Mixy & Chill

Theatre. This is the one-word answer I give people when they ask what’s so good about a desi (British-Indian) pub. By “theatre” I don’t mean there’s some-sort of avant-garde performance going on - although when India win in the cricket, dancing can break out - but there’s spectacle and this show is put on by one sizzling dish - the mixed grill.

For those of you unfortunate enough to not know what a desi pub mixy is then it’s a pile of marinated meats (and fish) cooked on a bed of onions. It’s an Indian take on an English classic: out with the solitary sausage (?), grilled tomato (??) and peas (???) and in with spicy lamb chops, shish kebabs and fiery tandoori wings. It’s the ultimate sharing platter and the meat comes charred with splashes of lemon juice.

I’ve made you hungry. Now I want to make you thirsty. Eating a mixed grill is similar to having a BBQ and I think reveals a great deal of what beers pair well best with darkened meats. My hunch here is that lager is for the unadventurous and you’re better pairing black with black. So if you’re after imbibing inspiration while firing up your BBQ then I’m here to help.

When you’re sitting in the garden on a hot day the last drink you think you’ll need would be an Imperial Stout with a 12% ABV. But in moderation I fully recommend Memory and Perception, from Finback, a New York brewery, with its coffee flavours. It possesses a maple syrup tone that would work well with smoky meats and its vanilla flavour would go well with charred chicken.

Image: Finback Brewery

Rock Leopard’s Everyday Stout (5% ABV) also has a very apt name and it’s perfect with indulgent meats as its milk chocolate, cocoa and mild caramel tones worked well when I tried it with blackened wings and paneer. In fact, its Tia Maria-like subtle finish acted like a digestif to my meal proving that there’s a lot more to this stout than you would imagine.

Milds are always linked to food-free sessions and the first desi pubs as they were traditionally drunk by foundry workers in the Midlands in their lunch breaks. Interestingly, their typically low ABV was a relic of the First World War and prior to this conflict they had a lot higher alcohol volume. Put simply, I think the beer’s misunderstood and can pair well with food.

Take Merakai’s Modern Mild (4.5%). The brown beer acted as a wonderful coolant for a hot (as in chillies) marinade that I fashioned with some lamb. Its surprising black liquorice flavour gives it a bitter-y aftertaste that I found went well with hearty meats - especially burgers - and its soft caramel tones paired perfectly with the caramelised onions placed on top of my patty.

Image: Merakai Brewing Co

One of the forgotten tastes in general, with BBQed meats and, in particular, when it comes to beer pairings, is umami - the Japanese word for deliciousness that equally applies to Indian food. You may find it especially in seared, soy sauce-marinated flesh but also its ubiquitous in tamarind desi sauces that go with grills.

The St. Stephans Bock by Zötler Brewery in southern Germany has a mild unami scent and its light nutty flavour mixed well with the brown sauces that can be doused over kebabs and wings. At 7.1% ABV it was a substantial and full bodied drink which is best shared around. 

The British weather is notoriously unpredictable so instead of getting a crate of lager it makes sense to buy a few dark beers, like I’ve mentioned, because you don’t know when you’ll be eating your BBQ outdoors or indoors. It can be frustrating to be an al-fresco chef in the UK but with these recommendations I’ve given you there’s plenty of warm comfort from a bottle (or can) of the dark stuff.

David Jesudason is a freelance journalist, he writes a weekly essay on Desi pub culture here davidjesudason.substack.com and you can read more powerful and superbly written pieces HERE on the Bangladeshi legacy of the British curry house to IPA’s colonial identity and more. Which led him to be named Be Inclusive Hospitality's Writer of The Year in 2022. His first book has just been released covering Desi pubs which guides the reader through pints, food and the culture of this British-Indian institution (available to buy at Hop Hideout). Not all the beers mentioned in the piece above are available, due to being specials. However you can follow David’s beer and food pairing principles to find plenty of other tasty beers in our online shop, buy UK beers HERE and imported HERE.

Spice & Beer

The Regency in north London was originally set up as a members’ club in 1991 but don’t be mistaken into thinking it was an exclusive joint. The licensing authorities didn’t trust a bunch of Gujuratis who descended from India but moved to the UK from Kenya in the 70s and made them operate a member-only policy with blacked out windows - ghettoising their business. It was a huge success despite this and fast forward to 2023 and now the Regency offers the dining splendour of a decadent East Africa where fiery curries and sizzling grills are so popular that evening bookings are now a must.

Most crucially your dining and drinking - there’s a bar where uncles sit - experience has been expertly curated so even the smells are important. A wooden-shack-style open kitchen pumps out dishes and the spice aroma it produces mixes in with a sandalwood, vanilla and cloves scent which is wafted into the air with incense sticks.

This is a desi pub (a British-Indian boozer) which offers something different and instead of the usual industrial lagers you can have a Rothaus pilsner with your food. Sadly, most other desi pubs offer the beer range you’d expect in a local curry house despite the food being a step up from the British institution that relies on pre-made sauces and colourings. Cobra’s marketing of lager as the ideal pairing with a hot dish, though, has meant most people believe it - or Kingfisher - to be the best match with a saag, korma or karahi. 

As the Regency’s incense sticks show, spices can - and should - be delicately balanced with other flavours. So when you’re eating a curry it’s important to consider what spices are in it and match them with a beer which has corresponding tones. For this I think pale ales are excellent especially if the different flavours in the drink are subtle as they really can bring out the spice in your food. (It’s worth noting that often people will often call curries “spicy” when they mean “hot from chillies” and here I’m talking about spices you will find in your cupboard like cumin, coriander, fenugreek and cinnamon.)

Belgium-inspired Single Fluffy Rabbit (or SFR 5% ABV) brewed by Sheffield’s Saint Mars Of The Desert is a great example of this subtlety. Delicately fragranced with a range of floral (elderflowers), citrus (lime) and fruit (strawberry, lychee) tones it can work with a lot of Indian dishes that are finely balanced. Anything citrus-y, lime-y would complement dishes that contain ajwain (or carom) which has a thyme-like taste - fish pakoras often use this and, in fact, any spiced fish dish would work perfectly with SFR. 

Unbarred x Bird & Blend: Amazonian Zing Beer (2.5%), is a collab between the Brighton brewery (the former) and a tea company (the latter) that specialises in loose leaf tea blends. The low ABV Berliner Weisse (which isn’t a pale ale but then rules are meant to be bent, right?) means it’s perfect with drier meals and the lemongrass and ginger flavours will dovetail with any dish with cardamom - I particularly enjoyed it with a chicken biryani. 

Abbeydale Brewery’s Moonshine may have a daunting name but it’s actually a sessionable 4.3% classic pale ale. It had a pleasant citrus flavour - again great for fish or even marinated chicken, like tikka pieces - but the standout subtlety of its grapefruit tones makes it even more versatile as a pairer. Grapefruit is a bitter taste on my palate so it worked well with turmeric - found in most curries, especially deeply coloured ones - and any dish with amchoor (mango powder) common in certain aubergine dishes or samosas. 

None of the three pairings are based on hard and fast rules and - above all - I recommend experimenting with different beers with different spices. It’s time to look past heavily carbonated lagers and embrace the subtlety of craft pale ales. If it’s spicy - go pale!

David Jesudason is a freelance journalist, he writes a weekly essay on Desi pub culture here davidjesudason.substack.com and you can read more powerful and superbly written pieces HERE on the Bangladeshi legacy of the British curry house to IPA’s colonial identity and more. Which led him to be named Be Inclusive Hospitality's Writer of The Year in 2022. His first book has just been released covering Desi pubs which guides the reader through pints, food and the culture of this British-Indian institution (available to buy at Hop Hideout). Not all the beers mentioned in the piece above are available, due to being specials, however Abbeydale’s Moonshine is a regular beer and can be purchased HERE. However you can follow David’s beer and food pairing principles to find plenty of other tasty beers in our online shop, buy HERE.

Hop Hideout’s Jules: “What were their roles; what were they doing? I want to discover more and tell their stories.”

Here we republish a recent blog from the Sheffield Feminist Archive, who kindly came to chat with Jules and allowed us to share this here in addition.

Content warning: Discussion of sexual harassment in the beer industry and the #MeToo movement

Sophie (left), Laura (right), and Jenny (not pictured), meet Jules Gray (centre), owner of Hop Hideout.

In our first #WomenMakeSheffield post, we’re spotlighting Jules Gray (@beer_revere), owner of the award-winning beer shop Hop Hideout (@hophideout), based in Kommune at the heart of Sheffield’s city centre. SFA’s Jenny, Laura and Sophie joined Jules last month to chat all things: women in the beer industry; recording and preserving the female narrative in beer; Jules’ journey into beer; and how we can continue celebrating the positive stories arising out of Sheffield’s diverse beer industry, to counterweigh male violence against women. We learned so much from Jules about all of the incredible people who work toward achieving equity for women, people of colour, and the LGBTQ+ community (to name a few!), in beer communities up and down the country, and we hope to shed light on all of this amazing work in this post.

Jules’ shop, Hop Hideout within Kommune in Sheffield city centre. [Permission granted by Jules Gray to share image]

Jules founded Hop Hideout in 2013, one of the first ‘drink in’ beer shops in the UK. You can choose from over 200 delicious beers to either take away, or to drink inside the independent food/drink hall of Kommune. Jules is also the founder and director of both Sheffield Beer Week (@SheffBeerWeek) and Indie Beer Feast (@IndieBeerFeast), which have grown immensely in terms of popularity and attendance nationally (more on that to come!). Hop Hideout has won a number of awards and commendations; it was the winner of Independent Beer Retailer of the Year 2018 in the Drinks Retailing Awards, and since then has also been highly commended or has reached the final stages of multiple awards ceremonies. Jules also recently appeared on Channel Five’s ‘Summer on the Farm’, hosting beer tasting for Helen Skelton and Jules Hudson, and can be watched at around 45 minutes on this episode. Hop Hideout’s beers have also featured on Sunday Brunch, Jamie Oliver’s Magazine, and in the Telegraph, showing just how much national coverage the business has had. These are just a few of the things that highlight the success of Jules’ business, not least the wonderful reviews on Hop Hideout’s Facebook page.

