If you’ve followed the updates for the Macclesfield Twissup, you’ll know that already we have some pretty exciting brews available for your drinking pleasure on the day.
If you’ve not been following, (where have you been/shame on you *delete as applicable), I’ve listed the updates below.
Pretty damn groovy I’d hope you’d agree, but there are still a lot of empty cask and keg lines to fill and that’s where I’m hoping you guys come in.
If you can spare a few minutes, note down a list of three beers you’d like to see on the bars that day. Be realistic, they have to be something the venues have a chance at getting, so no Pliny etc if you please.
Maybe it’s new stuff like Snowball, the next release from Magic Rock you fancy, or perhaps something old school, or just your favourite tipple?
A while back I was given a beer, it was a home-brewed beer, a saison, which is a particular favourite beer style of mine, hence I was especially chuffed to learn that it had been brewed as a contribution to my now annual #SupSaison event. It was in a standard brown bottle, labelled with two strips of dymo-tape, one saying “@tabamatu” and the other “Nelson Saison’.
This beer really blew me and everyone at my tasting session away, eventually even making it to my Golden Pints Awards too. I presented it blind so as not to influence my guests as to it’s origin and it was probably one of the most talked about beers of the night and among some really highly regarded saison standards too. Even more astonishingly this was Andy Parker’s (aka @tabamatu on twitter) only second attempt at whole grain brewing, A-MAZE-ING!
Then on 6th of May 2013 I saw this tweet which filled me with joy and excitement..
To explain, Elusive Brewing is the name of Andy’s new and or future dabble into commercial brewing, which was excitement level one.
Upping that to dancing around the room stage two, was the fact that Weird Beard Brewing are another of my favourite relatively new breweries.
Finally, tipping things over the scale to gibbering, leering beer buffoon (stage three to you), they were getting together to brew Nelson Saison commercially.. “EEEEK”!
I wasted no time in pleading the case, the fine detail, the entire plan explained..
Luckily for me (and you), I know Andy and Gregg pretty well and soon the direct messaging was frantically passing back and forth to agree that in principle we could make this happen, and on Saturday just gone, I met up with Gregg to “cough” discuss the finer detail of the plans over a few drinks, on how to get this wonderful collaboration to the twissup on Sat 29th of June 2013.
Just to add a little background to this, Gregg and Weird Beard co-owner Bryan, were home brewers themselves before they took the plunge into commercial brewing. During our weekends “chat”, Gregg explained that they wanted as part of their emerging success story, to give other home brewers they hold in high regard a chance to put their skills to work on proper kit, and with their help and guidance hopefully avoid the mistakes perhaps they themselves have made in the breweries seemingly meteoric rise from humble beginnings. Next up on the collab agenda is Dave Bishop of Northern Monk Brew Co, which I just know is going to be a belter too. (Both of these breweries in infancy are ones to watch for the future, trust me)
In terms of twissup location, the venue to try this beer has as yet not been decided as we are still trying to set up the full line up of beery delights for your drinking pleasure, but what I am really excited to be able to say is, thanks to the goodwill of the fantastic folks in the beer community, one of these will be heading its way north to Macclesfield very soon.
Incredibly this will be the third in a line up of new or pretty much as near as damn it exclusive brews to sample on the day which just blows me away, Nelson Saison being ready for release probably only two to three weeks before the event. Plus to top it all off both Gregg and Andy have agreed to attend on the day to answer any questions you may have, on which point I’ll give you some advice, catch them early on to be sure both haven’t been doing too much “quality control”…
Every boozy day out needs a good hearty breakfast and make no mistake, the Macclesfield Twissup will be VERY boozy.. So I had me an idea, (which happens from time to time) on how we could combine the two to make a most excellent start to the day.
Our first point of cal,l as you will see when I publish the map and timings, is going to be The Treacle Tap. If you have ever been there or to her sister bar The Young Pretender in Congleton you will already know about the range of award-winning pies both places serve and you will also know that they are incredibly good too.
Great North Pie Co
I first met Neil Broomfield, the brilliance behind Great North Pie Co, at a beer and food matching event at the Young Pretender with the beers supplied by another Isosceles Twissup host Toby Mckenzie of Red Willow. He presented us with a steak pie made with Red Willow pale ale and I can easily say it was the best pie I’ve ever tasted.
Knowing that the Treacle Tap has a small kitchen and couldn’t really cook breakfast for the masses I thought “what about a breakfast pie?”. I ran the idea past Treacle Tap owners Bronwyn & Tim who quickly “warmed” to the idea (sorry) and spoke to Toby too, who in turn made the first contact with Neil, who after “filling” him in on the idea, like the man from Del Monte, he said yes..
