Beers Of London Series: 66. Strawman Brewery - Saison 3.9%

Beers Of London Series
66. Strawman Brewery - Saison 3.9%

Sometimes I see a bottle of beer somewhere, be it in a shop or a pub or even a warehouse, and the label intrigues me enough to take a closer look. On occasion I put the bottle back and carry on browsing but sometimes I know full well that that particular bottle is coming home with me. That was very much the case when I saw this particular bottle in the fridge at The Cock Tavern in Hackney and asked Tim, the barman, about it.

You are most likely aware when I hear about a new London brewery and even more so when I get to taste their beer, this series is testament enough to that, but I always want to know more about the folk that made it. Quite often a brewery's website discloses very little about the people behind the beer, take a look at Strawman Brewery's website here to see evidence of that, but luckily for me they were kind enough to answer some of my questions when I e-mailed them recently.

Strawman is comprised of Tom Barratt and Brendan Harrington who both grew up in a town with an incredibly rich brewing heritage, Burton-on-Trent and indeed had family that worked in and around the Burton breweries. They both moved to London when the micro-brewing boom was beginning to gain momentum, and as they were too poor to be drinking beer at London prices they set up a pilot brewery in a small arch at the north end of London Fields. Brendan had been a homebrewer for quite some time and as they were discovering new tastes and flavours in the beer they were able to obtain locally they began trying to emulate them. They say that there are so many good London breweries around at the moment that trying to pick who has influenced and inspired them would be a difficult task although they do particularly like the beers from the Wild Beer Company, Summer Wine, Howlin' Hops and Pressure Drop.

When trying to decide on a name for their brewery, Brendan happened upon this image of a Strohmann (a German word which literally translates as 'man of straw') in a copy of National Geographic he was reading at the time. The picture struck a chord with him, and the Strawman Brewery was born.

They have four main beers which they brew on a regular basis, a House Pale Ale in which the recipe changes with each brew, Amber, a American-style amber ale, Munich, a well-hopped single-malt pale with has a nice malty edge to it, and Saison, which is the beer I'm drinking tonight. They also have a few other beers which you may be lucky enough to pick up, Rype, a rye pale ale, Fonk, a strong spiced Belgian-style ale, a Belgian-style stout, and a peat-smoked Porter, with either a Dubbel or a Bock coming along soon. They are also in the process of up-sizing and moving across London to Peckham where they have bigger premises and bigger plans.

Back to the beer in hand. It pours a pale lemony yellow colour with a voluminous pure white head that takes a while to settle. I have to confess that I let a little of the sediment slip in as well making it a little cloudy, not overly so though as I had noticed a fair amount in the bottom of the bottle. The aroma it bright and spicy with lemon zest and white pepper notes bringing to mind a warm spring morning with a warm breeze blowing through the honeysuckle and bringing its delicate fragrance lightly to your nostrils. There's a tingle of carbonation as it passes over the tongue leaving the flavour of squeezed lemon juice and lime cordial before drying quickly with a burst of crushed coriander seed and more white pepper leaving a pleasant orangey spiciness that fills the mouth before fading slowly into the finish.

This is a beer that at first glance may not appear to be bringing anything new to the table as, if we're honest about it saisons, or more accurately beers brewed using a saison yeast, are ubiquitous at the moment. However upon tasting I noticed how clean and defined the flavours were, coming together in a logical and rather elegant manner, slightly understated but nonetheless confident and accomplished. I'm afraid to say that this is the only Strawman beer that I've had. Their current situation means that their beers are currently produced in quite small batches and spread rather thinly over a relatively small area of East London. Keep an eye out for them though, especially with their imminent relocation as if this beer is anything to go by then you're in for a real treat.

Beers Of London Series: 65 Upstart Brewing - Alpha 4.3%

Beers Of London Series
65.Upstart Brewing - Alpha 4.3%

I'm always excited when I come across a new London brewery, and when the founder and brewer turns up on my doorstep with two bottles of their first commercial beer and a t-shirt as well then that's probably about as good as it gets as far as I'm concerned. That, as you've probably guessed is exactly what happened just before Christmas when James Weir, a Yorkshireman (he grew up about two-hundred yards from Timothy Taylor's in Keighley) and former City fund manager having previously requested my address, presented himself at my door with his Alpha beer and appropriate t-shirt to match.
 
Unfortunately I was at work at the time so I've yet to meet James, a situation I should be rectifying soon, however he was kind enough to answer a few questions I e-mailed to him so I'm able to tell you a bit more about him and his new brewery before I get on to the beer itself.

Some of you may remember hearing about the Wanstead Brewery on twitter around the middle of last year, but James wasn't really happy with the name feeling it might be rather limiting, particular with the wider more European vision he has for his brewery and brewing. That's not to say the he is ashamed of the area in which he resides, far from it, he has lived in East London for the past eleven years and the last four of those in Wanstead itself and thinks it's a lovely place to be, but in drawing influences from the European lager tradition and British cask beer and to a lesser extent the US craft beer scene then 'Upstart' was chosen to emphasise the challenger nature of the brewery and its products. Identifying that many of the newer London breweries were brewing copycat West Coast IPA's and high abv hoppy beers, he want to challenge the assumption that this is the only way to go and look at our own brewing tradition here in the UK, as well as that of our European neighbours and mine the vein of our rich heritage and especially with regard to hops.

A self-taught home brewer with some ten years experience it was initially, by his own admission, very much trial and error at the beginning, but he began to get more serious about five years ago when he bought a commercial pilot brewery and set it up in his garage. This year he begins studying for his Diploma in Brewing with the Institute Of Brewing and Distillers this year and is currently learning a lot about the bizarre world of barley procreation. As far as beer is concerned, he has an Amber 'Steam' beer in development using lager yeast, fermented at ale temperatures and heavily dry-hopped as well as a Table-Beer produced from the second and third runnings of same beer with the aim to fill a gap in the market for the more discerning drinker who doesn't want a 7% hop bomb but desires something a little tastier than Greene King IPA.

Alpha is as I mentioned and you might gather from the name, James's first commercial beer, a Pale Ale brewed with Magnum, Fuggle and Hallertauer hops on a base of Belgian Aromatic and Wheat malts. It pours a beautiful dark honey colour with a fluffy off-white head, alive with a steady stream of tiny bubbles and, in my bottle, some clumps of yeast, testament to my haphazard and unobservant pouring. I'm not someone who is averse to a little yeast in his beer, and even if I were it soon settles to the bottom of the glass leaving the beer perfectly clear. The head takes a little while to settle down but when it does an aroma of banana, mango, lightly tangerine juice infused cream and a hint of white pepper spiciness. Surprisingly full bodied in the mouth, it prickles the tip of the tongue with its carbonation. There's a little pear, nectarine and some pithy citrus juice in there, more clementine this time rather than the tangerine I detected in the aroma, with a pervading woodland earthiness running through it that I've come to associate with fresh English hops. A light dusting of white pepper and coriander seeds completes the initial picture, leading to quite a crisp finish  with a sprinkling of shortbread biscuit crumbs but the echoes of the tastes of the main body of the beer linger a while like flavoursome phantoms.

There is much to admire about this beer flavourwise but what I particularly enjoy is that having found out about James's background and influences I can see these perfectly reflected in every element of this beer, separate and yet united in a very balanced Pale Ale. I'm looking forward to seeing where he goes from here as his approach seems a little different to some if not all of the other brewers I've featured so far in this series, and I'll hopefully be able to meet him in person to discuss beer and maybe have a few drinks with him in February. I wish him every success.

