There are guest ales that arrive with a fanfare and ones that just quietly get on with it. Pale Ale Mary is very much the latter, and that’s precisely why it works.
Brewed by NorthDown Brewery in Margate, this English pale ale sits at 4% and pours a light golden amber with a natural haze and soft white head. It looks exactly how a good pale ale should look – uncomplicated, appealing, ready to drink.
The nose is gentle but characterful. Orchard fruit comes through first, apricot and peach mostly, with a thread of citrus and some floral notes above it.
Nothing is overdone.
Take a sip and that balance really shows up: a rounded, biscuity malt sweetness does the heavy lifting, with a hint of caramel, then the hops come in with a clean, steady bitterness and more of that stone-fruit and citrus character. The finish is crisp, just dry enough that you want another mouthful.
What makes Pale Ale Mary such a good pub guest is how approachable it is. Hop fans get enough aroma and flavour to stay interested, but it won’t put off anyone who usually sticks to a more traditional bitter. At 4%, it’s the kind of beer you can spend a whole evening with, a couple after work or a longer session with friends, without it ever feeling like hard work.
It picked up Kent Beer of the Year at the Taste of Kent Awards in 2020, which is a decent indicator that it’s doing something right.
On the bar now at The Brown Cow on Newmarket while it lasts.