The breakfast pie will feature among other things bacon and black pudding which makes it already a winner, plus two very interesting but very familiar, “mystery ingredients”… I know what they are and I’m bloody intrigued I can tell you, but I’ve tasted lots of Neil’s creations so I am confident it will be another delight for you guys to indulge in. Not forgetting the vegetarian folk out there, for them it will be a pie with a take on bubble & squeak.
I had another brain wave too… (Shocked? So was I)
It was at a recent meet the brewer event, funnily enough this time held at Treacle Tap, on this occasion it featured the beers and thoughts of Jay Krause of Quantum Brewery.
We had a brilliant night and Jay had brought a fantastic selection of beers, but being the awkward bar-steward that I am I didn’t want any of those, I wanted another “chefs special” especially with the breakfast pie idea in mind..
Cast your mind back nine months or so and those lucky of you to have been there, will remember a rather special beer festival, IndyManBeerCon. For that event Jay collaborated with North Tea Power to create a stunning pale ale made with blood orange tea.
It was a one off brew made especially for IndyMan, or was, as Jay has very kindly agreed to resurrect it and brew it for you lucky twissupers.
I’m rather hoping it will be a perfect pairing for the pie, but as I’ve not tasted it yet I can’t be sure. If nothing else you’ll get a nice “brew” for your breakfast.
So there’s your starting point, The Treacle Tap opening early for 11am, Saturday 29th June 2013.
For a slight change from the normal stuff I’ve been writing of late, I’m returning to a bit of cookery on here as I haven’t done any for a while. I want to tell you about a malt loaf I made yesterday. It does have slight beery connections so I hope that counts…
Just to be upfront from the outset, this is a recipe from Paul Hollywood’s new book and TV series BREAD, but I’ve tweaked it ever so slightly and so I hope this is ok to put out there. If not, I’m sorry Mr Hollywood, but at least I posted a link for you. ;)
Before we start let me tell you about cascara. I was introduced to cascara by Steven Leighton of Hasbean.
“Cascara is the dried fruit from the coffee ‘cherry’, the seed of which is the coffee ‘bean’ as we know it. Normally cascara is a waste product or at best is used to fertilise the ground by being broken down. But it can also be used to brew a delicious and refreshing caffeinated drink.”
He didn’t say that of course, it’s from his website but Steve gave me a sample to try and I have to say I am hooked. It’s a really tasty drink, has a nice caffeine hit and is really easy to brew. With that and drinking proper coffee now, I have almost given up sugar and milk completely with the obvious health benefits. You really have to try it.
There are a few different types of cascara, for this recipe I have used Bolivia Finca Illimane Anastacio Cadena, which is a bit of a mouthful in more ways than one. I chose it as it has a subtle marmalade flavour and sweetness that I thought would work well and hey, it does..
Ingredients
25g of unsalted butter or a good quality alternative, I used Bertolli
1 tbsp of soft dark brown sugar
3 tbsp of malt extract (see, a beery link)
2 tbsp of black treacle
350g of strong white bread flour
100g strong wholemeal flour
8g Salt
14g fast action bread yeast
225g sultanas
500ml of brewed, cooled cascara (NOTE: you only need 250ml in the loaf)
1tbsp of warmed runny honey (NOTE: Buy something a little special if possible it does make a difference, I used orange blossom)
Step one: Place the sultanas in a bowl and pour over 250ml of the cascara, leave to soak for about 45 mins or until the sultanas look soft and slightly plump. Drain them and then top the remaining cascara up to the 250ml mark to use later.
Step two: Put the butter, sugar, malt extract and the black treacle in a pan and warm slightly, stirring all the time until the butter has melted and sugar dissolved. Warning: this smells absolutely delicious, do not be tempted to dip in the spoon and have a taste, it’s hot..
Step three: Mix the flours in a large bowl, add salt to one side and the yeast to the other. Scatter the drained sultanas, then pour over the cooled malt/syrup mixture, add the remaining 250ml of cascara and stir well until combined and you have a sticky gloopy consistency.
Step four: Turn out onto a floured surface and knead gently. Depending on the size of your loaf tins, roll the dough mixture into either one or two loaf tin sized pieces and place into the pre buttered tins. Cover with a plastic bag or bowl, large enough to allow enough space without letting the dough when risen, to touch the top. Leave for two hours. (Hint: this is a slow process, don’t worry if you see little movement at first, it should just rise to above the edge of the tin. Like the barman in De Garre as he serves you your foaming house triple says, “wait, it will come“.
