Blog - Beer Today https://beertoday.co.uk/blog/ British beer news, blog and events listings, updated daily Fri, 18 Oct 2024 08:18:34 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.6.2 https://beertoday.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/cropped-btfav-32x32.jpg Blog - Beer Today https://beertoday.co.uk/blog/ 32 32 Lotte Peplow: My Great American Beer Festival https://beertoday.co.uk/2024/10/18/lotte-peplow-great-american-beer-festival-1024/ Fri, 18 Oct 2024 08:18:27 +0000 https://beertoday.co.uk/?p=90951 Lotte Peplow, the Brewers Association’s American craft beer ambassador for Europe, dives into the latest craft beer trends from the new-look Great American Beer Festival. Lotte (left) sampling Sam Adams Utopias, ‘a 28% ABV barrel-aged masterpiece that created huge long lines at the festival’ As the American craft beer landscape continues to evolve, so too […]

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Lotte Peplow, the Brewers Association’s American craft beer ambassador for Europe, dives into the latest craft beer trends from the new-look Great American Beer Festival.
Lotte Sam Adams Utopia GABF
Lotte (left) sampling Sam Adams Utopias, ‘a 28% ABV barrel-aged masterpiece that created huge long lines at the festival’

As the American craft beer landscape continues to evolve, so too must the festivals and events associated with it. Nowhere was this more evident than at the latest iteration of the Great American Beer Festival (GABF), the largest public tasting event in America.

Organised by the Brewers Association, the not-for-profit trade association for small and independent American craft brewers, the 42nd GABF took place last week in Denver, Colorado, drawing approximately 40,000 people. They eagerly descended on the state capital to sample the 2,500 beverages from 600+ breweries, cideries, distillers, and other beverage producers.

But this year’s festival brought a fresh and exciting new vibe. In previous years, breweries were organised by geographic region and the presence of ‘beyond beer’ beverages was rare. This year, the festival underwent a complete make-over, with themed experiential sections designed to offer immersive experiences, specialised beverages, and engaging entertainment.

Highlights included:

GABF Prost
  • Prost!, a traditional German-style biergarten featuring a popular stein-holding contest and traditional Bavarian music;
  • Score! a sports-lover’s haven which combined the thrill of sports with the joy of craft brewing;
  • Fright, an immersive Halloween-themed experience;
  • Blast Off, an ‘out-of-this-world flavour blast’, showcasing the Beer & Beyond experience;
  • Meet the Brewer, an interactive space where festival-goers could connect directly with their favourite brewers; and
  • Chill, a backyard gathering space with music, lawn games, and exclusive brews.

The result? A refreshing burst of creativity and energy aimed at attracting a diverse crowd seeking more than just beer tasting. From wild costumes and pretzel necklaces to karaoke, a silent disco, and new activities like Lucha Libre wrestling, there were endless Instagram-worthy moments, and beverages to suit every taste.

And yet beer remained the star of the show. The GABF competition took place in the lead-up to the festival, with results announced on Saturday and providing a good barometer of American craft beer trends. In total, 8,836 beers and 233 cider entries were judged across 102 beer categories and five new cider categories, all evaluated by 285 beer experts.

The competition was made possible thanks to more than 250 volunteers who facilitated the multi-step judging process over seven days in three phases. In total, 326 medals were awarded to 273 breweries. The top five most-entered style categories were:

  • Juicy/bazy IPA (349 entries)
  • West Coast IPA (292 entries)
  • American-style IPA (217 entries)
  • Dortmunder or German-style Oktoberfest beers (210 entries)
  • German-style Marzen (195 entries).
GABF beer serve

There are two trends within craft beer styles that are growing the fastest right now. IPA, in its many iterations, continues to lead the American craft brewing landscape, now accounting for 46% of the $29 billion craft beer industry, up from 30% in 2017. Hop-forward beers like American IPA, juicy/hazy IPA, and imperial IPA, saw the strongest market share gains in 2023.

Lighter styles, like American lager, wheat ale, and pilsner, are also gaining traction, showing growth at both ends of the ABV spectrum.

