Taming of the Brew: Craft Beers of the WeekBy Charlie Roper
Looking for a new craft beer to sip idly on a brisk November evening? The chillier climate is the perfect tonic to sup on a beer(s) in the warm embrace of a London boozer.
Taming of the Brew: Staple Beer
Staple Beer: Patty Pils, Fourpure Brewery, Bermondsey, 4.7% ABV
Where to Drink it: Patty & Bun (Liverpool St branch for me)
What is it: Patty & Bun, long time craft beer champions have teamed up with Fourpure to make their very own Patty Pils. An easy going pilsner to wash down an Ari Gold, some fries, maybe some of those brisket balls and oooh, definitely a milkshake and what about those chicken skin chips, they’re amazing…
My Thoughts: “A bit more heft from the malt bill helps this stand up to the meaty delights on offer. A beer designed with food in mind and executed magnificently.”
Taming of the Brew: Blindside Beer
Blindside Beer: Ninkasi, Wild Beer Co, Somerset, 9% ABV
Where to Drink it: Pick it up at your local Waitrose
What is it: A celebratory mash up between beer, cider and champagne. A saison brewed with local Somerset apple juice and wild yeast which then undergoes secondary fermentation with Champagne yeast. Dead fancy.
My Thoughts: “Heavily perfumed with blossom and orchard and funk, the palate is half cider and half ale with prominent booziness which is strangely comforting. The Champagne yeast gives it the tiniest of bubbles – our old friend Jilly G would be waking lyrical about the “mousse” but it does bring a welcome creaminess to the whole thing. This is not a beer to tuck into alone, there’s a reason it’s in a bigger format, but with a couple of friends and maybe some cheese this is something to be savoured.”
Photo credit: wildbeerco.com
