Northern Powerhouse Brew Series 2018

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The Northern Powerhouse Brew Series 2018 saw eight independent breweries from the North of England collaborate to produce eight limited edition beers. Lead by Wylam Brewery, this was in aid of celebrating the Great Exhibition of the North which is an event championing art, design and innovation from the north of the country. The beers were limited to 6,600 cases so I felt quite honoured to be able to get hold of a box. The cans have been designed to represent each brewery using symbols and famous landmarks from the cities/towns they are based in. I couldn’t wait to crack open the beers so here are my thoughts on the box.
001 Imperial Stout – Wylam X Buxton
This is a big beer and not just because it has a ABV of 10.5%. This smells and tastes like a black forest gateaux with dark fruits and chocolate flavours. The mouthfeel is thinner than I was expecting particularly as this feels like an after dinner beer. It does, however, have some creaminess but not quite like the range of ice cream style beers that Buxton have been releasing recently. I have enjoyed drinking this beer but I am glad I have not stuck strictly to the numerical order of the cans with this one!
002 Strong Brown Ale – Wylam X Cloudwater 
 
I don’t normally go for this style of beer so this a new one on me. The appearance of this ale is quite dark for this style but I was pleasantly surprised by how sweet it tasted. I could taste quite a lot of malty sweetness with lots of caramel and chocolate flavours. There is also some coffee notes coming through which offsets the sweetness and reminds me of a Tiramisu. I was really impressed with how smooth and well balanced these flavours were. I think this is a good example of a traditional style of beer and is one I would definitely have again.
003 Mixed Fermentation Farmhouse – Wylam X Black Lodge Brewing 
 
For me this is an attractive beer. Beautifully hazy and looks like a mango fruit juice. The taste is very drinkable with flavours of mango, apricot and peach but it is too easy to forget the 7.5% ABV. However I could happily drink another can as this was gone in just a few mouthfuls! I also really enjoyed the earthy straw-like notes typical of this style as it still reminded me I was drinking a beer. Definitely one of my favourites from the range – just wish I could have another!
004 Pale Wheat Ale – Wylam X Thornbridge 
 
This is a delicate wheat ale flavoured with floral jasmine notes which are boosted by the clove-like characteristics typical of this style of beer. I got a little bit of the orange peel but this wasn’t the most dominant flavour. It’s more like the gentle ‘twisting’ of the orange peel to release the perfume much like you see in cocktail making. If your a fan of rose or elderflower drinks then I think you would enjoy this beer. 
005 Forest Fruit Kettle Sour – Wylam X Magic Rock 
 
You can tell by the colour in the pour that this will be a lip puckering sour beer and it does not disappoint. This beer is packed with berry flavours, mostly blackberry and raspberry for me. I love a sour beer so I am trying not to be biased but this has got to be one of my favourites from the box!
006 DDH Pale Ale – Wylam X Hawkshead Brewery
This DDH pale ale does exactly what it says on the can! This beer looks just like a fruit juice and my first taste is bursting with tropical mango flavour. Then you get the punchy hoppiness you’d expect from a double dry hopped beer that finishes with more sweet mango. The flavour and appearance of this beer seem more like the characteristics you’d associate with an IPA than a Pale Ale. I really enjoyed this beer but it is far too easy to drink!

007 India Pale Ale – Wylam X Northern Monk 
Although there is some grapefruit flavour there wasn’t much bitterness to this IPA as I was expecting. In my opinion this tasted a bit soapy and reminded me of some of the earlier IPAs I tried when I first started drinking beer. This beer unfortunately wasn’t one of my favourites. 
 
008 DIPA – Wylam X Box Social 
This beer has quite a harsh flavour that reminds me of neat spirits and left a burning aftertaste. The appearance made me think this beer would be juicy but I was surprised how much bitterness there was. This beer wasn’t for me but I expect it suits some other peoples palates.
Overall I think this box definitely champions beer from the North and exhibits a great mixture of modern and traditional styles. It is really hard to pick a favourite as all eight beers are so different and there has been some styles that I wouldn’t normally choose for myself. I do think though that this series is a perfect example of how diverse beers can be within the UK and that it is a great way to celebrate The North. I can’t wait to see if there will be a Northern Powerhouse Brew Series 2019 next year!
 

