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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12362693914759656245noreply@blogger.com120tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7475885845704210397.post-85511859140041346652015-04-10T07:26:00.000+01:002015-04-10T07:26:35.186+01:00London Beer People #1: Doreen Joy Barber - The Five Points Brewing Co. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX4gzOk3uiAH6_pPknxAVzkOlBuXzPCa2HkPP_qGQlKtyfsGueHdZbPpQCzCh8CQ9ng-L2WgDO7EgHgSRc1eRR5YPFhYCXopD1YYkhDUXL94xyAd1y5ZPYho_URtomUJ4lDscZXaqstRPZ/s1600/Doreen+Joy+Barber+The+Five+Points+Brewing+Company.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX4gzOk3uiAH6_pPknxAVzkOlBuXzPCa2HkPP_qGQlKtyfsGueHdZbPpQCzCh8CQ9ng-L2WgDO7EgHgSRc1eRR5YPFhYCXopD1YYkhDUXL94xyAd1y5ZPYho_URtomUJ4lDscZXaqstRPZ/s1600/Doreen+Joy+Barber+The+Five+Points+Brewing+Company.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Back in August 2014 I penned a long read titled <i><a href="http://www.totalales.co.uk/2014/08/london-beer-people.html" target="_blank">London Beer People</a></i>. It charted my experience at the events during <a href="http://www.londonbeercity.com/" target="_blank">London Beer City</a>, a week long celebration of beer organised by Beer Writer and Journalist Will Hawkes, which also took in visits to the <a href="http://gbbf.org.uk/" target="_blank">Great British Beer Festival</a> and the <a href="http://www.londoncraftbeerfestival.co.uk/" target="_blank">London Craft Beer Festival</a>. In the piece I drew the conclusion that the backbone of the London beer scene was not in fact the beverage we all covet, but the people behind it. I'm not just talking about Brewers here, London's Beer People includes Bar Staff, Distributors, Writers, Van Drivers, Sales People, Marketers and more. There is a myriad group of people behind the curtain, working hard to bring you the best beer they possibly can. In <i>London Beer People</i> I aim to get behind that curtain, see what makes London's Beer People tick and how they come together to make it one of the best beer cities in the world.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I first met Doreen Joy Barber of Hackney's <a href="http://fivepointsbrewing.co.uk/" target="_blank">Five Points Brewing Company</a> at an event they held at <a href="http://www.cravingcoffee.co.uk/" target="_blank">Craving Coffee</a> in Tottenham. Like many people I meet in the world of Craft Beer, Doreen was fizzing with energy and enthusiasm as she introduced me to the wonderful beers that The Five Points produce. As well as working for a brewery, Doreen also organises the <a href="http://londonbrewersmarket.com/" target="_blank">London Brewers Market</a> at Old Spitalfield's an incredibly popular event that bridges the gap between beer enthusiast and casual passer by. Quite simply, she never seems to stop to catch her breath, and so makes a fitting first glimpse at the people who make London's beer culture so very special.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Hi Doreen! Tell us who you work for, a little about them and what you do there.</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>I work for The Five Points Brewing Company in Hackney, East London. I've been working there since our first commercial brew day on the 9th of March, 2013. Originally, I pretty much did everything but brew - orders, sales, social media, events, communications and whatever else that needed doing. Now that we've added more staff to our team, I now mainly focus on the events and comms side of stuff. </i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>How did you end up working in the beer industry?</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>A mix of factors probably contributed to why I now work in beer, the most important of which is that I love to drink it! My employment background saw me work in cafés and pubs that stocked amazing beer on both sides of the Atlantic (I’m from Florida), and I spent (and still spend) quite a bit of time in bars with great beer. </i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>Additionally, I have a Master’s in Anthropology of Food, and I did my dissertation on CAMRA, which has given me a great insight into the world of ale here in Britain that I don't think many non-Britons have. In fact I get a lot of British folks who ask me what the difference is between ale and lager, for example. Which is cool - you don’t need to be an expert to enjoy good beer, and I like that people are asking questions about what makes beer the way it is. I think this curiosity is great for smaller breweries like us who have a story to tell and brew with the best ingredients we can get our hands on. </i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>You’re also involved in the London Brewers Market, how did you come to be involved with this project?</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>Ed Mason, the owner and director of The Five Points, had previous contacts with the Independent Label Market when he used to own an independent record label. These were rediscovered when a friend of a friend suggested to someone at Old Spitalfield's Market the idea of a ‘beer event’ which evolved into what it is now. We love working with the Independent Label Market, and we feel that the two events are very complimentary.</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>What do you think makes the London Beer Community so special to be involved in?</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>The independent beer community in Britain as a whole is full of some of the loveliest people you can ever find, and it’s not that much different with folks within the London beery community. We support each other’s efforts - whether it’s loaning another brewery 20kg of hops, collaborating with each other on events or beer, or (my personal favourite) drinking each other’s beer. Most folks are very sociable and are up for a pint and a chat. </i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>Since working at The Jolly Butchers back in 2011, I've seen the London beer scene really flourish. It’s great to be a part of that with The Five Points and organising the London Brewers' Market. </i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Can you describe a particular ‘beer moment’ that made you realise that beer was more than just the fermented sum of its parts?</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>I don’t really have a beer moment. There’s no “beereka!” but rather a slow burn. </i></span><i style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Back in Orlando, there’s a place called Redlight Redlight which started out in the upstairs of a bakery, but now the space is in its third incarnation and it’s such a phenomenal place for beer from all over. I went there frequently and would drink a range of beers - at the time I'd frequently drink Belgian beers or Belgian-inspired beers. </i><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>I was also lucky that my local supermarket would stock loads of beer. Not so lucky that one of my ex-boyfriends used to drink all the beer I bought, but it would encourage me to buy different ones to try them out - blueberry wheat beers, hefeweizens, wits and lots of pale ales and IPA's. They tended to be the lighter brews, because of the Florida heat, but I got really into my stouts and porters as well, particularly when I was ordering beer for Stardust Video & Coffee.</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Bar The Five Points, which other breweries, London or otherwise, really stand out for you?</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>Within London, I've been incredibly impressed with what Simon McCabe at <a href="http://www.the-white-hart.co.uk/microbrewery" target="_blank">One Mile End</a> has been putting out. The White Hart is now sort of my new local, so this could mean trouble! I also really enjoy <a href="http://pressuredropbrewing.co.uk/" target="_blank">Pressure Drop's</a> brews and the stuff from the stalwarts at <a href="http://www.redemptionbrewing.co.uk/" target="_blank">Redemption Brewing Co.</a> Big Chief all the days! Other b</i></span><i style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">reweries I really like here in Britain are <a href="http://www.fyneales.com/" target="_blank">Fyne Ales</a>, <a href="http://www.marblebeers.com/" target="_blank">Marble</a>, and <a href="http://www.redwillowbrewery.com/" target="_blank">RedWillow</a>. I’ve also enjoyed a lot of what I’ve had from <a href="http://www.ilkleybrewery.co.uk/" target="_blank">Ilkley</a> recently. </i><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Where is your favourite place to drink and what are you drinking?</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>My favourite pub to drink in is The Railway Tavern on St Jude Street, in the Mildmay area near Dalston. I've either got a pint of Five Points Pale on cask or Big Chief from Redemption Brewing Co. Although it could be a Railway Porter, depending on the time of year and my mood. </i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>You're originally from Florida, is there anything you miss about the Florida beer scene that you'd like to see happening here in the UK?</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>I miss Redlight Redlight, which is a great place to drink if you’re in Orlando! Shout-out to Stardust as well with its two big beer fridges. I also miss how commonplace it would be to get decent beer, particularly in restaurants, cafés and bars. I remember last year being stuck in a random bar, complete with busted jukebox that played music way too loudly while a crazy Florida storm raged outside. The beer on draught featured a lot of the bigger names of the American microbrewing scene. It didn’t bill itself as a craft beer bar - it was just a bar. Likewise the supermarket would have a stupidly good range of beers. Good beer was just everywhere, particularly regional brewers such as <a href="http://cigarcitybrewing.com/" target="_blank">Cigar City</a>.</i></span><br />
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<i style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I hope, eventually, good beer will be more normalised as breweries grow and proliferate here in the UK, so even if you rock up to a gig or go to a random restaurant, there’ll be something you want to drink on the bar or in the fridge. Right now we aren't there yet, but hopefully we will be soon. I hate going to a gig and having no choice outside of Fosters or Becks. </i>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12362693914759656245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7475885845704210397.post-53773420487320937862015-04-05T10:15:00.000+01:002015-04-08T16:21:27.219+01:00British Breweries And The Brewers Association of North America<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhraOtjM3y-gukfdubZuK1ciBPitv4oHJV_e3Ufv2jxWp9iRi2KjQ2QVclhvJj-2TRUuj8UX5iR4EZkGehqrSrM6eTVsdGD8Z3Pw36Kc8kBKqNvCgrhonLi62mVv28-pnsBJNxKCHNX1TeT/s1600/Camden+x+Beavertown+x+Left+Hand.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhraOtjM3y-gukfdubZuK1ciBPitv4oHJV_e3Ufv2jxWp9iRi2KjQ2QVclhvJj-2TRUuj8UX5iR4EZkGehqrSrM6eTVsdGD8Z3Pw36Kc8kBKqNvCgrhonLi62mVv28-pnsBJNxKCHNX1TeT/s1600/Camden+x+Beavertown+x+Left+Hand.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Could some of our young, well-loved British craft breweries be on the verge of joining the Brewers Association of North America? Perhaps more importantly, should they?</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Sat in the newly renovated and refreshed <a href="http://www.thehorseshoehampstead.com/" target="_blank">Horseshoe</a> in Hampstead, North London, I was captivated by Chris Lennert of Colorado's iconic <a href="http://lefthandbrewing.com/" target="_blank">Left Hand Brewing</a> as he spoke to the room with confidence and experience. Before him, we had listened to the evening's co-hosts, Logan Plant of <a href="http://www.beavertownbrewery.co.uk/" target="_blank">Beavertown</a> and Jasper Cuppaidge of <a href="http://www.camdentownbrewery.com/" target="_blank">Camden Town Brewery</a>, tell us a little of their brewing history and about their beers. However, these two tall poppies are barely five years old, despite their successes they are infants in terms of the wider industry. Although they've seen rapid growth they both still have long journeys ahead of them if they are to achieve something remotely similar to Left Hand.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Left Hand Brewing have always gone against the grain. Back in the 90's, when all and sundry around them were brewing increasingly more potent India Pale Ale, they built their brand on the back of a stout. A brew that's now pretty iconic as far as beers of the craft revolution go. Lennert tells the gathered crowd of the Longmont brewery's twenty-two year history, of gruelling legal battles and trademark disputes, of hard graft and obstacles overcome. Left Hand's success wasn't just handed to them on a plate, they made it happen themselves. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">When the topic of Lennert's address changes to that of the <a href="http://www.brewersassociation.org/" target="_blank">Brewers Association</a> of North America I detect a change in his tone. It's an increased note of seriousness mixed with real sincerity, as he talks about an organisation for which his passion is obvious. The Brewers Association is an industry run trade body that has more than 44000 members from over 2500 of North America's 3000 plus breweries, as well as incorporating the <a href="https://www.homebrewersassociation.org/" target="_blank">American Homebrewers Association</a>. Its purpose is simply to protect and promote American craft brewers with the biggest beneficiary being the people that choose to drink its members beers. They run, amongst other things, the Great American Beer Festival, the Craft Brewers Conference and the bi-annual World Beer Cup. They provide education both technical and financial, tools that help both young and established businesses, including legal advice, as well as significantly increasing both the awareness and knowledge of craft beer on a consumer level. Put simply, there's no other trade body in the industry quite like it. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">After his speech, Lennert makes sure to sit at every table and introduce himself to every guest dining at The Horseshoe this evening. When he finally reaches my table he continues to speak with passion about the work the Brewers Association does and shoves some literature into my hand, as he does with everyone else before the conversation is over. I'm puzzled as to why a trade body based in the United States is so eager to push its message onto drinkers from the United Kingdom but after a little observation and some careful thought it begins to come clear.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I watch Lennert speak to Plant and Cuppaidge as the guests begin to depart and the night draws to its close. He continues with the same sense of seriousness, bordering on urgency, whilst the two owners of successful yet fledgling British breweries look on with apparent reverence. Could these two breweries, who arguably exist in part because of the work the Brewers Association has done, be on the verge of becoming some of their newest members? What benefit could joining a trade body operating in another country possibly bring to their businesses?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Both Camden and Beavertown have export operations that have been key to their growth. Countries such as Sweden, Australia and for Beavertown, even the US, have provided key export markets. <a href="http://www.totalales.co.uk/2013/12/doing-it-right-2013-great-american-beer.html" target="_blank">The Great American Beer Festival</a>, unlike its British counterpart </span><i style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">only</i><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> serves American beer, it is the Great </span><i style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">American</i><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> Beer Festival after all. It's also a festival that sees 49000 attendees and last year sold out its ticket allocation in just 32 minutes. If there's one festival that any brewery looking to crack the North American market, the largest in craft beer, wants to be seen at then surely it's this one. It's just one of a myriad of reasons why joining would make sense, that plus a deep well of experience and support that no other trade body is able to provide. Quite simply, the existence of the Brewers Association has been and will continue to be one of the reasons beer has become as widely successful as it has.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">One of their actions though, stands out for me from all others. In a sea of fierce debate and indecision, in order to protect its members and help them grow, the Brewers Association defined craft beer. It's not perfect and you may not agree with it but it <i>exists</i> and not one other trade body has had the stones to do the same. If Britain's various trade bodies can't work together to make this decision, then I would say the Brewers Association is the organisation that the industry really needs. With their combined ability to help businesses new and existing grow and to both educate and excite consumers, I also think it's the organisation we all want. </span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12362693914759656245noreply@blogger.com33tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7475885845704210397.post-10819262031232069802015-03-29T18:37:00.000+01:002015-03-30T14:24:34.791+01:00Turning Water Into Gold - Northern Alchemy, Newcastle upon Tyne<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWu3VoPvcOqH54dQBDW3-g9Iln6qBL3u9QjLqcESwHEV03BAX6booyqwXQeSrNlwpKXReXC9klgVEtPD-cKjgMoC72Y0J1BhAIUPUOptLmugxyeTfRQQ0FAkzlFGcrHwouKlv0ecPos9ZK/s1600/Northern+Alchemy+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWu3VoPvcOqH54dQBDW3-g9Iln6qBL3u9QjLqcESwHEV03BAX6booyqwXQeSrNlwpKXReXC9klgVEtPD-cKjgMoC72Y0J1BhAIUPUOptLmugxyeTfRQQ0FAkzlFGcrHwouKlv0ecPos9ZK/s1600/Northern+Alchemy+1.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Look closely at the label on a bottle of beer from Newcastle upon Tyne's <a href="http://wearenorthernalchemy.com/" target="_blank">Northern Alchemy</a>. In the top right hand corner you'll see a little arrow within a circle that's pointing North East. It's pointing to a city that's referred to as the 'capital of craft' by its locals. It's no wonder that they're brimming with such enthusiasm, Tyneside and the surrounding area is teeming with talented young brewers and a plethora of excellent bars and bottle shops. Operations such as <a href="http://www.anarchybrewco.com/" target="_blank">Anarchy</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/almastybrewco" target="_blank">Almasty</a> and <a href="http://www.tynebankbrewery.co.uk/" target="_blank">Tyne Bank</a> join Northern Alchemy in an impressive role call of forward thinking craft breweries. Bars and eateries such as <a href="https://twitter.com/thefreetradeinn" target="_blank">The Free Trade Inn</a>, <a href="http://www.thecumberlandarms.co.uk/" target="_blank">The Cumberland Arms</a> and <a href="http://bierrex.gustouk.com/wordpress/" target="_blank">Bierrex</a> are providing exciting spaces with which to drink their beer in.