Beers Of London Series: 64 . London Fields Brewery - Black Frost Stout 6.0% ... and a few words on Christmas beer

Beers Of London Series
64. London Fields Brewery - Black Frost Stout 6.0%
... and a few words on Christmas beer

First of all I want to start off the New Year with a bit of a moan.
I think the majority of us would agree that there's something magical about this time of year. From the first Christmas lights appearing on high streets in mid-to-late November, preparing for he big day, buying the presents, suddenly having a diary full of social occasions and things to do, the Christmas Radio Times and the Christmas specials, and copious amounts of food and drink, the Christmas and New Year period is a time like no other. It feels special. There's a certain sense of anticipation and expectation mixed with frantic despair that turns into happiness when it all comes together. The relief when it's all over and especially the sense of warmth, relaxation and kinship with your fellow man when you are able to get some time to yourself and settle down to stare mindlessly at the television or for some quiet introspective contemplation as the wind and rain howls outside with perhaps a glass or two of something a little different, maybe stronger, darker, richer, spicier, or just a little more expensive. After all, it is Christmas.

I have to say that one of the aspects I enjoy most of all during the festive season, after the children are in bed and asleep, is being able to pour myself a thick treacly beer into a snifter and let it warm in my hands as I take in the aroma and, with smaller sips than, explore and investigate all the taste and flavours all around my palate, immersing myself in it's complexities. Some of the very best beers I've had have been at this time of year and lend themselves to that very experience. It's a time of year that I tend to spend more time indoors, and as the strength of the beer is generally higher than I would normally choose then I go for quality over quantity whenever I can. I'm also a sucker for a Christmas beer. Call it a silly festive name, stick a picture of a snowman on the label and I'm all over it like poorly draped tinsel on the Christmas tree. I simply love them. I've had many delicious Christmas beers over the years, and it's an area in which I think that Belgian and US breweries particularly excel, with most breweries having their Christmas offerings in the shops around mid-November, giving you plenty of time to make your selections to drink during the time of goodwill to all men, or to buy to give as presents to those who may appreciate them. Plenty of UK brewers have a Christmas offering too. Quite often they're spicier and sweeter than their standard fair, perhaps a little stronger too, and they tend to vary dramatically in quality which is a shame, but it's always nice to see some breweries making a bit of an effort. Two which stick in my mind from 2013 are Compass - Tannenbaum, brewed with spruce needles from Christmas Common in Oxfordshire, and Green Jack - Red Robin, a beer that was as red as it's namesakes breast. And here, at last, I get to my point of contention. There are around forty breweries in London right now, with about thirty three or thirty four producing beer on a regular basis and new brews being created month by month. Why then is this the only beer that I could find produced by a London brewer with even the most tenuous nod to Christmas and the wintry season? I find that quite astonishing.

Is it because we are all too super-cool in London to be associated with the festivities and crushing crowds of this time of this time of year, standing slightly aloof and smiling in a rather condescending way? If it is then produce a beer that references that for goodness sake. I personally think that all breweries should do a 'Christmas special' with brewers showcasing their talents to do something a little different, a little grander, than usual. I realise of course that Beavertown did just that this year, with both of their boxed and barrel-aged releases, but would it have been too much to ask for at least one of the boxes to have a seasonal reference? Aeroplanes, medals and skulls don't really do it for me this time of year. I realise that it isn't entirely practical for all breweries to do this, but something from the London breweries that I love so much would have been nice.

I'm not planning on starting a campaign or anything like that, I'm just asking for London breweries to do something a little seasonal. Quite a few of them managed it for Halloween, so I'm hoping for better things in Christmas 2014.

So, now that I've got that off my chest I'll move on to tonight's beer. London Fields Black Frost Stout has been the brewery's seasonal offering for the past two years, with it first appearing around the end of November 2012. I regretted not being able to get any last Christmas having heard good things, so when I saw it in Oddbins near London Bridge station I snapped one up.
The packaging alone signifies that it's something a bit different, it's like opening a present wrapped tightly in tissue paper, perhaps a little too tightly in my opinion as it took me a while to untwist and get to the cap. That was however only because I wanted to preserve some of the paper neatly for photographic purposes, and I could just as easily have torn into it with great enthusiasm and gusto in the same manner as my son did with his presents on Christmas morning. Finally reaching my prize I was eventually able to pour the jet black contents into my glass, and with it's thin beige head it most certainly was black, there was no light coming through this beer at all, not even when I briefly held it close to the bulb. It had the most delicious aroma too, full of liquorice and grapefruit peel, mango and chocolate, and the lightest dusting of orange zest adding a sharp oily citrus note. Smooth over the tongue and perhaps a little thin, it certainly doesn't hold back when it comes to flavour, with subtle coffee and dark chocolate at first, building slowly, grabbing some plum flavour here, some mango there, and a twist of black pepper too, becoming oilier and more bitter with some lovely chocolate and coffee flavours lasting long into the deliciously tongue-coating finish.

This is an incredibly smooth and flavoursome beer and I like it a lot. I'd also like to thank London Fields for brewing it again, and especially for brewing a beer with a seasonal theme. This is exactly the sort of thing I like to drink at this time of year, I just wish more London brewers did festive beers as I'd particularly like to do a 'Christmas Beers Of London Series' at the end of the year.

Golden Pints Awards 2013

Golden Pint Awards 2013

So here we are at the very end of the year and after much contemplation, reviewing old posts and meticulously checking Untappd I've managed to finalise my favourite beers of the year for 2013, and more besides.
From all that I've read the consensus is that it's been another good year for beer overall with new breweries opening all the time, especially in London, lots of lovely beer being produced and more styles of beer being readily available than ever before.
I was extremely fortunate in that I also met some great people this year. I can honestly say with my hand on my heart that everyone I met who had a connection with beer in some way was genuinely friendly and interesting. If you were one of those people then I thank you for taking the time to indulge this cranky old beer blogger thrusting his hand in your direction and introducing himself.
So without further ado I'll kick off, as is traditional, with ...

Best UK Cask Beer 2013
I always find the actual beer selection categories for these awards more then a bit of a headache. The sheer amount of beer consumed over the course of 365 days and the various methods of dispense that they could be available in mean that sifting through the accumulated data of 12 months of drinking can be no mean feat. Looking back there was however one beer that stood out every time I was lucky enough to drink it, and was indeed the only beer I drank pint after pint of at a beer festival this year, and therefore my winner in:
Crouch Vale - Junga 4.1%
The balance of the malt with the raspberry and strawberry juice nature of the hop made this a clear winner for me. Crouch Vale are a local brewery so I was fortunate to get this in great condition and on gravity dispense on two separate occasions, which definitely helped.
Honourable mentions here for:
The Foundry - East Kent Pale 6.0% that I had at the Green Hop Festival launch and
Mauldon's - Black Adder 5.3% which is a beer that I've drunk for years and years and has never disappointed me.

Best UK Keg Beer 2013
I couldn't decide on a clear winner here so I've had to go for a tied first place in this category. The winning beers for me here are:
Lovibonds - Lager Boy 5.0%
Kernel - Double Citra 9.8%
The Lager Boy I first encountered in Henley, mere yards from where it was brewed. It was my first drink of a warm early summers day and it was so flavoursome and refreshing it quickly became my second and third drinks too. I also drank copious amounts of my runner up in this category:
Lovibonds - Sour Grapes 6.0% the non-barrel-aged version available at the brewery, as well as 69 and Dirty 69 that day (well, I was thirsty) but it's the Lager Boy that has stayed with me as a real cracker.
The Kernel - Double Citra I first encountered in Craft Beer in Clerkenwell. I had been on a bit of a journey here and there all over London that day and found myself in the vicinity of said establishment. I opened the door that leads directly onto Leather Lane and there in front of me was a Kernel pump clip. As I approached the bar and I realised what it was all the other beers seemed to melt away. I only had eyes for the Double Citra, and my judgement was not misplaced. for this moment alone it had to win in this category, a truly wonderful, if rather potent, beer.