Overall, growth is coming from both high- and low-ABV styles, while mid-range ABV beers face more challenges.

There were myriad IPAs at the festival, but a good rule of thumb was to focus on award-winning breweries that produce world-class examples of the style, such as Breakside Brewery, Reuben’s Brews, or Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. While most certainly not an IPA, Allagash White, the classic Belgian witbier, won gold again and is available in many export markets.

GABF astronaut

How high can you go?

Topping the bill for extreme offerings was Sam Adams Utopias, boasting an impressive 28% ABV. This rare, bi-annual, boundary-blending, barrel-aged masterpiece drew the longest lines at the festival. Other popular examples included Revolution Brewing’s DBVSOD (Double Barrel Very Special Old Deth) at 17%, a double barrel-aged imperial oatmeal stout; Fremont Brewing Company’s Rusty Nail, a bourbon barrel-aged imperial stout infused with liquorice and cinnamon bark, coming in at 14.5%; and Firestone Walker’s Bendy Foldies, a 14% double-oaked ale with red foxy vanilla beans and toasted pistachios.

Or how low?

Lager and lighter styles are having their moment in the spotlight, and there were plenty of excellent examples at the festival. Deschutes Brewery’s Fresh Hop King Crispy is a German-style pilsner which medalled in the latest competition, while Uinta Brewing Co’s Was Angeles, a 5% ABV cream ale, proudly took home a gold medal!

Beyond beer

After indulging in a plethora of hop-forward IPAs and/or high-strength barrel-aged beers, it was refreshing to cleanse the palate and explore something new with an easy-drinking non-beer beverage, such as a hard tea from Upslope Brewing Co or a hard lemonade from Denver Beer Co. Both beverages made their debut at the festival this year, demonstrating the innovation and creativity that American craft breweries are embracing to remain competitive in an ever-evolving market.

Alcohol-free options

Another strategy for navigating GABF was to seek out unique alcohol-free options. Athletic Brewing Co, a high-profile brand available in many international markets, picked up two medals at the GABF competition, making it an excellent choice, and Fremont Brewing won gold in the amber to dark non-alcohol category. The low- and no-alcohol beer segment is still small, but is rapidly expanding within the American craft brewing market.

The weird, wacky, and wonderful

For the adventurist, the festival presented a cornucopia of experimental concoctions, notably, 903 Brewers’ Zesty Ranch Taco, a 6% ABV cream ale that delivered the savoury umami experience of eating a taco in liquid form! A festival favourite overseas, Destihl Brewery’s Dill Pickle Sour offered a distinctive flavour experience, while Denver Beer Co’s intriguing Fennel Rye ale took home a gold medal at the competition.

Save the dates

UK brewers are invited to compete on the global stage and register for the World Beer Cup 2025, the largest beer competition in the world. Registration is open from 12th November to 13th December this year, with winners announced at the annual Craft Brewers Conference, in Indianapolis, from 28th April to 1st May 2025.

The Great American Beer Festival is a beer lover’s paradise and has been dubbed by Thrillist as “the one beer festival to try before you die”. I would 100% echo these sentiments and recommend booking time off now for 9th-11th October, 2025. See you there!


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Tasting Thornbridge’s first original brew on its union set https://beertoday.co.uk/2024/09/22/thornbridge-union-0924/ Sun, 22 Sep 2024 16:49:04 +0000 https://beertoday.co.uk/?p=89957 There was a sharp intake of breath earlier this year when Carlsberg Marston’s announced that it was decommissioning the famous Burton union sets. But cheers when one of those sets was transferred, free of charge, to Thornbridge Brewery, in Bakewell. The union system dates back to the 1800s and is a beautiful wood-barrel fermentation system […]

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There was a sharp intake of breath earlier this year when Carlsberg Marston’s announced that it was decommissioning the famous Burton union sets. But cheers when one of those sets was transferred, free of charge, to Thornbridge Brewery, in Bakewell.
Thornbridge bottles

The union system dates back to the 1800s and is a beautiful wood-barrel fermentation system that has been used continuously in the production of different beers over the decades. In its latter days it was mostly used for Marston’s Pedigree, one of the first cask ales I drank regularly when younger. Tried some again recently and to me it didn’t have its zip and freshness of those old days.