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">It might be in the long shadow cast by cities such as Manchester, Edinburgh and of course London but Newcastle is a city that should be on every beer lovers radar. Its breweries are doing all they can to bring it off the sidelines and Northern Alchemy are doing it in a way that's quite like no other brewery in the UK - from a brewhouse that lives in a converted 30-foot shipping container. Lovingly monikered 'The Lab', the container sits just behind The Cumberland Arms in the Ouseburn area of Newcastle. Here, Northern Alchemy craft what they describe as 'flavour led crafty beer' with increasingly interesting adjuncts adding their own personal spin to each style of beer they produce.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">This passion to create flavour forward beer is evident in a collaboration brew with their neighbouring pub. It's an oatmeal pale ale, oatmeal being one way of increasing a beers protein content and improving mouthfeel and head retention. A traditional hop profile is complemented with mango, lime and cracked black pepper, flavours you'd expect from new world hops but in this case, Northern Alchemy aren't asking you to interpret hop flavours, instead using real-world adjuncts. It works in the aroma, you can smell the chunks of ripe mango flesh and zingy lime juice. It's exceedingly bitter as you'd expect but it's also borderline astringent with a prickle in the finish from the black pepper. I think I just prefer hops. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I didn't get on with the dark chocolate and mint milk stout. The aroma reminded me of Fry's Peppermint Creams but I found the flavour to be sadly lacking. The idea of a chocolate and mint stout really appeals to me, in fact I'm very keen on <a href="http://skabrewing.com/" target="_blank">Ska Brewing's</a> own Vernal Menthe stout but I didn't get the intensity of flavour I was expecting. I wanted big, bitter dark chocolate and lush peppermint but it was all a bit mute and the chocolate gave the beer an almost grainy texture. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">On the other hand the Pineapple and Passionfruit Sour, brewed with Newcastle's own <a href="http://ohbeery.me/" target="_blank">Andrew 'Sheriff' Mitchell</a> was really enjoyable. It reminded me of the Berliner Weisse styles attempted by <a href="https://twitter.com/brodiesbeers" target="_blank">Brodie's</a> and <a href="http://www.thekernelbrewery.com/" target="_blank">The Kernel</a>. It had a damp cereal quality which I get in a lot of low ABV sour mash beers but this was backed up by juicy notes from the tropical fruit adjuncts. My only complaint with this beer was that I wanted a more intense acidity, a greater sourness and much more fruit. Still, this is a good start and I can only see Northern Alchemy improving on this style.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The final beer I tasted put a big smile on my face. It was another oatmeal pale, only this time infused with navel orange zest and Burundi Rugabo coffee. The nose had rounded coffee notes with a hint of pithy orange creeping around the edges. The flavours are blink and you'll miss them quick, a snapshot of intense coffee bean and zesty orange juice flavours that almost immediately leads into a clean, dry finish. It left me wanting more, so I immediately took another sip, then another and soon it was gone. I would have liked these flavours to be fuller, longer lasting and more rounded out but of the four beers this one was the one that made me wish I had a six pack in the fridge. I think we'll see a lot more pale beers infused with coffee over the coming months and Northern Alchemy, along with <a href="http://www.weirdbeardbrewco.com/" target="_blank">Weird Beard's</a> Out of Office Coffee IPA, may have set an early benchmark.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Although I found this selection to be a little hit and miss it did greatly increase my curiosity and interest in the growing Newcastle upon Tyne beer scene. It's evident that Northern Alchemy are still learning their craft but they don't appear to be afraid of taking risks and this will undoubtedly get them noticed. I for one look forward to seeing how this North Eastern brewery develop over the coming months. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>Thanks to <a href="https://twitter.com/TheAleTrail" target="_blank">Gary</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/DassieGirl1" target="_blank">Gill</a> and Northern Alchemy for the beers. </i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12362693914759656245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7475885845704210397.post-78798458429490940702015-03-16T19:51:00.001+00:002015-03-16T21:30:51.728+00:00A Moment - Being In The Pub<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I'm not sure when it happened, but at some point over the last twelve months my relationship with beer and more importantly, pubs, shifted ever so slightly. It used to be always about the beer, perhaps the seeking of a story and, most importantly, being with friends. The pub itself was simply a pinprick on a map that I'd relocate to in order to engage in the activity I'm the most fond of. I can always say I'm happy when I'm in the warm embrace of a pub, be it alone or with others and, being honest with myself, I find it hard to say that about a lot of other places. As I stopped constantly trying to find something new and comforting, the same two things instead found me. I began to realise that what made me so happy was being in the pub itself. It didn't matter if it was the sleek, curved underbelly of a railway arch or the soft, low lit, wooden interior of a Victorian terrace, just being there, in that moment filled me with utter contentment. I now long for the next moment I get to sit in the pub and talk for hours or simply watch the world go by. Right now, for me, nothing beats being in the pub.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>The above photograph was taken in <a href="http://www.fatcatpub.co.uk/" target="_blank">The Fat Cat</a>, Norwich, January 2015. I drank half an <a href="http://www.elgoods-brewery.co.uk/" target="_blank">Elgood's</a> Coolship with two very good friends. </i> </span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12362693914759656245noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7475885845704210397.post-15259980296646609822015-03-14T10:18:00.000+00:002015-03-14T10:32:51.591+00:00Five Breweries Not To Be Overlooked At The London Brewers Market<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i><a href="http://londonbrewersmarket.com/2015/03/13/guest-post-from-matthew-curtis-five-breweries-not-to-be-overlooked-at-the-london-brewers-market/" target="_blank">This post was originally published on the London Brewers Market website which you can read here.</a></i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The <a href="http://londonbrewersmarket.com/" target="_blank">London Brewers Market</a> returns to the Old Spitalfields Market on Saturday the 28th of March and with it a host of London's brightest and best breweries. There'll be gallons of what is some of the very best beer being brewed in the capital right now, to both drink in the market itself and to take home to enjoy later on. With almost eighty breweries in the city, creating beer from the traditional to the innovative, it can be difficult to know what to try next. As a result much of our attention is focused on a handful of larger and more successful breweries simply because their presence is more widely felt. Here, I've chosen a handful of breweries, some new and some with a couple of years already under their belts, that are not to be missed at the Market this March. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b><a href="http://www.orbitbeers.com/" target="_blank">Orbit Beers</a> - </b>South London's Orbit bounced onto the scene in 2014 with a range of beers inspired by both music and travel. You can always guarantee that a great record is spinning in this brewery when its beers are being created. The beers span from the traditional to the modern, both the Neu Altbier and Nico Kölsch are extremely accomplished recreations of classic German styles. These beers are subtle and nuanced with a depth of flavour that makes them both incredibly drinkable. On the other hand, Ivo is a pale ale that favours juicy, citrus forward, new world hop varieties and has more than a nod towards the modern pale ales of the United States. As well as these dialled in core brews look out for Orbit's specials such as Leaf, a smoked Alt. I expect big things from this brewery in 2015.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b><a href="http://www.the-white-hart.co.uk/microbrewery" target="_blank">One Mile End</a> - </b>Orbit aren't the only new brewery on the scene worth shouting about. One Mile End are already making waves with the forward thinking brews that emerge from beneath its brewpub, The White Hart in Whitechapel. As well as American influenced beers such as the jammy, hop packed Snakecharmer IPA this brewery is already bowling people over with a range of whisky barrel aged stouts and porters. Another beer to watch out for is its farmhouse pilsner, an unusual fusion of two styles that somehow just clicks. Make sure you visit these guys early, as their specials are certain to sell out fast.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b><a href="http://www.brixtonbrewery.com/" target="_blank">Brixton Brewery</a> - </b>The first thing you'll notice about Brixton Brewery are the eye-catching labels that are as vibrant as Brixton itself. You may also notice that each of this brewery's beers take their names from some of the South London borough's landmarks. You've got Effra Ale, a traditional amber ale named after the River Effra that flows beneath Brixton's concrete and the pithy, grapefruit-tinged Electric IPA named after the famous street that sits just behind the station. One Brixton beer not to be missed is the zingy Atlantic Pale Ale which uses both North American and Australian hop varieties to produce a beer that's packed with flavours of lemon and mango.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b><a href="http://www.theredchurchbrewery.com/" target="_blank">Redchurch Brewery</a> - </b>When it comes to bold, envelope pushing beers in London you might first think of The Kernel, Partizan or perhaps even Brodie's but one name that also deserves the same high praise is Bethnal Green's Redchurch Brewery. Take for instance its Old Ford Export Stout, it's as dark as midnight and packed with huge aromas of liquorice, pine resin and grapefruit zest. In my opinion it's one of the best beers the city of London has to offer its beer drinking public and is one of several brilliant beers this brewery has to offer. Another beer not to miss is the dank and resinous Great Eastern IPA that actually coats your mouth with hoppy goodness as you drink it. If you're lucky you may even get to try its new Wild Isolation sour, a beer that was the result of a happy accident and will have you heading back to the bar for more.</span></div>
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<b style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><a href="https://twitter.com/therockyhead" target="_blank">Rocky Head Brewery</a> - </b><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">It's hard to believe that the Rocky Head Brewery has been brewing its American inspired beers since 2012 and that they haven't made more of an impact in this time. Despite this, they seem happy with their lot and those that know these beers know just how good they are. Just ask anyone who has tried its eponymous Pale Ale, packed with flavours of citrus and tropical fruit, you're certain receive almost universal praise. You'll be doing yourself an injustice if you don't head to their stand at the London Brewers Market, make sure you seek out their Imitera IPA, you won't be disappointed. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">There are of course plenty of other fantastic breweries appearing at the London Brewer's Market but if you're seeking something new, different, or a little bit special then you'll surely find it at the stands of these five fantastic breweries. Do yourself a favour and head down to the Old Spitalfields Market on March the 28th and make sure you take an extra big bag to bring plenty of the city's best beer back home with you.</span><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12362693914759656245noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7475885845704210397.post-84922577018383278932015-03-08T23:10:00.001+00:002015-03-08T23:10:27.577+00:00Brewdog Alice Porter - Unravelling The Enigma<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Every time my gaze meets the new branding that now adorns bottles and cans from <a href="http://www.brewdog.com/" target="_blank">BrewDog</a> I fall deeper in love with the design. It's so very un-beer like, which is what makes it so good, it stands apart from every bottle flanking it on the shelf. With an almost <i>Global Hypercolour</i> look to the two tone label that fades from purple to red, the freshly re-released Alice Porter is a real looker, and that's even before you've poured it into a glass. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">With the label copy BrewDog have tried to convince us that this beer is <i>"profoundly puzzling... cryptic and enigmatic" </i>when in reality I have found it to be anything but. Alice Porter is a beer with a story and it's a story worth telling and if BrewDog aren't going to, then I will. It all starts back in 2010 when Matt Gorecki, then manager of the quite wonderful <a href="http://northbar.com/" target="_blank">North Bar</a> in Leeds, headed to the old and now defunct BrewDog brewery in Fraserburgh. This wasn't just any old trip to a brewery, Gorecki was heading north on his stag do for a trip that would combine brewing, camping and a lot of drinking. The resulting beer, a 6.2% ABV Baltic Porter that featured Bramling Cross and Sorachi Ace hops, as well as vanilla pods in the boil, was named after Gorecki's bride to be, Alice Porter.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The original fifteen hectolitre batch was made as a one off for North Bar but it proved to be so popular that it soon became a winter seasonal. It featured in bottle, keg and back then even on cask, I can imagine that was really something. Then something genuinely puzzling happened, BrewDog stopped making Alice Porter, instead replacing it with Brixton Porter, a beer I found to be inferior to its predecessor. The thing with Brixton Porter is that it is a nice beer, but 'nice' isn't BrewDog. This is a brewery that is truly dedicated to pushing the envelope when it comes to flavour and for me Brixton Porter fell well short of the mark.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I'm delighted to see the return of Alice Porter, especially dressed up in its new livery and part of a new range of alternating, seasonal beers. It's changed quite a bit since it was first brewed in 2010, the strength has been dialled down to 5.2% ABV, the Bramling Cross and vanilla pods are gone but the Sorachi Ace remains, joined by the Magnum and First Gold varieties. The malt bill features four different types of malted barley, including Carafa which would indicate to me that, although they're looking for a dark colour they want to avoid strong roasted or burnt flavours. The grist also includes flaked oats and torrified wheat, adding fullness to this beers mouthfeel.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Alice Porter pours a cola-tinged shade of dark brown, the pleasingly fluffy head is just about off white and gives off light aromas of ripe figs with just a hint of molasses creeping in around the edges. In terms of flavour it seems to me that this beer has stayed true to it's Baltic roots, it feels full on the palate but drinks easy with notes of fig jam mingling with black treacle and an unusual lemon zest note from the Sorachi Ace. The finish is spicy, prickly and bitter at first but as the beer warms a little more sweetness creeps through rounding any sharp edges out. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">This is the beer I'd rather have seen join BrewDog's core lineup instead of the rather ordinary Brixton Porter. It tastes excellent and slides elegantly into BrewDog's ever-evolving range of beers during the late winter months. I could actually see Alice Porter fitting into BrewDog's core range and being brewed year round, and it would be even better to see it dispensed under nitrogen in its bars. One thing I don't see is the alleged <i>"enigmatic dark alchemy" </i>that supposedly surrounds this beer. This is one beer that doesn't need dressing up in spiel, it's good enough to sell on taste alone but this is most certainly a beer with a story that deserves to be told. Who knows, maybe now that Matt Gorecki is involved with the brand new <a href="http://www.zapatabrewery.co.uk/" target="_blank">Zapata Brewery</a>, perhaps a vanilla infused, Sorachi Ace and Bramling Cross led porter will be on the cards once again.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>Disclaimer: I was sent these beers to review by BrewDog and I'm an Equity for Punks shareholder but I don't think either of these things affected my opinion of this beer.</i></span><br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12362693914759656245noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7475885845704210397.post-78962772018023964142015-03-01T17:57:00.000+00:002015-03-01T22:03:21.053+00:00Discovering the Pennsylvania Swankey - A Return to Verboten Brewing<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I first paid a visit to Loveland's Verboten Brewing </span><a href="http://totalales.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/im-all-right-jack.html" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;" target="_blank">back in February 2013</a><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">. I had been invited by owners Josh Grenz and Joe Akers along with Kevin Bolin, manager of Fort Collins' über-beer bar </span><a href="http://totalales.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/night-with-mayor-of-old-town.html" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;" target="_blank">The Mayor of Old Town</a><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">, to brew an imperial version of a Kentucky Common, an almost forgotten, pre-prohibition beer style. At this point their brewery, tucked away in a small Colorado Front-Range town, was only two months old but they were already managing to fill their tap room with customers. A solid range of core beers with movie inspired names was in part the reason for this, that and the sense of community that's immediately apparent when you step inside the brewery, even before you've ordered a beer. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The resulting beer, named I'm All Right Jack, a reference in part to Pink Floyd's <i>Money</i> and in part to the acidulated malt we were using to make a 'sour mash,' was mostly aged in rum barrels. It demonstrated the ambitious nature of head brewer Grenz and was only the beginning of several ambitious forays into barrel ageing. The barrel aged version of this beer <a href="http://totalales.blogspot.co.uk/2013/11/going-for-gold.html" target="_blank">went on to win gold for its style</a> at the 2013 All Colorado Beer Festival and I finally got to taste it when I returned to the Mountain State later that year. It was like liquidised Christmas pudding in a glass, rich and intense and incredibly accomplished. I was not surprised by the amount of praise it garnered from local drinkers.