Best UK Bottled or Canned Beer 2013
I've got through an awful lot of UK bottled beer this year, from those I've featured in my Beers Of London Series to the weekly BeerBods escapade on a Thursday night plus the many bottles I've been fortunate enough to be sent to review or have picked up on travels, mine and friends and family. I could have easily squeezed at least twenty beers in here, but are much head scratching and re-arranging my winner is:
Howling Hops - Amber De Luxe 4.6%
Even though I last had this back in July, you can read my review here, I can still bring to mind its wonderful aroma and taste, and it still makes me smile.
Runners up for me here are:
Honest Brew - Riwaka Hop Mule 5.4% an absolute explosion of hop flavour and aroma, and
Tavy Ales - Tavy Porter 5.2% a beautifully balanced Porter from a brewery that I hope to see more from in 2014, I'm quite keen to taste the IPA.

Best Overseas Draught Beer 2013
I think that 2013 saw more overseas draught beers being available in the UK than I can ever remember before. Whereas some of the best were the exclusive domain of such establishments as BrewDog and Craft Beer Co. this was not strictly the case with beers such as Lagunitas IPA appearing in a many more pubs and bars that cared about the quality and variety of beer available. However, just to be temperamental I've gone for a tie in first place again picking two beers that really lodged in my memory as some of the best I have tasted ever. Firstly I'm choosing
Brasserie De La Senne - Taras Boulba 4.5% that I had on tap at t'brugs beertje back in August. It had been a long day, we were all tired, but this beer really lifted me and the quality and flavours were so defined it really was outstanding. I've had the bottled version a couple of times since then but the flavour doesn't quite match up to the draught version.
My second choice is:
Toccalmatto - Supernova Suicide 4.5% This was a beer that I had at The Rake early in the summer after I had been to the Lichtenstein exhibition at the Tate Modern, when they featured beers from Italy that hadn't previously been seen in the UK. A Saison brewed with Australian Summer and Stella hops, with an enormous hit of apricot ably supported by a myriad of other stone fruits in a spicy saison wrapper. It's a stunning beer and  I'd love to have it again.

Best Overseas Bottled or Canned Beer 2013
There can only be one winner in this category for me in this category seeing as I think it's the nearest to a perfect beer for me as I can get. I was fortunate enough to have this beer on many occasions in 2013 and I wish I had a fridge full as I'd use it to toast every significant occasion in my life come. Who needs Champagne when you can have:
Mikkeller - Nelson Sauvignon 9%
There have been many other overseas bottled beers that have stood out for me this year and special mentions in this category have to go to:
De Dochter van de Korenaar - Extase 8.5% a bold blend of Belgian and US styles in a DIPA, and:
Dieu du Ciel - Peche Mortel 9.5% from Canada which I only had for the first time a couple of weeks ago but was such an amazing complex swirling vortex of tastes, flavours and sensations it would easily have made the number one spot here had it not been for the Mikkeller.
I also have to add Duvel - Tripel Hop (Sorachi Ace) as well. What an absolute cracker.

Best Collaboration Beer 2013
A popular choice on many Golden Pints this year and for very good reason, it's an absolutely stunning beer. Having had this on bottle and keg over the summer I have tried since to get some bottles without success. I wish I'd bought a case of the stuff. This beer is of course:
Wild Beer/Burning Sky/Good George - Schnoodlepip 6.5%
If you had it, and I certainly hope you did, then you'll know why.

Best Overall Beer 2013
If you're with me so far then you'll probably be assume that Mikkeller walks away with the title here, and it probably should really, but I wanted to go for a beer that was first produced in 2013 for this award so my winner here is, as above:
Wild Beer/Burning Sky/Good George - Schnoodlepip 6.5%
The keg version I only had the once, and that was at the Three Tuns in Bristol at the start of the CAMRGB Twissup at the end of August, and having such a fantastic beer in great company really made it special for me. A well deserved winner.

Best Branding/Pump Clip or Label 2013
An easy one for me, it's this beauty by artist Peter Beatty:

It's from an Imperial Black IPA that Honest Brew did for their Triple Hop event in collaboration with Column Arts Agency and Test Space that I attended this year. The beer was exceptional, I'm a sucker for a black IPA and this was very good indeed. I was also particularly taken with the artwork on the label, magpies are my favourite bird and I particularly liked the late Victorian/Edwardian feel of the whole thing. So much so that I actually own a limited edition print of it.

Best UK Brewery 2013
I'm going to have to go with:
The Kernel
They have consistently produced beers that I want to drink again and again and 2013 was no exception. Their hop combinations and consistent quality mean that I have thoroughly deserved their output, and I hope to do so for many years to come. The fact that they produced Double Citra helped a lot too.
Honourable mentions to Magic Rock and Beavertown. I think your beers are fab as well.

Best Overseas Brewery 2013
The winner here is:
Birrificio Toccalmatto from Italy
I have a great love for Italian beer, and the output from this brewery has been consistently astonishing. I absolutely love it.

Best New Brewery 2013
There is one brewery that I have spoken to, seen in action and drunk a few beers with this year that have amazed me with their output, enthusiasm and friendliness in 2013 and I'm sure are destined for great things in the year ahead, and that brewery is:
Honest Brew
If you haven't tried their beer then I urge you to seek it out. You won't be disappointed.
Honourable mentions to Belleville and Brixton here. Great people brewing great beer.

Pub/Bar Of The Year 2013
For me it has to be my local:
The Olde Dog in Herongate, Essex has been a real home from home for me and my family for many many years. Good cask beer kept in great condition and where Crouch Vale - Brewers Gold is always available.
If I had to chose the pub that I have consistently travelled more than forty minutes to again and again this year for the friendliness and quality of beer available the my vote would go to The Cock Tavern in Hackney. Whenever I go there I instantly relax and am made to feel like part of the furniture, and I can't really ask for more than that.

Best New Pub/Bar Opening 2013
My winner her is:
The Pelt Trader under Cannon Street station in London.
It's not my favourite bar but the beer is good and the staff are friendly. It's also the only place I could think of that fitted this category.

Beer Festival 2013
No surprises here, and also no question in my mind. The winner is:
The Great British Beer Festival at Olympia
I had a wonderful day with some of my best friends personally and with many of my favourite beery people, many of which have become firm friends over the last year or so, united in a whole day of drinking and discussing beer. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Supermarket Of The Year 2013
I going for the supermarket that is a few minutes walk from where I work and one that I can pick up bottles of Thornbridge or Sierra Nevada as well as numerous others should I want a fantastic beer in a hurry. For me it's a no-brainer, and my winner here has to be:
Waitrose

Independent Retailer Of The Year 2013
I've had to go for joint winners here, one locally (within a few miles) and one a little further afield.
My local winner is Cellars Off Licence, specifically the one on Western Road in Billericay. I have been able to pick up some right little crackers there over the years, and there's always something new or surprising there that catches my eye every time I go there.
It shares the title with Utobeer in Borough Market. I simply love it's quality and depth of choice, and that's why I go there a lot.

Online Retailer Of The Year 2013
Again there's only one winner for me here and that is:
Ales By Mail
Local, hospitable and they have become real friends over the last six months or so and I'll often pop into them for a chat on my lunch break or after work. The beer selection is great and now that they have a shop front as well they could equally have featured in the above category too.

Best Beer Book 2013
I'm a big reader of beer books both ancient and modern and have read a good many of this years releases, most of which I have thoroughly enjoyed however there was one book that ticked all the right boxes for me this year and that was:
Boutique Beer: 500 Of The World's Finest Craft Brews by Ben McFarland
As I mentioned in my #beerylongreads Favourite Beer Books post it's both accessible and interesting and my only gripe with it is that it's A4 size makes it a little unwieldy to read in bed or on the move., however I thoroughly recommend it.

Best Beer Blog or Website 2013
Whereas I read beer blogs extensively there I very few that I can say that I read consistently, hand on heart, however two that I do are:
Boak & Bailey's Beer Blog
and
Martyn Cornell's Zythophile
I've also enjoy quite a few on a regular basis, not least among them are:
Matt Curtis's Total Ales, Phil Hardy's Beersay and for sheer output and interesting reviews Simon Williams's CAMRGB Blog to which I contributed a guest article this year.
You could do a lot worse that follow any or all of these.