Under the Spotlight: Kettlesmith Brewing Company

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Nestled within the picturesque town of Bradford on Avon in Wiltshire sits the microbrewery Kettlesmith. After spending twelve years in San Francisco discovering American style beers, owners Antony and Caroline moved back to the UK to be nearer to family and to set up their own brewery. It was then that Kettlesmith was born with a mission to produce modern variations on classic styles and encourage more people to pair food with beer. This bank holiday weekend saw Kettlesmith turn two years old and the brewery opened its doors to celebrate!

Kettlesmith’s 6 core beers are influenced by Head Brewer Antony’s time in America and background in England. Some of the range has also been inspired by Belgian styles where he can experiment with different yeast strains. He says, “I love the variety and complexity that Belgian brewing styles offer. It’s interesting to move between English/American styles where hops are often at the forefront of the flavour profile to Belgian where the yeast gets a chance to shine.” Antony first started brewing, like most budding brewers, with his own home brew kit. He experimented with as many ingredients and styles as he could which he still has records of today. Faultline and Fogline were amongst the first to be developed over 10 years ago, named after the San Andreas Fault and the foggy conditions of San Francisco. This has inspired the branding to add the suffix ‘line’ to the end of each name – Coastline, Plotline and Skyline to name a few. Despite the brewing kit being upgraded to expand Kettlesmith, the home brew equipment is still in use to trial new ideas. Over the last few years Antony has been exploring the use of White Labs yeast so hopefully there will be something in the pipeline! 

The brewery has also taken the modern view to not clarify their beers with finings. The team are mostly vegetarian or vegan and so it was important to make the transition away from the use of Isinglass. A bold move as many consumers in the area are used to traditionally fined beers. The team at Kettlesmith have taken the time to talk to their customers about hazy beers and for the last 6 months all bottled, cask and keg beers are 100% vegan friendly.

Kettlesmith has already won many awards for its beer, most recently winning Best Food & Drink Producer at Bradford on Avon’s Business Awards for the second year in a row! A great accolade for a brewery that is passionate about good food and beer pairings. Antony is a Certified Cicerone and feels that beer has great potential to be matched with food in restaurants as well as at home. All the bottled beers come with food pairing suggestions on the labels and the brewery is always looking for local food producers they can partner with for tasting events.

When I arrived at Kettlesmith’s 2nd Birthday open day there was already a buzz of people queuing for beers. I noticed how not only were people stopping to have a drink but they were also coming away with cases full of bottles to sample at home. The bar was serving most of the core range as well as a new ‘White Label’ one off brew. Whilst all the range is great tasting and easy drinking, my highlight from the open day has to be Timeline. It had a real herby/floral flavour from the blend of American and English hops making it a standout from all the beers I tried. 
So what’s next for Kettlesmith? Well Caroline is waiting for a beer to be named after her though she hasn’t yet decided which style will suit her personality best! Antony explains that he wants to continue experimenting with new styles and has come up with Kettlesmith’s White Label range of one-off batched beers. He says, “We intend to release a wide variety of beers under this label over the next year including a Kolsch, a Tripel, German wheat beer and some sour beers.” Development of the taproom and brewery shop is also on the cards which will offer a more welcoming environment for customers. I think the team at Kettlesmith already do a good job of making customers feel at ease as they are really engaging and excited about their beers. The brewery is very community focused and holds many open days to interact with customers. It was great to see so many people chatting with the team, with many locals being recognised and offered their regular beers. This wasn’t my first visit to the brewery and it won’t be the last. I look forward to the next open day! 

