‘Good people drink good beer’. The words of notorious, establishment-challenging US journalist Hunter
S Thompson are prominently displayed on products from Maryland’s Flying Dog brewery.

Thompson, who took his own life in 2005, was a close associate of brewery co-founder George Stranahan and his uncompromising lifestyle is echoed in the no-holds-barred character of the company’s beers.

UK drinkers can now grab a taste of this defiant spirit, with two of Flying Dog’s beers on release in Tesco. The beers have been on sale in Britain before, but have not enjoyed such a wide distribution.

First up is Classic Pale Ale, strikingly packaged with a label drawn by British artist Ralph Steadman, Thompson’s long-time collaborator. You know from this first sight that you’re not getting any ordinary beer here and the liquid inside does not disappoint.

This is American pale ale at its most exuberant, brimful of Cascade hops that are added during fermentation. They cut straight through the full malt foundation, loading the palate with zingy bitter oranges and hints of tea, before pounding on into the dry, bitter, lipsmacking finish.

The second beer gracing Tesco’s shelves, and again illustrated by Steadman, is Gonzo Imperial Porter. It shows just how far some supermarkets have travelled when you discover something as individual as this on sale.

The term Gonzo refers to the style of journalism pioneered by Thompson, one where reality and fiction blur, and the author, becoming part of the story, is never afraid to express an opinion. Gonzo Imperial Porter certainly has plenty to say for itself.

Like all good imperial stouts and Baltic porters, it is big, rich, powerful and challenging. It also shares a dark malt profile with other beers of this ilk, offering up liquorice, caramel and chocolate among the range of flavours but then knocking them back with a hefty dose of Cascade hops (or a ‘shitload’, if you borrow the brewers’ own terminology). The finish is unequivocally bitter as the hops join forces with espresso notes from the malt.

It would be fun to be there when casual shoppers who unwittingly drop a bottle of this into their trolleys finally get round to flipping the cap. Hopefully, they will be smitten.

The more good people we have drinking good beer, the better.