new brews didn’t quite make it into our top five, but we still feel they are worth a mention.
Hop City Collabs by Northern Monk (UK)
These beers were brewed specially for Hop City, which we attended back in May. They were both great beers, but we couldn’t agree which was best. I thought the Italian pilsner was slightly better, whereas Alex preferred the DDH IPA. So, for the sake of fairness, we decided they both deserved an honourable mention.
DDH IPA 6.5%
Brewer’s note: For the UK leg of our 2025 Hop City collaboration tour, we worked with our pals at Rivington to brew a bold DDH IPA featuring Indie Hops Luminosa, Strata, Strata CGX and Lorien. This IPA is bursting with peach, passion fruit and strawberry notes, with a dank bite and zesty undercurrent.
Italian Pilsner 5%
Brewer’s note: Our USA-focused Hop City 2025 collaboration sees us brew a dry, crisp Italian-style pilsner with New Hampshire’s Schilling Beer Co. Indie Hops’ Lorien® and Audacia® build a bouquet of wildflower, honeydew, berry and lavender notes with a zingy citrus zest and dry, bitter finish.
Brewer’s website: Keep the Faith - Northern Monk
Revisited
Not a new brew but a beer we’ve revisited recently because it’s one of our favourites.
Dancing Dragonfly by Pheasantry Brewery (UK)
Blonde Ale 5%
We’ve had a few beers from Pheasantry, and they have always been good. We first tried Dancing Dragonfly a few years ago at home, so when we saw it on cask after completing the Leeds 10K, we knew it was a safe bet. Just what we needed after our run.
Brewer’s note: Refreshing blond beer, Galaxy, Cascade and Summit gives exotic fruit flavours.
Brewer’s website: Pheasantry Brewery
