This Is Camden
"I'll explain how the process works as I prepare your order" shouts Ahrash over the buzz of the crowds and the whirrrrr of the industrial food mixers. And donning a thick gauntlet, and dropping plastic safety glasses, he turns to the cannister containing nitrogen oxide and casually turns the latch, releasing a gushing of colder-than-ice-cold steam into the pureed ice cream mixture. This is Camden. This is England. Eating nitro ice cream in the 2010's and drinking ...
Build A Rocket Boys! by Elbow & Robinsons
Elbow are the kings of soaring melancholy, masters of poetic northern introspection. Let Elbow's albums flow over you and you can be mesmerised by their beauty alone. Put in the time to listen, to soak up the poignancy, the humour, the extraordinary manifestations of the ordinary and their albums become life affirming tributes to the everyday. Conversely, it's quite easy to stick an Elbow album on and realise thirty lethargic minutes later that time - and ...
The humble pint
So the pint is done with we're told! Well what would they say in Prague, where refreshing pilsners stand proud in tall half litre glasses, quenching thirsts almost with their looks and frothy gusto alone. Tell the football fans sinking a pint of bitter before the well trodden march to the ground that their beer will be served in flutes or tulips or whisky tumblers. "Like hell" they cry! The ugliness of a nonik pint glass aside (does ...
York Tap
It's a drinking hole essentially, underneath it all. For all the domed skylights and stained glass, people come here to let off steam, to pass the time, to forget the day. To drink. But to say that is to do York Tap a disservice as it stands resplendent next to the revived station complex. Like its Sheffield counterpart it was born in an old resting room, and the 104 year old building suits its new life ...
Meantime Union Vienna Style Lager
Deep in a basement bar not far from Bohemia, the cerny pilsners of the brewery up the road changed my perception of lager. Sweet and rich but surprisingly light, they distributed refreshment and nutrition as if feeding me and five thousand other thirsty drinkers. Meantime Union shares a similar contradiction. Broody and brown, this is is no pale bodied pushover. Lagered it is, and a tad metallic to boot, coupled with a dark caramel composition and ...
Roosters Pumpkin Beer
Roosters Brewery, whose beers are the staple diet of many a Yorkshire pub, marked this Hallowe'en with a pumpkin beer. No ordinary pumpkin beer though, a pumpkin beer served in nothing less than a giant pumpkin. A really, really giant pumpkin. Pumpkin 5 Spice Ale was tapped at North Bar in Leeds, in front of Calendar news and a small selection of excitable beer lovers. Arguably a more delicate task than tapping a cask, the job ...
Killer jerk chicken with killer ginger beer
Jerk chicken isn't just tasty to eat, it's a joy to make. The honey and coriander marinade is messy and sticky, the chicken succulent with a crispy skin - lots of kitchen mess and fun. Juices of bird and salad mean this a meal best served sans cutlery but with plenty of, well, Plenty. For a ginger beer Robinson's Ginger (brewed for M&S) is a dark and syrupy affair, quite different from a can of Barr's ...
House of the Trembling Madness
The goofy moose head gazes down aloofly from his lofty perch below the rafters, and we sit cradling a kriek and a pilsner in a building that has almost a millenniums worth of years on us. House of the Trembling Madness sits above the cobbled shopping street of Stonegate, York. The city walls skirt their circular path near here, the famous minster is but a Viking throw away. Students from the continent order coffee and thirds of ...
North By North Orval
Orval is the sort of beer spoken about with reverence. I like to think the same goes for North Bar. It should have been me and my friend Tom sat there, dissecting Leeds United's yo-yoing fortunes, laughing at the Howson Is Now blog and deliberating the creaminess of the Orval cheese whilst sat on the classroom chairs and the well leaned on tables. But it's my brother partnering this trip due to Tom's tight schedule as a relatively ...
Moorhouse's Pendle Witches Brew
From Pendle Hill you've more chance of seeing Ian Holloway celebrating at Bloomfield Road than coming across any broomsticks or clandestine hurlyburly. And that's on a cloudy day. The sandstone plateau does have a slightly spooky aura about it though. Standing proud from the undulating hillside you can imagine a cackling coven of witches peering over the landscape and plotting the demise of their rivals. Especially if you visit during thunder and lightning... Moorhouse's Pendle Witches Brew is inherently ...
Sainsbury's Great British Beer Hunt 2011
Over the last few months the Sainsbury's Great British Beer Hunt has been taking place providing a welcome opportunity to try some different beers from the familiar supermarket shelves. And in October Bad King John from Ridgeside Brewing was crowned winner of a six month national listing in 300 Sainsbury's stores. Bad King John beat beers from around the UK to the throne via four regional heats (120 beers), a three week stint in Sainsbury's stores (16 ...
M&S London Porter
Smoky as hell to smell and like a burnt caramel bar to taste, M&S's London Porter is a sweet beer to devour with masses of chocolate or marshmallows over a camp fire. If you don't fancy the great outdoors then no worries, the lingering smoky presence hangs around for a long time in your mouth and may invoke daydreams of sitting under the stars and gazing at the heavens. It's packed with malt variety: you can settle ...
