Sam Smiths Chocolate Stout

Walking into a Samuel Smith’s pub can feel slightly like entering an alternative timeline. The branding looks untouched by modern design trends, mobile phones occasionally seem unwelcome and the beer arrives exactly as it has for generations.

Founded in 1758 in Tadcaster, Yorkshire, Samuel Smith’s remains one of Britain’s oldest independent breweries. Traditional brewing methods, Yorkshire squares and well water drawn from the original brewery site all remain central to production.

The range covers everything from classic bitters and stouts to fruit beers and stronger old ales. Oatmeal Stout remains one of the best-known examples, balancing roasted malt, coffee and chocolate notes with remarkable smoothness.

There is a distinctly old-school confidence to the beers. They rarely chase trends and generally seem unconcerned with whatever the wider craft beer industry happens to be obsessing over that week.

Love the pubs or argue endlessly about the house rules, Samuel Smith’s remains one of the most distinctive brewing institutions in Britain. And in a beer world increasingly full of breweries trying to stand out, that sort of individuality counts for quite a lot.