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Fast forward and it's December 2014, Kevin and I are back at Verboten but the place has changed remarkably. The once seemingly spacious brewery floor is now crammed with more barrels, more fermenters and seemingly endless coils of industrial hosepipe that snakes across its concrete surface. The moustachioed Grenz is zipping around the room like a hummingbird in search of nectar and suddenly he disappears into the cold room only to return with an unlabelled, wax-sealed bottle of beer. It was a bottle of I'm All Right Jack that had been resting, maturing and it became integral to what was to become a heavy drinking brew day. It was remarkable how the beer had matured, all of its complexities becoming more restrained, elegant and integrated. I only wish there was more of it so I could have shared it with the folks back home, for me it really marks Verboten as ones to watch.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The mash was already on when I arrived, we were brewing a beer that was going to be called 'More,' another Pink Floyd reference. Such is his love for the prog rocksters sometimes you can arrive at the Mayor only to find Kevin on stage, jamming out the bass grooves that made Roger Waters a household name. We were brewing another pre-prohibition beer style I had never heard of, a Pennsylvania Swankey. My research unearthed very little information about the origins of this beer style. What I discovered was that the Swankey was a very low alcohol ale, similar to a British mild but instead of hops the beer was flavoured with herbs such as star anise. It was popular with Dutch and German settlers in the early 1900's but the style eventually diminished. I can imagine than an aniseed flavoured beer was very much an acquired taste.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">This being Verboten though, we were pulling no punches. This was not going to be a historically accurate reproduction, this was going to be an imperial version that would finish at around 9% ABV. Grenz had no plans of stopping there though, nosiree, next door to Verboten is the <a href="http://www.dancingpinesdistillery.com/" target="_blank">Dancing Pines</a> distillery who, by chance, had just finished a batch of barrel-aged Absinthe and Josh had gotten hold of the barrel. The idea of ageing a star anise infused beer in an Absinthe barrel is either genius or pure insanity, either way it's sure going to be fun finding out what comes out of that barrel. If one thing's for certain it's that if you're not already a lover of liquorice or aniseed then it's unlikely this will be a beer for you.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The brew day went by in a blur, with bottles being opened and stories being shared. What was clear to me is that Verboten are cruising along like a steam train, becoming ever more ambitious and, rightfully so, more popular in a marketplace where it can be difficult to get noticed. It's surely only a matter of time before a lot more people get excited about their beers and that Verboten are spoken of in the same revered tones as some of the USA's most well-loved breweries. What's also interesting to me is how in two brew days I've witnessed the twisted resurrection of two long forgotten beer styles. How many more historical styles are still out there waiting to be rediscovered and, more importantly, how will modern brewers adapt them into something modern drinkers can appreciate.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>A non-barrel aged version of More was released at the start of the year, lucky denizens of Northern Colorado can expect the barrel aged version to hit the taps around June. Photo of the Absinthe barrel courtesy of Frank Curtis (or Dad, as I call him.) </i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12362693914759656245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7475885845704210397.post-10794850460655184422015-02-27T07:36:00.000+00:002015-02-27T07:36:24.467+00:00Beavertown pit Cask Vs. Keg at The Dukes Head, Highgate<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Following on from <a href="http://totalales.blogspot.co.uk/2014/10/an-introduction-to-craft-beer-part-ii.html" target="_blank">two sold</a>-<a href="http://totalales.blogspot.co.uk/2014/10/darker-days-are-coming.html" target="_blank">out events</a>, I'm continuing my residency at Highgate’s <a href="http://totalales.blogspot.co.uk/2015/02/show-us-your-local-dukes-head-highgate.html" target="_blank">The Duke’s Head</a> to bring you a cask vs. keg event with a difference. North London’s <a href="http://totalales.blogspot.co.uk/2014/07/beavertown-go-large.html" target="_blank">Beavertown Brewery</a> has quickly established itself on the British beer scene since opening in 2011 but this reputation has been built on the back of exceptional keg and canned beers. Few now remember the brewery’s humble beginnings, where founder Logan Plant used to try and clone the legendary <a href="http://www.bathams.co.uk/" target="_blank">Bathams Bitter</a> on a six-barrel brew kit in the kitchen of his restaurant, <a href="http://totalales.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/dukes-brew-que.html" target="_blank">Duke’s Brew and Que</a>. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Beavertown’s modern, flavour forward beers are seldom seen on cask these days but all this is set to change at The Duke’s Head at <b>7.00pm</b> on <b>Friday the 20th of March</b>. Three of Beavertown’s best known beers; Gamma Ray Pale Ale, Black Betty Black IPA and the highly sought after Bloody ‘Ell Blood Orange IPA will feature on both cask and keg in a no holds barred fight to the death. Only the best dispense method will emerge victorious, the other beaten and bloodied.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">On arrival you will receive a glass of <a href="http://sacredspiritscompany.com/" target="_blank">Sacred</a> ‘Hop Shot’, a 40% ‘reverse engineered beer’ from the Highgate based micro-distillery that’s sure to get you the mood for blood. Your host for the evening (that's me) will then guide you on a tutored tasting, with a half-pint of each beer from both methods of dispense being provided. Logan and the team from Beavertown will be on hand to talk about the history of each beer before you, the public, gets to vote, in secret, which dispense method you think best suits which beer. If that wasn’t enough to get you excited, current Duke’s Head kitchen residents <a href="https://twitter.com/TiberiLondon" target="_blank">Tiberi</a> will be serving up a three courses of Catalonian style tapas, matched perfectly with each beer. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">This is not your typical, sit down, civilized beer event, this is war. Two dispense methods enter, only one leaves. In addition, The Duke’s Head has been granted a 3am license for this event as it’s guaranteed to be one hell of a party. There may well be other surprises in store on the night and I might wear a sparkly jacket, here's hoping I'll see you there.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Tickets are priced at £40 each and are available from Ticketsource here: <a href="https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/date/152598">https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/date/152598</a></span><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12362693914759656245noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7475885845704210397.post-18810727917052616432015-02-25T23:00:00.000+00:002015-02-25T23:00:40.701+00:00Inside The Beer Vault's Lock Box<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The rise of the drink-at-home beer subscription service seems unrelenting since the quite wonderful <a href="https://beerbods.co.uk/" target="_blank">BeerBods</a> arrived on the scene in 2012. Since then a whole range of different subscription services have sprung up, such as the engaging yet off-kilter <a href="http://totalales.blogspot.co.uk/2014/10/an-honest-brew.html" target="_blank">Honest Brew</a> and the passionate <a href="http://totalales.blogspot.co.uk/2015/02/discovering-brasserie-grain-dorge-with.html" target="_blank">BelgiBeer</a>, who are determined to make a living by showing people the craftier side of Belgian brewing. The latest player to arrive on the scene is Bristol based <a href="https://www.beervault.co.uk/" target="_blank">The Beer Vault</a> who are attempting to differentiate themselves from competitors by suppling their customers with bottles from the bleeding edge of craft beer. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The Beer Vault offer two different services. The first, their 'Lock Box' is what they describe as their "standard beer box... but nothing's standard about it". The other option is a limited, one in, one out members club called the Vault Reserve which is aimed directly at the collector/enthusiast. When the Vault Reserve service first began, The Beer Vault boldly sent their subscribers bottles of the revered <a href="http://sintsixtus.be/" target="_blank">Westvleteren 12</a>, immediately laying their credentials on the line. As there are only 50 spaces for Vault Reserve members I can't imagine it'll be long before they're fully subscribed, providing they can keep the bar this high of course.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I was sent an example of a Lock Box, which contains eight beers, shipped monthly at a cost of £30 each time, including delivery charges. The thing that most impressed me about the beers that arrived was that I had personally bought all of them before, either from a bottle shop or in a bar. I like to imagine I'm a man of taste so clearly the people behind The Beer Vault must be too. There was <a href="http://www.beavertownbrewery.co.uk/" target="_blank">Beavertown's</a> Neck Oil, <a href="http://www.fourpure.com/" target="_blank">Fourpure's</a> overlooked Pale Ale, the clever Iced Tea Saison from Bermondsey's <a href="http://www.partizanbrewing.co.uk/" target="_blank">Partizan</a> and the sublime Black Perle coffee milk stout from <a href="http://www.weirdbeardbrewco.com/" target="_blank">Weird Beard</a>, to name but a few. My only negative comment would be that this box was incredibly London-centric with only two of the beers, <a href="http://www.wildbeerco.com/" target="_blank">Wild Beer Co's</a> Scarlet Fever and the wonderful New World Saison from <a href="http://www.buxtonbrewery.co.uk/" target="_blank">Buxton</a>, being born outside of the capital.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Putting this to one side, this is still an absolutely cracking set of beers that would keep any ardent beer lover happy, although I doubt I could make a selection this good last me an entire month. I think the real trick for The Beer Vault is to be able to continue to source beers of the highest quality month after month and keeping it interesting for their subscribers. After chatting to the guys behind the business I could quickly tell they were as passionate and enthusiastic about beer as I am. As a result I have every confidence that they'll manage their expectations comfortably.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>I was sent these beers for free but I don't think that influenced my opinion of them. If you fancy trying out the beer vault for yourself then <a href="http://www.beervault.co.uk/the-lock-box-craft-beer-club/" target="_blank">they're currently offering 25% off your first Lock Box. </a></i> </span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12362693914759656245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7475885845704210397.post-73187568584200954062015-02-22T17:39:00.000+00:002015-02-22T17:39:17.250+00:00Show Us Your Local - The Duke's Head, Highgate<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I've often mentioned Highgate's <a href="http://www.thedukesheadhighgate.co.uk/" target="_blank">The Duke's Head</a> in the context of the events that I've hosted there. What I haven't mentioned enough, is what a fantastic pub it really is and why I'm so often drawn back to its cosy surroundings. It may not be the closest decent pub to me but it is the best, which makes the twenty minute walk there (and the half an hour walk back) more than worth the while. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I fell for the pub on my first visit, after a brisk spring walk with friends through the nearby Queen's Wood. Ten gleaming handpulls, two of which are dedicated to cider, are lined up neatly on the bar like soldiers standing to attention. You'll always see something good on the pumps, be it from local breweries such as <a href="http://www.sirencraftbrew.com/" target="_blank">Siren</a> and <a href="http://www.weirdbeardbrewco.com/" target="_blank">Weird Beard</a> or from those further afield such as Bristol's <a href="http://moorbeer.co.uk/" target="_blank">Moor</a> or Yorkshire's <a href="http://www.magicrockbrewing.com/" target="_blank">Magic Rock</a>. The pubs manager, Tom runs the cellar like a finely oiled machine so you can always count on your pint being cool and in top condition. It's no wonder that The Duke's Head is currently CAMRA's North London pub of the season. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Mounted on the wall behind the bar are ten taps, pouring keg beers such as the pub's house lager, <a href="http://www.hammertonbrewery.co.uk/" target="_blank">Hammerton</a> Islington Steam and you can always count on a pint of <a href="http://www.beavertownbrewery.co.uk/" target="_blank">Beavertown</a> Gamma Ray being available. You'll occasionally find more adventurous beers pouring from the wall. Recent guests have included Wild Goose Chase, a gooseberry saison from <a href="http://www.wildbeerco.com/" target="_blank">The Wild Beer Company</a> and the absolutely stunning India Pale Ale Nelson Sauvin from Bermondsey's <a href="http://www.thekernelbrewery.com/" target="_blank">The Kernel</a>. It's striking the balance between solid, reliable, great quality keg and cask ales and slightly more adventurous beers that get enthusiasts excited, that makes this pubs beer offering one of the best in town.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">It's not just great beer that makes The Duke's Head tick though. Your gaze won't escape the glowing neon above the <a href="http://sacredspiritscompany.com/" target="_blank">Sacred</a> gin bar which serves cocktails using spirits from the Highgate based micro-distillery. Nor will it escape the well chosen range of whiskies, tequilas and wines lined up on the shelves and the cans from Beavertown and <a href="http://www.fourpure.com/" target="_blank">Fourpure</a> packed into the fridges. You won't go hungry either, as the rotating, monthly kitchen residency from top street food vendors means that there's always something new and exciting on the menu. Recent occupants have included The Bell & Brisket, Rotli Crew and The Beefsteaks. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Good food and drink isn't enough in itself to make a pub great though, neither is great music, friendly, efficient staff and a host of unique special events, all of which this pub has in spades. There's one thing that can't be stocked or hired or trained that makes the best pubs truly stand out, vibe. The walls of The Duke's Head are practically dripping with the stuff, creating the perfect atmosphere whatever situation you find yourself in when you're there. It could be a quiet Sunday lunchtime pint, it could be a watching a football match on the television with your mates, it could be a lively Friday night with a DJ spinning great tunes. Whatever the situation, The Duke's Head captures it perfectly. It welcomes you in, invites you to stay a little longer than you intended and before you know it you're sat around a table doing shots at 2am and hoping that you never have to leave. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Few pubs have the magic but The Duke's Head has it in spades, that's why it's my local.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>This post is my contribution to J<a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/JamiesDrinksTube">amie Oliver's Drinks Tube's</a> fantastic 'Show Us Your Local' initiative. You can read and watch lots of other great tributes to other great locals by following the hashtag <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ShowUsYourLocal?src=hash">#ShowUsYourLocal</a>. </i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>I'm running two event's at The Duke's Head in March. On the 4th of March it's our monthly bottle club with special guests Fourpure, email <a href="mailto:bottleclub@thedukesheadhighgate.co.uk">bottleclub@thedukesheadhighgate.co.uk</a> to get involved. Then, on the 20th of March we're welcoming Beavertown brewery for a special cask vs. keg event which will feature lots of great food and drink as well as a tutored tasting with a difference from myself and a chance to meet the guys from the brewery. Tickets are £40 and can be purchased from Ticketsource here: <a href="https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/date/152598">https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/date/152598</a></i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12362693914759656245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7475885845704210397.post-86890951596337884212015-02-15T23:26:00.000+00:002015-02-17T10:18:21.261+00:00Finding The Source - Crooked Stave Artisan Beer Project, Denver, Colorado<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I first encountered <a href="http://www.crookedstave.com/" target="_blank">Crooked Stave Artisan Beer Project</a> when owner and founder Chad Yakobson was brewing his Belgian influenced, wood aged sour ales at <a href="http://www.funkwerks.com/" target="_blank">Funkwerks</a> in Fort Collins, Colorado. I remember enjoying them at a time when I was just beginning to get my head around the complexities of sour beers and the influences that yeasts such as Brettanomyces and bacteria such as Lactobacillus can have on the flavour of a beer. Shortly after that visit to Funkwerks back in 2011, Yakobson relocated Crooked Stave to Denver and quickly became a cult figure in brewing circles. As time progressed my own love for sour beer grew immeasurably and I now relish every opportunity I get to drink this revered brewery's beer.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Just a few blocks from Coors Field, home of the Colorado Rockies baseball team, is <a href="http://www.thesourcedenver.com/" target="_blank">The Source</a>, a former foundry built in the 1880's that now houses a modern, artisanal market. With its industrial surroundings The Source wouldn't look out of place if it was transported over 4000 miles to East London. The outlets it houses are similar in nature to many of East London's too. Among the stores are some smart looking restaurants, a butchers, a deli, a liquor store and tucked away at the back of the building is the tap room that Crooked Stave now calls home. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The bar is immediately recognisable as being Crooked Stave's, with the idyllic farmyard scenes found on its labels painted on the wall behind the taps. However, I found myself a little confused when I stepped up to the bar. All the photos I had seen of the tap room showed a mass of brewing kit, waiting to be commissioned and stacks of barrels full of ageing beer, or still waiting to be filled but this was nowhere to be seen. It turns out that although The Source had originally been the intended home for Crooked Stave's brewing operation, a dispute over the water supply with the building's owners had seen that this wasn't going to happen, at least for the moment. