As any beer lover in the UK knows, beer styles are not static. Just take today’s pale ales, many of which, 10 years ago, would probably have been described as golden.
Earlier in 2025, brewery liaison officers and tasting panel chairs were asked for their views on a number of beers which were proving problematic to put into a style category. They also had a chance to feedback on beers that were occurring frequently enough to require greater definition. Based on the feedback, a revised beer style leaflet has now been issued.
Christine Cryne, who led the review, said: “The purpose of allocating a beer to a style is to make it easier to judge entries for CAMRA’s Champion Beer of Britain and to give some help to drinkers. Because the way the competition operates, CAMRA puts beers together in style categories, grouping similar beers together because not every brewer brews to a particular style. This allows beers that straddle one or more styles to be judged objectively. This leaflet is key to publicising the work that so many volunteers have put in and we are very grateful to Cask Marque for its support once again, which has enabled us to print it.”
Cask Marque founder Paul Nunny said: “We are pleased to be associated with the beer style guide. Today, beers come in so many different forms and this is a very important classification guide to CAMRA’s Champion Beer of Britain categories. It’s helpful that people have an understanding of beer styles when judging and this guide is written with accessibility in mind. We chair the Guild of Beer Sommeliers, and we will be encouraging them to use this styles brochure when educating consumers about beer and beer styles.”
Copies of the leaflet will be available at Liverpool Beer Festival, where the Champion Winter Beer of Britain is being judged, plus at Members’ Weekend 2026 in St Albans.