Step five: Bake on the middle section of the oven at 190°C for 25-35 minutes for two small tins or nearer 45 minutes for a large loaf, check with a skewer that it comes out clean to make sure the inside is cooked through.
Step six: As you take the loaf or loaves out of the oven, brush with the warmed honey and leave for five minutes, before turning out on a wire rack to cool.
Step seven: The best bit, dive in when still slightly warm so the butter or chosen spread melts, of course you can only do this for a short time, but it’s still delicious cold too.
As I said at the beginning, the only real change I’ve made to the original recipe, is to add cascara and use it to replace the water and to soak the fruit in as that part wasn’t a requirement. To me though, it just adds that little bit extra to the malt loaf in terms of flavour and juices up the fruits.
As with most foodie posts on a blog like mine, it’s traditional to either use beer in the recipe or to recommend a pairing.
So I’m going to go with Old Tom from Robinsons, it’s readily available pretty much everywhere for starters, but I think the warming treacle and fruity port like notes will really compliment to flavours of the loaf.
I have exciting news for those of you who are joining us in Macclesfield on Saturday 29th June 2013. (note: crap subliminal message stating the date for your diary)
We got ourselves a Twissup collaboration brew! Yes, it’s been confirmed tonight that it’s definitely a goer and we have three exceptional brewers getting together to create a beer for your very own drinking pleasure.
Being brewed at Red Willow sometime soon, Toby Mckenzie will be joined by Jay Krause, head brewer at Quantum and Colin Stronge, formerly of Marble, Black Isle and now head brewer at Buxton Brewery. Can anyone smell hops?
So what’s the plan?
Well first of all it’s going to involve this…
Speaking exclusively to Mr Stronge this evening, I can now reveal some of the “finer details” and I quote:
“Turn up, mash in, get drunk, trash Toby’s hop store” and “see how we can “cough” lighten his hop load”..
That sounds an absolutely marvellous plan to me, what do you think people?
Are you a fan of dimpled jugs or a perhaps more of a straight person? Maybe you’re partial to a shaker, a nonic, a chalice or a tulip? Do you not care a jot, if not you most definitely should..
As I may well have mentioned to you before, glassware is important to me and when I’m out at a bar or pub or wherever I have been known to throw a hissy fit after my beloved beer has not been given the respect it deserves. Just because it’s a foreign beer it does not mean that any old foreign branded glass will do.
It’s not about branding either, although I do think it helps with the overall experience. With some exceptions, for example an Orval chalice should only ever be seen with a nice foaming domed head of Orval in my opinion. But as with Orval, the shape of the glass has been designed with the particular beer or beer style in mind and that should be considered when you fill it with a tasty beverage. Check this brilliant info-graphic taken from the Brookston Beer Bulletin for examples.
It’s a similar picture at home too, in fact my glassware collection is starting to take over the house, that with the beer of course. But I do have a favourite go-to glass that I use more than any other. It’s pictured below and it was part of a “classics – beer connoisseurs collection” I had given to me at last years beer bloggers conference after a session hosted by manufacturers Spiegelau. (pictured below)
The item in question is the stemmed glass on the right, listed as a stemmed pilsner glass, for me it’s more of a tulip-goblet hybrid and is perfect for aromatic IPA’s and such as it holds a good amount of beer, allows enough space for the head and most importantly focusses those lovely aromas.
Being honest all these glasses are fantastic, the quality is outstanding, the look and feel of each one is second to nothing I have ever used before and of course this improves the overall drinking experience. (No I am not being paid to write this by the way)
For this reason alone I was really excited to hear the news late last year that Spiegelau were collaborating with Sam Calagione of Dogfish Head and Ken Grossman of Sierra Nevada to create the perfect IPA glass. “Designed to showcase the complex and alluring aromatic profiles of American “hop forward” IPA beers, preserve a frothy head, enhance taste and mouthfeel, and present a comfortably wide opening for the drinker to savour each beer”.
So, despite my ever beer suffering wife’s plea for “no more beer glasses” I ordered some, and tonight am putting the new grand design to the test, head to head against the incumbent champion.
As a first observation before beer hits product, there’s a lovely feel to this glass, the precision edged lip is great as always, plus you have the slightly ridged base which feels good in the hand. The design also addresses perhaps the only flaw I could raise with some of the taller designs in that it is base weighted, these glasses are really fine, incredibly light and normally could easily be blown over in a breeze, this feels solid.