It’s not the easiest fermentation system to work with, labour intensive and not easy to clean, so it needs a brewer that both takes extreme care of their kit and has a keenness to keep traditional methods. So, Thornbridge is the perfect home.

The first thing they did with their new arrival was a brew of their famous Jaipur IPA, but then it was time to create something new. That beer was a 7% ABV IPA called The Union, and I was lucky enough to have a couple of bottles sent to me to try, along with another new brew, Fonio, which I’ll come to on another blog. Oh, they popped some of that delightful Jaipur in, too. Thoughtful, that!

It turned out to be the exceptional beer I was expecting, and I say that as something of an aficionado of 5 to 8% ABV English-style IPAs. It poured golden with a foaming white head, with orange citrus — juice and pith — on the nose, along with some lemon and berry. Plenty of citrus carried through to the palate but excellent balancing sweetness swept in, biscuity with an edge of dark sugar, all leading to a good bitter finish. A remarkable brew.

Bottles of The Union are available on the Thornbridge website. Furthermore, there will be a tasting of the beer at the St Albans Beer Festival later this month, when beer writer Roger Protz will be in conversation with Thornbridge’s head brewer, Rob Lovatt.

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Oktoberfest in Cornwall with beers from Liverpool https://beertoday.co.uk/2024/09/21/neptune-brewery-oktoberfest-0924/ Sat, 21 Sep 2024 18:20:48 +0000 https://beertoday.co.uk/?p=89928 Heaving beer halls, steins of fresh lager with magnificent heads, and the steady beat of the oompah band — it all signals the coming of Oktoberfest season. The full line-up of Neptune Brewery Oktoberfest cans Stage originally in Munich in 1810, to celebrate the marriage of the future King Ludwig, Oktoberfest has gradually been exported […]

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Heaving beer halls, steins of fresh lager with magnificent heads, and the steady beat of the oompah band — it all signals the coming of Oktoberfest season.
Neptune Oktoberfest
The full line-up of Neptune Brewery Oktoberfest cans

Stage originally in Munich in 1810, to celebrate the marriage of the future King Ludwig, Oktoberfest has gradually been exported around the world.

Ironically, Ludwig would later be known for sparking beer riots when protesters fumed against his introduction of beer tax. He was eventually forced to drop the rate of the tax. To this day Germany has a low duty of €0.03 per 330ml bottle of beer. In the UK that rate is €0.37. I’m saying nothing. Well, not in this post, anyway. Hmm.

On a more cheerful Oktoberfest note, I have been sent four lovely examples of festival-style beers from the chaps at Neptune Brewery, in Liverpool. They may be a decent distance from Munich (and my home in Cornwall’s not much closer), but the quartet — Märzen, Bock, Hefeweizen, and Schwarzbier — have all been done well and to style and can be heartily recommended if you can’t make it onto the European mainland this autumn.

I enjoyed them all, but edge the Märzen and Bock ahead of the other two. Purely personal taste. The Märzen has a roasty, inviting aroma, with a hint of plummy fruit, and on the palate it’s right up my straße. Rich, robust, bready — verging on toasty — malt, nutty, with smooth caramel notes and just a hint of fruit from light hopping.

The Bock is rich amber with bready malt and toffee on the nose. The palate is more hoppy than the Märzen, but the beer’s still malt led. Bready malt, caramel, gentle hopping, and some notes of red apple skin. And much too drinkable for its 6.5% ABV!

The Hefeweizen (5.5% ABV) offers that classic aroma of banana and cloves, and the style is nailed on the palate. It’s beautifully clean and slightly sweet, with a spicy edge and a hint of bubblegum, and very refreshing.

The Schwarzbier (5% ABV) pours black with a foaming head and offers a hint of cacao on its aroma. On the palate, chocolate and coffee with some slightly smokey notes, leading to a decent bitter bite.