The Frome Craft Beer Festival

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Nestled within the Mendip area of Somerset is the market town of Frome. Highlighted as one of the ‘Best Places to Live in Britain’ and recently voted the UK’s most stylish town there certainly is a growing buzz around coming here. It is easy to see why, Frome has vibrant markets as well as 50 independent shops and boutiques tucked within the quaint cobbled streets. As it is not too far from me I often visit the Frome Independent Market, held on the first Sunday of every month, to browse through the best of the local produce. There also seems to be a growing beer scene within the town lead by Palmer Street Bottle and Brewed Boy both offering well stocked bottle shops as well as a good range of beers on tap. I have often visited Brewed Boy whilst looking around the market but I didn’t know much about Palmer Street Bottle until more recently. This weekend saw these two go head to head in the battle of Palmer Street Bottle vs Brewed Boy at the Frome Craft Beer Festival.
Held at the Silk Mill Studios, the Frome Craft Beer Festival showcased some great keg beers perfect for a sunny day. Many of the beers were quite sessionable, which was pleasantly surprising, but there were a few exceptions with some bigger beers. As there were only 10 beers on at one time, they were rotated during the sessions, and once it was gone it was gone! Palmer Street Bottle and Brewed Boy each had their own bars ready for battle and were supported by two street food stalls selling Cheese boards and Persian wraps.
The Friday and Saturday evenings were both sold out but I went along to the Saturday afternoon session as the weather looked promising. It was a little quieter than I was expecting, especially as I had seen on Twitter that it was packed out the night before, but there were still a good number of people there and it did have a more relaxed feel. I had a couple of highlights from the session, the first one being Deya’s Just a Glimmer. Very true to Deya’s style this was a beautifully hazy American pale ale full of citrussy juiciness! Far too drinkable and one that I could have drank all day whilst sat out in the sunshine. My second highlight, and one that surprised me, was Woodland Creatures from Left Handed Giant. This was a big pistachio and honeycomb milk stout which I would normally associate with drinking in the autumn/winter or at the end of an evening. I was surprised with how sweet and milky this beer was that it actually could have been an ice cream! 
I don’t know if a winner has been decided from the Brewed Boy vs Palmer Street Bottle battle but in my view I think that they both champion great beers within the town. I shall make a point to drop in on both next time I am at the market and look forward to the next Frome Craft Beer Festival next year!
 

Ginspired to make Spirits

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I have noticed more that there is a growing trend of breweries producing spirits to compliment their beer range. Many of them are using their existing ingredients and barrels to age the spirit. It seems that brewing and distilling are not too different and it is not just breweries getting in on the action. Jamesons have also famously aged their whiskeys in Irish Stout barrels and more recently in IPA casks supplied by their local craft brewery. Adnams claim to be the first brewery in the UK to produce spirits including vodka, gin and whiskey whilst Sharps decided to team up with Tarquins to create their collaborative spirit – The Hopster Gin. Northern Monk have produced two gins for their portfolio, one white and one black, and Tiny Rebel earlier this year showed us a sneaky glimpse at something that looked like it could also be a gin! Brewdog were the first brewery that I was aware of who were using a mixture of brewing and distilling processes (controversially) for their beers. Sink the Bismarck and Tactical Nuclear Penguin being the results with some eye watering high ABVs which can only be drank in spirit measures.
Wild Beer have also joined in on the growing trend of new gins and have produced a few of their own. I first became aware of this when I tried a Shnoodlepip Gin (inspired by their seasonal beer Shnoodlepip) with Ginger Ale at Indy Man Beer Con last year. Sleeping Lemons has also been given the gin treatment and Spirit of Pogo joins the list after using a distilling process on Pogo. Pogo has been one of my favourite beers since first trying it so I was intrigued when Wild Beer released the Spirit of Pogo. I’m not the biggest spirit drinker but I do enjoy an occasional rum and I was interested to see how these two drinks compared with each other. 
 
 
On their own Pogo and Spirit of Pogo are different despite being born from the same ingredients. Pogo is fruity and sweet like a Solero ice cream. I could taste more of the passionfruit and orange flavours which remind me more of a soft drink than a beer. Pogo is so fruity and is a great session beer that its no wonder I’ve filled my fridge with it! Spirit of Pogo is more of a grown up drink. It has the bitters that you would expect from a ‘gin like’ spirit and I could taste more of the guava and pithy orange flavours. I drank my Spirit of Pogo with a FeverTree light tonic but you can also have it on the rocks or as Wild Beer recommend – in an Old Fashioned cocktail. Both Pogo and Spirit of Pogo are great for a sunny day and when drank together, compliment each other perfectly!