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Regardless of this I was now immersed in my element, with a flight of intensely flavoured sour beers laid out before me. Beers like St. Bretta, a Brettanomyces heavy saison that's flavoured with a different citrus fruit each season, Petit Sour, a Berliner Weisse with both apricot and pomegranate versions currently pouring and Sentience, a wild Belgian style quad. Even picking three Crooked Stave beers at random like this demonstrates the weird and wonderful ideas floating around in Yakobsen's head. I settle on the Autumn incarnation of St. Bretta that's infused with blood oranges to start. While I enjoy the electric, citrus tang of this incredibly accomplished beer my Dad, who along with my Sister is accompanying me on this visit, screws his face up to the point of almost spitting it out.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">As I work my way through the entirety of the draught offerings I watch my Dad's features contort with each mouthful. They say that you should have three sips of a sour beer before you give up on it, by my Dad's seventh or eighth I was beginning to admire his stamina, or was he perhaps just a glutton for punishment? I guess sour beers really are not for everyone. My sister seemed to enjoy them though and I most certainly was but not as much as I expected to. When I've managed to get hold of bottles of Crooked Stave's St. Bretta or the stunning Vieille provision saison in the past, they have been exactly that, stunning. Here in the tap room I found many of the beers to be overly sharp and intensely sour.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">There were some brilliant beers on offer, the Batch 100 truly was an exceptional beer that when sipped, felt like a thousand, tiny, lemon flavoured pin pricks, acupuncture for the palate. Nightmare on Brett was far from a nightmare, but this bourbon barrel aged dark sour was as complex as it was challenging. It was more of a guttural experience than it was an enjoyable one. In the end it was the simple, plain old Vieille that remained my favourite because it was a beer I would drink often, if I could, but even this tasted somewhat spikier than I remember.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Crooked Stave brew incredible beers that will continue to impress even the most hardcore sour beer lovers for years to come but I actually don't think they suit being served fresh or on draught. Give a bottle of Vieille just six months in a dark cupboard or, if you're lucky enough, a cool cellar and it will mellow, integrate and open up. These are beers that benefit patience and I dare say that some of the wackier creations would benefit greatly from even longer periods of ageing. It's a shame that we're so desperate to drink all these wonderful creations as soon as they're available, rather than when they're actually ready. I look forward to drinking the few bottles I brought back with me in a year or so's time. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Despite this I'd still have a visit to The Source high on my list of things to do in Denver. It's handy for Downtown and not too far away from other interesting breweries such as <a href="http://www.blackshirtbrewingco.com/" target="_blank">Black Shirt</a>, <a href="http://www.rivernorthbrewery.com/" target="_blank">River North</a> and <a href="http://www.breckbrew.com/" target="_blank">Breckenridge</a>. The food here is great, the bottle shop has an interesting selection of beers you'll want to bring home with you and when it comes down to it, the Crooked Stave tap room is a cool place to grab a beer. It's a shame that they're not brewing in house as originally intended, at least not yet, but it seems that contract brewing at the nearby <a href="http://www.epicbrewing.com/" target="_blank">Epic Brewing Company</a> is working well for Yakobson and his always interesting, sometimes bonkers range of brews. I'm hoping that next time I pay The Source a visit that it's filled with steam and the heady smell of wet grain.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>The Source can be found at 3350 Brighton Boulevard, Denver, Colorado and is open from 8am until 11pm, seven days a week.</i> </span><br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12362693914759656245noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7475885845704210397.post-26194957089653584672015-02-10T19:32:00.001+00:002015-02-10T19:32:27.159+00:00Presenting: Bottle Club - At The Duke's Head, Highgate<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">On Wednesday the 4th of February a small group of beer enthusiasts gathered at <a href="http://www.thedukesheadhighgate.co.uk/" target="_blank">The Duke's Head</a> in Highgate Village to share a lot of very good beer. Previously I've run two sold out events at The Duke's, they were an absolute blast and there's more to come (more on this in a moment) but between the pub's Manager, Tom and myself we decided on doing something a little more intimate. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">We wanted to get together a group of people who loved beer as much as we did and to share beers that might not necessarily be available at the pub itself. We decided to keep the group to a size of ten, plus the two of us but we also wanted to create something that we could run monthly, that would stay fresh and interesting for those that choose to attend regularly. We sold ten tickets for the event at ten pounds each but the entirety of the ticket fee was to be spent on a selection of bottles curated by Tom and I. Guests were also welcome to bring bottles from their own collection, so there was certainly no fear of anyone going thirsty.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The two of us met at <a href="http://totalales.blogspot.co.uk/2014/07/mother-kellys-bethnal-green.html" target="_blank">Mother Kelly's</a> in Bethnal Green one evening and dropped our cash on some of the best bottles they had in stock. We left with IPA, sours, stouts, gose, Belgian style quads and even a barrel-aged rauchbier. We were pretty confident with what we had in store for our guests but when they turned up with their Flanders reds, more sours and even some hallowed <a href="http://sintsixtus.be/" target="_blank">Westvleteren 8</a> we knew we were in for a great night. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">We whizzed through the beers, conversation becoming louder and more excited in time with each bottle being opened. Some even ordered pints to keep them going in between bottles, something to really gulp on between small sips of the beers being passed around. It was a genuine pleasure to try beers from Liverpool's <a href="http://madhatterbrewing.co.uk/" target="_blank">Mad Hatter</a> and Manchester's <a href="http://chorltonbrewingcompany.com/" target="_blank">Chorlton Brewing Company</a> for the very first time. I was mesmerised by the immaculate <a href="http://www.deranke.be/" target="_blank">Cuvée De Ranke</a> with its sour, lemony notes twisting my tongue and the Barrel Aged Old Rasputin from California's <a href="http://www.northcoastbrewing.com/home.php" target="_blank">North Coast</a> was up there with the best bourbon barrel-aged stouts I have ever tasted. It didn't stop there though, more bottles came out and when the bottles were empty we hit the taps for pint after pint of <a href="http://www.beavertownbrewery.co.uk/" target="_blank">Beavertown</a> Gamma Ray. Then we got into the <a href="http://sacredspiritscompany.com/" target="_blank">Sacred</a> Hop Shots, a 'reversed engineered beer' that's basically hop gin. It all went dark after that.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">It was incredible - I urge you to get involved with the next one - it's going to be bigger and better. We're keeping the same sized, cosy group of ten but we're pleased to welcome special guests <a href="http://www.fourpure.com/" target="_blank">Fourpure Brewing Co</a>. who will also be slinging a few of their great canned beers into the mix. This isn't going to be so much a <i>meet the brewer</i> as more of a <i>sit down and get drunk with a brewer,</i> so to speak. We're hoping to get more brewers and other special stuff like this happening as the months go on. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Our next Bottle Club will be held on <b>Wednesday the 4th of March</b> and the ticket link will only be sent out to members of the mailing list. Please email<b> <a href="mailto:bottleclub@thedukesheadhighgate.co.uk">bottleclub@thedukesheadhighgate.co.uk</a> </b>if you'd like to take part. We're making this a ticketed event in order to keep the size of the group small, if we get enough interest then we will hopefully look at a way of accommodating a larger group in the future. As this is a ticketed event we are unable to accommodate walk-ins, we just want to make sure there is enough beer to go around.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I'm also very excited to announce that The Duke's Head, myself and a very, very cool brewery have been working hard on preparing for our next event. Put Friday the 20th of March in your diaries right now because this is going to be one beer event you will not want to miss. For updates follow Duke's (<a href="https://twitter.com/dukeshighgate" target="_blank">@DukesHighgate</a>) and myself (<a href="https://twitter.com/totalcurtis" target="_blank">@totalcurtis</a>) on twitter as we will be revealing more details very soon.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Here's hoping we'll see you at Bottle Club in the not too distant future!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12362693914759656245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7475885845704210397.post-32271481483309589172015-02-05T19:38:00.000+00:002015-02-05T19:39:53.085+00:00A Moment in Falling Rock Tap House<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">It's minus fifteen degrees celsius outside and a torrential blizzard is blowing wildly. Somehow I've convinced my Dad to make the hour-long drive from Fort Collins into downtown Denver and we've set ourselves up at the bar in the Falling Rock Tap House, away from the cold. I sink a pint of Stone's Go-To IPA in what seems like minutes. It's all mango and pineapple, a delight, but I've already got my eye on the tap handle that reads 'Pliny the Elder.' </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">"You had several pints of Pliny yesterday, try something new." My Dad urges me to break out of my comfort zone and I settle for a pint of Epic's Escape to Colorado. It's gorgeous, a hazy golden glow neatly wraps itself around the kind of grapefruit and pine resin nuances that make India Pale Ale my favourite style of beer. It's not Pliny though, nothing else is. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">My Dad locks himself in conversation the barman who, completely without any hint of irony, is clad in a Sam Smith's t-shirt. For some reason I don't think he's ever been to Tadcaster. He regales us with tales about the evils of big beer, about how he'll never stock Goose Island again for as long as he lives. A young man walks up to the bar and asks "What good IPA's are you pouring?" Without pausing the barman immediately switches his attention from my Dad to the young man. "I don't even like hoppy beer but we've got Pliny, is that good enough for ya?"</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12362693914759656245noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7475885845704210397.post-26442344174709160902015-02-04T07:55:00.000+00:002015-02-04T07:56:11.943+00:00Discovering Brasserie Grain d'Orge with BelgiBeer<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">You might not have heard of <a href="http://grain-dorge.com/" target="_blank">Brasserie Grain d'Orge</a>. I hadn't until Belgian beer subscription service <a href="http://www.belgibeer.co.uk/" target="_blank">BelgiBeer</a> offered to send me one of their monthly cases to review. From the outset I was assured I'd be sent a selection of beers that didn't remotely resemble <span id="goog_1983756831"></span><a href="http://www.alken-maes.be/" target="_blank">Maes</a><span id="goog_1983756832"></span>, <a href="http://jupiler.be/" target="_blank">Jupiler</a> or <a href="http://www.duvel.com/" target="_blank">Duvel</a>. Personally, I find the Belgian disregard for Duvel puzzling, for me it's one of the best beers in the world but I imagine the root of their distaste is not dissimilar to our own for say, <a href="http://www.sharpsbrewery.co.uk/" target="_blank">Doom Bar</a>. Regardless of qualms over mass-produced beers I was happy to have an opportunity to taste some beer from a brewery that had been off my radar until now.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Brasserie Grain d'Orge hail from the town of Homborg in the west of Belgium, near both the Dutch and German borders. Its beers are traditional in the best possible sense of the word. From the cartoony, caricatured labels of its blonde and brown ales, Brice and Joup, through to the more refined designs of its abbey style Dubbel and Tripel, this is a brewery creating beers that I would consider to be quintessentially Belgian.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I enjoyed Brice with its notes of honey and coriander seed but it was a little sweet in the finish for my own tastes. Joup on the other hand had all the qualities I look for in a great Belgian brown ale. That coriander was there again, as was a dollop of muscovado sugar but there was a hint of white pepper in the drying finish that for me, really rounded this beer out. It paired beautifully with a lamb shish kebab, drenched in chilli and garlic sauce, that I'd acquired from a local kebab emporium on the way home. The slight sweetness smoothed out the heat from the chilli sauce and its dry, peppery character cut through the fat in the moist chunks of lamb.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The Aubel Tripel was again a little on the sweet side for me but it looked gorgeous in the glass. Bright gold with a fluffy, fairy liquid foam head that released delicate aromas of honeysuckle and gooseberry. I found that the yeasty esters gave it an almost sparkling white wine-like quality. I think it would actually work pretty well as a dessert beer, I'd probably serve it with something like a lemon cheesecake with that sweetness being a good foil to the citrus acidity.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Finally I got stuck into La Grelotte or, <i>The Shivering</i> if my high school French is serving me correctly. It's a bit late in the season for a festive beer such as this but that didn't stop me from enjoying it immensely. This beautiful, deep ruby red beer smelled of over-ripe cherries, figs and allspice. It was surprisingly drinkable for its 9% ABV, with a lot of the alcohol being masked by the spicy flavours. It had a smooth, almost buttery mouthfeel and flavours of cherries and plums with an exceptionally smooth, almost grassy finish. I'm not usually a fan of festive beers such as this but La Grelotte proved to be an exception to this rule.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I was impressed with these beers to the point where I'd probably buy at least two of them if I was to come across them again. One thing I did like about the BelgiBeer selection was that, as well as plenty of box candy including a bottle opener, glass and magazine, you got two of each beer. It's always a downer when you discover a really great beer but you only picked up a single bottle.</span><br />
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<i style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I was sent these beers for free but I don't think that influenced my opinion of them. If you'd like to give BelgiBeer a go for yourself then <a href="http://belgibeer.co.uk/promo" target="_blank">you can click here</a> and get a discount.</i><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12362693914759656245noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7475885845704210397.post-9695095987382442092015-01-25T17:36:00.000+00:002015-01-25T17:36:02.011+00:00Tasting the Juicy Banger<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I wanted to write an evaluation of the Juicy Banger as having a hand in the creation of this beer has been a fantastic experience for me. I don't, however, really need to as this </span><a href="http://chrishallbeer.com/2015/01/20/the-distance-brewing-the-juicy-banger/" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;" target="_blank">has already been done ever so eloquently</a><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> by fellow collaborator Chris Hall and slightly more quixotically </span><a href="http://youtu.be/N8Whftiwj-M" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;" target="_blank">in this follow up video</a><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> by Jonny Garrett of the Craft Beer Channel. Despite </span><a href="http://totalales.blogspot.co.uk/2014/12/creating-juicy-banger.html" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;" target="_blank">already writing a run through of our brew day</a><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> which also involved Camden Town Brewery's Sofia De Crescentiis and brewer Pete Brown, I still feel the need to wrap things up, for now at least. This also gives me the opportunity to show you some of the photos I took at the launch night and give you my opinion on how this beer turned out. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Why was brewing this beer such a great experience? Well I've collaborated on brews before but I don't home brew and this was a genuine opportunity to design a beer from the ground up. Each of us had a clear, if perhaps slightly differing, idea of how we wanted this beer to taste and I think the end result was something close to what we had imagined. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLUworycUtArf4WEl81Cx2WJNE72pYERVdChTonYJkKCKmdvuWEdACSG93LZ9Nrt1rRLE3CdE1V2sLg8rYW4xewjiKKTCQI305nC4RPX8EItRa4G2pl8MlIqRkjNZnkpW_l1jwqvf5FI9J/s1600/Juicy+Banger+Camden+Town+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLUworycUtArf4WEl81Cx2WJNE72pYERVdChTonYJkKCKmdvuWEdACSG93LZ9Nrt1rRLE3CdE1V2sLg8rYW4xewjiKKTCQI305nC4RPX8EItRa4G2pl8MlIqRkjNZnkpW_l1jwqvf5FI9J/s1600/Juicy+Banger+Camden+Town+5.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipnHI7xer3pnFx9OZrDucmT-n-SnTOj_B2omrZ0yvsQF33JPY7mW929XX9QBd41JNLPKmDxIxzwi3sRCtBMgT3zShIJ8Qfy3tHD9ddck-4l2obd_kb41_rG1m_ZE3tG2sFiR-0LZiKrbc8/s1600/Juicy+Banger+Camden+Town+8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipnHI7xer3pnFx9OZrDucmT-n-SnTOj_B2omrZ0yvsQF33JPY7mW929XX9QBd41JNLPKmDxIxzwi3sRCtBMgT3zShIJ8Qfy3tHD9ddck-4l2obd_kb41_rG1m_ZE3tG2sFiR-0LZiKrbc8/s1600/Juicy+Banger+Camden+Town+8.jpg" height="426" style="cursor: move;" width="640" /></a><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">We wanted it to be juicy, that was the whole point but we also wanted a big, drying bitterness, the kind that demands you order a second immediately after you drain the dregs of your first. The beer ended up a little stronger than we had hoped, somewhere closer to 7% ABV </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">(this figure differs depending on who you ask) </span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">than our target 6.5%. For me it also turned out a little darker than I had hoped for, we're talking a minuscule amount but it didn't have that similar paleness that characterises other juicy bangers such as <a href="http://www.thekernelbrewery.com/" target="_blank">Kernel</a> IPA or <a href="http://pressuredropbrewing.co.uk/" target="_blank">Pressure Drop</a> Pale Fire. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The aroma was remarkable, Camden's penchant for brewing clean, well-attenuated beers was evident. This would've been thanks to the extremely hard working house ale yeast. You could pick out the satsuma laden tang of Amarillo, the lemon pith brightness of Centennial and of course, lots of grapefruit. Like, serious grapefruit. The combination of Citra hops and the grapefruit pith and zest had combined to tremendous effect, the aroma was booming. Before kegging Pete had dry hopped the beer with yet more Citra to really get that aroma singing and it was really cranking out the decibels. The aroma was probably my favourite thing about our beer.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ_RIzCwhhL__tUi-Tt9spMcO6oeHPb9nWztBgAhVAhPkRJAMQIdcglAa_kL41xOLiHjMNpqmiOwN3Bgb-tGTpVuBiQQi-DgWqB4uBhaEyKAEzuAxahHrMaRezbshJgRieIzgxt_ZF0pT6/s1600/Juicy+Banger+Camden+Town+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ_RIzCwhhL__tUi-Tt9spMcO6oeHPb9nWztBgAhVAhPkRJAMQIdcglAa_kL41xOLiHjMNpqmiOwN3Bgb-tGTpVuBiQQi-DgWqB4uBhaEyKAEzuAxahHrMaRezbshJgRieIzgxt_ZF0pT6/s1600/Juicy+Banger+Camden+Town+4.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">On tasting, the first thing I went looking for was that juicy character we were hoping to achieve and thankfully it was there in spades. The malt profile was perhaps a little too forward for my liking. There was a toffee sweetness similar to that found in <a href="http://skabrewing.com/" target="_blank">Ska Brewing</a> Modus Hoperandi (the beer ours drew the most comparisons to on the night) which encroached slightly on the space the juicy flavours had to flex their muscles. I was thankful for that extra malt sweetness by the time the beer reached its finish however. All that grapefruit zest we chucked in at the end of the boil, which still had a lot of pith on it, came to the fore in the form of a big, bitter and slightly astringent finish. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjRMprs2YwcpZJqlSc3IsC_hnSNb_gqLmVzCrAKcTdQriyzeQITVZ6-G005syoOuRTSEilQ7GFOqaOx5GZ4bIrEY5X2WgNW-AUoBN0lgkRWveklRNrA8tQeRaOhAaZGFjUjay9SPiwO40o/s1600/Juicy+Banger+Camden+Town+6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjRMprs2YwcpZJqlSc3IsC_hnSNb_gqLmVzCrAKcTdQriyzeQITVZ6-G005syoOuRTSEilQ7GFOqaOx5GZ4bIrEY5X2WgNW-AUoBN0lgkRWveklRNrA8tQeRaOhAaZGFjUjay9SPiwO40o/s1600/Juicy+Banger+Camden+Town+6.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">On reflection, it was a probably a little too astringent and slightly unbalanced but I still found it very enjoyable and most importantly, very drinkable. I would've certainly liked to have a few more glasses of it but the only keg was demolished inside thirty-five minutes. Good going team. It was one of those nights that reminds me what a wonderful place the Camden Town Brewery Bar is to be on a Friday Night. So pretty much like every Friday night I spend there. Getting to drink a beer I helped make and then stand on the bar and shouting about it made it all the sweeter though.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Finally, I'd like to give a massive thanks once again to Pete who in reality, stopped a quartet of <i>enthusiasts</i> from brewing something terrible. So thank you, Pete. Now, when do we get to have a go on the big kit? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12362693914759656245noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7475885845704210397.post-19937800997748063672015-01-19T07:33:00.000+00:002015-01-19T11:27:30.383+00:00Inside New Belgium's Foeder Forest<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis2zo8Lj-KT56_QomeKDbopuoiOBOpLcnNuBKIrpLv0GiiZi5wJP-9AdwsbFQaEqeJ5lJFhu8HgcXE9iy-mRAlj0ZeoLixYLEoapeuKdFn-DPU6Q9YWwUFgmWtRh3zR-Prhjkn7_HqXghE/s1600/New+Belgium+Foeder+Forest+Seven.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis2zo8Lj-KT56_QomeKDbopuoiOBOpLcnNuBKIrpLv0GiiZi5wJP-9AdwsbFQaEqeJ5lJFhu8HgcXE9iy-mRAlj0ZeoLixYLEoapeuKdFn-DPU6Q9YWwUFgmWtRh3zR-Prhjkn7_HqXghE/s1600/New+Belgium+Foeder+Forest+Seven.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">It's difficult not to enjoy yourself on a tour of <a href="http://www.newbelgium.com/" target="_blank">New Belgium Brewery</a>, it's one of the most interesting and entertaining brewery tours you can do. The staff, who become part owners of the Northern Colorado brewery after 12 months of service, speak with an infectious enthusiasm and pour a broad range of both core and speciality beers on your way around. They even let you go down a slide. It's no wonder that tours book up months in advance.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">There's a lot see on the tour, the gorgeous Abbey-esque brewhouse, the gargantuan two-thousand hectolitre tanks, filled to the brim with fermenting Fat Tire ale and a bottling line that resembles a giant's <i>Scalextric</i> set are a few highlights. One place inside America's third largest craft brewery though, has a majesty that's unlike anything you'll see on your average tour. A maze of towering, odd-shaped, French oak vessels that sit at the heart of New Belgium's expansive sour beer program. This is the Foeder Forest.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCVhA-88Wx0Dlxftlg4AtlxNrR803A-CKNY3FmrDjqdS9Xs3pH1nbt0AVDmXDpoODFhS0I1BaVsP6lBD05C3eynze2HQtVXyk16vOGg53S5hvrBnCZdpqDHw6dZUUTkFQ_sPshrd1yEy9Y/s1600/New+Belgium+Fouder+Forest+Six.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCVhA-88Wx0Dlxftlg4AtlxNrR803A-CKNY3FmrDjqdS9Xs3pH1nbt0AVDmXDpoODFhS0I1BaVsP6lBD05C3eynze2HQtVXyk16vOGg53S5hvrBnCZdpqDHw6dZUUTkFQ_sPshrd1yEy9Y/s1600/New+Belgium+Fouder+Forest+Six.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">A foeder is a large oak vessel that's traditionally used in winemaking and New Belgium has imported its own tanks from France. They come in a range of sizes and typically hold up to around 200 hectolitres of souring beer. New Belgium now has 64 of these things, that's a lot of sour beer. They often arrive unassembled and once they're in place they have to be rehydrated so that the wood expands to form a seal. Once a foeder is ready for beer it's filled about twenty percent of the way with existing sour beer. This inoculates the wood with New Belgium's existing culture of bacteria and creates the terroir that's vital for its beers to gain the characteristics it desires.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Above the door that leads to the Foeder Forest are the words 'Cache la Foeder' which references the Cache la Poudre River that flows through the town of Fort Collins. Stepping through those doors is akin to Alice stepping through the looking glass. You're transported to a world of wood, the home of billions of microscopic organisms that quietly go about their business of souring beer. The terroir within each barrel almost seems to seep out of every pore. There's a magic happening here and it's as infectious as the beer loving bacteria within those tanks.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhav64FuVhQ0T7xPcicFX8vIo1z9WFixHzmBPvNtEOfzlossrCGz0cBs2SW1xDxtkU9A2XQP7CvExKpUbZtqV6y_DoZwheq1MVPMKMAfBCUUTVLyu7fKVfYaJWXVnljTqC8PeLSukbvxh4E/s1600/New+Belgium+Foeder+Forest+two.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhav64FuVhQ0T7xPcicFX8vIo1z9WFixHzmBPvNtEOfzlossrCGz0cBs2SW1xDxtkU9A2XQP7CvExKpUbZtqV6y_DoZwheq1MVPMKMAfBCUUTVLyu7fKVfYaJWXVnljTqC8PeLSukbvxh4E/s1600/New+Belgium+Foeder+Forest+two.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">A stroll around the tanks reveals some of New Belgium’s idiosyncrasies. There are ex-bourbon casks, which get to become the new homes for foeder beers that are tasting particularly exceptional. The walls of the warehouse that houses the Foeder Forest has been turned into a climbing wall, which only further demonstrates that New Belgium is a brewery that likes to play as hard as it works. This is arguably the largest sour beer program in the United States but its size only serves to add to the feeling of wonderment being within it brings.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The beer at the core of New Belgium's sour range is La Folie, a Flanders inspired sour red ale that tastes like <a href="http://www.rodenbach.be/" target="_blank">Rodenbach</a> Grand Cru on steroids. This is no surprise, New Belgium's brewmaster Peter Bouckaert hails from Belgium and cut his teeth creating beer at Rodenbach. Like the aforementioned Grand Cru, La Folie is a blend of a 3-year and 1-year old base beer, affectionately referred to as 'Oscar' by the brewery. Before blending, beer is pulled from numerous foeders and carefully selected by master blender Lauren Salazar who ensures the quality and consistency in each batch. La Folie masterfully combines notes of raisin and cranberry, which sit on a base of intense lactic sourness. With time in the bottle this beer will gradually become more integrated and its flavours will mellow.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTH8LP_jVjlKDehZIQWj8TlcHpC05sqckUEjKYVLZC_E7U5SU_zK29-eCuNvpysWxSsDl0jfo_VQvjwgxKJf-Y9jAL18RWAQU8IQXPmY9umO-5Hy3iGPtpCR1ygjNUunNGW8zuXN2qZmLO/s1600/New+Belgium+Foeder+Forest+Three.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTH8LP_jVjlKDehZIQWj8TlcHpC05sqckUEjKYVLZC_E7U5SU_zK29-eCuNvpysWxSsDl0jfo_VQvjwgxKJf-Y9jAL18RWAQU8IQXPmY9umO-5Hy3iGPtpCR1ygjNUunNGW8zuXN2qZmLO/s1600/New+Belgium+Foeder+Forest+Three.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjbZETvb8a2bDh5dakKSZ_q61s5-SM61uHWCf7oc7nus-iQEPd8gjHzKrzjFWUqzNRfjW-gVOpKi7WG4rtpmTiLeBQdf5uwPGOH19YpkhbSgFloCGWYUxVluX3psEGUR8prU9iJj_ucfTT/s1600/New+Belgium+Foeder+Forest+Four.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjbZETvb8a2bDh5dakKSZ_q61s5-SM61uHWCf7oc7nus-iQEPd8gjHzKrzjFWUqzNRfjW-gVOpKi7WG4rtpmTiLeBQdf5uwPGOH19YpkhbSgFloCGWYUxVluX3psEGUR8prU9iJj_ucfTT/s1600/New+Belgium+Foeder+Forest+Four.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Another of New Belgium’s sour beers, the dry hopped Le Terroir is named in homage of the habitat that contributes to the creation of these beers. Pouring much more pale than La Folie, this beer has intense flavours of sour lemon, elderflower and a pine like bitterness that is once again followed by a pleasingly intense sourness that is characteristic of the beers that emerge from the Foeder Forest. It's exceptional and I don't feel that I'm exaggerating when I say that Le Terroir is comparable to the immaculate beers produced in Brussels by <a href="http://www.cantillon.be/" target="_blank">Brasserie Cantillon</a>.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlmhivDzYm-AK6_G7-5E8Gp-fo794CuSXM1nW-6E2SZXVyWOrICgi2CfrHpCoOS7C-4aNWohEl6YGnCxSLlNbAy-Ebud7amF8n6i9G7vbwdqgafFPfJLVReXXOaGazooCYgo4oQiMKX_Rc/s1600/New+Belgium+Foeder+Forest+Five.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlmhivDzYm-AK6_G7-5E8Gp-fo794CuSXM1nW-6E2SZXVyWOrICgi2CfrHpCoOS7C-4aNWohEl6YGnCxSLlNbAy-Ebud7amF8n6i9G7vbwdqgafFPfJLVReXXOaGazooCYgo4oQiMKX_Rc/s1600/New+Belgium+Foeder+Forest+Five.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The trouble is, New Belgium is often maligned by the beer geek crowd, partly because of their size and partly because they're better known for producing accessible beers such as Ranger IPA and the ubiquitous Fat Tire. Thanks to the gradual expansion of its sour program new Belgium are now able to produce once limited beers such as La Folie year round. Does their accessibility and produ</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">ction scale make these beers any less wonderful? Of course not but I fear that the beer geek penchant for chasing the rarest, most exclusive beers means that they might be missing out on the wonderful products from this brewery. There's little doubt that New Belgium are producing some of the most accomplished sour beers in the world and thankfully on a scale that means you won't feel guilty about buying it by the case.</span><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12362693914759656245noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7475885845704210397.post-86524065680343522352015-01-09T07:47:00.000+00:002015-01-09T07:47:57.324+00:00The Fall of Goose Island<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I'm sat at the bar of Denver's famous <a href="http://fallingrocktaphouse.com/" target="_blank">Falling Rock Tap House</a>, a foaming pint of <a href="http://www.stonebrewing.com/" target="_blank">Stone's</a> Go-To IPA in my right hand. It single handedly proves to me, with its juicy notes of mango and pineapple, that those revered West Coast breweries can brew sessionable beers that taste as good as those that are twice its strength. My Dad is sat next to me, sipping on a <a href="http://lostabbey.com/" target="_blank">Lost Abbey</a> Devotion and has engaged the barman in light conversation. He asks him if the bar stocks any <a href="http://www.gooseisland.com/" target="_blank">Goose Island</a> beers now that they're brewed within the State of Colorado.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i> "I won't have any of that mass-produced shit in my bar" </i></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">When I discovered that Chicago's Goose Island brewery were having its core beers, 312 Wheat, Honkers Ale and IPA brewed at the <a href="http://anheuser-busch.com/" target="_blank">Anheuser-Busch</a> facility in Fort Collins, Colorado I was eager to give them a try. Goose Island IPA was a very important beer for me. When I first discovered the explosive taste of North American hops it was one of the more easily obtainable imports. It was always in the fridge at Jack's, my local off licence and it soon became a staple in mine. Remarkably, I still have the tasting notes for this beer, from one of the rare occasions when I actually remembered to write them down. They read; <i>chewy caramel and toffee-like malt backbone holding up huge notes of mango and pineapple with a dry, bitter finish.</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I first paid a visit to the Anheuser-Busch facility in Fort Collins when I helped my Dad move to the Northern Colorado town back in the summer of 2010. The immense, brutalist structure was visible from my bedroom window in the house he used to rent. The tour was quite something, after visits to the <a href="http://odellbrewing.com/" target="_blank">Odell</a> and <a href="http://www.newbelgium.com/" target="_blank">New Belgium</a> breweries in town the difference in scale was quite remarkable. Like Goose Island themselves in 2011, Busch had recently been taken over by Belgian industry giants <a href="http://www.ab-inbev.co.uk/" target="_blank">InBev</a> and at the end of the tour I was offered a taster of Stella Artois. The guy pouring my beer lent towards me and spoke; </span><i style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">"You Brits won't like anything we've got on tap here, head to Odell's in town, that's where I drink." </i><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I'm pretty sure that's exactly what we did. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">On hearing that the tasting rooms at Busch's Fort Collins facility had been relaunched as a German style 'Biergarten' I was even more curious to pay a return visit. So, unwittingly, I dragged my family along to the Anheuser Busch Biergarten with the promise of beer and bratwurst. We arrive at the small, office style building opposite the sprawling brewhouse and on asking for directions are ushered into the same room where I was offered a taster of Stella almost five years ago. The large tasting room had been given a lick of paint and the word 'Biergarten' had been printed on several of the walls. They'd even stuck in a few long, Munich style communal beer tables but it's still the same old Busch tasting room I remember from a few years ago. We take a seat, ask for a menu and I order a pint of Goose Island IPA. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">After some deliberation from the staff, who I've asked to confirm that the beer is in fact brewed in house, the tap room manager comes over and confirms this. I eye the pint glass carefully, a shrunken, British style nonic with Goose Islands smart, eye catching new branding present on the side. I'd really been looking forward to this, a true classic American IPA, one that turned me on to the style, brewed with all the precision and experience that the mighty AB-InBev could provide. I position my nose above the beer to get a whiff of those fruity aromas but all I get is the faint whiff of yeast esters. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Yes, yeast esters, the last thing you'd expect to detect in the aroma of an American Style IPA which, traditionally uses a yeast that produces little detectable flavour in order to let the malt and hops shine. They're detectable on the palate too, only faintly but still there. Gone is the chewy, toffee malt flavour that balanced the bitter flavours, instead replaced by a cereal-like character. There is none of the juicy tropical fruit I remember tasting, just a wave of nearly characterless bitterness. <i>"It tastes like a dumbed-down, mass produced version of an American IPA" </i>remarks my Dad. Like the majority of the time, he's not wrong.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I'm aware that tastes change and palates evolve. I fully accept that I am a victim of <i><a href="http://drunkenspeculation.com/2014/03/12/wtf-is-a-lupulin-shift/" target="_blank">lupulin threshold shift</a></i> but I refuse to believe that my palate isn't good enough to detect a change this drastic. This is the beer labelled as Goose Island IPA that's being distributed to the entirety of the west of the United States but it's not the Goose Island IPA I remember. The good news for drinkers in the UK is that the bottles imported here via <a href="http://www.greeneking.co.uk/" target="_blank">Greene King</a> aren't brewed in Fort Collins, they're brewed in Baldwinsville, New York, if that's any consolation. There's more good news too, the 312 Wheat tastes as good as I've ever tasted it, zesty and popping with lemon notes, backed up by a dry body with subtle hits of, you've guessed it, yeast esters. It's still a superb American twist on a classic wheat beer that I can see becoming as popular as <a href="http://www.shocktopbeer.com/" target="_blank">Shock Top</a> or <a href="http://totalales.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/blue-fucking-moon.html" target="_blank">Blue Moon</a>. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I'm still a huge fan of Goose Island, without them I simply wouldn't have been able to get my hop fix a few years ago and I'll never forget them for that. I finish my IPA and order a pair of Goose Island's Chicago brewed Belgian inspired ales, Matilda and Sofie. Both are exceptional, crisp and dry, with a massive depth of character despite being so subtle. I still sought out a bottle of this years Bourbon County Brand Stout to bring home with me, of course I did, it's one of the best examples of its style in the world. I had to bring it back though, as we won't be getting any more in the UK for a while, not now that Greene King have reduced the range they're importing to just Honkers Ale, IPA and 312 Wheat. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span><i style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </i><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">There is no doubting that AB-InBev have treated Goose Island well. The rebrand is slick, the upscaling of their core range has allowed them to significantly expand their barrel ageing program and they're reaching more people than ever before. The thing is, if fundamentally important beers such as Goose Island IPA are treated with this apparent irreverence then this once respected Chicago brewery will soon become irrelevant, to lovers of great beer at least. </span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12362693914759656245noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7475885845704210397.post-60524417051155777332015-01-05T15:00:00.000+00:002015-01-05T19:47:06.801+00:00That Brewery You Like Is Going Out Of Style<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">That brewery you like is going out of style</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Scraping together pennies for a very last gyle.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">That brewery you like is going out of style</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Couldn't afford the rent on the Bermondsey Beer Mile.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Selling out to the man, all the geeks spit bile.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">That brewery you like is going out of style</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Hold on, here's a Kickstarter, we'll be around for a while.</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12362693914759656245noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7475885845704210397.post-35677799798561089552014-12-30T18:09:00.004+00:002014-12-31T01:28:01.459+00:00Horse and Dragon Brewing Company - Fort Collins, Colorado<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg0l5JeAcpcQ-Mela8q8i3aKdZr3uG7zd6NlubvJ-vgPyZNAB6GT5dd4UlQVlBu3GUSl5TG0RkScGf9rGF5_fXkYDTGdlt1JERyzk2e2Ug98Is7dSH_givPTyCyxTYekmQUeuRzeVVhF0t/s1600/Horse+and+Dragon+1+.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg0l5JeAcpcQ-Mela8q8i3aKdZr3uG7zd6NlubvJ-vgPyZNAB6GT5dd4UlQVlBu3GUSl5TG0RkScGf9rGF5_fXkYDTGdlt1JERyzk2e2Ug98Is7dSH_givPTyCyxTYekmQUeuRzeVVhF0t/s1600/Horse+and+Dragon+1+.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">It's just gone 8am when I arrive at the small, out-of-town industrial estate in Fort Collins, Colorado that's home to the <a href="http://www.horseanddragonbrewing.com/" target="_blank">Horse and Dragon Brewing Company</a>. When I enter the sizable warehouse that contains the brewery the air is already filled with the heady scent of wet grain. Head Brewer, or more accurately, sole brewer Linsey Cornish is in a state that she'll remain in for the entire brew day, a blur, fizzing with energy, always doing at least two jobs at once and never showing any sign of slowing down. She's already begun mashing in todays brew which will hopefully end up as a transatlantic fusion of a British ESB and an American IPA.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Tim and Carol Cochran spent a good few years planning Horse and Dragon which finally opened in May 2014. Fittingly, this also happened to be the year of the horse. How does a new brewery stand out in a town with as rich a craft brewing history as Fort Collins, that's home to the giants of <a href="http://www.newbelgium.com/Home.aspx" target="_blank">New Belgium</a> and <a href="http://odellbrewing.com/" target="_blank">Odell Brewing</a>? Well their first masterstroke was in employing Cornish. She cut her teeth at Odell where she was a production brewer for over four years. The second was spending plenty of time planning to create a brewery that at only eight months old already feels like part of this Front Range town's fixtures and fittings. This is a brewery that appears to have hit the ground running, much the same as Cornish runs from task to task on the brewery floor.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGyeKikaG6ZDK4oq9pGNQ5HksKjny_eeAUJBP7fZELLhyphenhyphenHBiy4tT5EX0kIAJzAid2sThapaLoWhSfiydJN1ZACdR4k0gFZVNqx3OziNhtPt_x8vkfijTw_bukIQ8J2DVNw_1pneMySVXEH/s1600/Horse+and+Dragon+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGyeKikaG6ZDK4oq9pGNQ5HksKjny_eeAUJBP7fZELLhyphenhyphenHBiy4tT5EX0kIAJzAid2sThapaLoWhSfiydJN1ZACdR4k0gFZVNqx3OziNhtPt_x8vkfijTw_bukIQ8J2DVNw_1pneMySVXEH/s1600/Horse+and+Dragon+5.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">As Linsey busies herself with monitoring the mash and grinding up coffee grounds for a cold brew infusion that will become an integral part of Sad Panda coffee stout, I try and make myself useful. I'm handed several large bags of palletized hops which I begin weighing out. First a few handfuls of dank Columbus pellets for bittering. I then open a bag of Northern Brewer, a hop that Linsey feels is underused by many brewers but a variety she's turned to when highly sought after Simcoe, Citra and Mosaic varieties are unavailable. Even in pellet form it has a heady, earthy aroma with notes of ripe mango and pineapple. I'm actually surprised that it gets overlooked in favour of other varieties. Then it's time to measure out some Chinook, Willamette and some fantastically pungent Cascade that immerses the room in rich grapefruit scented fog.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Much of brewing is about waiting and as our wort recirculates before being run into the twenty barrel kettle we retire to the tap room at the front of the building. Where the brewery itself is a cavernously large space I imagine many British startup brewers would kill for, the tap room is a cosy, low lit bar that's already a popular destination for locals. I imagine that it must've been a tough decision to leave a well established brewer like Odell but Cornish seems quite relaxed about her choice. Being able to brew her own recipes and stamp her own identity on Horse and Dragon's beers is clearly her main reasoning for this. She usually clocks up around 60 hours a week in the brewery. Currently She brews twice a week with the rest of the time spent ordering supplies, kegging and of course, doing lots of cleaning. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The influence of the training Cornish received at Odell is clear from my first taste of Picnic Rock Pale Ale. It has all of the clean flavours and pinpoint balance you'd expect from her former employers beers. There's a satisfying cereal malt flavour that's joined by juicy mango flesh and then lemon zest in the finish. However despite any similarities you may draw to Fort Collins' oldest craft brewery it ends there as, very importantly, Horse and Dragon's brews already have a clear identity of their own. The 25:200 IPL is my kind of beer, a huge pungent grapefruit aroma with a resinous, citrus bitterness on the palate and a morishly clean and dry finish. The Scottish Tradesman coconut porter takes me by surprise, I'm halfway through the glass of this indulgent dark beer that's mellowed by toasted coconut before I'm informed it sits at an ABV of 9.5%. It tastes around half of that, I'm seriously impressed. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I'm even more impressed to learn that some of this beer is sat inside a rum barrel that's not so inconspicuously tucked away at the back of the brewery. There's a desire for innovation here as well as consistency and in this part of the world, with such a rich brewing culture, there simply has to be. Sage Adweisse, a crisp and tart Berliner Weisse is further evidence of this, a new beer that's not quite dialled in but definitely a sign that things are going in the right direction.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The brew day carries on apace and it's time to add the hops to our now boiling wort. The pellets fizz and explode as they hit the surface of the water each releasing its characteristic aromas as it does. We retire back to the bar for pizza and Horse and Dragons highly accomplished IPA, arguably there's no better food pairing, especially on a brew day. Even at lunch Cornish is dashing back to check the boil every few minutes, summoning me when it's time for the next hop addition. Once the boil is finished and it's stood for a few minutes after the aroma hops have been added, it's time to run the beer into the fermenter. Here I witness Cornish pitch yeast in line with the wort as it leaves the heat exchanger which she does using a modified keg to contain her yeast. She tells me that this gets fermentation started quicker, I'd never seen this done before but I sure took her word for it. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">As Linsey begins to clean down and I've helped dig the mash tun out to the best of my abilities the brew day draws to a close. The tap room is already filling up with locals enjoying a few beers and we're barely into the early afternoon, on a Monday too. You might not think it possible for a town the size of Fort Collins to sustain as many breweries as it currently does but somehow each manages to retain its own audience and, most importantly, a strong sense of identity. Somehow though, it feels to me that Horse and Dragon won't always be content with being just a local brewery and that they have bigger plans in store. Perhaps Cornish will one day have a whole team of brewers assisting her but I imagine that even then, she'll still be whizzing around the brewery, brimming with energy.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>Horse and Dragon Brewing Company can be found at 124 Racquette Drive, Fort Collins, Colorado. The tap room is open from 12 until 6 daily, I strongly suggest you swing by. **EDIT** Originally I had incorrectly stated that Sage Adweisse was brewed with Sage, this is not true, Sage is in fact Linsay's lovely dog which this beer is named after.</i></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12362693914759656245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7475885845704210397.post-826329939892187522014-12-26T15:59:00.000+00:002014-12-26T15:59:48.138+00:00The 2014 Golden Post Awards<div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">This year <a href="http://chrishallbeer.com/" target="_blank">Chris Hall</a> has suggested that as well as handing out Golden Pint awards to our favourite beers and breweries that we also take a closer look at the efforts of beer bloggers and writers. This is a great idea because good writing that manages to inform, educate and entertain deserves to be celebrated and I sincerely hope this is something that builds impetus year on year. These were tough choices to make but after much deliberation these are the pieces of writing (and videos) that I enjoyed the most this year.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">· Best History Post</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>Winner: Boak and Bailey - <a href="http://boakandbailey.com/2014/05/boddies-buried/" target="_blank">Where the Boddies is Buried</a></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Rather guiltily, I don't read a lot of beer history writing. My poor excuse is that I spend all my time and energy on where beer is now and where it is going. However I found this piece by Boak and Bailey on the history of Boddington's Manchester Bitter both scintillating and fascinating. You'll never look at a pint of Boddie's in the same light again.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>Winner: Richard Taylor, The Beercast - <a href="http://thebeercast.com/2014/04/brewmeister.html" target="_blank">Brewmeister - The Shame of British Brewing</a></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Runners Up: Chris Hall - <a href="http://chrishallbeer.com/2014/11/02/designed-to-be-human/" target="_blank">Designed to be Human</a>, Mark Johnson (Beer Compurgation), <a href="http://beercompurgation.blogspot.com/2014/08/everything-wrong-with-beer-at-this.html" target="_blank">Everything Wrong with Beer at this Moment</a></span> </i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">It would have been impossible to give this award to anyone else. Richard's piece on the unscrupulous activities at Scotland's Brewmeister wasn't just blogging, this was genuine A-grade journalism. It captured the focus of the beer world at large and, most importantly, made the brewery in question change the way they went about their business. Without it I wouldn't have had the confidence to write a couple of pieces that I published this year. A special mention must go to Chris Hall for his concise deconstruction of the awful 'There's a Beer for That' campaign and Mark Johnson, for telling us how it really is. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">· Best Pub Post</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>Winner: Chris Hall - <a href="http://chrishallbeer.com/2014/11/14/the-golden-tiger/" target="_blank">The Golden Tiger</a></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Runner Up: Adrian Tierney-Jones - <a href="http://maltworms.blogspot.com/2014/09/beer-with-view.html" target="_blank">Beer with a View</a></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #282208; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18.2000007629395px;">In what was an incredibly tough category to pick a winner, it was Chris Hall's piece on the Golden Tiger (U Zlatého Tygra) in Prague that transported me to a place where I swear I could almost taste those endless glasses of Pilsner. Runner up Adrian Tierney-Jones penned several great pub pieces this year and this is just one example of yet more writing that makes you feel like you're right there with him. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>Winner: Sarah Warman, Hop Topic - <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hmpgz3lbRI8&feature=youtu.be&list=UUOijGe28Hu3xGEjldOiwiyg" target="_blank">Stone Brewing Enjoy By 08.16.14</a></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Runners Up: Chris Hall - <a href="http://chrishallbeer.com/2014/10/15/electric-citrus-the-rise-of-the-juicy-banger/" target="_blank">Electric Citrus: The Rise of The Juicy Banger</a>, Justin Mason - <a href="http://masonjust.blogspot.com/2014/05/beers-of-london-series-77-dragonfly.html" target="_blank">Dragonfly Brewery 2 O'Clock Ordinary</a></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Explaining how a beer looks, smells and tastes can be an arduous task, especially if you want to be both engaging and informative. With her short, snappy videos Sarah Warman manages to convey this in less than three minutes and often makes you laugh out loud in the process. More established video bloggers could learn a thing or two from Sarah, mainly, to edit their damn videos. Narrowly missing out here is Chris Hall, again with a tremendous piece about a beer style that is defining the London Craft Brewing Scene and Justin Mason, who fell in love with a best bitter and wrote about it beautifully. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">· Best Beer Travel Post</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>Winner: Michael Kiser, Good Beer Hunting - <a href="http://goodbeerhunting.com/blog/2014/1/19/hill-farmstead-brewery-sisyphus-sits-upon-his-rock" target="_blank">Hill Farmstead Brewery - Sisyphus Sits Upon His Rock</a></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #282208; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Runners Up: </i></span></span><span style="color: #282208; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="line-height: 18.2000007629395px;"><i>Breandán Kearney, Belgian Smaak - <a href="http://www.belgiansmaak.com/mescan-brewery-belgian-style-beer-croagh-patrick/" target="_blank">How Mescan Brewery Crafts Belgian Beers on the Slopes of Croagh Patrick</a>, Adrian Tierney-Jones - <a href="http://maltworms.blogspot.com/2014/09/in-us-for-first-time.html" target="_blank">In the US for the First Time</a></i></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #282208; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18.2000007629395px;">When Michel Kiser published this, quite frankly, immaculate piece on Vermont's Hill Farmstead Brewery I realised how much harder I had to work to take my own blog further. Kiser is simply on another level and every other blogger needs to take a long hard look at what he's doing and take it on board. He combines photography and words is like no other and the image of a tired, soaking wet Shaun Hill that Kiser shows us is truly evocative. If it wasn't for this then Breandán Kearney would have won hands down for his wonderful piece on Ireland's Mescan Brewery. I've also picked a great piece by Adrian Tierney-Jones as a runner up, purely because it rings so true with experiences of my own.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>Winner: Per Steinar, The Evening Brews - <a href="http://www.theeveningbrews.co.uk/kernel-rebranding/" target="_blank">April Fools - Kernel Rebranding</a></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #282208; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Runner Up: Craig Heap - <a href="http://craigheap.co/2014/04/01/a-return-to-rapture-cardiffs-first-underwater-bar/" target="_blank">A Return to Rapture, Cardiff's First Underwater Ba</a>r</i></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #282208; font-family: Trebuchet MS, Trebuchet, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18.2000007629395px;">I'm not normally one for April Fools pranks but this post from Per at the Evening Brews was a brilliant poke at the beer industry at large. While we all know that The Kernel would never sell out to 'the man' and re-brand in the way suggested here it's quite believable that other breweries would willingly do so. A superbly written and enjoyable piece. I also really enjoyed Craig Heaps fantastical, <i>Bioshock</i> referencing post, just watch out for those Splicers. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>Winner: Jonny Garrett, The Craft Beer Channel - <a href="http://youtu.be/nz3mdsorO0g" target="_blank">Glastonbury - Converting the Masses to Craft Beer</a></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #282208; font-family: Trebuchet MS, Trebuchet, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18.2000007629395px;">When it comes to communicating about beer I feel that you can't do it better than with the written word but then, as a writer, I would say that. It's important not to forget all the other mediums people are using to express their thoughts about our favourite drink be it by video, photography or podcasts. With the Craft Beer Channel Jonny Garrett has created something that's both accessible to newcomers and entertaining for those with an already established interest. This video of Jonny forcing cans on unsuspecting festival goers was one of my favourites. </span></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12362693914759656245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7475885845704210397.post-79259037206301573912014-12-23T14:58:00.001+00:002014-12-24T18:36:34.671+00:00The 2014 Golden Pint Awards<h3 class="post-title entry-title" itemprop="name" style="background-color: white; color: #282208; font-family: Oswald; font-size: 22px; font-stretch: normal; font-weight: normal; margin: 0.75em 0px 0px; position: relative;">
