The BeerCast

Welcome to the latest Edinburgh Beer Weekly! Every Sunday we’ll be posting a preview of all the beery happenings in the city for the next seven days – so you won’t miss a thing. You can sign up to our subscription service, ensuring you’ll get a notification every Sunday when the Edinburgh Beer Weekly is published. Just enter your email address in the panel on our front page. Also, follow us on Twitter (@thebeercast) to keep right up to date throughout the week. There are so many great beery things going on at the moment – stay tuned to the BeerCast, and enjoy each and every one of them!

So – what’s happening in the Edinburgh beer scene over the next seven days?

Monday 7th 8pm
Pairing Beer with Cheese Appellation Wines, 43 Dalry Road
Appellation Wines website, tickets £7

Beer can be paired with pretty much anything – from dry-roasted peanuts to ice cream. Head down to Appellation Wines on Monday night and explore the classic pairing of beer and cheese. Find out if Ashton McComte knows his taleggio from his elbow – and if so, which works better with each style of beer. Rumours of pineapple cubes on sticks cannot be confirmed at time of going to press.

Wednesday 9th
Summer Wine Dinner The Caley Sample Room, 58 Angle Park Terr
Caley Sample Room website, tickets £35

The Caley Sample Room is no stranger to hosting beer and food events either – over recent months Tempest, Black Isle and BrewDog have put their beers up against the skills of the Caley kitchen. This Wednesday, it’s one of England’s most exciting breweries – Yorkshire’s Summer Wine. Head down, and discover why the List lavished praise on the Caley in their recent Food&Drink special – and why Summer Wine are rated so highly.

Wednesday 9th 8pm-12am
Canon’s Gait revamp The Canon’s Gait Inn, 232 Cannongate
Facebook Event Page

Halfway down the Royal Mile is the Canon’s Gait – no stranger to the BeerCast, as panellist John used to run a great quiz night there with his mate Kenny. Continuing the fine-dining theme of this week’s EBW, on Wednesday they are re-launching their menu. Whilst dishing out free samples from the new food selection, there will also be beers from Stewart Brewing on offer, including the recently released Zymic on cask, plus the massively under-rated Edinburgh Gold on keg. Raffle prizes too, apparently!

Thursday 10th to Saturday 12th
Fife Beer Festival Rothes Halls, Glenrothes
Website, tickets £5 (£4 CAMRA members)

Glenrothes might not be in Edinburgh, but this Thursday the fourteenth Kingdom of Fife Beer Festival takes place there – so surely that’s reason enough for a trip over the water? Forty real ales will be on offer across the three days, split 50/50 between gravity dispense and handpulls – plus ciders, perries, wines, and ‘contintental beers’. So why not take the whole family? CAMRA members get a discount at the door, and the event runs 4pm-11pm on Thursday, 12pm-12am Friday, and 12pm-11pm on Saturday.

Saturday 12th 1-5pm
Knops Beer Tasting Harvey Nichols, St Andrew Square
Forth Floor at Harvey Nichols / Knops Beer Co

Edinburgh brewer Rob Knops is an unashamed fan of Sex and the City – so his inner Carrie must really be looking forward to Saturday. He’ll be leading a beer tasting at the acclaimed Harvey Nichols Forth Floor brasserie and bar, so will be digging out his finest Manolo’s to look the part, no doubt. The full range of Knops beers are now available in the Harvey Nick’s foodmarket, which is great news for discerning shoppers. Head along to the tasting event for some fantastic beer and decent nibbles, as Rob attempts to solve your marital problems at the same time.

The Edinburgh Beer Weekly will be published every Sunday here on the BeerCast. If you have an event in or around the city that you’d like to feature – please get in touch at the usual email address. Cheers!

Also, a quick mention of tomorrow’s post – check back then as we will have an exclusive preview of the 2012 Scottish Real Ale Festival, with the beers to look out for this time around…

Brewers have to be amongst the best multi-taskers in any industry – they regularly deal with formulating new recipes whilst continually producing core beers, and then shifting everything on to free up space for the next batches. Stewart Brewing have been frantically keeping the plates spinning out at their Loanhead base for some time, waiting for the much-needed new facility. Moving round the corner into larger premises will really free them up to do more things – and yet, despite being pushed to the limit, they have recently managed to find the time to launch two brand new beers.