East Bristol Brewery Trail

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It was May Bank Holiday and the sun was shining down as five of Bristol’s breweries opened their doors as part of the East Bristol Brewery Trail. Starting in May 2016 the East Bristol Brewery Trail is now in it’s 3rd year. This event is run twice a year, on May Day Bank Holiday and August Summer Bank Holiday, and I have always missed out due to other commitments. This was my first time with my boyfriend and it did not disappoint. The weather was also kind with it being a record breaking hot weekend – not like it usually is on a bank holiday! The breweries taking part were Arbor Ales, Dawkins Ales, Left Handed Giant, Good Chemistry and Moor Beer who all lifted the veil to let us us have a look around as well as sample their great beers. 

Travelling by train I planned my route so I could have a merry stumble back to Temple Meads. Thanks to a GWR Bank Holiday delayed train and that we were also thirsty we took a short UBER trip to our first destination: Arbor Ales. When we arrived there was already a queue for the bar and the atmosphere was building outside. Being that it was the first beer of the day I opted for a sessionable pint of Shangri-La. This was so light and refreshing that I could easily have drank this all day but there was more beers to try. My second beer at Arbor was Space Hardware which at 6.6% was a little bit less sessionable but it was so juicy with tropical fruit flavours. 


We then moved onto Dawkins Ales who were only a stones throw away from Arbor. Dawkins had separate keg and cask bars so we headed straight to cask to see what offerings they had. Due to how busy they were on Saturday there was a slightly limited choice of beers with more running out whilst we were there. Outside the brewery there was a pingpong table with lots of seating so there was great buzz from everyone there. We found ourselves some bar stools inside and watched as a dog played ball with other people on the trail. I noticed how many familiar faces kept popping up as we all followed the East Bristol Brewery Trail. We tried out the keg bar before moving onto the next stop on our trail. 

The walk between Dawkins and Left Handed Giant was the longest break between beers but the cycle path we took was very pleasant although this helped us build up a thirst in the sunny May Sunday. The atmosphere at LHG was busy as expected and we couldn’t find a seat outside but we found ourselves sat on a bench in the brewery. Last time I was here they were installing their new brew kit so there was a limited beer menu but today there was so much choice I was unsure what to go for. The beers we had were right up to Left Handed Giant usual standards, with my half of Sonny Boy being a particular highlight. LHG have such big space inside and out that is perfect for this type of event. Here there was music playing as well as more table tennis tables so this felt like a real party!

The next stop on the trail was Good Chemistry and although we were queuing again for the bar but the staff were really nice and on hand to help make suggestions. The inside was moved outside as there were sofas and carpets in the street for people to sit on. We found ourselves perched on the street kerb outside whilst we enjoyed some of the last of the sunshine with our beers. This was my first time at Good Chemistry and I would definitely come back again as it felt so welcoming and relaxed. 

Lastly we ended our trail at Moor Beer and it felt like we were finishing in our local as we often frequent here. Everyone was in the beer garden soaking up the last few hours of sun and we were no different. I couldn’t think of a better way to end my day than with a PMA which is one of my favourite Moor beers. 


Along this trail it was really good to see such a great turn out of people come and support this type of event. There was a diverse mix of people as well as families with children who were all catered for at each venue. The breweries had really great street food pop ups with a range of different food options, BBQ, pizza, curry and Japanese so you were spoilt for choice. I am so grateful to everyone who gave up a sunny bank holiday weekend to serve everyone as without them it would have been impossible to run the event. I can’t wait until the next one as long as I manage to keep the weekend free this time! 

Raising a glass to femALES

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Recently we are hearing more and more stories of gender inequality, whether it be in the workplace or even down to our food and drink choices. We’ve heard of women in the beer industry facing discrimination from male colleagues and customers on a daily basis. Stories of food and drink manufacturers targeting the female market have been met with criticism and anger.  I am also no stranger to some discrimination when I have ordered beer. I recall a time where I was refused a beer as it had a high ABV and was given something in a lower percentage. 

As I read about Brew Dog’s idea to speak out about real ethical issues surrounding women’s inequality in the beer industry I was initially excited but this was quickly deflated. To combat sexist marketing and gender pay gap they have rebranded Punk IPA but in doing so have become a symbol of what they were trying to fight against. ‘Pink IPA’, although had good intentions, has been let down by its marketing. 

