Visiting London Fields Brewery

Brew-master Ben (C) London Fields Brewery

It feels like barely a week goes by at the moment without another brewery opening its doors in London. I sometimes find it hard to keep up. 

There is however, one London brewery that I've kept coming back to in the last year. A brewery that have positioned themselves right at the heart of Hackney's thriving beer scene: London Fields.

LF's brilliant Hackney Hopster has become a regular drink for me as I can always pick it up from Oddbins on my way home from work. I've also taken a shine to Black Frost Stout and to be honest, pretty much every other beer of theirs that I've tried.

It was only a matter of time before I'd have to see their brewery and learn a bit more about what they do. After briefly being introduced to Ben, their master brewer whilst I was in a bit of a drunken haze at Craft Beer Rising, I got in touch about swinging by their Hackney brewery.

I've visited a few breweries in my time, but not nearly as many as I would like to. London Fields really stood out to me. Going into the railway arches that they call home, you're immediately drawn into a bustling hive of activity with brewers and other staff working all around you. It's cramped an industrious with a slightly DIY feel to it. The place has a spark to it that many bigger breweries lack.

I stood with Ben and my mate who had joined me for the trip, in one of the few spaces where we weren't going to get under people's feet too much.

(C) London Fields Brewery

It was only a couple of minutes of being in the brewery before Ben poured us a pitcher of Shoreditch Triangle, their excellent IPA. He then gave us the back story to the beer, which is made with three American hops and three malts (hence the name!) and is supposedly inspired by the mystical ley-lines of Shoreditch! A huge grin crept across Ben's face as he added this last detail.

Whatever the influence for the IPA, it's damn good. It has a great big whack of citrus that is balanced by just right level of sweetness from the malt. It's exactly what I look for in an IPA. I can also confidently say that it tastes better being supped in the brewery - but this may of course just be a matter of perception.

In the space of just two years, the guys at London Fields have built a brewery which has quickly gained favour amongst London drinkers and further afield too. Ben joined them about eight months ago and is keen to ensure that their beers remain diverse and exciting.

Alongside Hopster and Triangle, their core range consists of Love Not War (Red Ale), Black Path London Porter, a wheat beer and an unfiltered lager. Alsongside these, they're producing LTD editions such as a black IPA and an Imperial Stout (that will be ready very soon).

It's great a see a small brewery like LF producing decent quality lager. It's obviously a bit tricky for smaller operations due to its need to condition for longer, but their unfiltered lager is to my mind one of their best beers.

Throughout this year and beyond, expect big things from the London Fields guys. Their brewery tap room currently opens just at weekends, but once their full licence is approved, it should be open throughout the week. It's a great place to have a brewery fresh beer and try out some of their LTD editions.

The Tap Room (C) London Fields Brewery

I asked Ben about what other styles he'd like to produce. His roots are in Germany, so expect to see some of that influence coming through in the future. He talked enthusiastically about brewing a Kölsch, the lager/ale hybrid that other UK brewers such as Thornbridge have started producing. We also had a chat about sour beers, which is something I would love to see them have a go out. 

As we walked around the brewery drinking Black Frost Stout, it became clear how passionate Ben is about the brewery and being part of such a vibrant beer scene in London. He clearly views his fellow London brewers more as contemporaries than competitors but is spurred on by the innovation that is happening at the moment. This of course is great for us; the drinkers!

After our tour of London Fields, we set off into the cold and snow of delightful March afternoon happily chatting about the amazing beer being produced throughout Hackney and beyond. The tour formed the start to a great day that later took us to Crate for pizza and more beer before ending up at the ever fantastic Camden Town brewery bar.

I can't end this post without doing a quick plug for an event they have coming up. On the the 4th and 5th of May, London Field's will play host to London's Brewing, which is beer festival organised by the London Brewers Alliance. Get on down there to sample fantastic beers from London Fields and many of London's other top breweries. It looks set to be a great little event!