Jules’ appearance on Channel Five’s Summer on the Farm, where she hosted beer tasting. [Permission granted by Jules Gray to share image]

Jules’ Journey

Jules’ experiences in the beer industry have been incredibly varied, with many high points, as well as challenges, along the way. We asked Jules about what drew her to Sheffield in the first place. She was brought up in Durham and came to study at the former campus of Sheffield Hallam University at Psalter Lane in the late 90s, whilst also doing some volunteering for Sheffield’s International Documentary Film Festival in the early 2000s – she described Sheffield as a friendly and welcoming place to be yourself and to learn more about the stories of diverse people. There were also benefits to living close to the hustle and bustle of the city, while also being able to appreciate the outdoors in the neighbouring Peak District.

Jules pictured next to the Women of Steel statue in the city centre, near the City Hall. [Permission granted by Jules Gray to share image]

Jules pictured next to the Women of Steel statue in the city centre, near the City Hall. [Permission granted by Jules Gray to share image]

Jules moved away from Sheffield due to a lack of opportunities for her career, and began working in Leeds at Molson Coors brewery (who brewed the iconic Sheffield Stones Bitter, at a time when Wards Brewing Company had been closed down in Sheffield!). She also worked in technical support resolving issues in pubs, which eventually led to her working in sales in the North-East beer industry. Like the experiences of many other women at the time (and to this day), Jules was told she wasn’t ‘good enough’ for a sales job in the industry, but was able to work her way into the male-dominated sector as a result of her self-guidance and hard graft. The sales job allowed her to develop relationships with colleagues and customers in the industry; she enjoyed hearing about what others would like to achieve, and making it happen for them.

As Jules recognised, people often see bar work as transient; something to do on the side for extra money. However, Jules was excited by the possibility of gaining more and more knowledge about the inner-workings of the global beer industry, which led to her success today. She feels her journey has allowed her to run large-scale beer festivals today, and has given her the opportunity to connect with so many groups of people.

Recognising Women in Beer

Jules pictured with a Hop Hideout beer and some food from Kommune’s Fat Hippo. [Permission granted by Jules Gray to share image]

It was clear to us that Jules has a passion for learning about, and documenting, the untold stories of women and marginalised groups in beer. As Jules said, women often don’t get the recognition they deserve until they’ve passed away, and that we should also be recognising and celebrating the achievements of women doing amazing work in the present moment. Jules is also interested in sharing the stories of the women who worked in the large-scale breweries dotted around Sheffield, such as Whitbread Exchange Brewery; such stories dispel the myth of a solely male workforce. Jules also highlighted the importance of women during war-time who took up roles in production. The names of women appear on the doors of many breweries today, for instance, Abbeydale Brewery was founded 25 years ago by not only Patrick Morton, but his wife, Sue Morton, who oversees so much of the production, IT and admin. Additionally, at Saint Mars of the Desert (SMOD) in Sheffield there is a husband and wife team, with Martha (Simpson) taking on just as much as Dann (Paquette) in terms of the brewing, artwork for the beers, events marketing, and more. Martha also has a PhD in microbiology from MIT in the US, and oversees the canning at SMOD, and is therefore a prominent figure in her field.

Whitbread’s Exchange Brewery in Sheffield, on Bridge Street by the River Don. [Attribution: Chris Downer, licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license]

Cannon Brewery Gates, Rutland Road, Neepsend, Sheffield. [Attribution: Terry Robinson, licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license]

Jules also highlighted the work of Jaega Wise (@jaegawise), founder and owner of Wild Card Brewery in London, who recognises the importance of inclusivity in beer, and has done the groundwork in ensuring diversity is at the heart of the brewery’s message (see her incredible story here written by Beer52). Lily Waite (@LilyWaite_) also aims to raise awareness of LGBTQ+ people in the brewing and hospitality industries through The Queer Brewing Project. These are just a few of the stories and experiences by women that deserve recognition and celebration now, and beyond. SFA instantly saw a connection with the work that Jules is doing (alongside many other women in beer), and the aims of SFA, in telling and celebrating the untold stories of women in the Steel City and across the country.

Celebrating Diversity in Sheffield’s Beer Industry

Jules feels there’s work that’s yet to be done in Sheffield, but that there’s clearly an appetite for celebrating diversity. She recognised the need for representation across all communities in Sheffield, and that we should be collaborating on issues of equality, rather than communication about these issues being siloed to one area. Jules mentioned Migration Matters as one great example of this city-wide representation of marginalised groups, who celebrate the positive effects of refugees and migration upon Sheffield. Out And About also create and promote safe spaces for queer people and allies in Sheffield’s beer community. These types of events are necessary for sharing the stories of marginalised people, and Jules aims to build on the work of these projects.

‘Beer For All’ pin. [Permission granted by Jules Gray to share image]

Social media has been a powerful tool for Jules as a small business owner, and has given her the opportunity to find a voice as a woman in a male-dominated industry. She co-created Sheffield Beer Week with a friend, Clare Tollick (@FeastAndGlory). The yearly celebratory event has snowballed; starting as a Twitter and Facebook campaign in 2015, to collaborating with 10-15 venues to celebrate Sheffield beer and breweries for a week, to having 50-60 venues and multiple breweries signed up, along with the support of Sheffield City Council, and national coverage, in just six short years. Since then, she has continued to use social media to promote Sheffield Beer Week, particularly as a celebration of women in beer, with the festival falling in March (the month of International Women’s Day). The three key strands of Sheffield Beer Week are Beer and Food, Community, and Heritage, with the aim to bring together all communities of Sheffield to enjoy beer. Alongside this, Nicci Peet (@niccipeet), Freelance Drinks Photographer, has done so much work to capture diversity in the beer industry, with a photography trail up and down the UK of brewery owners. A result of Nicci’s work is that if women see people who look like themselves on the canning lines, delivering beer, behind pub counters, etc., then they are more likely to join the industry, making it a crucial project for celebrating diversity. During Sheffield Beer Week, Nicci’s work was exhibited as part of The People’s Photography Trail.

Every year, Sheffield Beer Week aims to foster different communities, and show that it is more than just beer. As Jules put it: “Beer doesn’t make itself; it takes people to make it!”, highlighting the hard work that goes on behind the scenes in the beer industry.

Male Violence & Male-Centred Marketing in the Beer Industry

In recent years, there has been a shift towards the awareness and recognition of violence against women in the beer industry. The #MeToo movement has extended to all sectors of work, including craft beer, with stories initially being shared in the US, and now in the UK too (see this article which highlights sexual harassment in the craft beer and brewing industry in the US). It began with Brienne Allan, a brewer from Massachusetts, who opened up her Instagram account to share stories of sexual harassment in the US beer industry (ratmagnet), leading to the launch of Brave Noise, a collaborative project working towards a safer and discrimination-free industry. To continue the #MeToo movement, Siobhan Buchanan (britishbeergirl), founder of Queer Beer Drinkers Edinburgh, opened up her Instagram DMs for people to share stories of sexual harassment in the UK. As Jules poignantly recognised, women take on a huge weight; not only are women taking on the brunt of violence and harassment from men, but they are also working to combat this. It is important to address such violence in the industry, whilst also spreading awareness of the positive stories arising from women in the industry – a powerful way to bring women to the forefront and celebrate their achievements.

Image of Hop Hideout’s beer taps. [Permission granted by Jules Gray to share image]

Hop Hideout is part of the Know the Line campaign, which was launched by Safer Streets South Yorkshire in 2017 to address sexual harassment and violence in public spaces in Sheffield. The campaign has also received support from Sheffield City Council and local Labour MP, Paul Blomfield. Jules recognises the need for more training in the industry to make venues safer spaces. Currently, alerts about crime and unsafe spaces are spread by word-of-mouth in Sheffield bartending Facebook groups and through the Purple Flag initiative, but there is more to be done. Jules said that while there are positives arising out of beer, in its ability to spread happiness and joy, you must be aware as a licensed premise that people can be at risk, and that you have a responsibility of care for vulnerable people. Jules always ensures to challenge discriminatory behaviour, but as a woman this can be difficult.

Marketing in the beer industry is also male-centred. There is a lack of stories about women in day-to-day advertising, and as a result, male customers are more likely to go towards the male bartenders if they have a question about it. On the other side of the bar, Jules emphasised how women often feel uncomfortable in bars and pubs with the focus shifted towards male consumers; she recalled her experiences working in men-only spaces with the exclusion of women in bars, and despite the eradication of men-only bars in the UK, there is still a long way to go. Jules said it is not surprising that there are a low percentage of women in Europe that drink beer; Women On Tap Festival’s Nichola Bottomley (@Nichola_b1) created an online survey about sexual harassment in beer to better understand the statistics surrounding female violence. Some key findings, as reported in Beer Today, were:

• “More than 80% of respondents said yes, they had witnessed sexual harassment while working in a pub or bar”

• “More than 80% of women said yes, they had experienced sexual harassment while working a pub/bar (more than 30% of men said they had, too)”

• “Only 30% of women said they felt comfortable going to a pub or bar by themselves (compared with almost 80% of men)”

An example of advertising in the beer industry in the early 1900s in the US (Boston Brewery), through the male gaze. [Attribution: Boston Public Library, licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license]

While the findings may appear shocking, this only provides a glimpse of what women face on a daily basis, in all sectors and walks of life. When chatting to Jules we all recognised that women are aware of such violence and almost expect it. Data such as this are vital for documenting the problem; yet it is the small, independent businesses (often led by women) that are tackling the root, and not larger institutions or the Government.