Best Beer App
An easy winner here, and one without which compiling these awards would have been considerably harder. The award therefore goes to:
Untappd
I'm a nosey chap and I like to see what everyone else is drinking and where they're drinking it, and seeing as most folk I follow are on it then it suits me rather well.

Simon Johnson Award for Best Beer Twitterer 2013
My winner here is someone who tweets almost constantly with knowledge and interest, someone who replies to everything and has a view on it too, who wears his heart on his sleeve, is honest and always says what he thinks, and always makes me laugh. I'm also pleased to count him as a friend, and that person is, the one and only:
@NateDawg27 Mr Nathaniel Southwood himself.
Well done Nate, keep doing what you do as many many of us love it. Cheers fella!

Best Brewery Website/Social Media 2013
Strangely I'm not one to pay much attention to the bells and whistles of brewery websites. I generally call them up, get in there, get what I want and get out, however there is one website that I remember visiting that I was impressed by so my winner for this award for 2013 is:
Moncada Brewery
If you want to see it for yourself then you can do so here. I rather like it.

Best Podcast 2013
There is a podcast that I've enjoyed this year, particularly as I've seen the participants grow in their beer knowledge and appreciation, become friends and feature a great many of people I know well on their show, so my winner here is, of course:
The Beer O'Clock Show
It's well worth a listen if you haven't already done so, and you might want to consider sponsoring Steve as he 'goes dry' for January in aid of Cancer Research. All he's asking for is the cost of a pint.
There are two runners-up in this category that I urge you to seek out and listen to.
First of all from the UK: Beer Talkers and from the US: Craft Beer Radio
If you haven't listened to a beer podcast before then you won't go far wrong here, and the beauty of all of these three is that it doesn't matter which episode you listen to, pick one and enjoy.

Food And Beer Pairing of the Year 2013
And so you breathe a sigh of relief as I have come to the last category, and this one has no contenders, it's an easy choice.
In the summer we all went off to Bruges as a family, and on our first night searching for somewhere to eat we stumbled across De Bierbistro in an underground cellar, not too far from the main square. I opted for a prawn and vegetable pizza, and what a pizza it was. The dough was made with Orval, the tomato sauce was made with Chimay Red and the prawns were sautéed in La Chouffe, with a glass of La Chouffe to accompany it, well it was just about as perfect as it gets. In fact, it was so good I had it all over again on our last night.


So that's it from me for 2013, I hope you've had a wonderful year and I wish you an even more wonderful prosperous, happy, healthy and very beery 2014. Happy New Year!

It's Christmas! A Selection Of Christmas Beer For The Festive Season ...

It's Christmas!
A Selection Of Christmas Beer For The Festive Season ...

Christmas time is here again!
I love Christmas, but sometimes it throws you a festive curve ball that you have to deal with.
I've had a few this past week, culminating with the complete loss of notes on 15 festive beers. Oh well, time to crack on.
Christmas is a season that certainly divides people. There are those that plan  their seasonal activities well in advance with a military precision that enables them to tell you that they've finished all their Christmas shopping, and that it's all wrapped, at the beginning on November.
Then there are the rest of us.
It's a medically proven fact (probably) that one or two beers enhances your mental creativity, enabling you to tune in to your Yuletide psyche and get into the Christmas groove, coming up with superb and imaginative presents and ideas that will impress your family and friends.
That's the theory anyway.
To enable you to achieve this, both myself and Matt Curtis have come up with a few suggestions to help you plan your drinking. Incidentally Matt's post is his 100th (congratulations Matt) and his I Don't Like Christmas Beer should help you do just that. Probably.
So, without further ado here are my selections but with notes drawn from memory this time (them's the breaks) but I hope to give you an idea of their flavour, with my thoughts on food pairing and some general musings as well.

First up is BrewDog - Santa Paws 4.5% not to be confused with the Wolf Brewery beer of the same name. This festive Porter pours a deep rich brown with a ruby red edge and a thin beige head. The aroma is big with milk chocolate and coconut, coffee and burnt toast. Tickling the tip of the tongue it unleashes a wave of roasty toasty flavours that I would expect from a Porter but it has more carbonation and is thinner than I would typically expect from that style. It's very full-flavoured, there's even a hint of rum-soaked raisin in there too, with some burnt toast and bourbon biscuit flavours lasting long into the finish. It's very good indeed. Pair this with a good quality mince pie or a good slice of chocolate Yule log. It works extremely well with both.

Wentworth Brewery - Snowman's Revenge 4.1% is one that I picked up on my travels recently. An independent brewery based in Rotherham, they have quite a portfolio of beers of which I'm sure many are very good, it's just that I found this to be a very standard beer sporting a Christmas label. It pours a chestnut brown with some ruby edging and a thin beige head. The aroma has snatches of chocolate and a light fruitiness with some burnt sugar. Disappointingly that's almost all there is to it with the flavours mirroring the aroma without much elaboration. The finish is weak as well, but having written all that it's not a terrible beer, just that it doesn't really have anything remotely Christmassy about it. This needs some stronger flavours to compliment it, with Christmas pudding or Christmas cake being obvious contenders, you might want to opt for cheese straws and candied nuts as an option too.

Shepherd Neame - Christmas Ale 7.0% is a beer that I was fortunate enough to be sent directly, and it's a beer that I particularly enjoyed. Pouring a deep rich amber and a fluffy pillow of an off-white head it has a sweet aroma filled with boozy raisin and Demerara sugar. Smooth over the tongue like a fine Amontillado, there are some sherry notes in the flavour that merge and combine with date and raisin and a brown sugar caramel sweetness that lasts long into the finish. Another beer to combine with Christmas cake, particularly if it has that crunchy icing and marzipan with it. I know that I was sent this beer but it's one that I would happily drink again and again during the Christmas period. If you don't want to take my word for it then you can read the views of Three Wise (?) Men here.

The second BrewDog beer of this review is a reprise of last years Christmas IPA Hoppy Christmas 7.2% and it's a very fine beer indeed, currently my favourite beer of that style at the moment which was a very pleasant surprise to me. Pouring a pale amber with an orange inner fire and a head as pure and white as the driven snow, the aroma buzzes with tropical fruits and a pine background that gets the taste buds tingling. Prickling the tongue with a good carbonation it explodes with passion fruit and papaya with some good bitterness. There's some pine here too, but it's not overpowering and I got a lovely burst of tangerine juiciness that was very welcome. The finish is lasting and a little oily with lots more of that tangerine flavour drying nicely at the end. It's simply a wonderful beer, and one I anticipate I'll be drinking a lot more of this Christmastime, and indeed I've already had another bottle and drunk it on keg at BrewDog in Camden since I wrote my initial review. Pair with oily fish or strong cheese for a real festive treat.


Weird Beard - Hit The Fairy Lights 4.6% describes itself as a Festive Pale Ale using fresh orange juice and a twist of spice to bring out some seasonal charm. I'm a big fan of Weird Beard beers as you'll have gathered if you're a regular reader of my blog, and one I could have easily used for my Beers Of London Series but it sits rather well here. It pours a cloudy orange/yellow with little clumps of yeast held perfectly in suspension, it's head is a bright glowing white making it a very inviting beer indeed. The aroma has some nice fruity flavours with peach and orange being the most easily recognisable but there's an undercurrent of stale fruit peelings at the back which is actually not that unappealing, if you'll excuse the pun. It's quite sharp over the tongue, but fills the mouth with more of those lovely orange and peach flavours that I picked out in the aroma with the merest hint of spiciness that is more akin to some crushed coriander seed than the star anise it is said to contain. The finish is dry and a little powdery with the orange lingering a while and as bottle says it is best enjoyed with roast turkey and all the trimmings, and it will certainly be accompanying my Christmas dinner.coming


All of Stroud Brewery's bottled beers are certified organic and vegan friendly too, with Ding Dong 4.5% being their bottle-conditioned festive Porter. It helpfully has the 'Cyclops' system of See, Smell, Taste, Bitter and Sweet on the side of it's label which has nudged my memory and taste buds enough to recall this beer almost perfectly. Pouring a dark brown with some ruby red highlights a thin beige head it has the unmistakable aroma of flat coca cola. It's one that I remember well from visiting my grandparents at this time of year, when a screw-top bottle of coke would be produced from the cupboard and poured into some exquisite diamond cut lead crystal tumblers only it was from the same bottle that had come out our last visit some two weeks before and probably two weeks before that as well. It's surprisingly rough over the tongue but when the kola nut flavour kicks in it has all become a little thin with some cinnamon and nutmeg coming through with a little white pepper. The finish disappears with the ghost of those flavours hanging around and it's a beer that I'd happily pair with any of those rich chocolatey delights that happen to find their way into the house at this time of year.