A massive thank you to Ben and all the guys at London Fields for their hospitality.

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. 

Focus on: Wild Beer Co

Andrew Cooper and Brett Ellis of Wild Beer Co

Wild Beer Co are a pretty new brewery, but they've quickly excited beer heads throughout the UK with their innovative and exciting beers. I spoke to Andrew Cooper from the brewery about their inspiration, their plans for the future and making sour beers. Here's what he had to say...

When was Wild Beer Co started and what was your inspiration for founding a brewery?

October 2012. We worked in the industry and wanted to do our own thing. We felt there was an opportunity to explore using yeast strains and ingredients that not many others were really using in the UK beer industry.

What are the beers in your core range?

We haven't decided on our core range yet, it depends what gets drunk, where demand is.

What limited edition beers are you producing at the moment?

We have lots of beers being aged at the moment.  There will be some interesting one-offs coming out through the year including Spellbound, a 100% brett fermented spelt beer that is currently being packaged. A very exciting collaboration is coming up very soon with a summer release for the beer.

What style of beer do you feel most defines what Wild Beer Co is about?

Our 'Modus Operandi' is an Old Ale aged in oak for 90 days with brettanomyces - that beer really defines us. The time, the oak ageing and the wild yeast.

You've brewed a number of Belgian style Saisons, what is it in particular that you love about producing this style of beer?

The character of the yeast excites and intrigues us, we think it works well with other flavours, making interesting complex beers. 

A fine selection of Wild Beer Co brews.

Alongside yourselves, lots of other UK breweries are branching out into other European styles of beer including Saisons, wheat beers, Doppelbocks and in some cases sour beers. What do you think is the influence of European beers styles on current brewing innovation in the UK, and are there any other of these styles that you'd like to produce?

Our first proper sour will hopefully be out in the summer. I think with so many breweries in this country now, you have to look for your own niche in the market. When we create a beer we don't start talking about styles of beer, we look at what flavours we want to create. We will then look at sourcing the ingredients we need to achieve that and the style it ends up falling into is fairly irrelevant to us.

What do you feel has been the impact of the increased use of American and new world hops on the beers produced in the UK?

The evidence is out there... Little more than 5 years ago there was hardly a big flavoured IPA being brewed in the country and now they are everywhere. It has helped bring with it more excitement in the industry, more choice, more breweries, more competition, more creativity, more beer retailers and really good beer-centric bars. It's all been very positive.

What plans do you have for growing the Wild Beer Co and getting your beers into more bars and shops in the future?

We want to work with people who get excited about our beer. There are no plans for supermarkets or to flood the market. Our beers are niche, that will keep our growth in check. We may well export some beer and we'll see how the demand grows - it's very early days for us.

Wild Beer Co has a very distinctive and striking brand. What do you think is the importance of your brand to communicating to drinkers what you're all about?

We felt that generally speaking, beer branding in this country leaves a lot to be desired. We believe consumers buy into the whole package. With so many beers to choose from standing out on the shelf branding is important, but it is ultimately taste that makes people buy a second or third beer. By using a costly screen printing technique for our bottles and a strong logo, it shows a level of care and creativity that hopefully follows through with the beer. 

What do you think can be added to a beer by using an additional flavour or a 'wild' fifth ingredient?

Complexity, intrigue, difference. When we think of the concept for a beer we start with a flavour profile, and then we try to work out how to get to those flavours. We believe in using the finest ingredients, as you taste what goes into the beer. With Wildebeest, we could have used bog standard cocoa nibs and vanilla essence, but we spoke to people who are experts with these ingredients and ended up scraping out 500 vanilla pods and sourcing the finest Valrhona cocoa nibs. When we taste it, we feel we can taste the difference.

What for you has been the impact of the growth in specialist beer bars such as Craft Beer Co, The York Tap and The Euston Tap etc?

It has raised the profile of the smaller esoteric brewery, taking beers from all over the country to a growing market of consumers who want to try new and exciting flavours in their beer. 