On a positive note, some years ago, if you were to type in ‘women in beer’ into a Google search, there were likely to be many images of women in beer through the male gaze. In recent years, the work of Jaega Wise, Nicci Peet, and Lily Waite are attracting more attention and are being spotlighted, and bringing women and marginalised groups to the forefront of beer marketing. This type of positive work is an important method of counteracting violence against women in the industry.

Advice for Women

Jules is more than happy for people to contact her if they are looking to get into the beer industry. Here is some detailed advice she gave us for if you’d like to make a start searching for a career in beer:

Hop Hideout logo. [Permission granted by Jules Gray to share image]

Use Indeed.com to search for terms such as brewing, beer sales, beer marketing etc. – it’s generally a wide pool for jobs around the country. Follow your local brewery or fave venue on social media, visit them, talk to the staff, network, go on brewery tours if they’re available, do beer tastings if available; all of this will help you to be one of the first to hear if a job comes up and hopefully put you in good stead, as you have made the effort to make a connection already.

There’s also various groups on Facebook that post jobs such as UK Craft Beer & Beverages Jobs. Your local area may have a craft beer group to join which could be a good reference point, e.g. Drinking Craft Beer in Sheffield, Manchester Craft Beer Group, Crafty Beery Girls. Obviously ensure you have set up your security settings across all of your social media accounts and use two-factor authentication; Glitch runs great courses here.

Follow people on social media (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram) in the industry. Many great names have already been mentioned in the post but there is also: Maverine Cole, Melissa Cole, Rachel Auty, Annabel Smith, Jenn Merrick, Daisy Turnell, Jane Peyton, Emma Inch (British Guild of Beer Writers), Tasha Wolf, Natalya Watson, Ladies That Beer, Miranda Hudson (Duration Brewing). Daisy Turnell has created a list resource about women in all areas of the beer industry.

Check out if you have a local Beer Week and attend events, for example there’s events such as Sheffield Beer Week, Norwich City of Beer, Harrogate Beer Week, and more.

Sheffield Beer Week logo. [Permission granted by Jules Gray to share image]

If you have the resources, pay for courses from places such as Cicerone, The Beer & Cider Academy, you may want to do some more research as some may offer appropriate discounts or grants. Teach yourself and read up on the beer industry; there’s free online learning from a wealth of blogs such as Boak & Bailey (which do a good round up of reading material) Adrian Tierney-Jones (maltworms.blogspot.com), Good Beer Hunting, Burum Collective, Pellicle, The Brewery History Society, or Brew Your Own, which all allow some free reading online. Loan books from your local library, and some authors to check are: Garrett Oliver, Melissa Cole, Natalya Watson, Pete Brown, Jane Peyton, Adrian Tierney-Jones, Mark Dredge, Marverine Cole (print media – BBC Good Food), CAMRA books, Brewers Association books. There’s also information on local Sheffield historic pubs here. And finally, listen to podcasts such as Beer with Nat, Good Beer Hunting, Craft Beer & Brewing Magazine, A Woman’s Brew, Ferment Radio, etc.

Indie Beer Feast logo. [Permission granted by Jules Gray to share image]

Start homebrewing! Join an International Women’s Collab Brew Day in March. This is generally open to everyone, and is not just a trade event (https://unitebrew.org/) You can also volunteer at a range of beer festivals which will allow you to network with others in the industry.

And finally, join in the conversation! Sheffield Beer Week (@sheffbeerweek) has been held annually on 2nd March since 2015, and Indie Beer Feast (@IndieBeerFeast) has now been rescheduled to 4-5th March 2022. Be sure to check out their socials for updates on the events – it is a great opportunity to get chatting to other women in beer, find out more about the industry, and to socialise over a nice cold beverage!

Enjoyed this blog post and have an idea for our #WomenMakeSheffield blog series? Get in touch at sheffieldfeministarchive@gmail.com, or via Twitter @ShefFemArchive.

Beer Styles, Spot the Difference - Part III

Photo: Other Half Brewing

Think all fizzy yellow lagers taste the same? Have you ever mixed up a gose and a gueuze? Do you really know the difference between a West Coast and New England IPA? We asked beer educator Natalya Watson to explain what sets each of these styles apart. She's also recommended a few beers to taste to help bring these flavours to life, so get your orders in and get ready to spot the difference. 

We’re closing out our three-part series with the most popular craft beer styles today: (West Coast) IPA vs. New England IPA

Ah, the IPA. Still the most popular style in the craft beer world, our expectations around the flavour – and the clarity – of this beer have certainly changed of late. IPA is, and always will be, a style that’s all about the hops. But what sets a more traditional American, or West Coast, IPA apart from the more modern New England IPA is how the brewers use those hops, because when hops are added to the brew determines what flavours they impart. To bring out their bitterness, hops have to be boiled. But the boil drives off a lot of their aroma and flavour contribution. To bump this back up again, more hops can be added later in the brew (once the liquid has cooled) in a process called dry-hopping, which typically takes place after fermentation.

Photo: Elusive Brewing

A West Coast IPA is packed full of hop aroma, flavour, and – importantly! – bitterness. The aromas and flavours here are those often found in more traditional American hops like Cascade, Chinook and Columbus – think grapefruit, pine and resin. And while the malt contribution here shouldn’t be too flavourful (we don’t want anything taking away from the focus on the hops) its presence is still important to provide a firm foundation for all that hop bitterness. For a classic example of this style and all of its punchy piney and resinous hop character check out Elusive Brewing Oregon Trail.

Photo: Black Iris Brewery

New England IPA is still all about the hops, but the focus here is more on their aroma and flavour contribution – and less on their bitterness – which all comes down to dry-hopping. Not only does this process amp up the beer’s aroma though, it also clouds up its appearance. Hence why this style is often referred to as hazy IPA. The addition of grains like wheat or oats further compromises clarity, but they add a soft, smooth texture that perfectly complements the ripe, juicy hop flavours of stone fruit and tropical fruit – from hops like Mosaic® and Citra® – and perfectly completes the mental image of a fresh glass of fruit juice. Thirsty? Try Black Iris Don’t Fear the NEIPA.

While both of these IPA styles are all about the hops, they celebrate different aspects of hops’ character. And again, give us all a chance to find our favourites!

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Natalya Watson is a beer educator, Beer Sommelier and Advanced Cicerone® passionate about sharing her knowledge of beer with others because she believes that beer is simply too delicious to remain undiscovered. She’s the founder of Virtual Beer School, host of the ‘Beer with Nat’ podcast, and author of Beer: Taste the Evolution in 50 Styles. Follow her on social @beerwithnat or learn more at beerwithnat.com

Photo: Natalya Watson

Note from Hop Hideout:

Thanks to Natalya for the third and final part in this beer styles series for Hop Hideout. We recently completed her Virtual Beer School and it’s rekindled our passion for the wonderful myriad of beers out there. Which then gave us this blog series idea. Beers do come in and out of stock, especially seasonal and specials, plus India pale ales seem on constant rotation release as often they’re showcasing the latest hops or process techniques (though we do have a few ‘fridge favourites’ we regularly stock). We generally try to keep regular availability across a great range of IPAs (West Coast, New England, a mix of the two styles WCIPA x NEIPA!, California IPA, Black IPA, Brut IPA, Sour IPA, English IPA, White IPA, Red IPA, Belgian IPA….. the list of combinations seems endless and constantly cycling in taste fashions and creative new ways!) and as excited beer drinkers we always look out for intriguing, well brewed beers.

Hop Hideout also recommends from our current online shop, via 100% cold-chain import from the USA to our shop fridges, New York City’s IPA stalwarts - Other Half Brewing: Small Citra Everything, Broccoli, Go With The Flow Strata and Mylar Bags.

If you fancy a cross-section of styles across one brewery we also recommend checking North West UK based Rivington Brewing Co: NE Pale, California IPA and Sour IPA.

Beer Styles, Spot the Difference - Part II

Think all fizzy yellow lagers taste the same? Have you ever mixed up a gose and a geuze? Do you really know the difference between a West Coast and New England IPA? We asked beer educator Natalya Watson to explain what sets each of these styles apart. She's also recommended a few beers to taste to help bring these flavours to life, so get your orders in and get ready to spot the difference. 

Next in our three-part series, we’re turning our attention to our mixed fermentation styles: Gose vs. Geuze

Mixed fermentation beers – as the name suggests – are fermented by a mix of brewer’s yeast, plus bacteria and/or wild yeast. This means that both of these styles have a tart taste, as the bacteria in the brew produces acidity during fermentation. But that’s really where their similarities end.

Gose (goes-uh) is a German style that’s brewed with added sea salt and coriander seed. It’s fermented by ale yeast plus Lactobacillus bacteria, so it’s got a clean lactic sourness (similar to the tart tang found in Greek yogurt), along with a light herbal freshness from the coriander seed and a soft salinity and slight mouthwatering quality from the sea salt. The acidity here is in balance with the beer’s other flavours, so a gose shouldn’t be sharply sour. (Check out the Berliner wiesse if that’s more your style!). It’s also relatively low in alcohol, too, averaging around 4-5% abv. Brass Castle Dune Bug is a great gose to start with or Mikkeller’s Classic Gose.

Geuze, on the other hand, hails from Belgium and it takes a very unique approach to mixed fermentation. When brewing lambic – the beer that’s aged and blended to produce geuze – brewers don’t actually add any yeast. Instead, using an approach called spontaneous fermentation, the soon-to-be-fermented liquid cools overnight in a large, shallow open vessel, and the microorganisms present nearby naturally settle in and start fermenting. The beer then ages in wooden barrels, which contain even more wild yeast and bacteria. And after years of aging, old beer is blended with young beer to create geuze. This style has many layers of complex flavours, including acidity from the bacteria and fruity and funky flavours (think wet hay, leather and barnyard) from the different yeast within the brew. Not only are these flavours more intense than those in a gose, this style is also a bit stronger, too, typically clocking in around 5-8% abv. To give geuze a go, try the HORAL Oude Gueuze Megablend.