The first of my Belgian beers is Brasserie du Bocq - Gauloise Christmas 8.1% Gauloise, of which this is the 'winter version' was the first beer brewed at the brewery back in 1858, with its name being inspired by the many Gallo-Roman sites in the Ardennes region of Belgium, which is where it is situated. It pours a wonderful ruby red colour with its billowing beige head filling the glass and requiring further pourings. The aroma is a nice combination of toffee apple, maple syrup and figs and it positively sings as you drink it, maybe being a little sweet. There's a little creaminess here and then the fruits, plums, dates, raisins and figs all kick in and combine with a burnt sugar caramel. The finish is full of these flavours too which fade rather nicely making this a very pleasing beer at this time of year and certainly one you'd want to be drinking in front of the fire after a trek through the snow.

Wold Top - Shepherd's Watch 6.0% is a beer that I can cheat a bit as with as it was actually the Beer Bods beer of the evening for 12/12/2013 and I've been able to draw on my online tasting notes to help me along. It pours the colour of a ruby red port with a gentle off-white head and a dominant espresso aroma but there's hints of dark chocolate and Christmas spice lurking behind. It has a deliciously full mouthfeel with flavours of coffee, milk chocolate, raisin coupled with some faint nutmeg and cinnamon spiciness coming through nicely. The finish falls away a little too quickly for my liking with kola nut and Kahlua floater coffee hanging around before dissipating into the ether like the Ghost Of Christmas Past. Perfectly paired with a warm mince pie as long as you add a big dollop of double cream on top.

Christmas beers are often notoriously boozy and Ridgeway Brewing - Insanely Bad Elf 11.2% is a big bad barley wine which is not trying to be subtle in any way shape or form, just look at the label. Ridgeway have a whole series of 'Elf' beers that they release each Christmas and this 2013 version is the biggest alcohol-wise. Ideally I'd age a bottle like this to round off the sharp edges which are evident in the drinking but for the purposes of this blog I'll forego that luxury, and save myself a space for something else in my beer cellar. It pours a bright shiny liquid gold with quite a large and amazingly sustained snow white head for such a big abv beer. The dominant aroma is grassy and is akin to that which you get from biting into a fresh green apple, with a little honey sweetness and a light sherry note in the background. Smooth and oily with the faintest caress of carbonation as it passes over the tongue before some boozy apple strudel, pastry and all kicks in. There's honey and raisin in there too and it's all steeped in a little far too much sherry with a lots of sweetness. I've got quite a sweet tooth and I would be enjoying this more if were all a bit more but it's rather in-your-face and is a beer that pulls no punches. The finish is where the booziness really takes hold with perhaps a slight whisky peatiness but that apple flavour still lingers. This is great on it's own and makes a superb night-cap of a beer, that's what I used it for after a long day but if you really wanted to indulge yourself than a single square of the darkest bitterest chocolate you have is sublime with it.

The Orkney Brewery - Clootie Dumpling 4.3% is a beer based, I'm assuming, on the traditional Scottish pudding of the same name, made with flour, breadcrumbs, dried fruit, suet, sugar and spice, with the 'clootie' being the strip of cloth used to bind the mixture while it's simmering. Orkney Brewery is based in a former school house in the wonderfully named Quoyloo, where the owners father actually went to school. It is owned by Sinclair Breweries Limited who also own Atlas Brewery in Kinlochleven. I've never had a clootie dumpling as far as I'm aware but from the description I'm expecting something that's a cross between a Christmas and bread pudding, but the only way to find out is to open the bottle. It pours a tawny colour with a thick beige head and the aroma of burnt sugar, raisin and a little freshly baked brown bread. Rougher over the tongue than I was expecting and drier too, there is more of the that raisin, caramel and bread in the taste with a touch of nutmeg grated over it and a subtle clove note, but it's all a bit thin and wishy-washy when really I was hoping something a bit more definite. The finish is thin as well but this is where it is at its most 'cakey' and I'm sure with a good helping of Christmas pudding this would fit the bill nicely.

Christmas puns abound in the names of Christmas beers and Bristletoe 5.5% by Bristol Beer Factory combines the way that the locals pronounce the name of their home town with the traditional decorative plant commonly used as a decoration this time of year. It pours a beautiful hazelnut brown with some ruby red highlights and big beige head, and hardly any aroma to speak of, perhaps some raisin and cherry but it's quite faint. Some nice carbonation over the tongue gives way to more cherry and raisin, far more pronounced this time and with plum and blackcurrant for good measure too a background spiciness of white pepper and cinnamon dances just out of my reach but it's presence (or should that be presents) is felt nonetheless. The finish is a bit of a disappointment after the tasty playful flavours felt when drinking with only the ghost of a sticky cherry cough sweet hanging around for a while. Due to the sweet flavours this beer would work rather well alongside your festive cheeseboard. Best drink a few bottles to get the cumulative effect.

Time for a beer from my home county of Essex and Maldon Brewery Company (Farmer's Ales) - Wassale 3.9% brewed just behind the Blue Boar Hotel in Maldon, fits the bill nicely. Wassail, or 'Waes Haele' meaning 'be you healthy' was traditionally a drink made with mulled cider drunk, supposedly, to encourage the apple trees to wake up in winter and drive out evil spirits, thus promoting a favourable harvest in the coming year. There is a variety called Lambs Wool made with beer and containing baked apple, sugar and spices and it will be interesting to see if this beer is anything like that. Pouring a deep ruby red with a deliciously creamy looking beige head the aroma has some musty beady yeastiness and a little milk chocolate and nutmeg. A smooth and gentle carbonation tickles the tongue leading to some coffee and chocolate notes wrapped up in a little fruity caramel with dates and figs rolling around the mouth too. It's all a bit thin but not unpleasant with the finish dry and drawn out with the fruitiness and chocolate lingering faintly. You could drink this with a little chocolate if you were feeling safe but I plumped for twiglets and matchmakers and it went very well indeed with both.

Compass Brewery - Tannenbaum 6.0% is a Christmas beer that excites me just by looking at the bottle. Brewed with sour malt from Germany and flavoured with spruce needles from Christmas Common (an inspired choice) in Oxfordshire, this beer pours a rich chestnut brown with some deep red highlights and big voluminous head that requires a slow pour to fill the glass. I can't say that I've had spruce in a beer before, but I do know that you can make a beer with it and it is most definitely not the same as pine. It has the most wonderful aroma of carnation milk and vanilla custard that is simply divine and I can't wait to taste it. Gently and deliciously creamy over the tongue this has the most wonderful flavour that of a slightly lactose vanilla custard swirled with a little chocolate pudding and lightly spiced with a faint dusting of nutmeg, it's simply stunning and unlike any beer I've had before. the finish is creamy with a sweetness like good white chocolate, though not the overly sweet kind and I couldn't resist plucking a few milk chocolate ornaments from the tree in the hall to eat alongside, which I have to say were an absolute treat. A properly good winter/Christmas beer and one to most definitely look out for.

