The United Kingdom has long been a center of great brewing and many of the beer styles that we recognize today were developed there over the past several centuries. Agriculture, history, tradition and culture conspired to make the British, Irish and Scottish people great brewers, but those same factors also created distinct differences among the three and ultimately, each country left its own stamp on brewing history.
Despite their geographic proximity, agriculture varies dramatically between Britain, Ireland and Scotland. Agriculture is critical to beer since barley and hops are primary ingredients. Barley flourishes in all of Ireland and Scotland and is used both for beer and for whiskey (Scotch or Irish whiskey, depending on the location). To this day, Irish and Scottish beers are low in hop taste and both rely heavily on barley malt for flavor.
Scottish and Irish beers are typically ales, though the Scots also began brewing lagers before anyone else in the British Isles.