Tell us about an exciting development happening at Wild Beer Co at the moment...

A lot of our time at the moment is being taken up by oak and sour beer. Hopefully in the summer the first results will be available to taste...

Our Beer & Cheese Festival at the end of April is also going to be the first of many such events.

British hops seem to be in decline at the moment. Do you feel that there is a place for hop-heavy beers made using British hops?

It's a complicated topic and it's easy to blame the brewers for not using British hops, but we need a wide variety of flavours available to us or we go back to the time of endless best bitters.

The industry has moved a long way very quickly, and the number of varieties and range of flavours in them is quite small compared to foreign varieties. Other varieties are being developed but it takes a while and the hop industry might have been a little slow in reacting to what was happening in other parts of the world. We need to work together to develop hops and beers that will both use British hops but excite the drinker as well.

What does it feel like to be part of the micro-brewing resurgence in currently happening in the UK?

It's an exciting time. I love how close an industry we are. I am excited to see and hear what our contemporaries are doing, and they seem to be pretty excited about our project too.

What do you think is the continuing influence of the American craft beer scene on brewing innovation in the UK?

I think there is influence from all over the world, not just the US. We personally take influence not just from other breweries but from other food and drink producers and chefs as well.

Are you likely to be at many beer festivals in 2013? If so, which ones?

As we only do kegs and bottles, we are unlikely to be at that many festivals but we are looking forward to going back to IMBC this year. We will let you know the ones we will be at on wildbeerco.com

Lots of breweries are doing collaborations at the moment. Do you have any plans to collaborate with other breweries in the future?

We are honoured to have Mark Tranter (from Dark Star) and Kelly Ryan (formerly of Thornbridge, now brewing in New Zealand) joining us for an exciting brewday in March. We are using techniques and ingredients that are new to all of us, and in true collaborative style, it's all about learning and experimenting.

A massive thank you to Andrew from Wild Beer Co for answering my questions. Next up: Harbour!

Black Beauty and Craft Beer Rising

At the end of this week, Craft Beer Rising will be taking place at the Old Truman Brewery on Brick Lane. As well as the many fine beers that the exhibitors will be bringing along, the organisers have teamed up with the Lamb Brewery in Chiswick to make a very special beer.

One of the festival's organisers (Sam Lloyd) visited the Lamb to brew something interesting and exciting for the festival. What they've created is 'Black Beauty,' a Black IPA (or India Black Ale if you prefer). It's a style of beer that is currently very popular.

They took their inspiration from fine examples of the style such as Windsor and Eaton's Conqueror, Thornbridge's Raven and Beavertown's Black Betty. They wanted to produce a dark beer, but not one with the associations that some people who are newer to dark beer styles may have of stouts and porters as being thick and heavy. So, a BIPA with its lighter mouthfeel and combination of maltiness and real hop character was just what they were after.

Sam from Craft Beer Rising brewing Black Beauty

It's been brewed with a combination five light and dark malts. The hop selection is Amarillo, Citra and Galaxy for aroma and Galena for bittering. To give an extra twist of spiciness and warmth, they've added horseradish which was chosen as a more unusual alternative to using chilli.

As you can see from the top image with this article, the name and logo design for the beer are tongue in cheek, fun and very current! It will be available at the event on keg and in a very limited edition run of fifty bottles. Some of the proceeds from the sale of the beer will be going to charity.

Personally, I think it's a great idea brewing a beer specifically for the event and also choosing a style of this sort makes it a bit more unusual. They've also promised that if it goes down well, that it could be brewed again to make appearances on Craft Beer Rising stalls at events and festivals throughout the summer.

I can't wait to try Black Beauty as it sounds like it should be delicious. Just be warned, if I like it as much I think I will, the fifty bottles may not be around very long!

The Joy of Single Hop Beers

The Kernel's Amarillo pale ale

The other night, over a bottle of Amarillo pale ale from The Kernel, I started thinking about how much I like single hop beers. They're a great way to really get to know and understand the flavour profile of a particular hop. 