My second beer by Ridgeway Brewing is Lump Of Coal 8.0% which is primarily brewed for export, mainly to the USA, but available in sufficient quantities in this country to be able to find some this time of year. I rather like how it's described on the label: 'Dark Holiday Stout', 'Much More Than You Deserve For Xmas This Year ...' and 'liquid consolation' and certainly ticks all the boxes in that area but as with any beer it has to be opened before it reveals its true worth. It pours a dark dark brown, very much the colour of the lump of coal it is named after, with the thinnest of off-white bubbles adorning its rim. The aroma has plenty of milk chocolate, though not the high quality variety, as well as some espresso coffee, a hit of liquorice and a smell reminiscent of syrup of figs lurking at the back, whistling and trying to look inconspicuous. Bitter over the tongue, and low on carbonation the espresso coffee pushes along more of the milk chocolate flavour but it's slowed down by some molasses and date flavours but it's not a thick unctuous stout, just a tad thin. The finish is sweet with milk chocolate and more coffee, a little oily too, and this is certainly a beer that releases its flavours more fully as it reaches room temperature. Best served with a big slice of fruit cake in front of a roaring fire.

Last but most certainly not least in my festive selection selection, and the second Belgian beer to feature here, is that Christmas crowd pleaser Brasserie D'Achouffe - N'Ice Chouffe 10% Pouring a deep plum red with a big beige head this has a wondrous aroma of cherries and plums coupled with some spicy bready Belgian yeastiness and a hint of clove. It has a good body and a lovely tickle of carbonation releasing more fruity raspberry, fig and cherry with a spikey stab of thyme that works supremely well with it. The caramel flavour has a little sweet fudginess and maybe some liquorice and nutmeg but this is all swept away rather quickly leading to an elegant finish with a little spicy pear and more thyme ensuring that this beer is beautiful enough to drink purely on it own. Why spoil it.

So there you have it. Fifteen festive beers to get your Yuletide juices flowing. I've plenty more Christmas beery treats to get through this year, but part of the fun is in finding a beer and trying it for yourself. I picked mine up from the Ales By Mail and Brentwood Brewing shops in Billericay where I work, as well as S H Jones in Bicester, Shenfield Wines in Shenfield and UtoBeer in London's Borough Market, with the one exception being the Shepherd Neame Christmas Ale which was sent to me as I mentioned.
My memory has served me rather well I think and I'm rather happy that I've remembered the essence of all these beers faithfully, if not their exact nuances. I hope you've enjoyed reading it.
I may well publish a follow up to this at some point as there are other goodies that I have tucked away but that very much depends on how much time I have.

All that remains for me to do is wish you a very merry Christmas drinking some fine beer, always remembering of course that quality is infinitely superior to quantity.

Beers Of London Series: 63. Brixton Brewery - Effra Ale 4.5%

Beers Of London Series
63. Brixton Brewery - Effra Ale 4.5%


This is the third of the beers I was sent by Brixton Brewery to review after Electric IPA and Reliance Pale Ale and as I've covered their story thus far in some detail in my other two posts I'll keep this brief and focus on the beer itself. I had heard of other bottles of this batch pouring flat, hence the slight delay in reviewing but I'm pleased to say that this was not the case with mine when I opened in up. I will mention however that the beer is named after the river runs under Brixton via the sewerage system when this was built in the mid-nineteenth century following the design of Sir Joseph Bazalgette, and it enters the Thames at an overflow outlet near Vauxhall Bridge.

Effra Ale is an American Amber Ale described as fresh and feisty on the label. It pours a chestnut brown with a touch of russet red and a thin beige head with the fresh mango peel aroma with a little freshly baked wholemeal bread in the mix, it's a touch earthy too and has a little twist of citrus in there as well to round it off nicely. A prickly carbonation rough up the tongue, giving way to an unexpected cherry drop flavour dissolving into a smooth apple caramel that fades into a rather tasty orangey fudge finish.
This is the sort of beer that I really want to drink at least three of in a row as I could see those gorgeous sticky fruity flavours building and becoming more accessible the more you drink, filling the mouth wonderfully. All three of the beers that I've drunk from Brixton so far have been very good indeed and I'm looking forward to see what they will produce now that their core range is established, and if you're ever Brixton way I urge you to pick up a bottle of each if you can.

My Favourite Beer Books ... #beerylongreads

My Favourite Beer Books ...

A seasonally self indulgent guide for the literary minded

I love books, I always have. Reading is something that I've always enjoyed and was a big part of my up-bringing, whether it be the Shoot! and Victor annuals (and comics - do you remember 'Tough Of The Track' and 'Morgyn The Mighty'?) via Commando books (possible unhealthy war theme appearing there!) to the Target series of Dr Who books, I read and read and read. Granted it wasn't the highest level of literature but it was the 1970s and I hadn't reached double figures age-wise.
I also collected.
I have a rather completist mentality, an almost obsessive trait which leads me to try and obtain all of the particular thing that has become the focus of my single-minded pursuit at that time.
To be honest I haven't really grown up but I have learned, sometimes the hard way, that there have to be limits.
Beer has been an passion of mine, and I'm guessing yours as well, for as long as I have been old enough to be served in pubs. Now I could reminisce for a while about Courage light and bitter, pints of Flowers and Ruddles County and trips out to the Olde Dog Inn from my then home in Barking to drink Mauldons wonderful Black Adder and Suffolk Punch beers, but I won't because this isn't what this post is about. As an aside though, I have realised a dream and now live within walking distance of the Olde Dog and even though the Mauldons range is no longer a constant fixture, Crouch Vale Brewers Gold is. No. This longer than usual post is for me to share my passion for books about beer.
I have been asked by a few folk to provide recommendations for beery reads so, as part of Boak And Baileys Long Reads I thought I'd share these on my blog so that you, should you be so inclined, might think about getting for yourself or for a friend or partner who might want a book (or books) for the festive season. Look, I 've even put the title up in Christmassy colours!
I've tried to (loosely) clump titles together in sections that will I hope become apparent as you read through, and this is by no means a definitive list but rather a list of books that I have particularly enjoyed. I am aware that some of what I have written may not properly be classed strictly as reviews but more accurately you could call them rememberings as did not have the time to re-read every page of every book, but I have tried to give you a little of their flavour and perhaps you will pick up on some of the emotions I have when reading a book I enjoy. I make no apologies if you don't agree with my recommendations but I would urge you to pick one or two at least to read if they take your fancy.

First up, and a book incidentally that I have re-read recently is The Death Of The English Pub by Christopher Hutt for a number of reasons. First published on the 5th November 1973 this book is almost exactly forty years old, but to read it you wouldn't think so. Sadly much of the issues mentioned within its pages are just as relevant to lovers of beer and pubs in 2013 as they were then. If you substitute the then 'Big Six' (Allied, Bass Charrington, Courage, Scottish and Newcastle, Watneys, and Whitbread) with the Pub Companies of the present day, which some of them became, then you'll see we haven't really come very far in some respects. This is a book of its time for sure, some of the images are a real delight, a real window onto the pub culture that I have brief remembrance of from my youngest years, but it's also a seminal work, one which galvanised activists and provided a point of reference for the fledgling Campaign For Real Ale. In fact Christopher Hutt, then a young journalist, went on to become Chairman of CAMRA when he succeeded founder Michael Hardman, and this book very much reflects the mood which caused the campaign to be founded in the first place. I highly recommend this book, it is clear and very easy to read, you won't regret it.

Inns, Ales And Drinking Customs Of Old England by Frederick W. Hackwood  is not actually the most spectacular, insightful, or in-depth book on the subject however it is rather well written and rather easy to read. It's not a thin volume either comprising of some 392 pages and 34 very manageable chapters, it is nonetheless very comprehensive covering the birth of the earliest inns and taverns through to the birth coffee houses and tea rooms (remember beer isn't the only drink) with some lovely quotes and literary references. It is the illustrations that make this book an absolute joy however. I could quote some specific passages, practically every page has something that I could reasonably use, and even though it's been a while since I've read it I still smile as I hold it in my hand and can't resist a little look through, just for old times sake. It's simply a romp through roughly 800 years of English drinking and if that's your thing, and you quite like the idea of working your way through this rather hefty tome then you can pick it up relatively cheaply online, making it a rather safe bet in my view.

