CAMRA campaigns for live beer because we know it’s something special.
One to Try is an accreditation scheme, designed to promote and support the brewers who make the products we love. Any brewer of live beer can sign up, from innovative start-ups to familiar favourites, and use the One to Try logo on their canned and bottled live beers.
This means consumers can explore everything live beer has to offer with confidence – knowing that any beer that carries the One to Try logo will be in perfect condition.
There’s no cost to join the scheme, and we’ll promote you and your beers across social media, our website, and through our local CAMRA branches, as well as creating exciting new content to help consumers learn more about live beers, including a directory of accredited products, and videos and articles to dive deeper into beer styles, brewing processes, bottles and canning.
Use the button to download our Brewers Pack, send the logo use agreement back to us, and we’ll supply everything you need to take part!
Any beer accredited as part of One to Try will be ‘conditioned’. This means that the brewing process doesn’t end at the brewery, instead your beer is a fresh, living product that gets better with age. Conditioning creates a small amount of sediment that will settle at the bottom of the bottle or can – just like the sediment found in a cask of ale at the pub. Unlike filtered, pasteurised beers which get their fizz artificially, One to Try beers will have a smooth texture and a light sparkle gained through natural fermentation.
We work with brewers directly to accredit their live beers through our self-certification process. There’s no cost involved and all they have to do is answer a few simple questions about their beer to start using the One to Try logo.
CAMRA supports variety and distinctiveness of beer styles, and this is what’s at the heart of One to Try. The UK is home to thousands of breweries, producing countless canned and bottled live beers and there’s nothing more enjoyable than trying new beers with friends, and finding a new favourite along the way.
Like any living thing, One to Try beers will benefit from a little TLC!
The yeast will still be working hard to develop the full flavour of your beer, and keeping it in the right conditions will help make sure it tastes the best it can. Live beer is best stored upright, out of direct sunlight, and away from fluctuating temperatures, so it’s happier in the cupboard than the fridge. The ideal serving temperature for canned and bottled live beer is usually between 7 and 10 degrees, although a beer that is particularly strong or dark may need to be slightly above this – if you don’t have a thermometer handy, popping it in the fridge for about half an hour before you drink it should do the trick!
For most live beer, the sediment is not part of the flavour profile, so pour carefully and (even though it might be tempting) don’t pour the very bottom of the bottle or can into your glass.
CAMRA members can find resources to support the One to Try scheme in the Campaign Pack over in our Members Area.