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<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Once again it's that difficult time of the year when I have to pick the things in beer that fall into the exclusive category of 'best'. This year has been a whirlwind that has totally encompassed all of my free time but I've willingly and, most importantly, happily immersed myself in it. Perhaps the defining part of my 2014 in beer has been learning to love subtlety in beer, particularly in delicate yet detailed lagers and pilsners. It goes without saying that this has been another incredible twelve months for beer. Without further ado, here are my Golden Pints.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">· Best UK Cask Beer</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>Winner: Rooster's/Birrifico Italiano The Italian Job</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i>Runners Up: Brodie's Bethnal Green Bitter, Marble Dobber<span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span></i><b style="font-size: 13px;"> </b><span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">In a year that, relatively, I've drank very little cask beer this collaboration between Rooster's of Yorkshire and Italy's Birrifico Italiano was the only one that <a href="http://totalales.blogspot.co.uk/2014/06/a-really-good-pint.html" target="_blank">compelled me to head home and immediately write about it</a>. Floral, zesty and in perfect condition at the Three Compasses in Hornsey, North London. In a word, beautiful. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">· Best UK Keg Beer </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>Winner: Buxton Axe Edge</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i>Runners Up: Beavertown Gamma Ray, Pressure Drop Pale Fire<span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">So good was the the glass of Axe Edge I supped at Brewdog Shoreditch a few months ago that I drank it within minutes and immediately ordered another, then another. Buxton have come on in leaps and bounds this year and this is, without question, the best beer they brew. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: medium; line-height: 25.2000007629395px;">· Best UK Bottled or Canned Beer</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>Joint Winner: Beavertown Gamma Ray/Camden Town India Hells Lager</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i>Runners Up: Siren Ratchet Saison, Fourpure Pils</i></span></div>
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It would've been an easy decision to choose Beavertown's Gamma Ray as my favourite British bottled or canned beer before <a href="http://totalales.blogspot.co.uk/2014/11/camden-town-brewery-india-hells-lager.html" target="_blank">IHL came along and threw a spanner in the works</a>. I've tried but I simply cannot choose between them, so Camden and Beavertown will have to fight amongst themselves for this award. </div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">· Best Overseas Draught Beer</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>Winner: Cantillon Fou' Foune </b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i>Runners Up: </i></span><i style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 18.2000007629395px;">Hallertau Maximus Humulus Lupulus, Westbrook Gose</i></div>
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<span style="color: #282208; font-family: Trebuchet MS, Trebuchet, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 1.4;">In what should be a fiercely contested category the </span></span><span style="color: #282208; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">decision</span></span><span style="color: #282208; font-family: Trebuchet MS, Trebuchet, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 1.4;"> was as easy as a Sunday morning. Although Cantillon's revered apricot lambic is better known for being served from a bottle I was lucky enough to drink it on draught on two </span></span><span style="line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">separate</span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 1.4;"> occasions when it was released this autumn. It simply blew most other beers away. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #282208; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i> </i><b> </b> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">· Best Overseas Bottled or Canned Beer</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>Winner: Galway Bay Of Foam and Fury Double IPA</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i>Runners Up: Founders Kentucky Breakfast Stout, New Belgium Le Terroir</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><br /></i></span></span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">My summer trip to Dublin for this years <a href="http://totalales.blogspot.co.uk/2014/07/ebbc14.html" target="_blank">European Beer Bloggers Conference</a> was a revelation. I was blown away by the passion and enthusiasm of the burgeoning Irish craft beer scene and the beer itself, well there are some exceptional things happening just across the Irish Sea. This beer from Galway Bay is better than most IPA's being brewed right now to the point where it's genuinely one of the best examples of the style in the world. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">· Best Collaboration Brew</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>Winner: Camden Town Brewery/The Kernel Gentlemen's Agreement</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i>Runner Up: Hallertau/Epic/Liberty (Four Horsemen) Hopocaplyse, Rooster's/Birrifico Italiano The Italian Job</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #282208; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span style="color: #282208; font-family: Trebuchet MS, Trebuchet, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 1.4;">At first, I struggled to remember the collaboration brews that really hit home this year but when I remember this effort between Camden and The Kernel it was another easy </span></span><span style="color: #282208;"><span style="line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">decision</span></span><span style="color: #282208; font-family: Trebuchet MS, Trebuchet, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 1.4;"> to make. A blend rather than a brew, Gentlemen's Agreement combined Camden's lemon and bergamot infused Wit with The Kernel's tart Berliner weisse, London Sour. The resulting beer was breathtaking but what was more impressive was seeing two breweries, who go about their business so very differently, working together in complete harmony to create something brilliant. </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #282208; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: medium; line-height: 1.4;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">· Best Overall Beer</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Joint Winner: </b></span></span></span><b style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 25.2000007629395px;">Beavertown Gamma Ray/Camden Town India Hells Lager</b></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">I have drank more Gamma Ray than any other beer this year by a significant margin and that's because it's the best beer being brewed in the UK right now. Well, it was until Camden Town launched India Hells Lager at the end of the year. Both of these beers are immaculate and beautiful to the point when I still burst out with laughter every time I drink either of them.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">· Best Branding, Pumpclip or Label</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>Winner: </b></span></span><b style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 25.2000007629395px;">Camden Town India Hells Lager</b></div>
<span style="color: #282208; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 1.4;"><i>Runner Up: Brewdog/Weihenstephan India Pale Weizen, Brasserie D</i></span><span style="color: #282208; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18.2000007629395px;"><i>ieu du Ciel Moralité</i></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span style="color: #282208; font-family: Trebuchet MS, Trebuchet, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 1.4;">The three giant orange letters on the front of a can of IHL tell you immediately what you're getting and it really leaps of the bottle shop shelf. Look deeper though and the pagan </span></span><span style="color: #282208;"><span style="line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">imagery</span></span><span style="color: #282208; font-family: Trebuchet MS, Trebuchet, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 1.4;"> that purposefully features four British animals worshipping the 'Good Lord Lager' tells a story as well as selling you a can of beer. This is art in the form of a beer can. </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">· Best UK Brewery</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>Winner: Buxton Brewery</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i>Runners Up: Beavertown, Camden Town Brewery</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span style="color: #282208; font-family: Trebuchet MS, Trebuchet, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 1.4;">Despite both Camden and Beavertown rocking my world this year I'd actually already decided on my brewery of the year several weeks ago. They've been prolific with their output, they've </span></span><span style="color: #282208;"><span style="line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">experimented</span></span><span style="color: #282208; font-family: Trebuchet MS, Trebuchet, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 1.4;"> and pushed their boundaries but still managed to keep their core beers dialled in and available almost all of the time. Their rebranding is slick and Colin Stronge is without doubt one of the country's finest brewers. I've been blown away by what Buxton have achieved this year and the best thing is, I think that they're going to get even better. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #282208; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i> </i><b> </b> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">· Best Overseas Brewery</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>Winner: Brasserie Cantillon</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i>Runners Up: Hallertau Brewery, Firestone Walker</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #282208; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><br /></i></span></span><span style="color: #282208;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, Trebuchet, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 1.4;">I've not been a Cantillon drinker for all that long, relatively speaking, but thankfully it didn't take me a great deal of time to become a huge fan of their beers. This year however was the year that Cantillon beers, for me, ceased to taste complex and </span></span><span style="line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">tongue</span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, Trebuchet, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 1.4;"> twisting and became nuanced and beautifully </span></span></span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">constructed</span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 1.4;">. It was perhaps on <a href="http://totalales.blogspot.co.uk/2014/10/the-cult-of-zwanze.html" target="_blank">Zwanze Day</a> at the Kernel Brewery when I realised that Cantillon genuinely do things that other breweries can only dream about. I hope its expansion is finished soon because I can see its beers quickly becoming more exclusive and </span></span></span><span style="color: #282208; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">expensive</span></span><span style="color: #282208; font-family: Trebuchet MS, Trebuchet, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 1.4;"> with each passing day. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #282208; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: medium; line-height: 1.4;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">· Best New Brewery Opening 2014</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>Winner: Runaway Brewery</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i>Runner Up: Hammerton Brewery</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><br /></i></span></span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Admittedly, until I was invited to visit the Runaway Brewery on a recent tour of Manchester it wasn't on my radar. What I found was the incredibly modest and hard working Mark Welsby, brewing clean, tasty and accomplished beers that will be enjoyed by beer geeks and casual drinkers alike. Keep a close eye on this one, I'm expecting great things. <b style="font-size: 13px;"> </b><span style="font-size: 13px;"> </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">· Pub/Bar of the Year</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>Winner: Mother Kelly's</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i>Runners</i><b> </b><i>Up: North Bar, The Marble Arch</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><br /></i></span></span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">It gives me great pleasure to give this award to what has rapidly become <a href="http://totalales.blogspot.co.uk/2014/07/mother-kellys-bethnal-green.html" target="_blank">my favourite bar in London</a>. Whether it's for a quiet afternoon beer and a cheeseboard or a lively Friday night session, Mother Kelly's always has the perfect vibe for the occasion. Well worth going out of your way to pay a visit. </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i> </i> </span><span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">· Best New Pub/Bar Opening 2014</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>Winner: Mother Kelly's</b></span></span></div>
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<i style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 18.2000007629395px;">Runner</i><b style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 18.2000007629395px;"> </b><i style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 18.2000007629395px;">Up: The Hop and Berry, Bundobust</i></div>
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It's hard to believe that Mother Kelly's only opened this year but, it did, so I really can't give this award to anyone else. A special mention must go to the wonderful Bundobust in Leeds that would've had this category wrapped up if it were not for Mother Kelly's existence.<br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b> </b> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">· Beer Festival of the Year</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>Winner: The Independent Manchester Beer Convention</b></span></span></div>
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<i style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 18.2000007629395px;">Runners</i><b style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 18.2000007629395px;"> </b><i style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 18.2000007629395px;">Up: The London Craft Beer Festival, Winter Brew Fest</i></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b><br /></b></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span style="color: #282208; font-family: Trebuchet MS, Trebuchet, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 1.4;">Perhaps the easiest </span></span><span style="color: #282208;"><span style="line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">decision</span></span><span style="color: #282208; font-family: Trebuchet MS, Trebuchet, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 1.4;"> to make out of each of these categories, there really is no other beer festival quite like <a href="http://totalales.blogspot.co.uk/2014/10/the-independent-manchester-beer.html" target="_blank">IndyManBeerCon</a>. It has inspired and will continue to inspire a completely new wave of similar festivals around the UK. A true festival, in every sense of the word. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #282208; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b> </b> </span><span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">· Supermarket of the Year</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>Winner: Waitrose</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I don't buy beer from the supermarket, I'm lucky enough to be surrounded by a raft of great off licences. If I did, however, then I'd surely shop at Waitrose because its selection is not only varied but well chosen. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b> </b> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">· Independent Retailer of the Year</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>Winner: Bottledog</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #282208; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b><br /></b></span></span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span style="color: #282208; font-family: Trebuchet MS, Trebuchet, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">When Brewdog decided to open their own bottle shop you knew it would be something special and <a href="http://totalales.blogspot.co.uk/2014/05/bottledog.html" target="_blank">Bottledog</a> on Grey's Inn Road near Kings Cross has not </span></span><span style="color: #282208;"><span style="line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">disappointed</span></span><span style="color: #282208; font-family: Trebuchet MS, Trebuchet, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">. Next year will see a spate of of Bottledog's begin to pop up across the country putting more great beer into the hands of yet more people. </span></span><b style="color: #282208; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;"> </b><span style="color: #282208; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;"> </span><span style="color: #282208; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: x-small; line-height: 1.4;"> </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">· Online Retailer of the Year</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>Winner: Beermerchants</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b> </b> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #282208;"><span style="line-height: 1.4;">Due to the rise of the </span><span style="line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">specialist</span><span style="line-height: 1.4;"> beer shop in London I'm buying less and less beer online but Beermerchants delivered a level of service to me this year that I won't forget in a hurry. A friendly phone call within minutes of me posting a tweet of a broken bottle was an example of going above and beyond the call of customer service. A shining example of how things should be done. </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">· Best Beer Book or Magazine</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>Winner: Boak and Bailey - Brew Britannia</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">When I <a href="http://totalales.blogspot.co.uk/2014/07/brew-britannia-strange-rebirth-of.html" target="_blank">reviewed this must read</a>, award winning book from Jessica Boak and Ray Bailey I described it as 'the most important book about beer in the last ten years.' I stand by this, if you haven't read it yet, go and buy yourself a copy right this moment. <b style="font-size: 13px;"> </b><span style="font-size: 13px;"> </span><span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">· Best Beer Blog or Website</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>Winner: Good Beer Hunting</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i>Runners Up: The Beer Diary/Chris Hall Beer, Belgian Smaak</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><br /></i></span></span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">When I first came across Michael Kiser's <a href="http://goodbeerhunting.com/blog/2014/1/19/hill-farmstead-brewery-sisyphus-sits-upon-his-rock" target="_blank">wonderfully constructed piece on Hill Farmstead Brewery in Vermont</a> I was moved to the point where I realised I needed to raise my game. Kiser is the only blogger producing content that is both as well captured and constructed as the beer we write about. As creators of great content about beer we all need to take a long, hard look at Good Beer Hunting and then try and do better as this guy is way ahead of the curve. </span><i style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"> </i><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"> </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">· Best Beer App</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>Winner: Fiz - The Brewery Management Game</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i>Runner Up: Untappd</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The hours I spent joyously tapping away at my iPhone playing this wonderful brewery simulation game at the beginning of the year will not be forgotten in a hurry. Informative and entertaining, Fiz was one of the best video games I played over the last twelve months and the fact it was about making beer made it all the sweeter. </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-small; line-height: 1.4;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">· Simon Johnson Award for Best Beer Twitterer</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>Winner: Chris Hall</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i>Runner up: David Bishop (Broadfordbrewer)</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><br /></i></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span style="color: #282208; font-family: Trebuchet MS, Trebuchet, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 1.4;">It is incredibly self indulgent to give this award to Chris because he's a close friend but his tweets genuinely brighten my day. Witty, </span></span><span style="color: #282208;"><span style="line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">humorous</span></span><span style="color: #282208; font-family: Trebuchet MS, Trebuchet, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 1.4;">, informative and questioning of things he thinks are amiss, It's no wonder he has almost 3000 followers. I often think that if I hadn't have decided to start writing about beer in 2012 then we'd have probably never met. Ain't beer great. </span></span></span><span style="color: #282208; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 1.4;"> </span><br />