If you’re new to mixed fermentation beers, gose is often a good gateway into these sour styles, before working your way up to the layers of complexity within a geuze.

Natalya Watson

Beer Sommelier & Advanced Cicerone®
Founder of Virtual Beer School

Author of Beer: Taste the Evolution in 50 Styles

Host of the 'Beer with Nat' podcast

Website | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube

Note from Hop Hideout:

Thanks to Natalya for the second part in this beer styles series for Hop Hideout. We recently completed her Virtual Beer School and it’s rekindled our passion for the wonderful myriad of beers out there. Which then gave us this blog series idea. Beers do come in and out of stock, especially seasonal, specials and vintages of geuze/gueuze (as often limited bottling runs occur). We generally try to keep regular availability across a great range with a specific Belgian focus, however as a wild ale and mixed fermentation beer lover and specialist beer shop we do look to exciting breweries and beers in this field from around the World. We’ve started to collate an aged beer list of these specialities and often make these available for special occasions and drink in at our foodhall home.

Hop Hideout also recommends from our current online shop: Oud Beersel, 3 Fonteinen, Brouwerij Boon, Moa - Sour Grapes (NZ), Trillium, Allagash, Mikkeller x Boon Collabs, De Ranke Mirakel, plus when we have De Cam, Tilquin, Hanssens, Girardin, Lambiek Fabriek, Lindemans, Jester King, The Lost Abbey, Tommie Sjef Wild Ales, Nevel, De Kromme Haring, Wilderness, Little Earth Project, Pastore, Burning Sky and Yonder.

The Toer de Geuze is a bi-annual celebration of breweries and blenderies in the Payottenland and the Senne Valley (started in 1997). Jules had the greatest of times visiting back in 2017 and highly recommends a trip to this celebration. Many of the breweries and blenderies in the Belgian region open their doors to the public and it’s one of the biggest beer events in the world. Unfortunately due to the pandemic this event has not been able to go-ahead this year, however there will be a 2021 at home event 1st to 2nd May 2021, whoop whoop! Find out more on their dedicated website: HERE.

We’ll certainly be popping a few bottles of Oude Geuze this weekend and toasting to future trips to this wonderful country.

Beer Styles, Spot the Difference - Part I

Think all fizzy yellow lagers taste the same? Have you ever mixed up a gose and a gueuze? Do you really know the difference between a West Coast and New England IPA? We asked beer educator Natalya Watson to explain what sets each of these styles apart. She's also recommended a few beers to taste to help bring these flavours to life, so get your orders in and get ready to spot the difference. 

First up in our three-part series: Munich Helles vs. German Pils

Let’s start with the lagers. Ingredients-wise, these beers are very similar on paper. They’re both brewed with golden-coloured Pilsner malt, traditional German hop varietals, and fermented with lager yeast. So what actually sets each apart? Their balance – aka which taste is taking the lead.

With Munich Helles, this bright golden lager has an even balance between malt sweetness and hop bitterness, so it’s best described as “malty but not sweet.” Balance often makes for an easier drinking beer, so for those of you looking for a good gateway German lager, a Munich Helles like Andechs Hell (or Donzoko Northern Helles, if UK beer is preferred) is a brilliant place to start.

For those of you who are fans of hops, the German Pils might be your happy place, as this beer is balanced towards bitterness. It uses a lot more hops than the Munich Helles, so not only is there more bitterness, there’s a lot more hop aroma and flavour here, too. (The traditional German varietals used are often described as floral or perfumy.) This bitterness, combined with the styles’ high carbonation, gives it a crisp, dry and refreshing finish. To give it a go, try Schonramer Pils.

Personally, I find the bitterness of a German Pils a bit too bracing, so I’m more of a Munich Helles fan. But by teasing out the qualities unique to each style, we can all find our favourites!

Natalya Watson

Beer Sommelier & Advanced Cicerone®
Founder of Virtual Beer School

Author of Beer: Taste the Evolution in 50 Styles

Host of the 'Beer with Nat' podcast

Website | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube

Note from Hop Hideout:

Thanks to Natalya for kicking off this three part beer styles series for us. We recently completed her Virtual Beer School and it’s rekindled our passion for the wonderful myriad of beers out there. Which then gave us this blog series idea. Beers do come in and out of stock, especially seasonal and specials. We generally try to keep regular availability across a great range of German, Czech, World and UK brewed lager styles, but this will chop and change. Hop Hideout also recommends from our current online shop: Ayinger, Tegernseer, Rothaus, Augustiner, Beak, Burning Sky and Vinohradsky Pivovar; plus Utopian, Lost & Grounded and Saint Mars of the Desert when we have them in stock!

We also suggest this useful resource, which can also be downloaded as an app on your phone, from the Beer Judging Certification Programme: https://www.bjcp.org/stylecenter.php

Shine A Light: Rock Leopard Brewing

Shine a Light: Rock Leopard Brewing

photo courtesy of Rock Leopard Brewing

Few breweries have suffered as a result of COVID as much as Rock Leopard Brewing, but this hasn’t stopped founder Stacey Ayeh from using his brewery as a platform to champion causes he believes in.

Around ten minutes into my chat with Stacey Ayeh, the charismatic and passionate owner of Rock Leopard Brewing comes about as close as anyone I’ve had the pleasure of meeting to summing up exactly what craft beer means.

“Craft beer is a space to make a difference. To me when you talk about craft beer, it infers something that is greater than the liquid in the glass. It infers doing right by your staff, not cutting corners with your production process, so why shouldn’t it also be a means to try and achieve something?”

Achieving positive change is something Ayeh has made a pivotal part of the identity of his brewery in its short lifetime. As a prominent black-brewery owner, Ayeh has championed diversity through collaborating on Step Up, a Stout with Manchester’s Cloudwater Brew Co that raises money to help “those facing society’s biggest hurdles”. Teaming up with four other gypsy brewers also contract brewing out of Missing Link Brewery, he’s taken part in Other Half NYC’s All Together Initiative to raise money for Hospitality Action. Most recently, he has brewed How Are You On Your Good Days, an 8% DIPA brewed in response to the #BlackLivesMatter movement.

“On a personal level if I see something that is unjust I won’t stay silent,” he tells me. “If I can get involved and try and help then I will. I don’t see why that can’t be a part and parcel of my business.”

It’s an admirable statement, particularly for a brewery that has been so heavily impacted by the events of the last few months. After brewing with Cloudwater in February, demand for Rock Leopard’s brews soared and the brewery was just beginning its first major foray into the on-trade when pubs were forced to close. Luckily, Ayeh has been able to call upon the support of loyal bottleshops such as Hop Hideout, allowing him to continue brewing throughout the pandemic.

photo: James Beeson

One such beer is Savage Scene, a 4.9% ‘Inner City Pale’ that forms a part of Rock Leopard’s core range of beers. Hopped with Mandarina Bavaria, Nugget and Cascade, and fermented out with a clean yeast strain its classically West Coast in style. To taste, it’s clean, restrained and balanced, with big tropical top notes and aromatics of citrus fruit and pine. Even in an era dominated by juice bombs, it’s exceptionally drinkable, with just enough bite to feel like a throwback to a bygone age.

If Savage Scene feels like a slight throwback, then How Are You On Your Good Days is a full on wave of nostalgia. A proper, old school West Coast DIPA, it’s a supercharged version of the brewery’s core range Distant Cousin of a Mu Mu Cat, hopped with Centennial, Columbus, Azacca and Mosaic. Despite its strength, there’s minimal alcohol burn, with grapefruit, tangerine and pine on the palate.

photo: James Beeson

True to form, Ayeh has little interest in discussing tasting notes, instead regaling me with the story of the beer’s name, taken from a speech by US black-right’s activist Jordan Jr (AKA Pharaoh Almighty). Jordan Jr. was arrested after peacefully protesting and kneeling in front of riot police in Charleston, South Carolina, and Ayeh has pledged to donate a portion of the beer’s profits towards his bail fund (the remainder will go to community-based non-profit initiative Sistah Space in Hackney).

“Drinking beer and talking about beer is great, but I can only talk so much about beer itself until I get bored,” he says. “I want to talk about other things when my mind is it that loose state after a few beers… I want to talk about things that we can do to make a positive difference.”

The combination of exceptional West Coast style beers and strong sense of social responsibility is a powerful marriage, and speaking to Ayeh, you get the sense that in Rock Leopard here is a brewery that truly believes it does not and cannot exist in a vacuum, and that is surely something worth celebrating.

James Beeson is an award-winning beer writer and photographer. To see more of his work follow him on Twitter and Instagram for links.

Shine A Light: Indie Graft

In our new series called ‘Shine a Light’ beer communicator James Beeson picks up the spotlight to showcase some brilliant beers, the breweries, processes - both practical and creative and most importantly the people behind them.

First up Donzoko’s collaboration with Hop Hideout and forty UK independent beershops - Indie Graft.

Shine a Light: Indie Graft

photo: James Beeson

I absolutely adore the pub. I go absolutely ga-ga for pints. I think I might actually be in love with cask ale. It may come as a surprise to you, therefore, when come July 4th, I found myself not stood with a pint in a beer garden, but placing yet another order online with my local bottleshop.

Bottleshops have been my saviour throughout lockdown, and for many independent breweries, they’ve also been a lifeline when other routes to market closed. One such brewery is Donzoko, the one-man tour de force that is Reece Hugill. Donzoko found itself unable to access grant support for his business, and without the loyalty of his customers and local bottleshops who continued to order, would surely have not survived the last few months.

Hop Hideout has long championed Donzoko’s beers, and saw an opportunity to collaborate with Reece on a beer to champion the independent beer shop sector. Pulling together support from a group of like-minded retailers, owner Jules Gray suggested a collaboration that celebrates the symbiotic relationship between brewery and retailer.

