Bristol has quietly become one of the UK’s best beer cities, partly because breweries like Lost and Grounded decided lager deserved just as much care and attention as heavily hopped IPA.

Founded in 2016 by Annie Clements and Alex Troncoso, Lost and Grounded built its reputation around continental-inspired brewing with a strong focus on precision, balance and drinkability. The brewery itself sits in Brislington beside towering stainless steel tanks that look reassuringly serious about fermentation.

Keller Pils remains the flagship for a lot of people. Crisp, properly bitter and clean in a way that makes you realise how many lagers are weirdly lifeless by comparison. But the brewery covers plenty more ground than that. Helles, saisons, pale ales, stouts and mixed fermentation beers all appear regularly, usually brewed with a level of restraint that feels increasingly refreshing in modern craft beer.

What makes Lost and Grounded particularly good is texture and balance. Even the hoppier beers retain structure underneath the aroma. The lagers especially benefit from patience, proper conditioning and brewers who clearly enjoy German and Czech beer traditions rather than simply borrowing the aesthetics.

Their taproom captures Bristol quite well too. Spacious, relaxed, dogs wandering about, excellent beer and somebody nearby discussing either records, sourdough or cycling with alarming confidence.