GAVIN AITCHISON raises a glass to Yorkshire.

AY UP! A fellow Scot asked recently if I enjoyed living in Yorkshire and was taken aback by my enthusiastic response.

He laughed off my claims that Yorkshire has everything you could want – a good outlook on life, charming countryside and tremendous beer.

Scotland has those things in buckets, he argued, and indeed it does. But in a scenario I’d never have envisaged ten years ago, I found myself arguing against my homeland and declaring that Yorkshire was better.

My mate was aghast, but sharp. It must, he said, be the beer talking. Perhaps he’s right.

Either way, Sunday is Yorkshire Day, and what better way to celebrate than by raising a glass of Yorkshire’s finest?

I’d hoped to mark the occasion with a themed crawl around York, but two of the most fitting venues are off limits. The White Rose, in Cornlands Road, Acomb, has been closed since last year and the Yorkshire Hussar, in North Street, has also recently shut up shop, one hopes only temporarily.

So instead, this week’s soiree takes us to one place and one place only: the Yorkshire Terrier in Stonegate, in the heart of York’s old town.

The Terrier, which opened in 2004, is the newest of the York Brewery pubs and is split over four rooms behind and above a small brewery gift shop. As well as beer, they have a tempting selection of malt whiskies and a decent food menu, and also host regular live music and various other semi-regular events.

The ground floor includes two traditional bar areas and a conservatory-type room, but it’s the upstairs that has always appealed most to me. The walls display fantastic photos from around Yorkshire, but better yet is the window table, which ranks among the best in York and gives great views along Stonegate. It’s at that table that I ended up on Tuesday evening, reacquainting myself with some of York Brewery’s offerings.

First up was the Decade (4.1 per cent ABV), a light golden beer with citrus flavours and a dry and floral hoppy aftertaste that make for an enjoyable pint. This beer was launched in 2006, marking the brewery’s tenth anniversary, and has gained a permanent place among the mainstays.

Lighter but not massively dissimilar is Guzzler (3.6 per cent), another pale ale with hints of grapefruit, and a crisp finish. The name says it all – this light, easy-drinking beer can sometimes be gone before you know it.

If there’s one beer you can’t say that about it is the Centurion’s Ghost, weighing in at a more robust 5.4 per cent and probably the most respected of York’s offerings, having been named national champion in the strong bitter category at the 2006 and 2007 Great British Beer Festivals.

It looks like something from BP’s pipes but tastes fantastic, with a smoky, autumnal bitterness and a strong roast malt flavour. The first good gulp instantly made me think of Guy Fawkes Night and rain-spattered bonfires and the beer exudes character from the head to the dregs.

It may not be the archetypal summer beer, but don’t let that deter you. It’s a drink to savour, and a worthy toast to Yorkshire – cheers!