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On a warm evening in May we were lucky enough to be invited to the launch of Serpent, a stunning ‘alliance' between Brooklyn Brewery and Thornbridge. Daniel Neilson recounts the story
On a warm evening in May, behind a small, inauspicious door, was a fairytale world of beer. A magical labyrinth of rooms filled with weird, the wonderful and the downright bizarre. In one room, Brooklyn Brewery's head chef Andrew Gerson served a salmon dish… directly on to my hand. I licked it off and took a swig of Sorachi Ace. Brooklyn Brewery's Brewmaster Garrett Oliver did the same. In another room, The Graveltones were knocking their frenetic rock to a bouncing room of fans. There was a photo booth, secret talks in secret rooms, games, a pizza parlour, a man was carrying a six-foot star for no apparent reason. All the beer was free, from the ultra-rare Brooklyn Brewery Ghost Bottles, plus dozens of one-off beers from Beavertown and half a dozen other London breweries. This was the Brooklyn Beer Mansion, as part of the Brooklyn Mash tour. And you know what… that wasn't even the best of it.
Upstairs in the ‘Brewer's Room' was a very special launch. Jim Harrison, owner of Thornbridge had come down from the Peak District, Garrett Oliver had come over from New York. The Brooklyn Beer Mansion, you see, would also see the launch of Serpent, a remarkable collaboration between Thornbridge and Brooklyn. It is a beer gobsmacking in its ambition. It is a Belgian golden ale – simple enough (but still tough to do well). But Garrett wanted to barrel age it. Fine.. an added layer. But the barrels had to come from upstate New York and shipped to the Peak District. OK. Dozens arrived. Oh, and then instead of regular fermentation, the golden ale was to sit on cider lees, the natural wild yeasts that ferment apples into traditional ciders, harvested from the country's best cider maker Tom Oliver – these needed to be sent up regularly from Herefordshire. It then needed a year in barrel, before the most skilled process of all – blending them.
I'd tasted the beer out of the barrel on a visit to Thornbridge around a year ago, and now, on a rooftop terrace on a quiet London backstreet, Garrett Oliver is pouring a glass of a beautifully golden ale out of a champagne bottle. But it's not just a golden ale. Sure, there's a taste of cider, and maybe reminiscent of an oaked white wine. It's spritzy like a British sparkling wine, yet grounded with an earthy funkiness. It's a beer unlike anything I've ever had. It's a masterstroke of ingenuity and perseverance, and let's not forget the unbelievable skill of Thornbridge brewery Rob Lovatt and Garrett Oliver to see through the process and turn out a beer that has never been done before. It silences the terrace. I pour more and drink some more and chat some more, and then wander back down the rabbit hole.
Father’s Day, 19th June 2022, is the special date in the calendar when we celebrate and give a nod to the Dads in our lives. It’s an excuse to spoil them with a little something to say thank you for being awesome. If you’re looking for inspiration for a craft beer-loving Dad, then check out our top 7 Father’s Day beer gifts.
Every year, Beer Hawk releases a lineup of limited edition craft beer mixed cases for the holiday season. This year's lineup of festive Christmas beer gifts is guaranteed to put a smile on everyone’s face.
Remember the childhood excitement of opening a new door on your advent calendar every day in the run up to Christmas? It gave each day a little sparkle of festive magic, even though those tiny chocolates behind the doors were always a bit rubbish. How would you like to recapture that childhood magic, but with bottles of delicious beer instead of powdery chocolate? Sounds amazing, right? In that case, you need to get your hands on our Craft Beer Advent Calendar.
Pairing beer and food together isn’t all rules and science. That would make for a terribly boring dinner party! Instead, it’s the art of taking a good beer, some good food and partnering them together to make something even better. It’s the adventure of discovering what works, what doesn’t and what you like. It’s you taking a bite, taking a sip and then declaring your undying love for that imperial stout and chocolate cake.
Barrel-ageing beers is not a new thing, but it is getting more and more popular, and has probably never been as inventive. Adrian Tierney-Jones explores the new wave of ageing beer in wood
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