This week is scribed in every beer lover’s calendar, as Earl’s Court in London hosts the Great British Beer Festival. There are five days to try more than 450 British and international beers, ciders and perries.

And it’s not all beer bellies and beards. Beer expert Melissa Cole will host a series of women-only walking tours through the festival.

But navigating the country’s biggest celebration of all things beer can be bewildering - the Good Beer Guide's latest satellite-navigation file will guide you to the most obscure hostelry in Britain but can't help you in this air hangar of a building.

Cole's top tips for survival include: "Choose the third of a pint glass as your drinking vessel of choice. This may go against the grain for many pint drinkers but, trust me, it will allow you to experiment more widely and make the festival a much more rewarding experience.

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Katherine Adams discovers the feminine side to beer as she battles big-bellied lager and ale lovers at this week's Great British Beer Festival

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“It should also allow you to try some of the stronger beers at the end of my not to be missed list, without having to go for a little lie down in a darkened room afterwards.”

1. Breconshire Brewery, Welsh Pale Ale, 3.7 per cent

Brewed to an historic recipe by brewer Buster Grant, this refreshing and well-balanced beer is a gentle introduction to your day of beer discovery. Enjoy the light, fresh, almost grassy aspects on the nose, which then give way to a crisp, dry, biscuity finish.

2. Grainstore, Rutland Panther, 3.4 per cent

Big flavours don’t have to come from high alcohol content and this beer is a perfect example. Its gorgeous reddish brown hues concede lovely wafts of chocolate and coffee, which are also delivered on the palate. Extremely moorish, this also has a neat liquorice note right at the end. I consider this the ideal lunchtime pint at just 3.4 per cent.

3. Crouch Vale, Brewer’s Gold, 4 per cent

This golden beer is so fabulously floral you could almost dab it behind your ears. A former Champion Beer of Britain it has high notes of grapefruit and tangerine and a dry refreshing finish that is incredibly addictive; don’t say I didn’t warn you!

4. Otley, O1, 4 per cent

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