The first of these arrived last week, at an event hosted by the Abbotsford on Rose Street. Zymic is a cask 3.5% golden mild, following in the footsteps of Light Edinburgh Draught as their summer quaffer which also fits with CAMRA’s Mild in May ethos (whether by design, or co-incidentally). The name refers to the product of fermentation, and the beer was hopped equally with Cascade, Centennial and Amarillo. Despite the typical grey, cold Edinburgh weather, a decent turnout headed down to the launch.

The other brand new beer is considerably different. Radical Road is the first triple hopped beer Stewart have produced. A labour of love for head brewer Iain Couper, the IPA had hop additions in the kettle, fermentation tank, and then during conditioning – mostly with a new Polish variety called Junga. Ending up at 6.4%, it was debuted in keg and bottle at the Red Squirrel on Lothian Road. Over a hundred people had registered for the event, and as such it was also well attended.

I think both of these beers can be seen as something of a statement of intent by Stewart. On the one hand, they have continued to cover the session cask market in Edinburgh, and chip away at the incumbent Caledonian. Zymic is another in this lineup, and once the two weeks of summer arrive, I imagine this will be pushed out to more pubs to sit alongside Edinburgh Gold and Hollyrood. The IPA, on the other hand, is laying down a different kind of mantle. As a one-off brew (although it may inspire others of a similar style), and not released on cask, I wonder if it’s almost a beery ‘loss leader’ for Stewart.

Having seen plenty of bloggers offered a free bottle of Radical Road (as were we, also), a very clever PR blitz could pay dividends in the future. It’s a term I hate, but us ‘beer geeks’ love a mega-hopped IPA, so attracting attention online by rolling out a punchy India Pale Ale and putting it in the right hands* is the perfect thing to do. Coupled with a new cask quaffer for the more universal beer drinking market, and they could be onto a winner.

Of course, if you’re going to go down that line, the products need to speak for you. Zymic is supremely sessionable, with a touch more citrus than their entry-level Pentland IPA. On first taste I found it gently oily, with orange rind on the flavour – but a second pint a week later was more muted, with more of that Stewart biscuity malt edge. Designed to be drunk outdoors in the sunshine (should such a thing occur at any point in Edinburgh), I can imagine many pints of this being sold.

As to the Radical Road, it’s a belter. This one really is orangey, with sweet floral honeysuckle stickiness and a proper citrus finish. I knew Iain was happy with it, but it’s far and away the best keg beer they have produced. Pitched perfectly for the hopheads – it has a great balance, as you can’t just throw hops in things and expect it to work. When the bloggers get their bottles, I expect a lot of positive reviews – not to mention pressure to make this more than just a one-off.

I was asked on Twitter if it’s the best beer Stewart have ever produced. It’s a cracker – and is definitely up there – maybe you could argue that the Black IPA and Coconut Porter shade it, and the second version of the Dopplebock was also outstanding. I was going to make a pun about RR marking a Radical departure from Stewart’s regular Road – but thinking about those relatively recent dark beers, they are on that path already. Once it leads to a new brewery, expect much more.

*If you assume beer bloggers are influential in any way, that is

Over the past few weeks, we’d been hearing rumours about the Illicit Still at Tollcross – that it was destined to become more continental in outlook. As such, a few days ago the Brougham Street pub quietly re-opened as The Ventoux. A name synonymous with the Tour de France, the new bar is the second in the city owned by Murray McKean and Cameron Hill – the other being the Tourmalet in Leith. Firm fans of the old cyclisme, they favour eclectic furnishings in their pedal-themed pubs, albeit serving mostly German (not French) beer.

I went in yesterday and chatted to Greg, the amiable new manager of the Ventoux (named after an infamous mountain stage of the Tour de France, as is the Tourmalet). He admitted things were still very much in their infancy – there was a classic ‘new pub smell’ of paint and varnish. A lone road bike bolted to the ceiling looks a bit out of place, at least until some of the other bits and pieces are added to give the theme a bit more life. That was the thing missing from the old Illicit Still, I thought – it was just a bit bland.

Following a cellar refit by Heineken (replacing the python removed by the previous Pubco), Greg is obliged to take their draft beer – so head down if you’re a fan of Birra Moretti or other lager. For the rest of us, the German bottled beer seems to be the draw – currently there are about a dozen different examples, from Aventinus, Köstritzer amongst others. The monolithic counter doesn’t give much room “Designed by an architect, not a barman” as Greg put it – but there are extra fridges on order to enable more bottles to appear.