The beers are in the Neptune Brewery webshop. Prost!

BT Patreon final

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What are your memories of Robinsons’ Old Tom? https://beertoday.co.uk/2024/07/21/robinsons-old-tom-0724/ Sun, 21 Jul 2024 14:27:46 +0000 https://beertoday.co.uk/?p=88630 I have a tendency not to get too excited about beer festivals any more, and I think one of the reasons is that some of the people I used to enjoy attending festivals with are no longer here. An email from Robinsons brought one of these to mind. Graham was an old school real ale […]

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I have a tendency not to get too excited about beer festivals any more, and I think one of the reasons is that some of the people I used to enjoy attending festivals with are no longer here.
Robinsons Old Tom

An email from Robinsons brought one of these to mind. Graham was an old school real ale devotee, as well as keen walker and ornothologist. But his festival MO was one I’ve never seen anyone else repeat. Start high ABV and work down.

The Robinsons email brought Graham to mind because if, it was on the bill of fare, and if indeed it was ‘top of the shop’, he would plump for Old Tom, presumably because it was from his part of the world.

Old Tom is an 8.5% ABV strong ale, a barley wine, which first went on sale in 1899. It was named after the brewery cat of the time, sketched into immortality by the then head brewer.

Robinsons Old Tom

My own notes record that it’s “very, very deep red, with a thick off-white head that lingers well, rich and malty on the nose, almost with a sense that it has been barrel aged. A very intriguing, deep, complex aroma. That complexity manifests itself on the palate with spicy, woody notes, molasses, coffee, some vanilla. The body is smooth and there’s a nice warmth on the finish.”

To mark its 125th anniversary, Robinsons is asking drinkers to share their memories of Old Tom. “We want our celebrations to feature the people who’ve enabled Old Tom to continue its legacy year after year,” says the brewer. “From tales about your grandparents to first-hand memories, we’d love to hear what makes Old Tom so special to you.

“Whether you’re partial to a half at the bar, you purchase a few bottles from the supermarket, or you’ve enjoyed a bottle in the hotel room of one of our pubs, we can’t wait to hear your memories.”

Submit your thoughts here for the chance to feature in Robinsons’ Old Tom campaign, be invited to an exclusive Old Tom party, and be in with the chance to win a limited edition case of beer.

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No mention of business rates in King’s Speech https://beertoday.co.uk/2024/07/17/business-rates-kings-speech-0724/ Wed, 17 Jul 2024 11:42:48 +0000 https://beertoday.co.uk/?p=88520 While many are focusing on the contents of the King’s Speech, outlining the government’s legislative agenda, others are pondering what was not mentioned. When I talk to licensees and pub owners, one of the subjects that comes up regularly is a desire for business rates reform. No mention of it in today’s speech. That’s disappointing, […]

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While many are focusing on the contents of the King’s Speech, outlining the government’s legislative agenda, others are pondering what was not mentioned.
CGA business

When I talk to licensees and pub owners, one of the subjects that comes up regularly is a desire for business rates reform. No mention of it in today’s speech.

That’s disappointing, says John Webber, head of business rates at commercial property specialist Colliers. He has been one of the major voices calling out for reform over the years of Conservative government and through the recent election campaign.

He says: “After more than 30 years of mismanagement from successive governments, we now have a system with a multiplier at over 50p in the pound, which effectively means a 50% tax on property occupation, a complicated relief system with business rates deserts in some parts of the country and an appeal system that’s inefficient, lacking transparency and increasingly difficult for businesses to negotiate without an adviser. The current system is just not fit for purpose. This situation is unsustainable.

“With declining high streets across the country, there is no excuse for the new government to avoid addressing the business rates problem or to introduce significant reform. We urge them to act soon.”

What we may find, of course, is that the matter is tackled at local or regional levels. The King’s speech did say: “My Government believes that greater devolution of decision making is at the heart of a modern dynamic economy and is a key driver of economic growth, and my ministers will introduce an English Devolution Bill.

“Legislation will be introduced to give new powers to metro mayors and combined authorities. This will support local growth plans that bring economic benefit to communities.”