The Bedside Book Of Beer by Barrie Pepper is exactly as it sounds, a book to relax with before you turn out the light (accompanying drink optional). It is basically a compendium of beer related stories, rhymes, literary quotes, songs and cartoons both factual and fictional presented in easily digestible segments which are perfect for dipping in and out of as the mood takes you. Published in 1990 by Alma Books, CAMRA's first publishing company and not to be confused with this years 'Independent Publisher Of The Year', this was one of the first books on beer that I remember buying on release and as such holds a special place in my heart, but beyond the nostalgia it contains both wit and gravitas in equal measure. Barrie Pepper, Chairman of The British Guild Of Beer Writers from 1991 to 1998, pulls together passages from William Makepeace Thackeray, Charles Dickens and Dylan Thomas as well as including some writings by more established by such beer luminaries as Michael Jackson and Roger Protz, and while the limericks section is a little puerile that really is the only criticism of this book that I have. I can't really say fairer than that.

The contribution of the United States to modern brewing is undeniable and I have put the next three books together as even though they end up at roughly the same point in US brewing, that being the 'Craft Beer Revolution' and particularly how it came to be, they arrive there via very different but nonetheless very interesting routes.
Ambitious Brew: The Story Of American Beer by Maureen Ogle is essentially a history book, but rather than taking its starting point at the earliest attempts at brewing by the first colonists, it instead begins with the later arrival of the first Europeans and particularly those from Germany and how the introduction of lager changed the drinking habits of a nation and, it could reasonable be argued, the world. It truly is, as the back of the book proudly says 'a tale of gamblers and entrepreneurial visionaries, of ambition and passion', written in a captivating style that manages to maintain your interest throughout. Unsurprisingly much of the story is centred around Anheuser Busch however there are enough surprises and twists and turns along the way to keep even the most ardent anti-Budweiser drinker engaged to the very end.
The Birth Of The Craft Beer Revolution by Ben Novak  is a book that is almost perfect in it's naivety in places but this is by no means a criticism as the passion and enthusiasm that the author exhibits for the then emerging 'craft beer' scene and the momentum is was gathering is so apparent it is infectious. It is a collection of articles that Ben Novak wrote for his column on beer for the Centre Daily Times newspaper in central Pennsylvania between September 1984 and May 1987, the first regular column on beer anywhere in the United States and it just so happened to coincide with the what could be said to be the birth of modern beer. It would be easy to pour scorn on some of the articles with the benefit of hindsight and it would have been easy to have omitted some of them for that reason, however that would have missed the point, and the rumblings that were going on prior to the explosion of American brewing can be experienced throughout. Read this with an open an accepting mind and you will get a glimpse of the anticipation and excitement of those early days.
The Audacity Of Hops: The History Of America's Craft Beer Revolution by Tom Acitelli  deals with brewing in the USA with a starting point considerably later, beginning as it does with Fritz Maytag's acquisition of the failing Anchor Brewery is San Francisco in 1965. Exactly as the title suggests, it charts the rise of 'Craft Beer' using a pastiche of short articles gathered together in roughly chronological order using quotes and stories from and about the people who were involved at the time whether directly or indirectly. What started as the realisation of a dream, a struggle and determination to do something different, to produce something better than that was available by different groups of people or individuals in different places at different times can be seen in this book to grow and blossom into a real movement which we can now reap the benefits of. It does get a little bogged down with covering similar stories and  little too much detail just past the middle of the book but if you stick with it you will be rewarded with a much clearer understanding of the current surge in American beer and how that is being reflected in the UK right now.

Staying with American beer, Brewed Awakening by Joshua M. Bernstein states on it's cover that it goes 'behind the beers and brewers leading the world's craft brewing revolution' but it is so much more than that. It's a bit of a 'journey' book insofar as it follows a young mans exploration and total immersion into the world of great beer. It is the style of this book, not just in the way it is presented but also the way that it took me along with the author and made me genuinely excited about the beers it introduces, that make it for me the pick of this list of favourites. It is so achingly good that it almost hurts and the beers that it features, surprisingly many of which are now available in the UK, are the very best of their kind. You could argue that it's a bit too trendy-looking for its own good, and it certainly is very modern in its approach but if you think that there's not much more to American beer than Budweiser and Coors you are most certainly in for a very pleasant surprise, and if you are already passionate about beers from across the pond then this could well be your perfect read.

Another book that one that is very much up their with my 'highly recommended' in this list is Shakespeare's Local by Pete Brown. I'm sure many of you will have read this book already, and if you haven't will probably have at least one of Pete Brown's books on your shelf at home, but for me this is his best by some way. Centred around the George Inn close to Borough Market on the south side of London Bridge, Shakespeare's Local is feast of beer and pub related history that happened around the area throughout the six centuries of this pubs documented existence. Southwark is an area of London that I particularly love and somewhere that my family enjoy going to as well as a place where I can bump into many of the friends that I have made in the eighteen months or so since I started writing about beer, so it resonates very strongly with me. The fact that you can visit what is left of this pub today, walk the streets and visit or imagine many of the places mentioned within its pages make it a must-read for anyone with an interest in history or London itself. I have to confess that I couldn't put this book down when I read it, it totally absorbed me, and I can give it know higher praise than that.

Looking For The Moon Under Water: The Search For The Perfect Pub by Paul Moody and Robin Turner takes its title from George Orwell's 1946 essay in the Evening Standard concerning his (fictional) perfect pub and is the story of two men trying to discover if such a place exists or even if it ever really existed in the first place. This book could so easily have deteriorated into a 'road-trip of disappointment' and there are some places that they visit that will make your heart sink, however it is written in such a way that the authors take you along with them and there is much with and clarity within the pages to make you smile and think. It takes you on a journey, albeit a brief one, around Britain and the culture of pubs and drinking drawing in some diverse elements along the way as well as meeting brewers, politicians publicans, singers and writers who help the narrative along. It is a rather pleasing read all told, and almost the complete opposite to the other book that I've chosen in my 'journey' category Beer, There And Everywhere by Peter Hill.  This book starts with a challenge, to drink in every one of Banks's pub and evolves through, it has to be said, a series of drunken escapades into a continuing twenty-six year pub crawl quest to drink in every single pub in Britain. It really is a most enjoyable romp, even if it is a little crass in places, and it is the sincerity and sheer sense of fun, adventure and warmth that shines throughout this book which means that you can't help but smile as you read it.
I've started a new paragraph here as even though Around Bruges In 80 Beers by Chris Pollard and Siobhan McGinn  isn't technically a 'journey' book it is the book that I used extensively when I visited Bruges in the summer (I did warn you that this was a self-indulgent list) and therefore becomes a 'journey' book for me by default. Bruges is of course a destination that is high on any beer lovers list of places to visit and the Third Edition published this year was a terrific help in enabling me to locate some of the newer places that have opened since my previous visit. The format is clear and concise but still managing to maintain a sense of fun in every entry, each featuring a different beer and I will be eternally grateful to it for directing me to Bierboom on Langestraat with its decidedly different selection of Belgian beers from small producers. There are currently '80 Beers' guides to Brussels (which I also found useful this year), Amsterdam, London, and Berlin so if you're thinking of visiting any of those cities then you could do a lot worse than taking one along with you.

I have to give a mention to Great Yorkshire Beer by Leigh Linley as it's a pure celebration of some of the best beer that my favourite (extended) county, obviously excluding Essex, produces. It's very easy on the eye and succinct in its writing as it takes you from the Dales to Sheffield via Leeds and ending up in the North Yorkshire Wolds at the appropriately named Wold Top Brewery featuring producers of some of the finest producers of beer in 'God's Own County' along the way. Featured throughout and having their own section at the end of the book are some of Leigh's tried and tested recipes that either contain beer or compliment/contrast the beer pairings from the breweries it is about. In fact there is so much to love about this book that it is hard to believe that it is all contained within such a relatively small volume. It really is a sheer delight.