Lakeland IPA
Tuesday night, two bottled bitters sunk and the quenches for thirst and flavour continue to itch away unabated. Cue Lakeland IPA, a beer that for one moment in time justifies the beatification of hops single-handedly. The perfect hiss released as metal hits glass and twists plastic; an aroma eager to reach a nose and knock on the door of the senses. Soft-fleshed fruit says hello - mangoes might not be typical of Cumbria unless visiting a certain kitchenware ...
Moor JJJ IPA
This not, I repeat NOT, an IPA. Punchy, citrus hops? Nil. Alcohol? Deep, stewed and sweet beyond believe. Apple skins & fruit pudding? Yes, yes, YES! None of which gives Moor JJJ IPA much credence as an IPA. But then again this isn't an IPA nor a double IPA. It's only a bleedin' triple IPA(!!!). This couldn't be further from Green King's bland and monotonous flagship brand of ale and is similar in nothing but colour. By their own admission Moor didn't ...-
May 12th, 2012Desert Island BeersThis weeks Desert Island Beers features the founder and owner of Compass Brewery, Oxford, Mattias Sjoberg.
Born and raised in a small town just south of Stockholm, Mattias started brewing at home when he was 16 years old. He quickly became fascinated with the chemistry and biology of beer and this led him to apply to a degree course in Brewing and Distilling at the International Center for Brewing and Distilling at Herriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, Scotland.
Once in Edinburgh, he completely immersed himself in everything surrounding beer and whisky. As treasurer of The Water of Life Society, he started holding tastings, organising distillery trips and arranging talks by distillers and blenders from around Scotland. He also took up employment at Royal Mile Whiskies.
After graduating with a BSc(Hons), he secured a job at Munton’s Malt in Suffolk where he was involved with malt extract production, followed by a position at Scottish & Newcastle at their brewery in Reading. Working in the Quality department he was a regular member on their taste panel before he became a shift leader in the brew house.
Having wanted to set up his own brewery since he started as a home brewer, he got his chance in March 2009 when made redundant from the Scottish & Newcastle brewery due to its announced closure. Compass Brewery had been on Mattias’s mind for years and he set up the company in April 2009, first focusing on holding tastings in Oxford, and then launching the first brew, Baltic Night Stout, in November 2009.
In October 2011 the company doubled its staff — with Mattias plus one new partner now working full time in the brewery! Having initially set up as a cuckoo brewery, Compass is currently going through an expansion phase and obtaining their own premises and equipment.
As for the brewery name; Mattias says the compass is a simple tool that has been pointing people in the right direction since the 8th century, so what better name for a brewery that is dedicated to guiding you through the maze of beer flavours!
Mattias
Duvel...again!
Baltic Night
Tags: compass brewery, Deuchars, duvel, paulaner, Saison Dupont
Deuchars - on cask!
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April 25th, 2012Desert Island Beers
Welcome to the latest episode of Desert Island Beers which this week features Will Hawkes who works on The Independent’s sports desk and writes about beer in his spare time.
Born in London and brought up in sunny Kent, he has had an interest in ale since he could convince a barman he was 18 – but his real conversion to good beer came after a year spent living in Southern California in 1999-2000, when the craft beer revolution was just beginning to take effect.
He also loves cricket and writes about the county game. He lives in South London with his wife and eight-month-old son.
Will Hawkes
Brooklyn Lager
Kernel Brewery
Tags: brooklyn, gadds, kernel, Moor, Saison Dupont
Gadds No 3
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December 4th, 2009Belgian/Trappist
I always opted for the larger (75Cl ) bottles of Saison Dupont as they come
Saison Dupont - large bottle
corked rather than with a bottle cap and the metal from the cap apparently can slightly change the flavour of the beer. I figure this has been being with the cork for years so why not go with the authentic?
My first warning is to handle this strong belgian beer with care, it needs to be opened and poured extremely gently as it has a lively character. The appearence is cloudy and brighter than the picture suggests with a yellow tint. The head, as is reflective of such a lively beer, is large and holds throughout. This large bottle was split three ways and I would recommend that it is a social beer which should be taken with friends and possibly some nibbles. As I sit here I can’t help having the completely unfounded thought that it would go really well with Tapas (although please don’t blame me if that combo doesn’t work!). The less adventurous would probably have this with some strong cheese and chunky bread. I recently was discussing football boots with a friend of mine and used the phrase ‘simple is beautiful’ the same sentiment springs to mind when considering that food/beer combination.
In drinking Saison leaves a warming sensation on the tongue, probably due to the 6.5% abv. It is quite rustic, almost rough in taste. Not for the weak hearted but I think it is quite uniting in that most beer fans, whether you like ales, lagers or stouts, will find it to be a real treat.
Tags: 6.5% abv, Belgian Strong Beer, Lively, Saison Dupont, Warming -
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