It’s been a big beer month this month, with not one but two fantastic beer festivals - Hop City and The Great Exhibition of Prize Ales. We’ve also been out and about enjoying a few sunshine beers and working our way through some excellent new brews at home.
Here’s a rundown of our favourite new brews for May 2026.
Caprese Tomato Gose by Pivovar Matuska (Czechia)
Gose 5.9%
We tried lots of great beers at Hop City, but this one definitely stood out. As well as having tomato in the beer, a tomato foam was added after the pour. The aroma and flavour of tomato and basil really came through, balanced nicely by the saltiness of a gose. It was delicious - a highlight of the day and the perfect palate cleanser.
Brewer’s website: Pivovar Matuška
Dark Arches by Northern Monk (Leeds, UK)
Black IPA 6.7%
We tried two Black IPAs from Northern Monk this month - Dark Faith and Dark Arches. Both were excellent, but this one ever so slightly had the edge (although I wouldn’t hesitate to have either beer again).
Brewer’s note: From the depths of the Northern Monk archive comes Dark Arches; one of our oldest recipes that has made its way to annual release status. A 6.7% Black IPA the balances the hoppy dank notes of an IPA with the appearance, texture and chocolatey smoothness of a Stout.
Brewer’s website: Northern Monk Craft Beers
Collab 1858 by Kirkstall Brewery x Northern Monk x Anthology (Leeds)
Pale Ale 5%
It seemed a shame not to try this collab, which was brewed especially for The Great Exhibition of Prize Ales, and it was excellent. It tasted like sweet brioche with hints of citrus - very easy drinking.
Brewer’s note: Pouring an 1858 recipe Tetley Pale in the home of Tetley's was a big moment for us this weekend, made extra special by collaborating with our friends at Anthology and Northern Monk.
Brewer’s website: Kirkstall Brewery
Baltic Best by Black Lodge Brewery (Liverpool)
Bitter 4.2%
We weren’t familiar with Black Lodge Brewing, but since this beer had a CAMRA award, we decided to give it a try, and we’re glad we did. It had roasty, chocolatey notes along with some bramble and hedgerow fruit flavours - almost like a porter and a bitter at the same time.
Brewer’s website: Black Lodge Brewing
BEER OF THE MONTH
Rustique by Burning Sky (Sussex, UK)
Mixed Fermentation 8.5%
We invested in a selection of mixed ferm ales from Burning Sky a while back and have been gradually working our way through them. I think almost all of them have made our top five list at some point, and this one is definitely deserving of a place. It had a funky but sweet aroma, like gooseberries in honey, and an almost mead-like flavour but with a lovely tartness, and a long finish with maybe a slight saltiness. An excellent beer and worthy of our beer of the month this month.
Brewer’s note: Rustique started life as a ‘clean’ strong Belgian style pale ale. After a primary fermentation we transferred it to Foudre No. 4, that had previously held different mixed fermentation beers. The residual wild yeasts worked their magic over 15 months to produce a unique wild pale ale
Brewer’s website: Burning Sky
Honourable mention
These new brews didn’t quite make it into our top five, but we still feel they are worth a mention.
Wild Wild Life (2026) by Roosters (Harrogate, Yorkshire)
Barrel-Aged Saison 7%
We love a saison, and this one was very good. It only just missed out on our top five and is fully deserving of an honourable mention. It was light, refreshing and funky with a nice tartness. A great sunny-day beer.
Brewer’s note: Barrel-aged for over six months, Wild Wild Life [2026] is a refreshing, yet refined, blended sour saison displaying smooth complexity, delicate herbal aromas, soft oak & a hint of vanilla. The flavour is bright, yet balanced. Subtle spice & citrus mingle with soft stone fruit earthiness, alongside a touch of creaminess that softens the edges of the beer & creates a rounded mouthfeel.
Brewer’s website: Rooster's Brewery
Anti-Establishment brewed by William Bros for Aldi
IPA 5.4%
Not even close to the best beer we’ve had this month, but I’m giving it an honourable mention because it’s a reasonably priced supermarket beer that makes a good fridge filler. Ideal if you want something cheap and easy drinking. We battled this blind alongside its Brewdog counterpart, and both agreed it was by far the better beer. You can read about our Brewdog vs Aldi battle here.
Brewer’s note: Anti-Establishment IPA is a genre defining craft beer. A classic gold pour delivers a burst of new world hops that create a cacophony of flavour. A hint of caramel gives way to giant tropical waves, while the exotic undertone dissolves into a bitter biting finish.