Hopefully, those power will address business rates reform.

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What now for Marston’s cask beer – and should we care? https://beertoday.co.uk/2024/07/08/marstons-cask-beer-0724/ Mon, 08 Jul 2024 17:59:10 +0000 https://beertoday.co.uk/?p=88317 When I started drinking, I mean drinking proper beer — and it really isn’t as long ago as you think — a pint of Marston’s Pedigree was a wonderful thing. It was, said Michael Jackson, “the classic Burton pale ale”. The daddy of today’s session golden bitters that are a staple within most cask brewers’ […]

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When I started drinking, I mean drinking proper beer — and it really isn’t as long ago as you think — a pint of Marston’s Pedigree was a wonderful thing.
cask ale outside

It was, said Michael Jackson, “the classic Burton pale ale”. The daddy of today’s session golden bitters that are a staple within most cask brewers’ portfolios. Complete with the ‘Burton snatch’, that note of sulphur on the aroma, which I adored.

With today’s news that Marston’s is coming out of its joint brewing venture with Carlsberg to concentrate solely on being a pub company, it’s a time to reflect on the slow demise of a major slice of British brewing history.

As a correspondent on a Google group I am a member of notes: “A sad indictment of the British business model. Take over your rivals, then sell to a foreign competitor! Marstons used to brew good real ale. Carlsberg aren’t interested in real ale or British tradition in any way. I feel more boycotting of certain pubs coming on.”

As a Hampshire man, other beers close to my heart included Old Thumper and Forty-Niner from the Ringwood Brewery range. Ringwood was launched in 1978 by serial cask beer saviour Peter Austin. It is said that he played a part in brewing some 140 breweries around the world. Once that brewery was sold to Marston’s, though, those beers were never quite the same, especially Old Thumper, which underwent an ABV cut from 5.6% ABV to 5.1%, presumably on the advice of accountants.

Marston’s one saving grace used to be that, unlike Greene King, it kept the breweries it bought open. But one by one its acquisitions have been closing, most notably the historic Jennings Brewery in Cockermouth. And earlier this year the gates closed at Ringwood.

CAMRA has recently been in a feud with Carlsberg Marston’s Brewing Co (CMBC) over its ‘fresh ale’ concept, which involves serving filtered and kegged beer through handpumps that are usually used exclusively for cask-conditioned beer. CAMRA has labelled this practice the ‘Handpump Hijack’.

Today the consumer organisation said: “Marston’s and CMBC bosses must commit to the future of brewing cask, improving consumer choice at the bar, protecting Britain’s brewing heritage and scrapping their damaging fresh ale concept once and for all.” 

Wishful thinking on CAMRA’s part there, I reckon. Carlsberg doesn’t seem to be interested in cask beer, despite a spokesperson’s insistence to Beer Today earlier this year that ‘fresh ale’ is “supplementing, not supplanting, traditional cask ale”.

Cask Verdant Lightbulb
A settling pint of cask Verdant Lightbulb in The Front, Falmouth

Forget Carlsberg. Elsewhere there are signs that cask beer is, in fact, in rude health. Take today’s piece on the site from Stockport and South Manchester CAMRA on the huge success of its Magic Mild Ale Trail. Some 4,000 pub visits took place over the five weeks of the trail, and around 3,000 pints of mild — hardly the beer world’s most sexy style — were consumed.

Look, too, at the way many predominantly craft brewers are now starting to embrace cask, too. I recently had the pleasure of enjoying a pint of cask Verdant Lightbulb in The Front in Falmouth, and their cask Bissoe IPA is one of my beers of the year so far. What’s more, the Union Sets from Marston’s Brewery have found new homes with brewers who cherish their heritage and will use them to carry on a legacy of fine ale brewing. There’s plenty to be optimistic about.

Marston’s cask and its inherited brands may slowly disappear, but they’ve had their time. Let’s support the smaller independents who are championing cask and the skills that go into its creation. Carlsberg can stick to their lager, and I’m sure Marston’s will make a success of their pub business. It’s not for me. I’m heading for a pint of something local in an independent venue. Who’s coming along?