The collaboration is a vinous version of Donzoko’s hoppy Belgian inspired pale, Graft. Brewed with Nelson Sauvin and fermented with Beaujolais wine yeast, its available exclusively through independent beer retailers across the country.

photo: James Beeson

Out of the can, the beer pours a pale, translucent yellow, with a huge, fluffy white head that has become Donzoko’s signature. Glowing gently in the setting Saturday sunshine, it’s an appealing prospect. A generous dosing of Nelson in the dry hop means that on the nose, Indie Graft is a pure gooseberry and grape, with a hint of freshly mown grass. A malt bill featuring spelt and buckwheat creates a full bodied, silky and pillow-soft mouthfeel, almost NEIPA-esque despite the obviously vinous quality running through the beer.

To taste, there’s more rich, fruity, gooseberry and white-wine flavours, balanced delicately with notes of banana, bubblegum and just an edge of pepper. It finishes off-dry, with a moderate astringency that leaves you thirsting for another gulp. Ironically, Indie Graft is exactly the kind of beer that demands to be drunk in the pub by the pint. It’s supremely balanced, effortlessly refreshing yet subtly complex.

James Beeson is an award-winning beer writer and photographer. To see more of his work follow him on Twitter and Instagram for posts.

Grab a can of Indie Graft from Hop Hideout.

photo: James Beeson

Festive Big Bottle Beer Guide

Festive Big Bottle Beer Guide

Nothing says Christmas more than a big beautiful bottle of beer to share round the table, or tree! Whether it's with your mince pie, turkey roast or that game of charades. We've pulled together a few of our recent favourites from a special Belgian oude gueuze (this year's HORAL Mega Blend) or a magnum of Chouffe to a festive pudding stout (Intrepid from the Peak District) and more. Dig out your box of soft-centre chocolates and have a read through for crimbo beer ideas! You have eight sleeps.....GO

Click HERE for that hit of the good stuff...

Weird Beard x Northern Monk - Habitual Offender 11.6%

£10.20

Collaboration barley wine with sweet flavours of cherry drops and cake icing with a brandy nose and stone fruit richness. Ideal with marzipan rich stollen

Torrside Brewing - Monsters Series, BA Rauchwine 11.0%

£9.60

Torrside's Monster Series have been gaining great support from beer consumers and this smoked barleywine is a parti-gyle of Hopfenrauch aged for 6 months in whisky casks. Rich sweetness, meets smoke and great with a rich cheeseboard, especially strong blue cheese! Absolutely bangin' value too at £9.60 for 750mls!

Cloudwater x Jester King:
Spirit Animal Loquart Elderflower

I would have included more Cloudwater big bottles in this list but all of the imperial stout went in 24 hours! However, when thinking about a beer that would pair with a wide range of flavours on your festive table, actually this elderflower saison is bang on the money. Delicate, floral, dry, refreshing, thirst quenching. A great to wash really rich foods along and re-set the palette. Plus it's a Jester King collaboration! A highly rated US farmhouse inspired brewery who know their way around this style. £11.00, 750ml. 

Shop  here

Brew By Numbers' Biere De Garde 18/08 pairs along similar lines to the Cloudwater saison but if you're not a fan of floral elderflower notes yet still want that thirst quenching hit; this would be the beer for you.
 

Shop HERE

Mezcal, Gin, Whisky, Bourbon....Keep Your Spirits Up

I've always been intrigued by spirits and often leaned towards a little night cap after the odd beer or two on a night out. To be honest you can't go wrong with a 'Boiler Maker' cocktail which is pretty much just a beer and whisk(e)y shot on the side - it's my favourite kind of cocktail! No waiting and a big enjoyable double hit of the undiluted good stuff in its purest form. Perfect after a long, hard day at work.

Mezcal, the distilled alcoholic spirit made from the agave plant native to Mexico, is a new found fascination. It's often produced in the state of Oaxaca in southern Mexico, though can be produced in six other states too. There are several different types of agave used in its production (except the Blue Webber agave variety which is used for tequila). Tequila is really a sub-style of Mezcal, much like a regional produced drink such as Champagne or Cognac. The agaves are cooked over wood in big dug out pits wrapped up in agave leaves. Here you begin to have sugars caramelised and a delicious smoky flavour develops. This Serious Eats guide is pretty good for an overview (I always like a good Serious Eats peruse!). All our mezcals are 100% agave. 

Montelobos: 70cl 43.2%

Using 100% organic certified Agave Espadin, this William Grant and Sons entry to the market delivers a smoky experience and sweet roasted Agave licks all at a reasonable pricing for the category. It often takes the agave plant ten years to reach the maturity required before harvesting!

Ilegal Mezcal: Joven 50cl 40%

Ilegal Mezcal started in around 2006 by John Rexer owner of Cafe No Se in Antigua, Guatemala (a dive bar with its own secret mezcal room) and has a stranger than reality story behind it! The name hints at its early trade beginnings lets say... This joven, or young, mezcal has the Espadin agave flavour at the fore with hints of pepper and apple.

Try making one of their signature cocktails at home - La Paloma.

Ingredients: 2oz Ilegal Joven, 0.5oz Lime Juice, 2oz Grapefruit Juice, Top with Club Soda
Prep: Salt rim of Collins glass, add ice, pour ingredients in order as above.

Part of me wonders whether you could top with a tasty grapefruit IPA instead of club soda in the La Paloma? Looking forward to trying a few ideas in in 2017!

Del Maguey: Vida 70cl 

Del Maguey Single Village Mezcals are widely renowned and respected internationally. Mezcal is mostly distilled in the Oaxaca region of Mexico and to often strict adherence to 500 year old tradition using maguey (agave) hearts and 10% pure water in the fermentation process. Village distillers run for generation in the same families (of the indigenous Indian population of Mexico) and have kept the processes alive. Vida is a quality single village mezcal at an entry-level pricing. With hints of honey, vanilla and roast agave on the nose, this finishes with fruity and sandalwood combinations on the palate. Ron Cooper founded the company in 1995 and is often cited as revitalising the global interest in mezcal. Watch their slideshow on the process HERE. 

Ken Price's artwork adorn's the green bottles, making Del Maguey eye-catching and unique. 

It's difficult as a newbie to whisk(e)y and bourbon to know where to start!!?! But it's an area I'm endeavouring to learn more about (Jules). I recently watched this BBC documentary and it wholly inspired me on the whisky journey. As we've started with a small select range, we decided to travel the World and picked out Teeling from Ireland, Mitcher's US straight rye whiskey, Benromach organic whisky and Sheep Dip Scotish whiskys and of course we had to go with the superb Blanton's single-barrel bourbon. We will be rotating this range as new discoveries come along. 

Gin is having such a boom and resurgence at the moment, much like craft beer and it's exciting to see all the independent distillers and producers popping up over the UK. Our range will be constantly evolving here, but we will always try to stock a good choice at anyone time. Not only do we stock local gins such as Sheffield Dry Gin (and soon to be added Sir Robin of Locksley), but we've looked across the country for interesting ingredient led varieties. Macclesfield based Forest Gin comes in a beautiful Staffordshire made ceramic bottle and the family use locally foraged ingredients such as wild bilberries and Peak District moss to make this award-winning gin. 

Head to our online shop to discover more... HERE

Steve Peat Interview Ahead of Peaty's Steel City Downhill

Photo: Silent Will

That time rolls round once again for over 3,000 people to head up to Grenoside Woods, and no it's not some unofficial rave action, well not this time anyway, but the seventh Peaty's Steel City Downhill (SCDH). With world champion mountain biker Steve Peat at the helm, this local competition has grown year on year to become one of the biggest mountain biking events in the UK calendar. A huge well done to Peat and the team who organise this race; raising much needed money to invest back into Sheffield trail building and maintenance in the woods. What we love about the event at Hop Hideout is the family feel and inclusive nature of the event (and epic track!). It was inspiring to see little rippers, men and women all heading down the challenging course last year. In 2016 we sponsored the Men's Veteran race, this year we'll be sponsoring the Senior Ladies, that beer love needs to be spread around.

Steve Peat took some time out to answer a few questions for our blog ahead of this year's action; have a read and we'll see you up in the woods Saturday May 20th! 

Was there an inspiring moment that made you set up SCDH back in 2011? 

Yes, it was a bashing of heads together and a decision to bring some good old fashioned MTB fun racing to the great city.

How has the event grown and changed over the last seven years? 

It has grown massively, the entries alone are now a big headache for us as we get over-subscribed by hundreds, and controlling the parking and spectators is a rather large task these days. It all good though and the day is made by all these people wanting to be a part of our little big race.

What's the most difficult element in organising a downhill event of this scale? 

Preparing for the big day, there is more and more stuff each year to get ready for our one day event, but we have a great core group of four that get the big stuff done and a smaller voluntary group that help with everything closer to the event. It really is a get together of the mountain bike community in the city.

We noticed you were involved in the recent Sheffield city centre downhill event during the Outdoor City weekend. What was it like to race in such a urban environment? 

Yes, the Howard Street Dual Slalom, Nick Hamilton was the main man behind this event and it was awesome fun to race. I  love the dual format for both racing and for spectators, so to be able to bring it into a city centre location was even better. I have raced many urban events over the years and the dual was one of the best.

Do you think urban downhill events in the UK will become more common place, like the Red Bull races in Brazil?  

As the dual format it would be very good, you don’t need a very long course to make an exciting track and something that the racers and fans will both love. It's a great way to get people from city centres to know about what can be achieved on bikes.

What's your favourite downhill route in the UK? And overseas?

Wharncliffe Woods is the best of course!! But I also really like Whistler as an all round destination, it has great tracks, accommodation and bars.

How's life been since retiring from World Cup racing last year? 

As busy as ever……..ha ha, bit strange also, its the fist time in 24 years that I have not had a training goal to get ready for the first big race of the year.

Any major plans ahead you'd like to share? 