The bulk of beers obviously contain a combination of hops, with each variety providing different flavours and characteristics. Some are used more for adding aroma whilst others add a grassy or resinous quality and some are used to give a big whack of citrus fruit.

Most of us are familiar at least with a few hop varieties, particularly the American hops such as Centennial, Citra, Cascade and Amarillo and new world varieties including Mouteka and Nelson Sauvin. Together they create blends of flavour, each bringing something different to the party.

But if you want to get beyond just knowing that you like hoppy beers beers and being able to name check a few varieties, drinking single hop beers is perfect. They act as platform, letting the profile of the hop really shine through. Thornbridge Kipling is a beer that really elevates the complex flavours of one variety; the beautiful New Zealand hop Nelson Sauvin. It has a grassy, fruity quality to it and a real passion fruit edge. It's a prime example of beer that lets a single hop strain steal the show.

Brewdog's 'IPA is Dead' single hop series

Oakham Ales make Citra, which (you guessed it!) contains Citra hops. it's pungent with grapfruit, lychee and gooseberry. An excellent demonstration of this brilliant hop. Throughout last year, Martson's produced a different single hop beer each month, whilst breweries such as London Fields and Brewdog have also made excellent single hop limited edition beers.

Personally I can't think of a better way to understand the nature of a hop than to drink a beer that is a platform for its own particular flavour. We now have a a huge range of different hop strains being used in British beer, so it's a great time to get to know them better.

I'd also love to see more breweries bringing out limited edition ranges of single hop beers. Brewdog produced a beer with the HBC hop which drew attention to a variety that few of us were familiar with. It would be great to see other breweries doing similar things; drawing attention to new and interesting hops and helping drinkers to understand and enjoy them.

What are your favourite single hop beers? Why not let me know.

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.

Beavertown America F*ck Yeah Pumpkin Ale

Beavertown America F*ck Yeah

London's Beavertown are brewery that are pretty hard to ignore right now. They make some fantastic beers including 8 Ball which is a rye IPA and a delicious smoked porter called Smog Rocket. After trying these, I was instantly intrigued by America F*ck Yeah, their spiced American Pumpkin ale. 

We don't generally do pumpkin ales in this country, they're very much an American thing. Often released as an Autumn seasonal beer, everyone from Dogfish Head to Brooklyn and Stone have had a crack at Pumpkin ales.

I must admit, I've tried a couple of pumpkin ales that I wasn't keen on. The taste can often be confused overwhelmed by spice. It turns out I just needed to find the right one!

America F*ck Yeah is a damn fine beer. The addition of pumpkin to the mash lends it a warm earthy quality and contributes to the beautiful hazy orange colour of the beer. The best thing about this beer is its balance. There's a presence from the hops but there's also the hearty pumpkin flavour alongside a touch of sweets from the malts and just enough spice.

The beer has a beautiful aromatic quality to it, with hints of ginger, nutmeg and cloves. Every element of America F*ck Yeah's flavour profile is perfectly balanced against each other. It's a brilliantly comforting drink for the Autumn or winter and makes a nice change from using a darker beer for the same purpose.

The range of different beers being produced by microbreweries in the UK at the moment is expanding all the time. From Wild Beer Co's Saisons to Thornbridge's Vienna Lager and Camden Town's wheat beers; breweries are making distinctive takes on European and American beer styles. America F*ck Yeah is for me a beer that builds on this spirit of innovation that we have in the UK brewing scene at the moment.

Personally, I'd like to see a lot more breweries having a crack at an American pumpkin ale. It's easy for a brewery to get this style wrong by having the spicy flavours out of balance with the other elements elements of the beer. This is however, something that Beavertown has definitely managed to avoid.

There are still a few bottles of America F*ck Yeah kicking around but it is a limited edition beer, so it may now be hard to find. However, if we show Beavertown how much want them to, then they may just brew it again!