With International Women’s Day just around the corner this is a slight blow to women’s equality status in the beer industry. All is not lost though as there are breweries out there who are embracing the importance of equality with beer. One example is Wiper And True, one of my local breweries, who have released their ‘XX’ Gooseberry Wheat beer this week to celebrate women’s involvement in brewing, past and present. They used a brewing team solely made up of women, and ingredients that give a nod to what historic ‘alewives’ would have had available to them at that time. The branding for this beer is very true to Wiper And True’s style so there is no sexist marketing. This in my view is a good example of it done right, rather than singling women out we are celebrating how far we have come and I can’t wait to show my support by trying this beer!

So yes I am female, but I don’t identify as a feminist. I eat Doritos and Yorkie chocolate bars. I enjoy beer and I will continue to drink it. 

Raise a Pint for Burns’ Night

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Should old acquaintance be forgot, and never brought to mind? 

The first line to Robert Burns’ famous poem Auld Lang Syne which asks is it ok to forget the old times? Traditionally this is sang on Burns’ Night, where a dinner is held to celebrate Scotland’s most famous poet. Scotland is steeped in history and it is often remembered with their traditional food and drink. One such piece of history lies in their beer culture and whilst I was in Edinburgh I discovered the 80/-, or 80 shilling beer.

The 80/- beer’s origins go back to 1880 when malt and sugar taxes were replaced with Beer Duty. It was then the Shilling System was put in place. Ales were named on the prices per barrel, with more value on the stronger beers with higher alcohol content. The weaker beers were dubbed ‘light’ ales and the stronger ones ‘wee heavies’. 


The 80/- ale I tried was by Stewart Brewing who are an independent brewery based in Edinburgh. Whilst they are innovative with craft ales they are also brewing Edinburgh’s traditional beers. I was unsure what to expect from this style of beer as I have never come across it before but where better to try this then in Scotland itself. The liquid poured out a rich chestnut colour with close textured lacing on the head. When I took my first sip I noticed how the foam had a ‘cling’ much like a Guinness. Despite this the creamy mouthfeel was surprisingly quite light. I found there wasn’t much of an aroma but the taste of toasted malt caramel was powerful – well they don’t call it a ‘Wee Heavy’ for nothing

I think it is great that more modern breweries are still brewing traditional and historical styles. It shows great regional pride, much like Scotland’s Haggis and Scotch Whiskey. Whilst we move forward in the beer industry with new styles and processes, we should be reminded not to forget the history of different regional beers. As Robert Burns wrote:

And surely you’ll buy your pint cup! And surely I’ll buy mine! And we’ll take a cup o’  kindness yet, for Auld Lang Syne.


Slainte! 

New Beer Resolutions

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Hoppy New Year! It’s the beginning of 2018 and I’ve decided to make some resolutions to help me along my beer journey. I’ve been inspired by the hashtag #Tryanuary so there is a theme of trying new things to my resolutions.
First of all I would like to spend more time considering the beer menu in bars and pubs. I previously have blogged about how anxious I feel sometimes when choosing a beer from a menu, particularly if I don’t know the beers or it is a new bar. I want to try to feel less pressured to make a choice and maybe have the confidence to speak to bar staff about their recommendations.
Secondly I want to try more cask ales. This might be a tricky one but it is something that I resolve to do in 2018. I am always more eager to try some of the unusual or crazy keg beer styles but I think this year I need to take a step back and appreciate some more traditional styles to widen my knowledge.
I also want to get more involved in home brewing. My boyfriend and I have dabbled in home brews with some success but we have kept the recipes quite safe. It would be great if we could have a go at some different beer styles, and with him receiving a new brew kit for Christmas I think we’ll be able to achieve this.
Lastly I would like to drink more beer styles to try and work a bit closer towards the final beer sommelier examination. A couple years ago I started the process with The Beer Academy (now The Beer and Cider Academy) and completed all the foundation work but felt that I didn’t have the knowledge to take the final blind taste test. As I don’t work in the beer industry this has been hobby and so it has been limited to part time. I would like to start testing myself and drink a range of different beer styles, rather than sticking to the ones I know, so that I can feel more confident with flavours.  
I can’t wait to get out there and start achieving my resolutions and widening my knowledge about beer. It is great that we have the initiative of #Tryanuary, particularly at this time of year to help support all links in the beer chain, but I think this should be continued throughout the year. I certainly intend to try to keep my resolutions and maybe it inspires some of you to make some too! 