<span style="color: #282208; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i> </i><b> </b> </span><span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">· Best Brewery Website/Social media</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>Winner: Brewdog</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i>Runners Up: Beavertown, Camden Town Brewery<span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span></i><b style="font-size: small;"> </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">No other brewery in the world does social media quite like Brewdog, they engage their customers as if they were their friends. I can't see any other brewery winning this award for a long time if they just keep on doing what they do. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #282208;"><span style="line-height: 1.4;">I can see next years selections being even more difficult than they were this year but I can't wait to get started. Merry </span><span style="line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">Christmas</span><span style="line-height: 1.4;"> and a Happy New Year to you all, here's to a fantastic 2015.</span></span></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12362693914759656245noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7475885845704210397.post-41455909946575312902014-12-20T16:44:00.001+00:002014-12-20T16:44:20.340+00:00Creating the Juicy Banger<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGXNlgRETGPCwRCSSMCAckmZrIkWyBdur5Cyd6PZZqeElzbYjU5L6Hit4ahNUGfRyOV8V4ay9XXyjxHwB4uGMWXrqizlSKa5SeU3_Wt9wwyhBrCgR_xBAKumInPw_eJL01zDxB0MSCAPug/s1600/Image-1+(8).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGXNlgRETGPCwRCSSMCAckmZrIkWyBdur5Cyd6PZZqeElzbYjU5L6Hit4ahNUGfRyOV8V4ay9XXyjxHwB4uGMWXrqizlSKa5SeU3_Wt9wwyhBrCgR_xBAKumInPw_eJL01zDxB0MSCAPug/s1600/Image-1+(8).jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">It's early on a cold, bright December morning and I'm stood on Hackney's Broadway market, a long black from Climpson and Sons clutched in one hand and a bacon sarnie in the other. Here I'm joined by fellow beer writer <a href="http://chrishallbeer.com/" target="_blank">Chris Hall</a>, Jonny Garrett who produces the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXnyK-TfLyZ8O6aXXFk76jg" target="_blank">Craft Beer Channel</a> and Sofia De Crescentiis of <a href="http://www.camdentownbrewery.com/" target="_blank">Camden Town Brewery</a>. Today, the four of us are going to brew a beer and we're at the market to buy one of the key ingredients, grapefruit. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The basic concept for this beer was Sofia's, her 'eureka' beer, as she describes it, was a grapefruit IPA she tried in her native Canada several years ago. The idea for this brew day started as a slightly drunken conversation at <a href="http://totalales.blogspot.co.uk/2014/09/the-hop-and-berry-islington.html" target="_blank">The Hop and Berry</a> in Islington, we wanted to brew the kind of beer we love, a tremendously clean-yet-bitter American style IPA but we wanted it to be more than this. Earlier this year Chris ably described the beer style that is defining the evolution of the London beer scene, the <a href="http://chrishallbeer.com/2014/10/15/electric-citrus-the-rise-of-the-juicy-banger/" target="_blank">Juicy Banger</a>. We wanted this beer to be a combination of the all the things that make IPA our favourite drink, bitter, juicy and bursting with intense fruit flavours but there was one problem; none of us really knew what we were doing.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlcEl0pB9qwktnGVcCAdzWM56Md23Hmv7SiZOy3HuKxOw2CJyl_orZKuwA8fg8UG41T13hDCAyKUTsiuC01hIuvqLjyfxW-TiuxJeCcG_3FsP7sx2GabsQXCOEbAxcP0n2lEJn8Q_R24Es/s1600/Image-1+(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlcEl0pB9qwktnGVcCAdzWM56Md23Hmv7SiZOy3HuKxOw2CJyl_orZKuwA8fg8UG41T13hDCAyKUTsiuC01hIuvqLjyfxW-TiuxJeCcG_3FsP7sx2GabsQXCOEbAxcP0n2lEJn8Q_R24Es/s1600/Image-1+(1).jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRBSGfNGyfsbbQ7WV07QFTMrKOmJ4-uasQ2qv4oy2d-td0YIy_5uLhFqn-_Zq5lvi3hpQlbY9ssbiNiw3jwfvgJ5rbpqywN2pj50dR11Am5Jm_LFuO94k-HqRLgOjDfg_Ah7hOq5rDUa5M/s1600/Image-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRBSGfNGyfsbbQ7WV07QFTMrKOmJ4-uasQ2qv4oy2d-td0YIy_5uLhFqn-_Zq5lvi3hpQlbY9ssbiNiw3jwfvgJ5rbpqywN2pj50dR11Am5Jm_LFuO94k-HqRLgOjDfg_Ah7hOq5rDUa5M/s1600/Image-1.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">So, armed with a carrier bag full of grapefruit we headed to Camden Town Brewery where Sofia had kindly arranged for us to brew on their pilot kit for the day. Sensibly, she'd also employed the services of one of its brewers, Pete Brown (no, not that Pete Brown) who was there to act as our guide while still letting us control the concept and direction of the brew. We mingled about in the cold for a while, slurping away on coffee while Pete set up the kit and brought the water or 'liquor' for the mash up to temperature in the hot liquor tank. He then sent us into the main brewhouse to measure out the grain we would soon be mashing in with. We were using predominantly pale barley malt with just a dash of victory malt which would give us a hint of amber colour and a small amount of non-fermentable sugar which should help improve the beers mouthfeel and balance out its bitterness.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Soon it was time to mash in which is probably my favourite part of the brewing process, if only for the fantastic smell produced when hot liquor meets milled grain. Once we'd finished the mash under Pete's watchful eye we retired to the bar to discuss the hop profile we wanted to give this beer. Sofia brought us all a glass of Camden Ink Stout and we made the tough decision of selecting our hop bill. Pete had sensibly steered us in the direction of using Magnum hops for a clean bitterness that didn't have too much of an overall influence on the flavour of the beer. Citra was an obvious choice, what better to use in a grapefruit IPA than a hop that brings with it intense flavours of pithy citrus fruit. We decided on Amarillo for flavour as we felt that the juicy, orange quality it has would compliment the grapefruit nicely. Finally we chose an addition of Centennial for both flavour and aroma, we hoped this would add a grassy, zesty lemon note to our beer.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">A large amount of our hops were to be added at the very end of the boil or, to paraphrase The Human Torch, at 'flameout' in order to preserve the maximum amount of flavour and aroma. This is also when we'd be adding our grapefruit zest which we were currently busy removing from the fruit. Using the fruit itself would produce too much tartness in the beer but the zest would add the booming citrus aroma we were seeking. After our zesting session and a spot of lunch it was all hands on deck as it was time to boil our beer. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Tasting the unfermented wort before the hops are added is a real treat. The rich, sugary solution that will soon be devoured by yeast cells is both delicious and fortitude inducing, especially on a freezing cold outdoor brew day. There was a reason for us being outside though, we'd set the pilot kit up by the bar so that people could wander up and talk to us about what we were doing. It's quite something to visit a bar and drink excellent beer with your friends but to see it being made while you do so is just one of the many reasons why Camden Town's brewery bar is one of my favourite places to have a beer.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The boil progressed without a hitch and I got on with the arduous process of digging out and cleaning the mash tun, while Jonny scrubbed down our fermentation vessel. After an hour of boiling the heat was cut and we added our last addition of Citra, Centennial and the grapefruit zest. The smell at this point was quite remarkable, the hops themselves seemed to fill the air with a dank, green fog and we were enveloped by an explosion of grapefruit zest. After a few more minutes we ran our beer through a heat exchanger to cool it down to a temperature that would keep our yeast happy. We tasted the newly hopped wort, it was zingy, fruity and tooth enamel strippingly bitter. There was plenty of sweetness in there and after Pete had measured the beer in a hydrometer to check its gravity it looked like we were going to have a beer of about 7% ABV on our hands. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">It was a long, exhausting and extremely enjoyable day, even despite the fact that at one point Sofia set her coat on fire (brew safe, kids) and now it was time to retire to the bar and reward ourselves for our efforts. Our yeast was pitched and the FV was sealed, once it's finished fermenting it'll get dry-hopped with more Citra and Centennial to really get the aroma singing. We've brewed enough for about two kegs worth of beer and we'll be attempting to drink the lot at the tapping party on January the 9th. It's open to everyone so please join us at the Camden Town Brewery bar to taste the Juicy Banger, in all its glory. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>Thanks to Sofia, Pete and all the guys at Camden Town Brewery for letting us come and play with their kit. Below is a video Jonny shot of our brew day, please excuse his silliness.</i></span><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/2z4RRX5mvN0?rel=0" width="640"></iframe>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12362693914759656245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7475885845704210397.post-3478779338402593522014-12-16T22:42:00.000+00:002014-12-16T22:42:08.632+00:00Oddbins Count Three Four<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaMiqXvCipLMbsuC9AgOGdGkgwl1QQROdgVKrOAPCHjwbSW0fSVfuAdiY_Kl8h6aBkhJdj44sfUYDpmiI3Y009wBU26esOPcD5RyFjHG7do5N-SWHVGurmh_WOdHbYCDC0XzqeUdvsiT4A/s1600/Oddbins+no+3+4+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaMiqXvCipLMbsuC9AgOGdGkgwl1QQROdgVKrOAPCHjwbSW0fSVfuAdiY_Kl8h6aBkhJdj44sfUYDpmiI3Y009wBU26esOPcD5RyFjHG7do5N-SWHVGurmh_WOdHbYCDC0XzqeUdvsiT4A/s1600/Oddbins+no+3+4+2.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">It's refreshing that off licence chain <a href="http://www.oddbins.com/" target="_blank">Oddbins</a> has not only embraced craft beer but also totally gets it. It's the fastest growing part of their business and with ambitious expansion plans already in the pipeline the retailer is going to put a lot more great beer into peoples hands. Their active involvement in beer doesn't stop there though, last Christmas <a href="http://totalales.blogspot.co.uk/2013/12/i-dont-like-christmas-beer.html" target="_blank">they collaborated on a Christmas beer</a> called 'Oddbins No. 1' with the <a href="http://www.eastlondonbrewing.com/" target="_blank">East London Brewery</a>. In the summer they brewed again, this time with <a href="http://compassbrewery.com/" target="_blank">Compass Brewery</a> of Oxfordshire to produce <a href="http://totalales.blogspot.co.uk/2014/06/oddbins-no-2.html" target="_blank">a smoked Kölsch</a> which I really enjoyed. Both were fine examples of how a business more known for its wine is keeping pace with the rapidly moving world of beer.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Recently Oddbins have been collaborating again, not once but twice, producing a pair of India pale ales. Oddbins No. 3 is a joint effort with Livingston's <a href="http://www.alechemybrewing.com/" target="_blank">Alechemy</a> whose beers are a common site in the chains Scottish stores. It pours a deep, coffee brown with a faint ruby red tinge emanating from around the edge of the glass. The nose is a simple combination of tart raspberries and liquorice, both of which shine through on the palate. The finish reminds me of the taste of burnt coffee grounds and the lingering bitterness is ever so slightly astringent. This is a true black IPA and a decent one at that, there are better being brewed in the UK such as <a href="http://www.thornbridgebrewery.co.uk/" target="_blank">Thornbridge's</a> Wild Raven or <a href="http://www.beavertownbrewery.co.uk/" target="_blank">Beavertown's</a> Black Betty but neither sit at this more sessionable 5% ABV. It's a good beer but probably not one that I'd personally go back to.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The next collaboration, imaginatively titled Oddbins No. 4 is a white IPA brewed at the <a href="http://www.moncadabrewery.co.uk/home/" target="_blank">Moncada Brewery</a> in West London. A white IPA is part India pale ale and part wheat beer, in this case a Belgian style wit. This pale gold beer has a subtle nose of banana and bubblegum. On the palate these delicate, ester led flavours are followed by a sharp, pithy lemon bitterness that lingers at the back of the throat and is pleasingly drying. This beer is resolutely crying out for a beautifully cooked fillet of sea bass and creamed parsnips. It's the best of the two and I'd quite happily drink this again.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>I was very kindly sent these beers for free but I don't think that this has influenced my opinion of them. Both beers are available now from your local Oddbins.</i> </span><br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12362693914759656245noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7475885845704210397.post-505243075859569102014-12-14T20:54:00.000+00:002014-12-14T20:54:58.492+00:00Hop Burns and Black, Peckham<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Nestled by Goose Green in Peckham Rye along the East Dulwich road lies <a href="http://www.hopburnsblack.co.uk/" target="_blank">Hop Burns and Black</a>, London's latest specialist beer seller. Kiwi ex-pats Jen Ferguson and Glenn Williams know and love their beer but they also have a serious penchant for hot sauce and great tunes. It was via this trifecta of passions that Hop Burns and Black was born. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The walls of this modest retail space are lined with shelves stacked high with beer both local and from much further afield. </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Peckham is ably represented by its own <a href="http://www.brickbrewery.co.uk/" target="_blank">Brick Brewery</a>, just half a mile away from the store. Its range extends to beers from as far afield as Jen and Glenn's native New Zealand, with hard-to-find brews from the likes of <a href="http://tuatarabrewing.co.nz/" target="_blank">Tuatara</a> and <a href="http://www.yeastieboys.co.nz/" target="_blank">Yeastie Boys</a>. There's plenty of familiar favourites such as <a href="http://www.fourpure.com/" target="_blank">Fourpure</a>, <a href="http://www.thornbridgebrewery.co.uk/" target="_blank">Thornbridge</a> and <a href="http://www.buxtonbrewery.co.uk/" target="_blank">Buxton</a> here too as well as a good selection of American imports from <a href="http://www.sierranevada.com/" target="_blank">Sierra Nevada</a> and <a href="http://flyingdogbrewery.com/" target="_blank">Flying Dog</a>, to name just a few. There's also plenty of fridge space packed with more beer as well as cider and wine and tucked away at the back of the store is an admirable selection of German and Belgian brews. If that wasn't enough there's also a counter-pressure growler, sorry, flagon filler offering three rotating draught beers to take away. It's quite possible you'll leave with much more beer than you actually intended to buy.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The layout is not dissimilar to <a href="http://www.brewdog.com/" target="_blank">BrewDog's</a> Bottledog <a href="http://totalales.blogspot.co.uk/2014/05/bottledog.html" target="_blank">which opened on Gray's Inn Road earlier this year</a>. The vibe is more relaxed though, with a turntable spinning out groove laden tunes and a laid back attitude to sampling. You could quite easily spend much longer here than you normally would in a bottle shop. If that's not enough to convince you to hang around then the scotch eggs from <a href="https://twitter.com/pig_and_hay" target="_blank">Pig and Hay</a> will more than likely change your mind, especially when slathered in one of the many hot sauces on offer. Spice heads like myself will be pleased to know that there's a whole shelf of <a href="http://www.huyfong.com/no_frames/sriracha.htm" target="_blank">Sriracha</a>, in case you're running low, as well as plenty more sauces you've never heard of waiting to singe your tastebuds. The 'black' refers to vinyl and if you've still money in your wallet by the end of your trip then there's a stack of records to finger through at your leisure. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Hop Burns and Black will provide a further injection of passion, enthusiasm and great beer into a rapidly developing South London beer scene. Jen and Glenn have plenty of plans for the space so keep your eye out for tastings and other events in the near future. Those that live north of the river shouldn't be put off by the location, it's easily accessible via a bus from Peckham Rye or Brixton stations or short walk from East Dulwich. It's also only a few doors down from the excellent Flying Pig so there's another excuse for you if you're considering the journey south, I can certainly assure you it's worth it.</span><br />
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