Beer is Best: A History Of Beer by John Watney and Trumans The Brewers 1666-1966 are two very different books but are united in that they both hark back to a bygone era when brewing in the UK was ambitious and grand, providing sustenance to the thinkers, planners and toilers of the Industrial Revolution. Beers Is Best paints its picture with a broad brush, encompassing as its title suggests a wide history of beer, splitting it into three sections - Down The Ancestral Throat, Social Graces, and The Money Game - all of which are surprisingly thoughtful and quite insightful in places. It's an unexpected pleasure. Trumans The Brewers is rather narrower in its celebration of beer and is a little pompous in places but that only adds to its charm. The pictures and illustrations in this slim volume are a real treasure trove of images from a past era, and one of the main reasons I've included it here is that its recent rebirth has carried its history on into the Twenty-First Century so that perhaps there will be an edition produced to celebrate its 400th anniversary. Let's hope so.

Even though I have many of them, and you could even describe Brew Awakening as one of them, I'm not the greatest fan of the 'six-million-beers-to-drink-down-the-years' 'how-jealous-are-you-of-the-great-places-I've-been-and-awesome-beers-I've-drunk' list books but there are a few out there that at enjoy. Melissa Cole's - Let Me Tell You About Beer was the first one that I actually read all the way through from cover to cover, and very good it is too, but I decided that I could only choose two of them to be in this list and to be honest it wasn't that difficult when I'd set that criteria, and I deemed they had to be different enough to be worth acquiring both. First, and my favourite of this type is Boutique Beer: 500 Of The World's Finest Craft Brews by Ben McFarland. Ben was the youngest recipient of the acclaimed 'British Guild Of Beer Writers Beer Writer Of The Year' award in 2004 (as well as two other times since) and his writing can often be found in the national press as well as a range of beer and food magazines. You may think that a long and distinguished career in beer writing might cause a modicum of superiority to creep into his work but you couldn't be further from the truth. I found this book extremely accessible with the descriptions of the beers interspersed with interesting articles, brewers 'Top 5' beer lists and snippets of information about all things beery that make this a book that you'll want to dip into again and again. The pictures are particularly gorgeous and the nine sections (Quench, Lager, Hop, Grain, Classic, Curiosities, Sipper, Wild & Wood, and Cellar) are enough to spark any beer lovers inquisitive nature to make you want to delve deeper into them. There's something here for everyone, interesting brews to seek out and savour as well as some old favourites for you to re-examine and perhaps drink in a new light, this book is a true gem. Much more straight forward in its approach is All Belgian Beers compiled by Hilde Deweer. With this book you get exactly what it says on the cover, all Belgian beers (as of 2011 in the latest edition), and contains over 1100 of them arranged alphabetically by brewery in a very sensible fashion. This no-nonsense approach continues inside with no flowery brewery(or even blogger)speak descriptions of the beer just brief sentences under seven sections (Fermentation, Beer Style, Ingredients, Colour and Transparency, Character Taste and Flavour, How To Serve, and Tips and Facts) alongside a picture of the beer in its appropriate glassware and the bottle it comes in. It reminds me very much of those Taschen coffee-table books, 100 Chairs and the like, that I'm rather partial to and if you're familiar with those then you'll feel right at home with this. This book will offer something to even the most ardent Belgian Beerophile and I hope an even more up to date version is in the works as the Belgian beer scene is constantly expanding and evolving and really rather exciting. Op uw gezonheid.

I really need to pause and say a few words about The Oxford Companion To Beer edited by Garrett Oliver. This is a book that was simply crying out to be written (or rather compiled), a one-stop reference work on all things beer related and on the whole it succeeds wonderfully in this ambition. Much has been written about its faults and errors, but on balance these are minor and if you set them aside then this as near essential as beer books get. Sure, it's big and it's pricey but I have found it invaluable as a reference point when used alongside online and other literary research. I don't really need to say any more than that.

As I have previously mentioned I've rather indulged myself in this post, and possibly in no more section than this one. Cheese & Beer by Janet Fletcher and Beer & Cheese: 5oo Delicious Combinations by Vinken & Van Tricht may seem on the surface to be almost exactly the same book, and to a point you'd be right. However, when you discover that Janet Fletcher is a California resident who teaches cheese-appreciation classes across the US, and that Ben Vinken is a Belgian Beer Sommelier and Michel Van Tricht is a cheese master who owns what the Wall Street journal has described as 'the best cheese shop in Europe', then you may start to get an inkling of the differences in the two books and their approach. As a huge fan of both US and Belgian beers you may well work out why I'm having trouble choosing between them as well. There are some cross-overs here although they do err toward the Belgian side, but the mouth-watering descriptions and stunning photography make both of these books a wonderful addition to the collections of any beer or cheese lover, and particularly in the winter months when such an indulgence is almost mandatory.

We're on the home straight now so I'll highlight two books that have both bought me immense pleasure this year. Often when I look for books online I know roughly what to expect when I make my purchases, occasionally however a book arrives that greatly exceeds my expectations. These two books most definitely fall into that category. First of all I have chosen Unusual Railway Pubs Refreshment Rooms And Ale Trains by Bob Barton. This book takes you on a wonderful journey through the emergence of the railway and its close and on-going association with beer, breweries and pubs. I'm guessing that this book is aimed more toward the rail enthusiast with an interest in beer, and whereas I confess to having little interest in any kind of transport I was totally captivated by this book from start to finish. It is part history book, part travel guide, part directory and part beer related railway events calendar with plenty to sustain the reader in an area that I can't remember being covered before, and to be honest I can't really see it being bettered.
Geuze & Kriek: The Secret Of Lambic by Jeff Van den Steen is by far the most visually stunning of the all the books I've featured here. It is so full of detail and an absolute feast for the eye that I feel a tremendous sense of both calm and excitement every time I open it. As books go this is the most completely immersive of any book about a beer style that I have ever read. Starting with the history of Lambic beers such as it is know, and dealing in depth with the producers and blenders in separate sections this superb book is, like Mary Poppins, practically perfect in every way.

Finally, because the holiday season is upon us it wouldn't be write to not feature a beery Christmas book and Wishing You A Merry Christmas Beer: The Cheeriest, Tastiest, And Most Unusual Holiday Brews by Don Russell more than admirably fits the bill. I mentioned my love for books and collecting right at the start of this piece, although I did neglect to state that in addition to my collection of a considerable amount of beer books I also have close to a hundred books related to Christmas too. This book is no mere stocking filler either but a rather satisfactory list of around a hundred Christmas brews that the author has collected and sampled. It's not all US beers either, there are a fair few from Europe and the UK too, as well as some interesting sections on beer-related Christmas customs, some recipes and even a piece about acquiring, collecting and storing them. It's a lovely book to have and I find that there hasn't been a Christmas since I first purchased it in 2009 that I haven't re-read it. In actual fact it's the book that I shall be reading this evening before I go to sleep.

So there you have it, a reasonable smattering of some of my favourite beer books. You may notice for instance that I haven't included any by such wonderful authors as Martyn Cornell, Michael Jackson or Roger Protz, all of whom I greatly admire and whose books I would not hesitate in a heartbeat, however a list such as this has to have limits, so I limited myself to my twenty-one desert island reads and a seasonal indulgence just for good measure.
You may well have your own views, comments or recommendations, all of which I'd be delighted to read and answer if you'd like to post here or contact me via twitter where I'm more commonly known as @1970sBoy.
Alternatively if anyone would like me to recommend a book or perhaps a reading list on any aspect of beer then I'd more than happy to oblige.

All that remains for me to do is wish you some very merry Christmas reading!