In a sense, the Ventoux is stuck between stations – being literally round the corner from Edinburgh’s most established German-themed bottled bar, and a few doors up from one of its best real ale pubs. The patrons of Brauhaus and Cloisters might not flock to the newcomer anytime soon, but once everything is in place it should be a decent addition to the Tollcross pub scene. Having beers supplied by the same source as Brauhaus is a start, at least – and whilst it may have ruffled a few feathers, I can’t see the Ventoux displacing anybody.

For me, it would be great if they had something more interesting on tap other than the ubiquitous Heineken and Deuchars. Of course, you can head a hundred metres in either direction for choice, should you wish. The Ventoux has a nice, relaxed feel to it – and once everything’s in place, I can imagine slouching in a leather sofa with a Schwarzbier watching one of the ‘good-natured sports’ on the plasma TV (which hasn’t arrived yet, either). There’s certainly scope for the Ventoux to develop into a popular local, like it’s sister in Leith.

The Ventoux
2 Brougham Street
Edinburgh EH3 9JH

EDIT – Since that first week, the rest of the fittings have arrived – with pride of place going to a huge fish tank. The extra fridges are in, and Greg’s keen to get the kitchen renovated so food can be served. Until then, you’ll have to make do with Schlenkerla Rauchbier – a meal in a bottle…

Over the past few years supermarkets have caught on to the ‘premium bottled ale’ market, steadily improving the selection of beer in their stores, and some even moving towards regional variation to appeal to shoppers. Sainsbury’s launched a contest in 2008 to encourage brewers to offer up their PBA’s for selection – with Bath Ales Barnstormer and O’Kells IPA coming out on top. The competition has continued, having been tweaked over the past few years – but the prize of a minimum sixth-month national listing has remained, to act as an incentive.

Scotland has traditionally been well-represented – even BrewDog entered in the past, and Williams Brothers dispatch half a dozen hopefuls every year. It paid off last time as their lager/IPA hybrid Caesar Augustus finished in the top two and appeared on shelves up and down the country. For 2012, the regions were juggled about and increased from four to five, and a split-level prize pot created. Brewers could decided whether to enter their beers for regional listing – in which case the pick of the heats would go straight into local branches – or national, so they would then be judged again against those from the rest of the UK, with the winners of that round gaining nationwide glory.

I’m used to blind competition judging – whereby you’re given an anonymous glass of beer to sample. Helping to judge the Great British Beer Hunt was completely different. All 21 beers were layed out to be perused, giving you the chance to go down the row, selecting eight to taste. They may as well have just gone the whole hog and given you a trolley to put them in. Selecting a beer based on the bottle is something we’ve all done, and even today there are some brewers who just don’t seem to appreciate that. Walk into your local wine shop and see how many bottles have non-white, non-plain labels these days.

With the eight choices poured for us at a small bar, it was time to take our trays away and start the tasting. The Scottish heat was held in a function room at Hibernian’s Easter Road, so we had a great view of the silent stadium as an accompaniment – Hibs were busy elsewhere, losing at St Mirren. I sat on a table with a quite lovely retired couple (people meandering past must have thought I’d brought my parents). Stalwarts of the Bow Bar, they filled me in on the best secret on how to avoid the boozing crowds – do your drinking at lunchtime. When I retire at 85, I might just try that!

We chatted about how we had decided on our eight samples. Looking at the row of bottles, I picked out the ones I hadn’t yet tried (must be the RateBeer in me). The couple at my table went for beers they liked, and a few they wanted to sample (with mixed results). I was surprised we weren’t given a questionnaire on how we made that choice – given the importance of branding and the vagaries of the consumer. Maybe as the eventual national finalists will be rolled out for the public, Sainsbury’s will get their feedback at that stage instead.

The beers that were up for judging are below, with my eight sample selections in bold. Eagle-eyed readers will wonder why Mordue and Tyne Bank seem to be in Scotland – chatting to Mark and Julia from TB afterwards over some beery shots, they revealed the deadline for entry (announced on the SIBA website) came too late for the Northern heat, so they packed up the transit for a spot of cross-border goodwill. That was a great thing about the competition – representatives of the brewers (or in Mark’s case, the man himself) were downstairs, available for questions afterwards.

