Steady Rolling Man, a hazy pale ale from Cheltenham's Deya brewery, has been crowned the UK's best beer for 2026 in the annual We Are Beer awards. The beer impressed judges with its fruity hop flavours, hazy appearance and balanced bitterness, reclaiming the top spot it first held when the awards launched in 2024.
How the Awards Work
Thousands of different beers are brewed across the UK every year. Some have become household names, while others are only known locally. We Are Beer, the team behind events including the London Craft Beer Festival and Bristol Craft Beer Festival, compiles the rankings by combining votes from beer drinkers with assessments from a panel of industry experts. Rather than focusing solely on technical brewing standards, judges consider drinkability, consistency, innovation and the impact each beer has had on Britain's brewing scene.
Top Three Beers for 2026
In second place was Five Points Best from London's Five Points Brewery. This traditional bitter was praised for its rich toffee, caramel and biscuit notes, followed by a herbal finish. Third place went to Jaipur from Derbyshire's Thornbridge Brewery, an India Pale Ale credited with helping kick-start Britain's modern craft beer movement through its combination of American hops and traditional English malts.
Special Recognition for Sustainability
The awards' special Star Beer Award went to Beyond Belief Brewing Company's Payload, an amber ale brewed using surplus pasta from family food producer Ugo Foods. Instead of relying entirely on traditional malt, the brewery developed a process that uses leftover pasta that would otherwise have gone to waste. The brewery is now working with other food businesses to turn surplus ingredients into beer, helping reduce food waste while creating something completely new.
UK's Top 50 Beers for 2026
The full list of the UK's Top 50 beers for 2026 includes: Deya – Steady Rolling Man; Five Points – Five Points Best; Thornbridge – Jaipur; Pretty Decent Beer Co – I Could Get Better At Tesco For A Quid; Anspach & Hobday – London Black; Titanic – Plum Porter; Pillars – Pilsner; Verdant – Lightbulb; Timothy Taylor – Landlord; Saint Monday – American Pale Ale; Beak – Parade; Verdant – Even Sharks Need Water; Double-Barrelled – Kitchen Disco; Duration Brewing – Turtles All The Way Down; St Austell – Proper Job; Vault City – Iron Brew Sour; Mad Squirrel Brewery – Sumo; Siren Craft Brew – Lumina; Tiny Rebel – Clwb Tropica; Brixton – Atlantic APA; Left Handed Giant – Sicilian Lemonade Radler; Attic – Intuition; Theakston – Old Peculier; Track – Sonoma; Jubel – Peach; Polly's Brewing – Floret; Northern Monk – Faith; Deya – Boost; Camden Town Brewery – Camden Hells; Wiper and True – Kaleidoscope; Kirkstall – Three Swords; Burning Sky – Aurora; Elusive – Oregon Trail; Oakham – Citra; Lucky Saint – Lager; Kernel – Table Beer; Harbour Brewing – Helles Lager; Tap Social Movement – Time Better Spent; Brewpoint – Foghorn; New Bristol Brewery – Bristol Lager; Woodforde's – Wherry; Brew York – Juice Forsyth; Harvey's – Sussex Best; Lost & Grounded – Keller Pils; Signature Brew – Roadie; Braybrooke – Helles; Utopian – Premium British Lager; Hackney Church Brew Co – Halo; Arbor – Mosaic GF Pale Ale; Abbeydale Brewery – Heathen.