Loads, but none I can share………….sorry.

http://www.steelcitydh.com

Photo: Silent Will

Street Art Walk in the Sheffield Antiques Quarter

The Sheffield Antiques Quarter is a hub for independent & creative businesses & that ethos has attracted many street artists into the area to commit their skills to the walls (or shopfronts or shutters & more). Take a day to wander round your favourite shops, have a bite of food & a beer on the way in-between; we've picked out a few of the artworks to get you started. 

Rocket01's 'Big Walls' series continues with this beautiful mural entitled 'Visions of the Future' situated opposite the iconic Abbeydale Picture House. 

Just over the road is Pirate Ship which specialises in vintage sportswear, OG streetwear & Graffiti supplies. Their shutter is painted by MistOne, an original Sheffield Graffiti legend. You might need to head down before opening hours to check this one out!

On the side of Pirate Ship you'll find a cheeky Cement Bootz artwork, viewable at any time.

Dotted around the quarter you can find bollards which  artist  Colorarti  has transformed into these friendly creatures. See if you can catch them all... I found this one outside the Picture House Social.  

Find Mila K's substantial sci-fi warrior mural behind The Vaults off Sheldon Road. 

Finish your art trail at Hop Hideout featuring Tom J Newell's artwork on the outside & logo designed by Kev Grey; then call in for a well-earned beer.

Find more art trails here: http://sheffieldantiquesquarter.co.uk/street-art-trail/ 

Golden Pints 2016

I love the cathartic nature of looking back over 'Your' year, flicking through photos (now a swipe on the smart phone & Google Drive albums) & checking the lists of beers you've sampled (a combination of notebooks, Untappd & smart phone notes). It's a real trip down memory & emotional lane, whether good, bad, indifferent or revelatory. Make the ride & you'll know what I mean...

I've been joining in Golden Pints (started by Andy Mogg & Mark Dredge, if memory serves me right???) since 2012 on my personal blog (I'll be honest, the regularity of posts have sucked over the last two years!). It's at least one blog subject I've wholeheartedly managed to continue to publish. I always start by looking back over the years, then as the months zoom closer to present life, the lens sharpens & I begin the writing process. It's funny how the landscape changes. One 2012 mention for Best UK Draught (Cask or Keg) Beer went,

"Honourable mention: Camden Town Brewery‘ Camden Ink’ 4.4 per cent. Highlight drink on a trip to London and a so called quick stop at the Euston Tap pub, the first time I’d heard of Camden Town Brewery and made me endeavour to find out more."

Well fast forward three years & Camden Town was one of the biggest news stories in the UK beer landscape with AB-Inbev's acquisition in December 2015. A big 'Fucking Hell' was heard whispered through the collective hive mind of the indie beer scene. Funnily enough I think it highlights my lack of visiting London regularly back then - as Camden started brewing in late 2010! One thing since that post, which I did promise myself, is that I would do more travelling. I have kept to this (I'm not great at New Year's resolutions usually); though still not as much as I would have liked. But funds & time are my continual enemies upon which I wage a personal battle.  

This Golden Pints has been written from Hop Hideout's highlights; as always we want to thank everyone who has supplied us ace beer & all our fantastic beery fiend customers. 

Drum roll......

• Best UK Cask Beer – Buxton Brewery x Omnipollo 'Yellow Belly' on cask at Shakespeare's pub, Sheffield, as part of a Buxton Meet the Brewer event for Sheffield Beer Week. As Buxton don't really do cask anymore (or save it for their Taphouse usually, circa 2015ish), this event became a roller-coaster of wonderfulness. Lots of great beery people crammed into the front snug, drinking delicious glasses of this rich, roasted, chocolate impy stout goodness. 
• Best UK Keg Beer–  Mad Hatter x Hop Hideout x Karkli 'Toncoco Loco' we were hugely proud of this beer & snack collaboration to celebrate our third birthday. Being inspired by multiple tangents including massaman curry to chilli & coconut combos, the Tonka bean became a bit of a revelation idea at the last moment. It was an expression of a beery trio friendship & I loved seeing all the responses from drinkers out in the UK. I wrote about the brew day HERE.  
• Best UK Bottled Beer – Cloudwater 'DIPA v4/5' for me were a real occasion, you could sense the excitement around this release & I loved the idea of blending & sharing feedback. I know for some it kicked off a huge 'hype' debate but I wasn't on that bandwagon. I thought is was just a brewery using social media & connecting with drinkers. Sharing brewing process & ingredients & open to opinions. It was a real turning point for their double IPA brewing & I've loved every release since. I'm not bothered to get into any minutiae debate over VX is better than VY!
• Best UK Canned Beer – Alphabet 'Flat White' I know it was a hard slog for Alphabet to commission their new canning line & I somehow think they sometimes get forgotten about a little in the Manchester brewing swell. We had a Meet the Brewer event at the shop & this white coffee stout was one of the favourties of the evening. Love the Hammo artwork too. Honourable metion: NMBCo/ATG 'Smokin' Bees'
• Best Overseas Bottled Beer – Dugges 'The Orange Haze' IPA We couldn't recommend this beer & brewery enough in 2016. This Swedish outfit have stormed through the year & this orangey deliciousness was a Summer banger. 
• Best Overseas Canned Beer – Reuben's 'Gose'. An absolute saline sour stunner from Seattle's finest. One of my fav beer & food pairings of 2016 from our BBQ Collective meal. Check the menu HERE. 
• Best collaboration brew – Cloudwater & Magic Rock Brewing 'Three's Company'. A beer 'of a moment in time' using JW Lees' yeast & coming into fruition from Manchester Beer Week celebrations. It was a juicy, peachy IPA wonder. Loved the fact it was revisited later in the year with their 'Big Dipper' collab.  
• Best Overall Beer – Cloudwater & Magic Rock Brewing 'Three's Company'. You can't deny that both breweries have been on top form in 2016. 
• Best Branding – Beerbliotek. This Swedish brewery pull together colour wheels & typography on cans. Eye-catching & appealing. 
• Best UK Brewery – Northern Monk Brew Co have been on fast-forward this year with big-hitting releases like Double Heathen, Mango Lassi & more. Working with a who's who of international breweries & finally announcing Hop City festival for 2017!!! *high fives*
• Best Overseas Brewery – To Ol with their damn fine looking cans, opening brewery/bar/restaurant Brus in Copenhagen & amazing Christmas beers which made my year (Jule Maelk Imperial milk stout anyone?). Honourable mention: Cascade Brewing - Art is a pioneering legend. 
• Best New Brewery Opening 2016 – Elusive Brewing, Andy Parker is an inspiring, lovely beery fellow & his launch of Elusive has been wonderful to follow from pen to paper to bricks & mortar. 
• Pub/Bar of the Year –  Craft & Draft, Amsterdam. As Will's sister lives out in Amsterdam, the city is starting to become a second home for us. Craft & Draft is a little out of Dam's centre & has a warm neighbourhood vibe about the place. Friendly staff, lots of beer taps for choice & a little bottle shop to the front. On our return this year was new outside seating, which was a welcome addition. We also bumped into team Omnipollo at the bar after Borefts festival missions. 
• Best New Pub/Bar Opening 2016 - Himmeriget, Copenhagen. This opened with little fanfare it seemed & no signage back in May when we visited. An amazing beer list both draught & bottled with Cantillon on the taps, Funky Buddha & Pipeworks cans. (We think there's an Evil Twin connection). 
• Beer Festival of the Year – Mikkeller Beer Celebration is still the one for us. Nothing as yet has beaten the atmosphere & beer list. 
• Independent Retailer of the Year – Tall Boys, Leeds. Nice peeps who love beer & a good time. It's great when you walk into a beer shop & you can find yourself talking about art, music & have a laugh too. They even launched our NMBCo x Tom J Newell 'Watermelon Crush' collab during Leeds Beer Week. 
• Online Retailer of the Year – Beer Gonzo. We're in awe of their beer list. I've been tempted so many times to purchase, only reason I haven't is I just don't buy that much beer online surprisingly as I have lots at home. I hear they're opening a tap room & lambic bar too.  
• Best Beer Book or Magazine – Pallet Magazine,  impressively put together quartely magazine publication with high print values & great quality writing on interesting topics. I want to own EVERY edition of this, it's the same reasons I searched out copies of Wax Poetics back in the day. 
• Best Beer Blog or Website – Draft Magazine, as it seems to be the only website I read every week. They have the click title temptation down to a winning formula. And it's always worth the read. 
• Simon Johnson Award for Best Beer Twitterer – @boakandbailey It's thanks in a big way to them I have a great reading round-up each month. (I never did submit that pub gem photo!)
• Best Brewery Website/Social media – Cloudwater. From their appealing photos that ooze stories on Instagram combined with personal dialogue to their heartfelt & honest blogs. 

Cheers to beer!

Festive Gift Guide Ho-Ho Hop Hideout

As December first rears its head, we thought we'd help you out with a little round up a la Ho-Ho Hop Hideout's beery Christmas gift guide. Christmas jumpers at the ready, barleywine on the side....

Now becoming a firm Christmas favourite here at Hop Hideout is Wiper & True's Plum Pudding Porter. An all round festive staple. Perfect on its own as a stocking filler, or buy a few to accompany in a gift box. Who doesn't like a bit of rich fruity dark beer sipping alongside a warm fire. 

There's a limited run of our Northern Monk Brew Co x Tom J Newell Watermelon Crush Tees available in store. Even if you didn't get to try the beer (tart, earthy watermelon, pucker-tastic) Tom's artwork is seriously good. 

For those awkward people, who know exactly what they like or prefer to choose the beer themselves - go for a gift card. You can start from as little as £5.00. Inside the card our message reads 'Good people deserve good beer vouchers'. Awwwwww. 