Scottish Region shortlist, 2012
Arran – Clyde Puffer, Fireside
Broughton – Dark Dunter, Merlin
Cairngorm – Trade Winds, White Lady, Wildcat
Caledonian – Deuchars Imperial
Harviestoun – Wild Hop Gold
Mordue – IPA
Sinclair Orkney – Corncrake, Three Sisters
TSA – Double Espresso Stout
Tyne Bank – Castle Gold, Monument Bitter, Silver Dollar
Williams – Black, Gold, Impale, Pavlov’s Dog, Prodigal Sun, Red

The first of my four winning beers was Williams Impale – probably the best of my eight samples. Bright passion fruit and tropical aromas, a nice bit of citrus, very floral – it was lovely. The champion of the Heriot-Watt ICBD competition, it was created by homebrewer Ed Young – and I can see why it won. The second choice of the day for me was Broughton Dark Dunter, a reasonably new roasty blackurrant old ale. With a surprising finish similar to oaky sherry, it’s one to seek out on cask, I’d imagine.

The next of my picks was Tyne Bank’s Castle Gold. I’ve had it before, and it’s a great golden ale. Clear, lightly rising bitterness – you could drink this all day, which is the type of beer you need in supermarkets to give the slabs of Fosters the heave-ho. My final choice was trickier, but I went for Harviestoun’s Wild Hop Gold (wild as in ‘crazy amounts’, rather than hedgerow). A lot of ginger flavour in there too, battling with the Citra and Simcoe.

So, we’ll see if my scribbled crosses end up in the right boxes. Thanks to Richard Morrice for the invite, and to all of the brewery representatives I managed to speak to. Next time you’re in the Bow at lunchtime and see a nice retired couple, buy them a pint for me.

Welcome to the latest Edinburgh Beer Weekly! Every Sunday we’ll be posting a preview of all the beery happenings in the city for the next seven days – so you won’t miss a thing. You can sign up to our subscription service, ensuring you’ll get a notification every Sunday when the Edinburgh Beer Weekly is published. Just enter your email address in the panel on our front page. Also, follow us on Twitter (@thebeercast) to keep right up to date throughout the week. There are so many great beery things going on at the moment – stay tuned to the BeerCast, and enjoy each and every one of them!

So – what’s happening in the Edinburgh beer scene over the next seven days?

Wednesday 2nd 7:30pm
Radical Road Launch Red Squirrel, 21 Lothian Road
website link

Stewart Brewing have been pushing the boat out a bit lately, and things continue in that regard on Wednesday, as they launch a triple hopped keg IPA – Radical Road (6.4%). Head brewer Iain wanted to do something a bit different, and after chatting to him at last week’s Zymic launch he seems very happy with the result. Stewart have never produced a beer hopped at three different stages – so head down to Lothian Road for a sample. As a one off (although it will also be bottled), it’s sure to go pretty quickly.

Thursday 3rd
Bow Bar Non-Event The Bow Bar, 80 West Bow
Non-Event poster

Taking pains to describe it as ‘not an event – just a night with great beer’, the Bow Bar’s latest event is a night of great beer! A mini Magic Rock takeover (bringing back fond memories of that night at the Stockbridge Tap*) – you can have the change to compare High Wire on cask and keg, alongside their new golden ale Carnival. Also on the menu, Tempest Rye PA, Highland The Duke IPA, Cromarty Red Rocker, Acorn Gorlovka Stout, and Tryst Citra Hop Trial. Will there be a better beer lineup in Edinburgh on that night? I doubt it.

Saturday 5th, Sunday 6th 12pm-1am
Blue Goose Beer Festival The Blue Goose, 27 Lanark Road
Website / Facebook Page

Last year, Lanark Road’s Dell Inn was given a refit and re-badged as the Blue Goose. Over the May bank holiday weekend a mini beer festival will be on, alongside live music and BBQ food. Featuring beer from Inveralmond, Stewart Brewing and Sinclair Orkney (including cask Skull Splitter), hopefully the weather will hold and the riverside beer garden will be in full operation. The Blue Goose also have their own house beer, produced for them by Tetley’s.

The Edinburgh Beer Weekly will be published every Sunday here on the BeerCast. If you have an event in or around the city that you’d like to feature – please get in touch at the usual email address. Cheers!

*I actually have precious little memory of that night