It’s been another year of innovation in the craft brewing world. Oli Meade chooses his three stand-out beers of 2025

As the craft scene continues to grow, more and more interesting and unusual beers are appearing throughout the land. But which are the best and why? As someone who has the arduous job of selling (and drinking) lots of beer, I’m reasonably well placed to answer that question. Here are my top three, divided into the categories of Hoppy, Sours and Dark Beers…

Hoppy: Verdant Brewery Hop Custard IPA
When the people at Verdant make a new beer, lots of folk take an interest. When they call it Hop Custard, it becomes very fascinating indeed. The brewery is already one of the main players in the hoppy game, but to boldly call a beer Hop Custard implies it’s going to be big, creamy, and soupy with hops; and it is! Upon first sip it’s smooth, silky, and very soft on the palate, and that’s where that “custard” name is earned: there’s weight without it being syrupy. After that, the fruit really hits – loads of mango and peach, lashings of pineapple and other tropical stone fruits, sweet orange, and a little mandarin, with zest alongside the pure fruit notes. A gentle sweetness from the malt helps to cushion everything. Then comes the bitterness. Not shy in any way. There’s hop bitterness, yes, but it’s moderated. It doesn’t punch you full force in the face; it’s woven in. Mostly it comes through after the fruit, giving a refreshing lift. It might be 8% but it’s so drinkable it simply has to be a stand-out in a year of awesome hoppy beers. Hop Custard is a beer that struts into the New England DIPA arena with swagger, lushness, and a cheeky twist. If you like your IPAs hazy, fruit-forward, creamy, and with a little bit of edge, this one might just hit the sweet spot.

Sour Beer: Azvex Brewing Scoop Mango Lassi
Azvex’s quirky Scoop beers have become favourites at Craft Metropolis, and this year the brewer’s wizards in Liverpool took things up another gear when we thought we were already in sixth. This flavour-packed number is one of those brews that gets people rattling on about sours not being “like a beer”. Well they are. The fermentation process by which this sour was made dictates it is 100% a beer. That said, it’s easy to see where the confusion lies and even the most staunch beer geek would start to question if this is just a smoothie in disguise. With an indulgently (ridiculously) thick body and lush tropical vibes, it blurs the lines between beer and dessert and utterly nails those lassi flavours. Thick as hell, you have to roll the can, tip it and roll it again before pouring, and even then you have to literally squeeze the can like a tube of tomato purée to release its full mango, coconut creamy glory. Like rich, pulpy nectarine coulis with a dreamy haze, this series continues to be a beery fruity sensory milkshake brimming with sunshine. Well worth seeking out for intrigue alone.

Dark Beer: Vault City Dips & Pieces Imperial Stout
The concept here is daring: peanut butter pretzels dipped in chocolate. In a beer. Salted pretzel crunch versus creamy peanut butter versus dark chocolate decadence, all in a high-ABV stout. Yes please! It’s not subtle, but it is well thought-out. It leans into pastry stout territory but this isn’t just beer with “dessert additives” – it’s built around them. Vault City may be best known for their sour game but the Edinburgh brewery has always had loads of fun with stouts along the way. At 13% ABV, this is not a sipper for casual guzzling; it demands attention. The alcohol warms as it warms, but the structure of the base (malts, oat/wheat, the roast, dark chocolate) helps it carry that strength without feeling unbalanced or harsh. One thing that stands out is how Vault City nails the nut flavour, and incredibly it does this this using nut-free peanut flavouring, so even those with nut allergies can enjoy it. This is not only innovative but is a thoughtful pivot that opens the beer to more people – safe to drink on an Easyjet flight without maiming a fellow passenger. There’s a contrast between the sweet dessert elements and salty/savoury pretzel bits that really works and it keeps the beer from being cloying, while the creamy, thick body supports the big flavours. The booziness continues through the experience, making drinking it luscious and decadent, and the roast and chocolate bitterness ensures it has backbone and not just dessert sugar, which can be the downfall of many a beer like this.
This isn’t just a stout, it’s a dessert extravaganza in a can. It’s that moment when you scoop up peanut butter pretzels, coat them in chocolate, let them melt, crunch, and gobble them all down without a care in the world. It’s cheeky, indulgent, a bit exhibitionist in flavour, and definitely built for those times you want flavour that’s bold, silly and luxurious. If you go in expecting modesty you’ll be disappointed!

Oli Meade owns and runs Craft Metropolis, a specialist online bottle shop and two taprooms in south London. You can support his business and the independent breweries mentioned by ordering beer from craftmetropolis.co.uk.

This article is from Idler #106.

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