Autumnal Ales
The concept of seasonality is now one of the hallmarks of modern cooking, pushed to the general public by the ranks of TV chefs and foodie magazines. Everything has a ‘time of year’, whether it’s the British asparagus, salty samphire, or humble mackerel (as one BeerCaster asked for in a fancy Edinburgh fishmonger’s, only to […]
BeerCast #40 – Dutch Biers
BeerCast #40 – Dutch Beers – One of Europe’s most overlooked brewing nations – the Dutch are sandwiched between the purity-loving Germans on one side, and the monastic Belgians on the other. 95% of Dutch beer may be pale lager, but our panel proves that there can be some great beers to be found, if you only know where to look. Richard, Grooben and Andy head for the land of canals and windmills…
1. Lindeboom Pilsner (5.0%)
2. Christoffel Blond (6.0%)
3. Budels Capucijn (6.5%)
4. La Trappe Quadrupel (10.0%)
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In praise of…The Grain Barge, Bristol
Pubs come in many shapes and sizes, and are to be found in many unusual and varied locations. I’ve been to several great pubs near water, but never actually visited one on water before – until I set foot aboard the Grain Barge in Bristol, that is. As the name suggests, it used to ply […]
St Austell Smugglers Ale
In an industry plagued by news of pub closures and faltering breweries, Cornwall’s St Austell are one major success story. They have flourished from small regional producer to one of the largest in the country, and have done it largely off the back of a single beer – Tribute. Their flagship 4.2% amber-coloured ale is […]
Lagerboy Speaks – Gaffel Kölsch
Lagerboy doesn’t like to restrict himself, as any long-time readers will know – but if he did maybe he could do worse than become Kölschboy for a short while, he’d probably be very satisfied. There are fourteen producers of this highly specific category of lager in the Cologne area, with a few more scattered nearby […]
Williams IPA
The second annual Sainsbury’s Beer Competition has just concluded, with the winners announced at the end of last week. After 115 different entries were received for this year’s judging, 100 of them were whittled away during the process leaving the final shortlisted fifteen vying for the two prizes. Bath Ales Golden Hare (4.4%) and Hambleton’s […]