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Friends Reunited: A Penzance IPA at Mine Brewing Co https://beertoday.co.uk/2024/06/16/penzance-ipa-at-mine-0624/ Sun, 16 Jun 2024 20:01:05 +0000 https://beertoday.co.uk/?p=87723 It was a gorgeous sunny afternoon in St Ives when I caught up with an old friend, one I hadn’t seen for a month or three and with whom it was a delight to be reacquainted. Janet Andrews, of Mine Brewing Co, behind the bar The comrade in question was Penzance Brewing Co’s IPA, AKA […]

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It was a gorgeous sunny afternoon in St Ives when I caught up with an old friend, one I hadn’t seen for a month or three and with whom it was a delight to be reacquainted.
Mince Brewing Janet
Janet Andrews, of Mine Brewing Co, behind the bar

The comrade in question was Penzance Brewing Co’s IPA, AKA my favourite beer. The cause of much enjoyment in the past as well as several late starts to work days. The perennial answer to the question: “You’ve gt a beer website — what’s your favourite beer, then?”

It was to be found at the latest Mine Brewing Co open weekend, at Consols on the outskirts of St Ives, where brewers and Andrews family members served a cracking range of beers from an outside bar. There were even several former customers and friends from the beloved Star Inn, Crowlas, so there was something of a reunion atmosphere.

PZ IPA at Mine

I’m pleased to say the IPA, developed by the late Pete Elvin and carried on to the exact same recipe — and same superb result — by Rob Wilson was breathtaking as ever. Pete had been inspired by Marston’s Old Empire, a beer we both enjoyed, and you can tell in the robust maltiness, caramel nose, slightly orangey, spicy hops, and great finishing bitterness that he clearly succeeded, possibly even beyond his own expectations.

In a world dominated by fruit-bowl American-style IPAs, it’s always worth remembering how and where the style began. A taste of PZ IPA transforms one back not just to the days of The Star in its pomp, but to the days of those great historic English IPAs that new brewers are starting to have a go at. We mentioned Verdant’s Bissoe last night as a recent newcomer which has hit the mark successfully.

If you see Penzance IPA in your travels, give it a go. You won’t be disappointed. And follow Mine Brewing Co on Facebook to learn when their next open weekend is taking place. It’s a lovely family-friendly venue and there’s a great choice of drinks, even including cocktails, wines, and non-alcoholics. Next time I’ll even drink some of their beer. Promise.

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Blog: Dark delights and a cracking English-style IPA https://beertoday.co.uk/2024/03/04/black-ipa-stout-proper-job-0324/ Mon, 04 Mar 2024 15:25:49 +0000 https://beertoday.co.uk/?p=85381 Funny old week. One door closes — that of my local, the Star Inn, Crowlas, where I’ve worked for six years and drunk in for 23 — and others open. Left to right: Black and Motueka, from St Ives Brewery, Verdant’s new Bissoe IPA, and Bristol Beer Factory’s Milk Stout So many things and people […]

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Funny old week. One door closes — that of my local, the Star Inn, Crowlas, where I’ve worked for six years and drunk in for 23 — and others open.
Motueka PJ BBF
Left to right: Black and Motueka, from St Ives Brewery, Verdant’s new Bissoe IPA, and Bristol Beer Factory’s Milk Stout

So many things and people I’ll miss, for now anyway, until it re-opens (the glass, remember, is always half-full). For now I’m concentrating on beer. And the biggest gap for me will be my regular intake of Penzance Brewing Co IPA (6% ABV), a comfortingly English-style IPA, all balance and warm marmalade tones, and a lovely touch of bitterness.

A pleasure, then, to make the acquaintance of Verdant Brewing Co’s Bissoe IPA (5.3% ABV) at the Pilchard Press Alehouse, in St Ives. One of Verdant’s rare casks, and this is a beauty. Great balance between bready malt and citrus notes with a cracking bitter finish. Hopped with English Cascade and Harlequin, it was delightful. I missed a bus.

