Say what you like about the English (I normally do!), but in some parts of their bit of the Sceptred Isle they certainly know how to make beer. Take North Yorkshire for instance, where we find a beautiful little market town called Masham (pronounced Massam) amidst rolling green hills and dales. "What's this?" you ask - "a travel documentary?" Well, yes - this is where the Theakston Brewery is situated, and you, you lucky beer lover, can go visit the home of some of England's most wonderful ales - but that's another story...

And here's a history story. Thanks to details provided by Theakston, I'm going to take you back to the time of William the Conqueror. One of his captains, Nigel de Albini, kicked some butt in the north of England and the King gave him the lands and estates of Mashamshire as a reward. Apparently you can do that when you're a King. These lands passed to Nigel's son, Roger de Mowbray, a knight who wasn't averse to a bit of a scuffle, and just to prove it he headed to the Holy Land to do some Saracen-bashing.

Unluckily for him, he was captured by Saladin and held ransom for seven years before being redeemed by the Holy Order of the Knights Templar.

When he returned home, he expressed his gratitude to the Holy Order by conceding the living of the church at Masham to St Peter's in York. The Archbishop of York wasn't exactly overcome with joy at this, as it made him responsible for the law in far-away Masham. He didn't see why he, a normal peace-loving coward, and clergyman to boot, should have to go from York to Masham, a journey fraught with danger from thieves and vagabonds. So he freed Masham of "all the customs and claims of his Archdeacons and officials" - and established the independent Peculier Court of Masham to deal with law. The chairman of the original court had a great seal made to mark his decisions, and that seal, apart from being the basis of the modern symbol of all Theakston beers, is still used today.

Which brings me to Theakston's Old Peculier, the obvious choice for the name of a beer made in this area. The "peculier" in it's name is an old Norman French word meaning "particular" rather than odd, and particular it is too.

I know this wonderfully strong 'Real Ale' has reached the New World - it was banned from some States at one time due to its packaging! I recommend hunting it down; even the bottled version is worth the effort.

The best way to enjoy a pint of OP is outlined below. It's not the only way, but readers can experiment to find the method that suits them best.

Find a traditional English country pub. Order your beer and watch as the hand-pulled pump spurts a gloriously dusky brew into the (rigorously pint) glass. A characteristically rich beer, allow it to settle in the glass and admire it's dark colouring shot through with red/amber highlights, as the light from the roaring log fire filters through it. A well-poured Old Peculier should be topped with about a finger of dense, creamy head.

Raise the glass and inhale the full, woody nose, indicative of hops and barley in perfect harmony. Now comes the best bit. Brace yourself for an initially sweet, full-bodied roasted barley mouth explosion, tangy, well fruity with (believe it or not)light banana-ish overtones (due to the Old Peculier fermentation process), fading to a subtle aftertaste hinting of bitterness.

Now do it again. And again. Repeat as often as desired; this ale is liquid love for even the most jaded taste buds - but be careful, it's on steroids. Don't mess with it; treat it with the respect it deserves because I'm talking ABV 5.7% OG 1057 STRONG. If you suddenly find that the opposite wall of the pub has sprouted light fixtures, you have fallen over backwards. This is a reasonable indication of overindulgence, and should be taken as a sign to go home. You can, after all, do it all over again tomorrow.

This is by no means the only beer produced by this traditional old Brewery, but in my opinion it's the best. Theakston Old Peculier recently won the silver medal in the CAMRA Champion Winter Beer of Britain competition - and in my opinion, there's nothing peculiar about that.




Recommended: Yes