And that was Craft Beer Rising...

A beer from Rebel Brewing

Over the weekend, hundreds of people descended on the old Truman Brewery building on Brick Lane for two days of craft beer, street food and music. It had all the promise of a great event, showcasing the vibrancy of the beer scene. Did it live up to that billing? In a word - yes!

If you've read this blog at all in the last few weeks, you may well have noticed that I've been pretty excited about Craft Beer Rising. There are of course lots of events that showcase interesting beer, but this one would bring together a whole diversity of breweries from tiny micros up to some big breweries who are experimenting with different styles.

For me, the success of the event was the fusion of old and new. Breweries such as Thwaites and Sharp's demonstrated why they're still relevant, whilst relative upstarts such as Two Cocks and Rebel Brewing got a piece of the action too.

I made a pretty good stab at trying a decent range of beers over the two days, but with the choice available there were of course many I would have liked to have tried but didn't get a  chance to.

For me there were two beers that really stole the show, both from very familiar breweries. The beautiful and refreshing Nelson Sauvin Saison from Meantime and Bath Ales Superweizen, which is a delicious and well crafted German style Hefeweizen. Both beers were excellent examples of their style and also demonstrate the growing trend for UK breweries to make European styles of beer. I'd love to see a lot more breweries having a go at a wheat beer. It would also seem fair to predict a number of new British Saisons being produced this year too.

A beer that I really have to mention is Black Beauty, the black IPA that was produced b the organisers in collaboration with the Lamb Brewery. It had a brilliant hoppy character and perfect jet-black appearance along with a slight tang from the horseradish that had been added, which was there as an impression rather than an overpowering flavour. It was a fun beer to accompany a great event.

There was a buzz in the air at Craft Beer Rising which is sometimes missing from other beer festivals. It did what it set out to achieve and brought together great beer, food and music. Now, let's raise a glass to future Craft Beer Rising events! Well done to all involved.

Bar of the Month February: Beerd

In January, I decided to start writing a monthly feature on some of the best beer bars in the UK. I started with one of my favourite places; the Holborn Whippet and decided to ask around for suggestions from this month. So, after a couple of  suggestions on Twitter, I've chosen Bristol's Beerd.

Beerd is part of a growing scene of decent beer focused bars in Bristol. It's owned by Bath Ales, so naturally the selection features a number of their beers. On keg, you'll find Bath favourites such as Dark Side stout alongside other great craft and European beers. Expect Belgian and German offerings such as Palm and Flensburger.

On cask, there's Bath's own S.P.A (Special Pale Ale) alongside a healthy fridge full of bottles featuring amongst others Thornbridge, The Kernel, Flying Dog, Brooklyn and Goose Island.

A real plus point for Beerd is that all the whole draft selection is offered in one third, half, two thirds and pint glasses. So, if you want to get stuck into a couple of pints of your favourite brew you can, but equally if you want to work your way along the bar and still be able to walk out through the door at the end of it, that's also an option!

The funky interior at Beerd

Aside from the excellent beer range, Beerd has another piece of bait to lure you in with - its fine selection of pizzas. There's plenty of choice for both meat eaters and vegetarians alike and at the end of the day, great beer and pizza is always going to be a winning combination!

Not being in the Bristol area myself, I haven't yet checked out Beerd but I will make sure I do next time I'm in the area. Are you Bristol based and if so, what do you think of Beerd's selection and their food offerings?

I've left it a bit late in the month to do this piece, so I'll be picking a bar of the month for March pretty soon. Why not leave your suggestions as a comment below. Or tweet them to me: @thehoptimist1.

Beerd is at 157-159 St Michaels Hill, Cotham, Bristol, BS2 8DB. It opens from 10am - 11pm daily. 

Looking Forward to Craft Beer Rising

A tasty beer from Rebel Brewing

Craft Beer Rising festival is set to take over Brick Lane's Truman Brewery building on 22/23 Feb and guess what? It looks awesome!

The festival is designed as a celebration of great beer, street food and music. The list of breweries exhibiting is both exciting and varied, featuring British brewers including Brewdog, Thornbridge, Bath Ales and Harviestoun alongside international offerings including Duvel and Fordham amongst others (full list below). 

The event will be split into a room of cask and a room of keg beer alongside various bottled offerings.A range of meat and vegetarian street food stalls will also pitch up to serve tasty treats.

Alongside the mouthwatering beer and food offerings, there will be entertainment including DJs such as the legendary Norman Jay and Pete Paphides of 6Music.

The event looks like a must for anyone who loves decent beer and can get into London for the weekend. It will showcase a huge range of both cask and keg beer, focusing on quality rather than dispense method as some beer festivals do. It's also a massive bonus to have the breweries pouring their own beers; making the event one big meet the brewer session!

The old Truman Brewery plays host to Craft Beer Rising

The organisers have produced a Black IPA (or India Black Ale if you prefer!) in collaboration with London's Lamb Brewery especially for the event. It should be well worth checking out as it's been loaded with Galaxy, Citra, Amarillo and Galena hops. 

For those who like a beer cocktail (personally not my thing, but each to their own!), award winning mixologist Ryan Chetiyawardana will be whipping up some interesting beery concoctions.

I'm already really excited about Craft Beer Rising. It should be a celebration of what's great about brewing at the moment alongside some tasty treats and top music too!

The list of breweries confirmed to date is as follows: 

Bath Ales, Batemans, Boxsteam, Boutique Beer Brands, Brains Craft Brewery,Brentwood, Brewdog, Brewers & Union, Brupond, CellarMaster Distribution, Curious Brew (Chapel Down Wines), Elephant School, Fernandes, Fullers as The Union Tavern, Glastonbury, Harviestoun, Hogs Back, Hook Norton, Meantime, Oakham,Offbeat, Ossett, Penpont, Raw, Red Squirrel, The Rebel, Riverhead, Saltaire, Sharps, Signature Brew, St Austell, SunnyRepublic, The Old Cannon, The Rat, Thistly Cross Cider, Thornbridge, Thwaites, Traquair House, Vale, Youngs (Onlyshowcasing Double Choc Stout). Plus Belgian brewery Duvel Moorgat and American breweries Fordham and Old Dominion.

Craft Beer Rising is at the Old Truman Brewery,91 Brick Lane, E1 6QL on 22/23 February. Tickets can be bought in advance here.