More and more people want the food and drink they consume to be gluten-free, whether that’s for a medical reason or a ‘lifestyle choice’. The range of gluten-free products on offer has increased accordingly, and this includes gluten-free beer. Brewers are working hard to meet this demand and deliver beers low on gluten but high on body and flavour.
You can’t go out every night during January. What if you want to take part in #tryanuary from your home? Well, here is some really great news for the beer curious wherever they may be, in South London or further away: BeerBods are offering a fantastic deal to anyone signing up for one of their subscription boxes during January. I’m a …
2017 is almost over, and like lots of you, no doubt, I find myself looking back over the year and thinking about some of the memories that stand out. This year saw lots of beery beginnings for me. 2017 was the year I began my training as a beer sommelier. It was the year I began home brewing, after a …
We had a mini Christmas lunch of sorts, on the day before Christmas Eve. And because we were in a celebratory mood we didn’t skimp on trimmings. We piled them high: pigs in blankets, bread sauce, sage and onion stuffing, roast potatoes and parsnips, glazed carrots, broccoli, and of course the gravy. Proper gravy, not a granule in sight. I …
Do you know someone who loves beer so much that merely drinking it isn’t enough? Is he thirsty for every drop of knowledge he can find on the subject? Does she want to learn more about all the beer styles out there, and how to pair them with the perfect dish? Or perhaps that’s you I’ve just described? Either way, …
I was already drinking beer fairly regularly before I started my training as a Beer Sommelier. Then I looked at the huge variety of beer styles I was going to have to become familiar with, and quickly realised I was going to have drink an awful lot more. (I know. Poor me.) A thought came to me right away: is …
Having previously enjoyed Brick Brewery’s Rhubarb Sour, which I have since learnt sold out within just two weeks, I was pleased to get hold of their Lime and Watermelon Sour. It pours a pale golden straw colour with a slight haze, and gives off an inviting, spritzy, fruity aroma. The initial taste is fresh lime, big and punchy but also …
A delightful oddity: its main aroma, by a long way, is banana. Hardly surprising. But delve deeper and you will find aromas of fake banana sweets, then pear drops and bubblegum. In the glass this clear golden beer sparkles with lively effervescence and is briefly topped by a snowy head of foam, although this dissipates with moderate alacrity. The first …
Beer is a natural product that contains, and is hugely influenced by, a host of living micro-organisms. (That’s the yeast!) This living beer will continue to develop over time. Sometimes the changes are welcome, sometimes less so. How you store beer can have an effect on this. So, it’s worth knowing how to store beer so it’s at its best …
Some people like their beer cold. It’s how beer drinkers have been taught to enjoy our brews for years. This is particularly true if you prefer a lager. But did you know that the colder your beer is the less you can detect its flavour and aroma? Other people like theirs a bit warmer. But how warm is too warm? …