Also at the Pilchard this week, a lovely drop of Bristol Beer Factory Milk Stout (4.5% ABV), an old favourite of mine and, it seems, plenty of locals. It’s quite sweet, but there is bitterness in there and a delightful chocolatey note that makes it very moreish. Perfect accompaniment for the Cork an Barbor shanty singers who put on a cracking show on Friday evening.

Speaking of black stuff, a word for St Ives Brewery’s new black IPA, Black and Motueka (6.8% ABV), which I realised far too late might be a pun on a well-known brand of electric tools. Anyway, I’m a sucker for BIPA and this is a beauty, with Motueka and a side helping of Rakau hops giving great fruit notes against that base of light roasty malt. Well worth searching out.

Elsewhere on Beer Today, I feature the new branding for St Austell Brewery’s Proper Job. “Our investment in the brand is all about honouring Proper Job’s loyal drinkers with a design that doesn’t stray too far from its roots, as well as reaching new audiences with its fresh look and feel,” says marketing and communications director Laura McKay. “There’s absolutely no change to the much-loved IPA’s recipe.”

At the Royal Standard last night, for Liz’s Quiz, we encounter this new branding for the first time, and fair to say it divided opinion. But I like it, and the new shape of the glass, even if it is very much like a Thatcher’s Gold vessel. Alas, it was the 4.5% ABV keg version of PJ and not the cask, but even so it was very decent once it had warmed up a little. Look out for the new branding and tell me what you think. The quiz? We came equal first but lost on a tie-breaker, since you ask…

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Where are the best pubs to head to in 2024? https://beertoday.co.uk/2024/01/02/beer-today-pubs-guide-0124/ Tue, 02 Jan 2024 14:03:10 +0000 https://beertoday.co.uk/?p=84245 Where are the best pubs? Where can you walk in, be guaranteed a warm welcome, and get an impeccable pint of beer? Let’s find out. As it starts its 20th anniversary year, I’m adding a pub guide to Beer Today. Not to compete with any other pub guide. That would be a foolish errand which […]

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Where are the best pubs? Where can you walk in, be guaranteed a warm welcome, and get an impeccable pint of beer? Let’s find out.
Cask beer on pub bar

As it starts its 20th anniversary year, I’m adding a pub guide to Beer Today. Not to compete with any other pub guide. That would be a foolish errand which would take up far too much of my time. I’m thinking of a snapshot, zeitgeist guide. A focus on the best places to drink now. No publication deadline, just pubs added constantly (and deleted as quickly, if necessary).

The focus will be on pubs, but I’m going to include taprooms and bars, too. All will be checked out before being added to the guide, using contacts and source I’ve built up these past 20 years!

Last year wasn’t a great year for pubs. It’s bad enough that energy and business rates costs are forcing many to close their doors without the likes of the Crooked House saga to further reduce the hostelry landscape. Those remaining open must be treasured and used regularly, and the real jewels in the crown — and those reading this will have their own ideas of the venues that fall into this category — must be supported, especially during these quieter late winter months.

So where are the places that put a smile on your face, where you four-legged friend perhaps gets a great welcome, too, where the beer quality never dips (unless by accident, perhaps, and a brew is immediately snatched back and a pumpclip turned around), where the sheer enthusiasm and charisma of the bar team draws you in.

Let me know, and let’s get these venues highlighted and promoted throughout 2024. There’s just one rule. These places must be independent and not part of one of those big property-focused pubcos (estates belonging to independent breweries are fine). I’ve started adding a few (in the background, to be published any day), the ones that I personally know and love. Now it’s open to all. The Beer Today readers’ own personally-curated guide.

Email me, or DM via social media. Oh, and Happy New Year all!

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A much-missed West Country festival is returning https://beertoday.co.uk/2023/11/20/blog-celtic-beer-festival-1123/ Mon, 20 Nov 2023 09:48:29 +0000 https://beertoday.co.uk/?p=83631 Covid has a lot to answer for, and a big social casualty in my part of the world was the Celtic Beer Festival, held in the Victorian St Austell Brewery. This weekend, though, the festival makes a triumphant return, with a few tweaks here and there, but the central essence of a huge beer choice […]

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Covid has a lot to answer for, and a big social casualty in my part of the world was the Celtic Beer Festival, held in the Victorian St Austell Brewery.
Celtic Beer Festival

This weekend, though, the festival makes a triumphant return, with a few tweaks here and there, but the central essence of a huge beer choice and great live music still in place.