This newly published home brew book focuses on equipment, set up, brewing process and provides 50 recipes from the hot list of global breweries from The Kernel to Omnipollo, Mikkeller & more. Beautifully printed & great photography inside the pages. We get a little mention in the book too at the back! (We provided the Omnipollo beer for the photo shoot). 

If beer & food is more of your thing try this book from Julia Herz (US Brewers Association) & Gwen Conley. It manages to partner technical information with food & beer pairing menu building suggestions in a really informative way. 

Call in to Hop Hideout to talk to us if you're not sure, we're always happy to suggest present ideas. 

Why not have a beer at the same time *wink wink*

Beery Beertography Birthday Photos

Thanks to @beer_farts for making us smile everyday during our third birthday week on his #Instagram. We wanted to celebrate this beer community that we feel a part of & with that in mind commissioned this wonderful series of photos. 

The first post featured friends #ElusiveBrewing &#CheshireBrewhouse with our Thai Yum Wit collab. Hurrah! #beertography #lego#beerybirthday #beercommunity#craftbeer #beer 
#goodbeer   #goodfriends#goodtimes

Day two of @beer_farts #beerybirthday series & it was one of Will's favourites, Omnipollo - Noa BA. We managed to source a keg of the delicious impy stout Noa for our birthday weekend; that didn't last long!

Day three and it was a New World as we woke up to news of the new US president... we didn't know whether to laugh or cry @beer_farts #beerybirthday post.

One thing we do know, life is better with good friends around. Northern Monk Brew Co started around the same time as Hop Hideout, cuckoo brewing initially & we hosted one of their first meet the brewer events in Jan 2014. Fellow beer community souls. It's been ace to watch them grow & we were chuffed to be able to brew a collab back in August a watermelon Berliner weiss called Watermelon Crush too.

Day four & it was one of Jules' favourites (she discovered this US beer at Copenhagen Beer Celebration). Wicked Weed - Serentiy, a divine 100% Brett barrel aged farmhouse ale. 

Day five was our birthday launch - Friday 11th Nov & the final @Beer_Farts photo featured friends Mad Hatter Brewing with their classic pale Penny Lane. 

Hop Hideout City Guide: Copenhagen

Copenhagen Beer Celebration.....now Mikkeller Beer Celebration in 2017!

The Danish city had been a bit of a pilgrimage for the last three years for me and Will each May. Mikkeller's Copenhagen Beer Celebration has grown from its initial entity in 2012 in a sports hall just north of the city with roughly 500 people each session to 2016's 1k capacity in its central meat packing district space. If you wanted to get tickets previously you had to sit studiously at your computer waiting for that second they went online, then a quick burst of button tapping, and fingers crossed, you'd snagged some. This year was the first time, in the bigger venue, tickets were available for a number of weeks. The beer celebration itself brings together a list of breweries from across the world all connected by an affinity with Mikkel Borg Bjergsø. It's a festival where breweries bring their big guns out, often supplying one off or limited barrel aged beauties. If you want to try that Cigar City Hunaphu stout or 3 Floyd's Dark Lord, well, you better book those plane tickets now hey!

Here's our city guide to the spots to hit whilst you're there, enjoy, oh and make sure you've plenty of holiday money!

Mikkeller

The original Mikkeller bar in the central area of Copenhagen with 20 taps and outside seating to the front. During Copenhagen Beer Celebration this is definitely THE bar to meet people and often hosts a street party on the final Sunday of the Copenhagen Beer Week. Last time I was in one of the Surly guys let me try his beer before I made my purchase - its that kinda friendly place!

Mikkeller & Friends

The neighbourhood Mikkeller bar spot in Norrebro; friendly and laidback. Enter the bar by its corner door as the steps lead you down, opening to a wood and light palette coloured room. 40 taps spread across the main bar in the middle of the room, which reaches out either side. Their specialist bottle shop used to be adjoining but now you find their Belgian inspired sour wunderkind Koelschip. 

Koelschip

A dimly lit bar full of Belgian breweriana sets the tone for this Belgian penned love letter to all things sour. I lost an afternoon in this place. Take a book and indulge your YOU time.   

Ramen to Biru

With multiple branches newly opened in 2016 Ramen is Mikkeller's ode to Japanese ramen noodles. No reservations needed, just rock up and order your ramen. I'd go extra egg....always. Oh and there's good beer on tap and in vending machines to wash down the hot noodles. 

Warpigs

BBQ and beer collaboration between 3 Floyds Brewery and Mikkeller combining Texas inspired meat platters alongside Warpigs inventive beers brewed on site. Make sure you add burnt ends to your meaty selection and a big glass of double IPA, why not hey, you're on holiday. 

Brus

Mikkel's previous science students have done alright for themselves! Brus opened its doors in 2016 right during the beer celebration and it was a stunning conversion. The building houses a deli shop, beer shop, bar, restaurant and brewery space. So essentially everything you could ever want or need. This place has set the bar high and they'll no doubt be ones to watch globally in terms of their beery influence. 

Fermentoren

Our favourite late night (and all day!) hang out is this underground boozer. A definite parteeee bar with an outstanding beer selection of Danish brews plus US heavies like Hoppin' Frog. Just down the road from the meat packing district and on the way to Kihoskh. Try Dry & Bitter beers - they're closely associated to Fermentoren. 

18th Street finds in Kihoskh

Kihoskh

The perfect corner store offering bread, the hippest magazines and fridges of the best beers you've ever seen. Brewers seem to ensure a drop off of their wares during the Copenhagen Beer Week, so it's worth popping in each day to check the newest additions. Ask at the counter to check out the beer cellar......they'll let you leave your bag whilst you head down to view the extra stocked beers downstairs. 

Black Swan

A most pleasurable find tucked away at the edge of the historical navy quarter of Nyboder. One of the most recognisable bar like venues we visited with a rock'n'roll leaning. There was a picture of Patti Smith on the ladies and Lemmy on the men's. Friendly bar staff and relaxed vibe with a interesting selection of European beers on draught including a number we hadn't spotted in other bars. 

Taphouse

A crazy number of taps +60 featured at this central industrial beer bar. We visited on our first CBC trip in 2013 when it was pretty much brand spanking new and a bit of an oddity for the area its in. An overwhelming choice and array of beers, though the interior is a little sparse!

Orsted Olbar

A friendly neighbourhood beer bar by the river. Focus on Scandi beers, look out for Amager Bryghus beers here. A beautiful sculptured wooden bar and comfy little nooks to sit in and enjoy your beery purchase. 

Olbutikken

Just around the corner from Mikkeller, Viktoriagade. A specialist beer shop and tasting room that's been around for a number of years, let's say pre-Mikkeller. The former owner was Jeppe Jarnit-Bjergso (Mikkel's brother). Moving swiftly on! Here you'll find lots of Scandanavian beers and rarities plus if you time it right, the elusive Cantillon beers. 

Himmeriget

This unassuming bar just opened whilst we visited, no sign out front, muted grey colours, concrete floors and a high class draught and bottled beer selection. We tried Pipeworks' Ninja v Unicorn cans, Cantillon on draught and big Evil Twn beers (think Jeppe is a partner in this operation). I even spotted Ron Extract of Jester King (though recently announced Ron is leaving JK, he still remains a shareholder) buying one of his own bottles (and Cantillon) to sample during his visit. 

Torvehallerne

A central food hall housing lots of independent food and drink outlets, where you can sit and consume those delicious purchases. Mikkeller have moved their bottle shop into a unit here (from Mikkeller & Friends) and throughout Copenhagen Beer Week follow their social media to find out what daily US rarities are available in store - Dark Lord anyone....?

Copenhagen Street Food (Food Hall)

Out towards the east of the city near Christiania is Paper Island. A waterside warehouse filled with street food trucks and drinks vendors. Grab a Brazialian grilled meat platter, add Belgian style double cooked frites, and finish off with a classic Danish open sandwich (Smørrebrød) to sample the local cuisine too. 

*TIP* You can pretty much find your beery hit list over at RATEBEER places. 

A few tasties we brought back home

Hop Hideout City Guide: Amsterdam

Amsterdam is a capital city of many wonders; cheese, weed, late night clubbing, picturesque canals, classic brown cafes, windmills, darts and of course beer, more than just your Heineken and Amstel too. I've been going to Amsterdam since the mid-90s, it used to be a yearly trip around Queen/King's Day, the national royal holiday (Koninginnedag in Dutch), where basically everyone transcends on the Dam to party, with sound systems out on the streets and all sorts going on. Then again in July for the North Sea Jazz Festival in Rotterdam, always ensuring a stop over in the capital. But it's been three years since our last visit and there's been an explosion in Dutch breweries and beer bars since then. Here's our guide to a few beery spots to hit if you're visiting anytime soon:

Brouwerij T'ij

You'll spot the windmill a mile off, helps greatly when you're out of the city centre and everything looks very similar! Those repeating rows of classic Dutch canal houses. Brouwerij T'ij (pronounced eye) produces a range of quality, flavoursome beers and this tap room boasts a beautiful outside terrace area to enjoy them in.

The Beer Temple

An American inspired craft beer bar not far from Central station. An impressive tap list with a meat and cheese board offering to accompany those big US IPAs. (I managed to find and drink the Belgian lambic on tap though!). 

Craft & Draft

Owned by the same person as The Beer Temple and Arendsnest, Craft & Draft opened in 2014, in a neighbourhood spot near Vondel park. Over 30 taps, plus a mini bottle shop situated in the venue's entrance. This was one of the friendliest bars we visited on our trip and we visited a number of times, as we loved the atmosphere. The bar manager was welcoming, informative and helpful in letting you sample before buying. If you time it right, there's a mid-week free tasting session showcasing a particular brewery each time. 

The Beer Tree

A neighbourhood beer shop with a US and Dutch focus plus beer on tap for growler fills. Not far from Craft & Draft and worth a visit if you're in the area. 