For the head to head I’m going to use a beer that I know should really benefit from the work that has gone into the design, it has an awesome aroma profile, full on taste and most importantly I know it is as fresh as fresh can be as it was direct from the brewery, Axe Edge IPA from Buxton.
Whilst there was nothing scientific about this test the beer was served at the same temperature, just chilled enough to try and maximise the aromas. At this point I should mention that my first worry about the design was unfounded, at first glance I thought it would be a nightmare to pour beer into, but on this first try at least, there was no problem at all.
After several passes of each on the nose I have to say it’s one nil to the new boy, Axe Edge is a proper tropical fruit fest anyway, but this really boosts those aromatic fruity notes right out like an Dyson-air powered hop cannon.
Surprisingly it wins on taste too, the difference isn’t huge but is noticeable unless there’s just a “new toy” placebo effect going on here, but I think not. Aroma and taste being linked, it makes sense that a glass that by design has a ridged inner surface to continuously boost aroma whilst you drink will push that aspect as you take beer into the mouth, that’s my theory anyway. 2 – 0.
To complete the clean sweep and to reiterate my earlier comment it feels great, I really like the feel of my old faithful goblet but this somehow just feels right, substantially chunky at its base to feel comfortable to hold without transferring too much heat from the hand, but remaining delicate in the upper body so as to keep the drinker, you and I, fully aware that this is no ordinary drinking vessel. Plus to top it all off the head retention, I assume being topped up by those clever ridges was excellent too, staying intact long after the other had subsided.
The verdict, well for me it’s pretty conclusive, for IPA’s at least this is my new glass of choice but I’m a glass geek for sure. Should you buy some, well that depends on how much you experiment and how much you are willing to spend and what you prefer to drink? The four glass set covers lots of styles and retails at about £30 direct from the website or from Amazon, whereas the twin pack of IPA specific glasses is £15, I’d happily recommend both to anyone serious about their beer.
If it helps to sway you though, both Sierra Nevada and Dogfish Head are donating all of their portion of proceeds from sales to hop research, a worthy cause for any hop head.
Check out Sam and Greg’s thoughts on the design process and finished product below:
Some folk absolutely love to do it alone at home or maybe out and about in absolute secrecy, hiding in shadows afraid of being discovered by a jealous partner.
Others prefer to do it groups, either privately gathered together in dimly lit rooms, or for the uninhibited, even in broad daylight the dirty swines!
My Mrs absolutely hates it and is always telling me to put it away. She says “I should stop playing with it all the time and taking pictures to show other people how good or bad it was”, “it makes you look like a geek” etc…..
Love it or loathe it, lots of us are doing it and I’m talking of course about using Untappd.
I started using Untappd late last year basically as a tool to log what I’ve tasted over the year as my memory is awful. I came to write up my Golden Pints and thought “I’ve been to some amazing places and drank copious amounts of superb beer, but I haven’t a clue what they were now”, after all, I’d slept since then.
Anyone who follows me on there knows that I don’t write much if anything, maybe the odd note or a thank you or whatever if the beer was from a friend. My rating system leaves a lot to be desired too, but again, I’m not losing any sleep over that either and would say only that you are and actually give a monkeys what I drink, then if I’ve marked it at 4 to five stars it’s probably worth a punt to being ace in my view.
What I have noticed though since I started to use the app or website, is that despite the published aim of Untappd above, I think at least personally I chat with people less about what I’m drinking now than I ever did before. Yes, if I post the beer I’m drinking via Untappd to Twitter or Facebook I do get the odd comment or sometimes a conversation commences as a result, maybe even a comment on Untappd itself, but nothing like it was in the days I first started using Twitter.
I’m not sure why this happens, maybe it’s because some people really hate Untappd and things like it and just switch off, maybe there is just too much of it now for folks to have time to winnow anything worth discussing from the chaff? Of course it could be that it’s just me that has noticed this phenomenon and you are all bored shitless of me wittering on about beer every day…
Don’t get me wrong here, I like Untappd (despite being labelled a geek) and will continue to use it, as for me it’s proving an invaluable tool to log my beer journey and I’m looking forward to revisiting all the info at the end of the year, but maybe I’ll post a bit less publicly via this and more directly in an old school stylee in an attempt to rekindle some lost friendships and contacts.
What’s your views on this, are you a lover or a hater? I’d love to hear of your experiences using Untappd and others like it?
If you’ve followed the updates for the Macclesfield Twissup, you’ll know that already we have some pretty exciting brews available for your drinking pleasure on the day.
If you can spare a few minutes, note down a list of three beers you’d like to see on the bars that day. Be realistic, they have to be something the venues have a chance at getting, so no Pliny etc if you please.
