Wine buffs are popping up all over the country now thanks to the popularity of tasting sessions.

You no longer have to take a booze cruise across the Channel to visit vineyards for wine tasting, with more and more bars and shops offering the same thing right on your doorstep.

But Half & Half bar in Croydon's High Street are offering something a bit different for those who prefer their drinks a little more on the manly side.

If you've always wanted to try different ales but not known enough about them to be sure of finding one you like, Half & Half's beer tasting sessions are definitely for you.

Cast aside any preconceptions that there won't be as much variation between beers or depth of flavour as you would get at a wine tasting - on our visit we tried everything from brown ales to blond, fruit beers and coconut flavoured ones.

Half & Half bar's Belgian beer tasting is run by Bart Verhaeghe, an expert in the drinks who imports Belgian beers to pubs and shops around the UK, as well as to foodie mecca Borough Market.

He supplies Half & Half with around 15 beers from a constantly changing menu, and the bar has the privilege of being the only one in Croydon supplied by Bart.

With a passion for the Belgian beer market, Bart drops in to the Croydon bar to run tasting sessions as often as he can, usually once every month or two.

On our visit the downstairs area of the bar was packed with beer enthusiasts, some there for the first time, others regulars on return visits.

We were given a list of the 10 beers we would be tasting with a brief description and space for writing comments so that bar managers Ian Taitte and Karel Skibinsky can find out which ones customers want to see behind the bar.

Starting with a mild Hoppepils at five per cent abv, we worked our way through the drinks menu over the next two hours, ending with some dark ales up to almost nine per cent abv.

Bart gave a short talk before each beer to tell us a bit about how it was brewed, and about the area of Belgium it came from.

It's a very laid-back atmosphere though, with plenty of time to chat and enjoy the drinks and even some Belgian meats and cheeses to line your stomach halfway through.

There were beers for winter, beers to drink with cheese and beers spiced with cardamom and orange zest.

Some, like the Mongozo coconut flavour beer and the Pink Killer (pink grapefruit), were barely recognisable as beer as their flavours were so strong.

Our real surprise was how much we enjoyed the fantastically named Scotch De Silly, a very dark stout-style beer which we didn't think would be our taste at all (although this was the ninth out of 10 beers, which may have had some effect).

Another favourite was Gageleir, a blond ale hopped with myrtle which gave it a lovely rich, nutty taste.

As manager Ian said at the start of the evening, things get a bit noisy as the evening progresses but it is supposed to be educational - so don't forget to listen to Bart who has a fascinating knowledge of each of the beers. He's also happy to come round and chat to customers afterwards about Belgian beers.

The beer trade definitely had two new converts by the end of the evening.

Half & Half's next Belgian beer tasting with Bart Verhaeghe is on Thursday, June 25 at 7.30pm.

Tickets cost £15, contact the bar for details.

Half & Half

282 High Street

Croydon

CR0 1NG

020 8726 0080

www.halfandhalf.uk.com

Beers Tasted in May

Hoppepils - a regional pilsner from Oost Vlaanderen

Grottenbier - brown spiced ale from West Vlaanderen

Mongozo Coconut - coconut white beer from Oost Vlaanderen

Pink Killer - grapefruit beer from Hainault

Caracole Troublette - wheat beer with lemon zest from Namur

Gageleir - blond ale hopped with myrtle from East Flanders

Valdieu Triple - triple abbey-style beer from Liege

Achel Brown - dark ale from Antwerpen

Scotch De Silly - stout-style ale from Hainault

Hopus - triple extra dry ale from Brabant Wallon