Citra hop has been imported from America and given a very British twist

This potent, tropically-inclined hop is now in huge demand, says Will Hawkes

It pays to be ahead of the crowd. When Oakham Ales started brewing with the American hop Citra in 2009, it was virtually unknown in the UK. Within two weeks of the resulting beer appearing, five nearby breweries were on the phone to hop merchants Charles Faram. This potent, tropically-inclined hop is now in huge demand. Everybody wants it, but not everyone can get it.

You won't find this trend-setting brewery amid the beards and bobble-hats of Bermondsey and Manchester (or even in the pretty Rutland town of the same name) but on an industrial estate in Peterborough. It's a place that reeks of honest endeavour. The brewing kit has been cobbled together. One of the vessels – formerly a milk tank – apparently had a small tree growing through it before it was repurposed for brewing. A patched-up spot on the container's side attests to the story's veracity.

There'll be some shinier new kit sitting alongside it soon; Oakham is expanding. Brewing capacity is to be doubled and more staff hired. One of the more unremarked consequences of Britain's small-brewery revival is the number of people it employs: 44 now work at Oakham's base in Peterborough. (Puts a new spin on all that Dry January smuggery, doesn't it?)

The key to Oakham's success, of course, is the quality of the finished product. They couple New-World hops with a very British approach to brewing. For the most part, theirs is beer that you can drink a fair bit of (the new government drinking guidelines notwithstanding) and still stroll home. Groundbreaking but grounded.

Three to try

Slurp

Oakham JHB (4.2 per cent ABV, £2.81 for 500ml, beerritz.co.uk)

Pale, dry and hugely easy to drink: this is the Oakham blueprint

Sip

Oakham Citra (4.6 per cent, £2.92 for 500ml, beerritz.co.uk)

Citra's potent character – passion fruit, grapefruit and gooseberry – dominates this tipple

Share

Oakham Green Devil (6 per cent, £3.08 for 500ml, beerritz.co.uk)

Also made with Citra hops, this sticky, rich IPA pushes all the right buttons