Stoutest of stouts to fruity little numbers - 10 classics

These are expert Pete Brown's top real ales:

Bitter and Twisted, Harviestoun, Alva, Clackmannanshire.

This Scottish pale ale is refreshing with a really rich taste. It is one of those beers I'll suggest people should try, to persuade people they might like real ale. Even if they think they won't like it, they'll take one sip and say "oooh, I like that".

Adnams Broadside, Southwold, Suffolk.

When it is November and it is cold outside, you can't beat sitting in a warm pub next to a fire with a pint of Broadside. It's the perfect winter beer.

Punk IPA, BrewDog, Fraserburgh, Aberdeenshire.

It is everything an IPA should be: quite strong, with an incredibly fresh, full flavour. The BrewDog guys have some really unusual marketing ideas - but they also take traditional techniques to do something extraordinary.

Sunshine, by Monty's, Powys, Wales.

It is 4.2 per cent, light brown and really full of fruit. The kind of beer you want on a warm summer evening.

Dark Star, Hophead, West Sussex.

This beer is not very strong - it is about 3.8 per cent which means you can drink a lot of it. It's a great session beer; great when you want to drink a few pints of beer in an evening.

Castle Rock, Harvest Pale, Nottingham.

Harvest Pale is this year's Supreme Champion Beer of Britain. It is a blonde ale, not too strong. It is just as refreshing as a lager can be but with a really characterful flavour.

Thornbridge, St Petersburg Imperial Stout, Derbyshire.

This imperial stout is 7 per cent - with strong flavours of liquorice, chocolate and coffee. Not something to be taken lightly, it is a drink to be savoured, like a full- flavoured red wine.

Blackberry Stout, Waen, Powys, Wales.

This Welsh beer is very dark, nearly black, with a great fruity flavour to it. People sometimes think dark beers can be intimidating but this is a dark and full-flavoured beer which is also very refreshing.

Timothy Taylor Landlord, Keighley, West Yorkshire.

This is the beer that Madonna used to drink down the old Dog and Duck in Soho and it has won the Champion Beer of Britain award. It doesn't travel very well, but when you taste it in good condition, it is wonderful.

Deuchars IPA, Edinburgh

If a beer is good enough for Inspector Rebus, it is good enough for me. Deuchars IPA is another beer which is not too strong, but is has a full, refreshing flavour.

• Pete Brown is a writer and broadcaster and author of The Cask Report.