Pint vs Schooner

A pint and a schooner

A couple of years ago Brewdog helped get an old measures law changed, meaning that beer can be served in 2/3 of a pint 'schooners.' Anyone whose been to one of Brewdog's bars will be familiar with schooners as a number of their mid-strength beers are served in them, but few other bars have taken to serving a schooner of your favourite brew. 

Personally, I quite like having a schooner of beer and I own a Brewdog one. It's a little more than a half and it has a nice weight to it. I think in bars, it does make sense to serve beers of 6-8% ABV in schooners and I'd love to see it offered in more establishments.

When Brewdog Shoreditch recently had one of The Kernel's IPAs as a guest, a schooner was just the right volume to drink it in, particularly after the first two pints of Dead Pony Club that I'd consumed.

Of course nothing beats ordering a nice pint in a pub at the end of a hard day, but I do think that the way we view beer is changing and it makes sense to sell particular beers in appropriate quantities. Some of the really strong beers that are available such as Brewdog's Tokyo (18% ABV) make sense to be served in 1/3 of a pint.

The beers that brought you the post

I have a small range of glassware, certainly not a huge collection, but a few options for drinking beer from. Now, I'm not one to obsess about matching a specific beer to a certain glass but several options can only be a good thing.

I first encountered schooners when I visited Australia a few years ago. It's certainly not a replacement for the humble pint but just a different way to consume beer. The more that the range of beers being produced and consumed in the UK increases, the more people will continue to consider the way that they are consumed.

It can only be a good thing, if we can get away from the view held by a lot of people that beer is just a drink with a 4% ABV, designed to be thrown back by the pint as quickly as humanly possible.

Focus on: Magic Rock

Magic Rock

In the first of a series of posts focusing on some of the best craft breweries in the UK, I asked Richard Burhouse, co-founder and director of Huddersfield's Magic Rock a few questions.

In the short time that they've been operating, Magic Rock have become hugely popular on the craft beer scene. I thought it would be good to find out a little more about the inspiration behind their beers and what they have planned for the future. Here's how Richard replied...

When was Magic Rock started and what was the inspiration for its founding?
We started planning the brewery in 2010 and the first brews were May 2011. The inspiration was the US craft beer scene and progressive UK brewers such as BrewDog and Thornbridge.

What are the beers in Magic Rock's core range?
Curious 3.9% 'Original Pale Ale'
Rapture 4.6% 'Red Hop Ale'
High Wire 5.5% 'West Coast Pale Ale'
Dark Arts 6.0% 'Surreal Stout'
Clown Juice 7.0% 'India Wit Ale'
Magic 8 Ball 7.0% 'Black IPA'
Cannonball 7.4% 'India Pale Ale'
Bearded Lady 10.5% 'Imperial Stout'

Magic Rock co-founder and director: Richard Burhouse

What limited edition beers are you producing at the moment?
Simpleton 'Session IPA', Dancing Bear 'Bavarian Pils.'


Which beer or beer style do you feel most defines what Magic Rock is about?
US style Pale Ale/IPA

How long does it take you to get from an idea for a new beer to it being in production?

Anything from a couple of days to a few months.

Much has been made of the quality of brewing in the UK currently, what does it feel like to be involved in the resurgence of British brewing?
AWESOME #craft

At the moment everyone wants to produce super hoppy IPAs - is there a style of beer that you feel defines the craft beer scene?
US style IPA's are the driver of the craft beer scene worldwide, but it depends which market breweries are in. The US has moved on to Belgian styles including sour beers in a big way, while in the UK there is still a big appetite for super hoppy IPA's.

What are your plans for growing Magic Rock and getting your beers into more bars and shops?
I haven't got ambitions for us to grow particularly big, I'm much more bothered about the consistency and quality of our beer. We are expanding slowly but I don't really see a point where we'll ever be available in national pub chains or the biggest supermarkets. We do hope to move to bigger premises in the next couple of years but I'm very happy as long as the brewery can make enough money to support the staff, we can make the beers we want to and we're all enjoying our work.