7 Colours of the Rainbow Project 2017

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Rainbow Project 2017 photo bombed by a rainbow!
It’s that time of year again for the Rainbow Project launch! Now in it’s fifth year, this event brings together breweries from other countries and the UK to create beers inspired by the seven colours of the Rainbow. The project started in 2013 but it was 2014 that was the most memorable. This was the year that the partnership of Omnipollo and Buxton were born with their Yellow Belly which still is produced today. This has lead them to go on to collaborate on the growing range of ice cream ales! Last year the UK were teamed up with seven New Zealand breweries however these didn’t quite live up to the hype as the previous years had. Although the descriptions sounded amazing the tastes fell a little flat. That being said one did stand out to me – Black & Blue by Wild Beer and 8 Wired. This has some great spice from the peppercorns used in the brew and real lip puckering sourness. I do love a Rainbow a Project so of course I had to get a case and this year the project headed back to the US for some inspiration. I noticed from the descriptions that a few of the beers had a Mexican theme running through them. With that in mind my boyfriend cooked up some fiery soft tacos to accompany this Rainbow Project. 

Blue – Santo Del Frio by Siren and Sante Adairius
Sours are usually predominate styles within the Rainbow Project so it makes a change to see an American lager. Brewed using cryogenically frozen hops this beer has a crisp taste as well as light finish. The breweries put a lot of thought into the ingredients to give it a Mexican finish by adding blue corn tortillas and blue agave (barrel aged in tequila barrels) to the brew. I didn’t really get much of the tequila but the overall finish of the beer was good. A very easy drinking lager perfect with spicy tacos! 
 

Red – Amancecer Mexicano by Magic Rock and Casita Cerveceria

This has some complex flavours running through it. The first flavours that you get are spice from the chilli and cinnamon followed up with some citrus notes. These flavours are all balanced with the sweetness of hibiscus which I suspect have also given this beer it’s colour. This sour was a great way to finish our Mexican meal but one can was enough. 

Green- Mojito by Hawkshead and Modern Times
Quite a murky looking beer from the pour and the most dominant flavour is mint. On the back of the throat I got a familiar rum warmth. I quite like this beer as I do enjoy a mojito and I think it stays true to the flavours of this popular cocktail. My boyfriend in the other hand didn’t feel it was for him, “a bit too much like toothpaste” he commented! 
Yellow – Rex Apiary by Beavertown and Jester King
This beer is a bit more savoury in flavour from the rosemary, it reminds me of Walkers Roast Chicken crisps! For me though I feel this herb has overpowered the other notes listed in the beer description, honey and Texas dried lemons. I do like that Jester King have had their own culture shipped in from the US so that this beer truly had a piece added to it from both sides of the pond. 

Orange – West Fork by Partizan and New Belgium
I don’t think there is anything groundbreaking about this beer but it is highly drinkable. I really like the background of the beer from my Rainbow Project leaflet. It tells a four year old story of wild fires destroying a beautiful area of Colorado where spruce tips grew. Despite the spruces not yet being ready for this brew the story is inspired by the Phoenix, rising from the ashes and being reborn. This is a really nice saison, pure and simple. 


Indigo – Indigo by Wild Beer and Side ProjectThis beer pours a pretty purple colour and smells like it is full of berry flavours. Unfortunately it doesn’t live up to its promise and the taste is a little weak. The mild sourness is not something I would expect from Wild Beer so it is a little disappointing. Particularly as I am such a huge fan of their beers and the Black & Blue from last years Rainbow Project was my highlight. Hopefully they can bring it back next year! 


Violet – Burial Vault by Burning Sky and 3 Floyds
This wasn’t a beer for me, I felt the flavours of the bourbon and the burgundy seemed to overpower my palate. My boyfriend however really enjoyed this white stout. He liked the balance of the burgundy and bourbon against the sweetness of the lactose. Not sure how this is linked to the colour violet but it is definitely the beer you want to finish the Rainbow Project on! 


