“Bensoir! It's me, Benjamin. I like to eat and drink. And cook. And write.

You may have read stuff I've written elsewhere, but here on my own blog as Ben Viveur I'm liberated from the editorial shackles of others, so pretty much anything goes.

BV is about enjoying real food and drink in the real world. I showcase recipes that taste awesome, but which can be created by mere mortals without the need for tons of specialist equipment and a doctorate in food science. And as a critic I tend to review relaxed establishments that you might visit on a whim without having to sell your first-born, rather than hugely expensive restaurants and style bars in the middle of nowhere with a velvet rope barrier, a stringent dress code and a six-month waiting list!

”There's plenty of robust opinion, commentary on the world of food and drink, and lots of swearing, so look away now if you're easily offended. Otherwise, tuck your bib in, fill your glass and turbo-charge your tastebuds. We're going for a ride... Ben Appetit!

Golden Pints - beers of the year

When a year ends, I typically post about my favourite beers from the preceding 12 months. As I drink quite a lot of beer this can be a challenging and interesting process, and often yields slightly surprising results:


  • Golden pints of 2013 including Ilkley 'The Mayan', Siren's Big Inflatable Cowboy Hat series, and an unlikely cinnamon and vanilla mild
  • Golden pints of 2014 including the legendary Tap East Saxon Invasion, two chocolatey classics from Thornbridge and Dark Star's Creme Brulee
  • Golden pints of 2015 including Cantillon Lambic from the wood, a White Porter with coffee, vanilla and coconut, and a Jasmine Tea Saison
  • Golden pints of 2016 including a Siren Quadruppel on cask, a passionfruit IPA from Redemption and not one but two Tiny Rebel beers in the top five!
  • Golden pints of 2017 including an amazing tzatziki sour, a hoppy Moldovan lager and a huge IPA from Wild Weather
  • Golden pints of 2018 including a creamy coffee pale, a Heavy Metal mango cider and a Honeydew Melon pale from Thornbridge!
  • Golden pints of 2019 including a stunning 2.8% table beer, an imperial chocolate mild and a rhubarb & custard sour on cask!
  • Platinum pints - my favourite beers of the entire 2010s decade
  • Some thoughts on the possibility of COVID killing off cask beer, following a dismal 2020 when it certainly wasn't worthwhile or appropriate to do a Golden Pints...
  • Golden pints of 2021 including a stunning session pale from Thornbridge, a new classic from Oakham, and Imperial Stay Puft with waffle and candied bacon!
  • Golden pints of 2022 including an incredibly rare cask sour from Drop Project, 'the best porter I've had in years', and a stunning Thai Pale Ale.
  • Golden pints of 2023 including a mixed berry sour from upstate New York, the cask version of Hammerton Crunch and Thornbridge's beer for International Women's Day
  • Golden pints of 2024 including an Apricot and Vanilla milkshake IPA, an Imperial Dessert Stout and an Italian Pilsner

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