Tell us about a new or exciting development at Magic Rock and what it might mean for the brewery throughout 2013...
We are in the process of setting up a lab for microbiological analysis, so we can have more quality control in place. I hope this will lead to more consistency in the beers and the ability to be more technically correct with the beers that we make. We are also building a barrel store which will allow us to expand our barrel ageing programme.

You've brewed a take on a wit beer and so have Camden Town, whilst Thornbridge have brewed a Kolsch and a Vienna style lager. Are there any other European beer styles that you think UK breweries will start to produce this year?
I can't speak for other breweries but we're looking to brew a few traditional German beers in the coming months. We're brewing a Bavarian Pilsner this week, a German Gose in February and we also plan to brew a Berliner Weisse at some point.

Head brewer: Stuart Ross

Are Magic Rock intending to be at many beer festivals this year and if so, which ones?
Yes we'll definitely be at the following this year, and hopefully one or two more:
Barcelona Beer Festival (Spain) 8th – 10th March
Haand Olfestival Drammen (Norway)
24th – 25th May
Edinburgh Independent Beer Fest 11th – 13th July
Villaggio Della Birra (Italy) 6th - 8th September
IMBC Manchester 10th - 13th October

What does the growth in specialist beer bars such Craft Beer Co, The Holborn Whippet, Sheffield Tap etc mean for you guys as a brewery?
The growth of these type of bars has been instrumental in us being able to establish the brewery quickly. It's great being able to sell beer to people who are as passionate about serving it as we are making it.

What do you think American and new world hops have brought to British brewing and more specifically to Magic Rock?
No new world hops, no Magic Rock.

English hops are on a bit of a downer at the moment. Do you feel that there is space in the market for a super hoppy pale ale or IPA using only English varieties?
There's definitely room for more creativity with UK hops. We do use some, but it tends to be confined to styles in which pronounced hop character isn't necessary.

A number of breweries are making collaborative offerings. Do you have any plans to collaborate with other breweries?
There seems to be a trend at the moment to just collaborate for the sake of it, its definitely fun to have other brewers brew here and we did a number of collaborations last year, but at the moment we're busy making the core beers and trying to fit in our own specials. We are always interested to collaborate with brewers we can learn from, or breweries which have been an inspiring influence to us and we have one or two things in the pipeline at the moment.

A big thank you to Richard for taking the time to answer my questions. It was great to get this strand of blog-posts kicked off with Magic Rock. Next up: Tiny Rebel!

The Golden Pints

It's the end of the year and the time when Mark Dredge and Andy Mogg ask beer bloggers to list their favourite beers and beer related stuff from the year.
I'm pretty new to beer blogging, but I thought I'd throw my hat into the ring and pick my faves from the year, so here goes...

Best UK Draught Beer:
The Kernel Export Stout. I had this at Craft Beer Co Islington and absolutely loved it. It's a perfect dark beer - complex, deep and malty with excellent bitter dark chocolate notes. A perfect beer in the winter.

Best UK Bottled or Canned Beer:
London Fields Hackney Hopster. This is just a fantastic hoppy pale ale. I've come back to it a number of times. It's fresh, bright, tasty and extremely drinkable.

Best Overseas Draught Beer:
Rogue Dead Guy Ale.  I like all the Rogue beers that I've had, but I've come back to this German style Maibock time and again at The Black Heart in Camden. Their delightfully named Yellow Snow was a close second. I got into that beer when it was a guest at the Brewdog bars.

Best Overseas Bottled or Canned Beer:
Flying Dog Snake Dog. This is a fantastic little IPA with bags of character - what's not to love?

Best Overall Beer
Thornbridge Jairpur. This has been my favourite beer this year. It's massively hoppy and fresh but with a real balance of flavour.