Arendsnest

I was smitten by the beer choice in this classic Dutch venue, with its long, thin, brown bar as it's the only place I found with a dedicated Dutch focus on the taps. Over 30 taps, plus a detailed bottled menu. Table service on offer here, so just sit down and peruse the menu at your leisure. I'd put a couple of hours aside for this bar, so you can discover the diversity of the Dutch brewing scene. 

In De Wildeman

One of Amsterdam's classic brown cafes - dark wood interiors, different hues of brown covering the walls (it use to be a distillery). We discovered a cask of Weird Beard on the bar which was a big surprise (in a good way as it was a big dark beast). Varied selection of beers from across the world and just off one of the main shopping streets, so a great place to seek refuge from the central madness. 

 

Oedipus Brewing

A short trip on a ferry from the back of Amsterdam central station takes you to the northern part of the city, where young experimental brewery Oedipus have taken up base in a warehouse. We called in on the open Sunday session with a welcoming atmosphere and party vibe - Redlight Radio DJs were set up playing a mix of jazz, funk, soul and house. The taps mainly featured their own beers such as the delicious saison Mannenliefde; they did have one guest tap, which was a nice addition. 

De Prael

From the quite unassuming exterior in the main redlight area near central station,  De Prael hides an expansive space once inside. Housing a shop, brewery and a connection to the street behind which hosts their bar venue. An impressive use of space and inter connections of different areas. Sign up for the brewery tour where you end up with a tasting paddle at the main bar. 

Butcher's Tears

A little on the outskirts past Vondel park way lies Butchers Tears. Its worth the trip and the Proeflokaal (tasting room) is a low key, white tiled, pristine wonder. Very laid back and you could easily loose a few hours here working your way through Butcher's Tears beers. Make sure you ask about any one-off specials in bottle, as we found a few available on our visit. 

De Bierkoning

A specialist beer shop since 1985 and it's just around the corner from The Beer Temple. Stocking over 1500 different beers, the Dutch section is mightily impressive, let alone the beers from all over the world - I spotted some Cascade Brewing and tasty gueuzes in the lambic cellar on the lower floor. 

Food Hallen

Situated in the west of the city this food hall opened in 2014 in a huge converted building. Inside is an array of food vendors, each with their own space, with group seating and bar areas dotted between. We visited a few times on our stay trying Vietnamese banh mi and Dutch specialty bitterballen (a savoury deep fried meaty snack usually containing minced beef of veal).  The beer choice was a mix of macro Amstel and indie Dutch - I tried a Oedipus' Gandalf The Pink - a tart cherry sour bomb. 

Salon Serpent

As a lover of tattoos I had to visit Angelique Houtkamp's beautiful tattoo parlour Salon Serpent. It's very near Food Hallen. Even if you're not up for a bit of ink, I'd highly recommend a visit to buy her artwork prints and posters. 

Haarlem is  just a 15 minute train ride from central station. Head over for the day or afternoon and make sure you visit these two beery places whilst you're there......

Het Ulitje

Loved this small and welcoming neighbourhood bar. 25 plus taps with one of the most interesting selections we spotted on our holiday. We tried beers from the brewery itself plus Italian White Pony, Spanish La Quince Brewery and Cervesa La Pirata. The bar has taps US style on the back wall, nice exposed brick interior and a bar cat which mooches around looking for friendly strangers to become friends with. Het Ulitje are brewing some of wildest, tastiest beers in the new wave of the Dutch brewing scene, in my humble opinion. 

Jopen

The panoramic photo I took of this converted church doesn't even touch the impressive space of Jopen. A copper shining BrauKon brewkit lies to the back in front of a set of stained glass windows, inside is a long thin bar, with lots of seating and a restaurant on the mezzanine level. A very slick, grown up beer venue. I sipped a small glass of Harlem Shake (an Oedipus/Jopen collab - big dark stout wth raspberry and black pepper) and took in the view.  

Sour Power – Why You Should Be Drinking Sour Beer (by Matthew Curtis)

I have a rule when it comes to tasting sour beer for the first time and I like to call it the ‘three sip rule’. Your first taste of a sour beer might not be a pleasant experience, the intense acidity wrapping your tongue around itself into a fisherman’s knot. Fret not, that second sip won’t be quite as intense as the first and by the third your palate will hopefully have adjusted to the sourness. 

There’s a depth and complexity to sour beers that’s like no other and this is part of what makes them so damn appealing. It’s no surprise that more and more breweries are experimenting with creating sour beers of their own. This can be risky, as the many wild yeasts such as Brettanomyces and bacteria such as Lactobacillus can be a threat to other beers in the brewery, infecting them and causing them to unintentionally sour. Some breweries such as Colorado’s Crooked Stave brew sours exclusively to completely eradicate this risk.

The trouble with a term such as sour beer is that it doesn’t do enough to cover the gamut of beers that span the genre. A Flanders Red is a million miles away from a Leipziger Gose for example. The personality and terroir of the beers origin often has a huge influence on this. Take Lambic for example, this speciality beer takes its name from the Lembeek region just south of Brussels. Half the fun with sours is exploring the parts of the world they come from.

Berliner Weisse

There are few beers, except for perhaps the Flanders Red, that are a better introduction to sours than the Berliner Weisse. These are sometimes referred to as ‘kettle sours’ due to the pH of the base beer being lowered in the mash, before being boiled to kill off any other bacteria that might infect the rest of the brewery. This makes it a popular style with smaller breweries that like to experiment. 

Typically low in alcohol, these beers contain a lot of wheat which helps give them body. The flavour is sharp and zingy and only sour for a brief moment before a gentle, grainy, cereal note comes through in a drying finish. Brewers love to experiment with Berliner Weisse as it provides an excellent blank canvas for throwing in other ingredients and adjuncts. London’s The Kernel makes a superb interpretation, simply called London Sour that’s good on it’s own but both the Raspberry and Damson versions take it to another level. The sweetness of the fruit balancing out the acidity in the beer.

Chorlton Brewing Co of Manchester are concentrating solely on producing sour beers and have recently been experimenting with dry hopping their beer like you would an IPA. The resulting beers such as Yakima Sour combine the usual tartness with floral, bitter notes. Ignore these at your peril.

Gose

This wonderful style of beer historically originates from the German town of Goslar. However Leipzig is generally considered to be its true home. Here you can visit Bayerischer Bahnhof, a brewery that sits in an abandoned train station, to try their Leipziger Gose. The style sits somewhere between a Berliner Weisse and a Belgian Wit in terms of flavour and feel but the unusual addition of salt to the beer adds an interesting and surprisingly delicious twist. 

Gose (pronounced goze-uh) was all but dead until forward thinking Craft Breweries began to experiment and resurrected the style. Perhaps one of the best examples of this is Westbrook Gose from South Carolina. Without a doubt it has become one of my favourite beers, its perfect balance of juiciness and saltiness making it a beer for just about any occasion. In the UK Magic Rock have created a wonderful interpretation called Salty Kiss. While not being as sour as the Westbrook the addition of fruit such as lime or gooseberry adds a tart, fruity twist to this ridiculously drinkable beer. Look out for it in cans soon.

Flanders Red & Oud Bruin

One beer I can’t do without having in my stash is Rodenbach Grand Cru. This red ale hails from the Flanders region in the North of Belgium. It’s soured by aging in giant wooden tanks known as foudres. Here, all sorts of wee beasties get into the beer and add a deep, lactic sourness that’s somewhere between yoghurt and balsamic vinegar. To create the Grand Cru, Rodenbach blend beer that’s been aged for about three years with young beer that’s around a year old. This masterful technique creates a truly glorious beer. 

Similar to Rodenbach is Duchesse De Bourgogne, which is created in a similar way but has a much darker brown colour and as such is referred to as an Oud Bruin. Duchesse tends to have a slightly more savoury, balsamic quality than Grand Cru. These styles are now being experimented with all over the world and one of the best is La Folie from Colorado’s New Belgium. It tastes like Grand Cru on steroids. 

Lambic & Gueuze

The Lambic producers of Belgium are some of the most respected creators of beer in the world and perhaps the most well known of these is Jean Van Roy of Cantillon. The brewery itself is like a working museum. Witnessing the giant coolships, which Cantillon pumps their beer into so it can be soured by the natural fauna that lingers in the air, is a near religious experience. 

Lambic is completely flat and is often very, very sour so can be quite challenging to drink. Usually young and old Lambic is blended to create Gueuze, the Champagne of the beer world. Sometimes the Lambic is aged on fruit, for example cherries are used to make Kriek and raspberries to make Framboise. There are very few boundaries for a Lambic brewer. 

Other great Belgian producers of Lambic and Gueuze includes Boon and Drie Fonteinen, with each bringing its own unique character to its beer. There are plenty of modern interpretations becoming more prevalent too with Mikkeller’s Spontan range being among the more innovative. Beetroot flavour, anyone?

This merely scratches the surface of the wonderful world of sour beer. The best thing is to get out there and start trying some for yourself. Just remember to always take three sips before turning your nose up.

Thanks to Matt for hosting our first guest blog. We're big into reading and enjoy a bit of writing too here at Hop Hideout (Jules, one half of HH, has been writing about beer for local mag Exposed since 2012). We wanted to support beer writing in the UK and after Matt hosted his Bottle Club, back in July, it got us thinking - let's ask Matt to write a blog to share a beer story we're excited about. Luckily Matt was excited by sour beers too! Et voila! Hope you enjoyed the piece. If you did, you might also be interested in our next beery literature event with award winning writer and broadcaster, Pete Brown, as part of Sheffield's Off the Shelf festival - LINK. 

Matthew Curtis is a London based freelance beer writer, speaker and a member of the British Guild of Beer Writers. He is co-author of Craft Beer: The 100 Best Breweries in the World. He shares his writing here; put an hour aside, grab a cuppa and get reading : www.totalales.co.uk  

We posted this blog as a head nod to Cantillon's Zwanze day celebration - which is on Saturday 19th September 2015. For further information on this, head to this link: Cantillon