The music offer includes a performance by The Fisherman’s Friends, who have been partners with the brewery for more than a decade. A series of 45-minute sets from a huge variety of acts kicks off at noon.

But let’s face of it, most of us will be there for the beer. As well as the usual selection of beers from other Cornish brewers, for many the highlight is the specials created by the talented brewing teams at both St Austell Brewery and Bath Ales.

Perhaps the biggest difference between this festival and the last is that it is the first without former brewing director Roger Ryman, who died far too early in 2020 at the age of 52. Roger’s successor is Georgina Young, recruited from London’s Fuller’s brewery originally to run Bath Ales, then taking on the St Austell role as well after Roger’s death. She talks me through some of the festival highlights while driving along a well-travelled route between her two brewery bases.

Georgina Young Bath Ales
St Austell brewing director Georgina Young in the brewhouse at Bath Ales

“It’s all about resource,” she tells me as we discuss the in-house specials. There are just four fermenters for small-batch brews, so it’s a busy and well organised timetable in the months leading up to the festival. Members of the two breweries’ teams get chances to free their imaginations and develop their own recipes. Not even necessarily brewers, either, with other members of staff also putting forward ideas.

There are beers with familiar descriptors – pale ale, and double and mountain IPAs, for instance. But other brews stray into less familiar territory. Ingredients and adjuncts including mango, rosemary, coriander, and lime feature — even Biscoff biscuits!

But one special stands out. After 24 years there’s a return for Daylight Robbery, the 1999 Eclipse special which went on to be developed in to Tribute and which changed the fortunes of St Austell Brewery in the early part of this century. It was Roger’s first own recipe brew when he arrived at the brewery from Maclay’s Brewery, in Alloa. The 2023 version of Daylight Robbery is described as a clone of the original recipe.

More history in the return of Ellis Original, a beer developed by the Ellis Brewery, in Hayle, long gone, having been bought out by St Austell in 1934. The brewery buildings can still be seen in Hayle, behind St Austell’s Cornish Arms, now a mixture of office space and homes.

Ans historical interest, too, in Gwanath, described as a “lost ale”. This has been brewed using a heritage wheat varety, Emmer, grown on the estate of the Lost Gardens of Heligan, not far from St Austell Brewery. The brewers explain: “This historic variety was found buried with mummies, found in Egypt along with beer and wine. We decided to create a ‘Sumerian ale’, brewed with Bappir bread made from barley flour and cooked in the Hicks Bar [St Austell taproom] kitchen. This was added to the mash along with Emmer flour, which we created by pulverising the wheat grown in the Heligan estate. We added date syrup to the boil as per transcriptions from Sumeria historical tablets. For a modern twist, we added hops to this beer.”

Elsewhere in the festival, expect beers created by London brewers, with whom Georgina maintains relationships from here Fuller’s days. There are collaborations, too, with the likes of Verdant, DEYA, and Neptune. New this time is a standalone Harbour Brewing Co bar. St Austell took a minority stake in the brewery, based just outside Bodmin, towards the end of last year. Harbour founder Eddie Lofthouse remembers Roger Ryman as a mentor and good friend.

The festival takes place in St Austell Brewery’s cellars on Saturday, 25th November, from 11am until 11pm. All profits from the event and ticket sales will be donated to St Austell Brewery’s Charitable Trust, which supports organisations and good causes in communities across the South West. Festival tickets are £30 on the door, including four half-pint tokens. Find out more here.

“It’s always been a popular event, so we hope people will be as excited as we are that it’s returning this year with over 100 beers from a host of fantastic breweries on offer,” says Georgina. “We can’t wait to welcome everybody back again, to celebrate good beer, good music, and good times together.”

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