All in all I’ve really enjoyed this years Rainbow Project. I think the Red and Green will have to be my favourites as they have interested me the most. Even though there was one or two from the collection that weren’t to my tastes the Rainbow Project is all about being creative and having fun. It’s also a good way of building relations with international breweries which can only be a positive thing in this growing beery world. 

Missed the Beavertown Bus? – Beavertown Extravaganza 2017

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So it’s the day after the end of Beavertown’s Extravaganza 2017 weekend and what a great festival it was. So many breweries spread out throughout the Printworks London which proved to be a great space for this type of event. 4,000 people were said to be attending the Extravaganza and to be honest it didn’t feel like that many as it wasn’t overcrowded. I went along on the first day on Friday and as I was getting closer to the Printworks I could feel myself getting excited. On arrival we were all given a short snifter style glass for the 100ml pours in this ‘all you can drink’ festival. I’d already looked at the beer list before arriving and I thought I had planned out where I was going to get my samples but as we filtered into the halls I was overwhelmed by the amount to choose from – it was like being a kid in a sweet shop. I saw lots of people had come prepared with their beer lists printed out. I even saw one guy had made a spreadsheet with colour codes for which room the breweries were set up in! I found it impossible to stick to a plan as breweries were rotating their beers on two taps each. You just had to get to the front of the queue and decide when you were there. 

My first beer had to be Rubus Maximus, a collab with Wild Beer and Beavertown which has been reprised from 2014 when it was special limited edition batch. I loved this beer when it first came out and was lucky enough to have one of the last growlers from Wild Beer so naturally I wanted to start my Extravaganza day with this. It was just as I remembered, fruity raspberries with a sour kick. It was a good job I went here first as within 25mins of the festival opening the Rubus was all gone! 

Some of the main events that got people talking at the Extravaganza were the Rainbow Project 2017 and Buxton/Omnipollo ice cream beers. As I have already sampled Buxton and Omnipollo’s ice cream beers I decided to give them a miss but from what I heard they were doing soft serve again! I had been looking out for the Rainbow Project beers during the Extravaganza as it looked like they would be served at their respective breweries however in the centre of the festival popped up a stand that was serving all 7. I only managed to try two of the colours, Red – Amanecer Mexicano by Magic Rock & Casita Cervecería and Green – Mojito by Hawkshead Brewery & Modern Times, but I have just ordered a Rainbow case to try at home so look out for that post! There was, however, another green beer doing the rounds at the festival. Troll So Hard brewed by J. Wakefield, a sour lemon and lime Berliner Weisse that certainly looked like it should have been in the Rainbow Project. I didn’t get an opportunity to try this but from what I saw of it walking around the festival is that it was indeed an eerily green colour – hope nobody Hulked out after drinking it! 

I had even more trouble trying to pick what to eat as Kerb had supplied some really great street food stalls with so many different cuisines on display. After doing a few circuits of the food stalls I decided on a steak and chips with béarnaise sauce which hit the spot after a few beers. I also found an Indian street food stall that were selling onion bhajji bowls. These were amazing giant bhajjis served with a drizzle of mango chutney – I could see why the queues from here were so long! 

I saw on Twitter that some people had a few gripes about the Extravaganza, mostly about the queuing and that a few breweries sold out during the festival. To be honest the queuing at the beginning was a bit long but as everyone got into different rhythms the lines got shorter. Also because we were only having 100ml pours people were getting served quickly and you didn’t mind waiting if it was a beer on your list! As for the breweries selling out you could see why as a lot of the big names had the longest queues, Other Half, Wild Beer, Buxton, Omnipollo and Cloudwater to name a few, so it was inevitable that they might be the first to close up. I didn’t feel like this caused me any problems though, there were still plenty of breweries still serving up their beers and it was a good way of trying breweries who I had not heard of yet. 


Overall the Beavertown Extravaganza was well organised with a great display of beers from breweries all over the world. I had such a great time and tried quite a few beers, some I loved and others that weren’t perhaps to my taste, but that is what it’s all about. I can’t wait to go again and hope to see you guys again next year!