Best Pump Clip or Label:
Tiny Rebel Hadouken. I love all their design. It's fun, fresh and different. All of Magic Rock's pump clips are great too.

Best UK Brewery:
Thornbridge. A great range of beers. Aside from Jaipur, I've enjoyed drinking Chiron, Kipling, Colorado Red and lots of others this year.

Best Overseas Brewery:
Sierra Navada. Consistently great beer.

Pub/Bar of the year:
Craft Beer Co Islington. It has the vibe of an old school pub with an incredible selection of beer. The latter goes for all their venues of course but I particularly like the feel of the Islington one.

Beer Festival of the Year:
Due to some awful planning, I missed both The Great British Beer Festival and the Indy Man Beer Convention - shocking! I've been to a few smaller local festivals that I enjoyed, but I wouldn't want to name as festival of the year.

Supermarket of the Year:  
Hmmm. I'm not a big fan of supermarkets and I tend to buy as much of my beer from independent retailers as I can. However, if I have to name one it would be Waitrose. A fantastic selection - but it is still a damn supermarket!

Independent Retailer of the Year:
Utobeer at Borough Market. They have a fantastic selection of beer and staff who are knowledgeable and really helpful.

Online Retailer of the Year:
Ales by Mail. They're the one I've used most and they have a great selection.

Best Beer Book or Magazine:
I haven't read that many, but I have enjoyed 1001 Beers You Must Try Before You Die by Adrian Tierney-Jones.

Best Beer Blog or Website:
Probably Beervana.

Best Beer Twitterer:
There are loads who are good. I really couldn't choose!

Best Online Brewery Presence:
Brewdog - you just can't ignore them. I know they can be a bit annoying and silly sometimes but they certainly get themselves noticed.

Food and Beer Pairing of the Year:
Chickpea curry and Camden Town Pale Ale. It just really works! The right level of hoppy flavour alongside the spice. I don't like to go too big and hoppy with curries as I think massive hoppy flavours can clash with the spice, but this is great.

In 2013 I’d Most Like To:
Start home brewing. Make sure I don't screw up and miss GBBF again!

Craft Beer London: The App and the Book

The Craft Beer London iPhone app from Blue Crow Media

For sometime now, there have been a number of mobile apps for locating bars in the in the capital, but 'Craft Beer London,' which is curated by London based beer writer Will Hawkes is the first to focus on the capital's burgeoning craft beer scene.

It's a great time to be drinking beer in London, as the choice is  phenomenal. The city boasts two Brewdog bars, the Camden Town Brewery Bar, three Craft Beer Co bars and numerous other top drinking spots, off-licences, breweries and brew-pubs. Some of them however, are a little less obvious than others and having an app to help locate them is a great tool for the drinker who is looking to try something new.

I've had the app for a few weeks now and I've got to say, it is pretty neat. Thirsty punters can flip between looking for bars, off-licences and breweries. You can search for bars based upon name or use your location if you're out in town and can only see bars that have crap on tap.

It's already helped me locate a couple of gems. I work near Brixton, but hadn't taken in the excellent Crown and Anchor before, which has a brilliant range of beer including Dark Star, Brooklyn and often Thornbridge and others. 

The app has also made me pay attention to a few innocuous looking street corner off-licences  whose unassuming façades give nothing away of the beer bounty within!

The functionality of the app is great and it also looks really nice. It's regularly updated and at the moment has to be the best tool for tracking down down interesting beer and bars in London. 

The Craft Beer London Book, by Will Hawk on Vespertine Press

Now, if you're wanting to relax in your armchair at home and consider a possible trip to a brewpub or want to look out a location for meeting a friend, then the companion book to the app may be up your street. It's published by Vespertine Press and available here for £10, which seems like a bit of a bargain!

I can't wait to get my hands on a copy and will write a post about it when I do. The cover image and design of the book look great and if the app is anything to go by, it should be an excellent reference tool for the discerning London beer drinker.