Orkney Brewery

Scotland seems to be the place to be at the moment when it comes to beer. Personally, what I like about Scottish brews is that they seem to be able to maintain a certain identity; there's not mistaking a Scottish ale these days, from the innovation of Williams Bros Brewing Co to the ever-popular Harviestoun, to the regal air of Traquair. It's that locality that any region that wants to hold its own in brewing needs to latch onto and keep.


The most impressed I've been of late was with a couple of bottles of Orkney's beers. One was brought back from a Scottish visit at the start of the year, when these beers were somewhat rare in my neck of the woods. Last week I topped it up with another, and was struck by how easy to get Scottish craft beers are now.

I have a predilection for beers that included with word 'Red' in the title - for me, it conjures up heat, roasted malt, depth of flavour and a little sweetness - which is essentially true of the superb Red McGregor. It pours deep, ruby red, and there's a real bitter hop-hit towards the end of the sip, and a floral nose, but there's a huge heart of malt in this beer. A friend of mine remarked that he thought it tasted a little of Anchor Steam - and in respect of the sweetness, I can see his point. I'd like to think that on cask the hoppiness may be toned down a little, but I wouldn't even know where to start with finding this.

On the opposite end of the scale, Northern Light (sounds like a whole new style, doesn't it) is a super-easy drinking Pale Ale, although I thought it was more in line with a Golden Ale. Again, there's a bitter, citrus hoppiness that fades surprisingly fast, and the aroma is that wet grass/hay that you get with beers like this. The body is a little thinner that its darker brother, but overall this was a perfect summer quaffing pale. Fans of Harviestoun's Bitter & Twisted, Goose Eye's Wonkey Donkey and Hopback's Summer Lighting should head here.

I bought the Northern Light from Simpson's - an unashamedly posh deli near The Adelphi and Pin. They've overhauled thier beer range and now have a decent stock including Leeds Brewery's Pale and Midnight Bell. Do have a look.

A Quick London Hop

...And so it was a mini-session around London that was in order this weekend, seeing as though I was spending some time visiting a friend.
Bellies full of Bratwurst from the (having as usual) Borough Market, we duly joined the ranks amassed outside The Market Porter. Ever dependable, our pints of Bay's Best started lunchtime off very nicely, and although I had never even heard of Bay's, they certainly make a tasty, malty-sweet best.

At the opposite end of the scale, Meantime's London Pale was the catalyst to a major breakthrough - my good mate Rich, who prefers maltier beers and is the only beer-drinker I know who baulks at 'Over-Grapefruity hops' in beer, declared his MLP as 'actually rather nice'. Huzzah.
After a early -afternoon raid on Utobeer and a quick shower later, we emerged into a lovely sunny afternoon. After a couple of beers along the way, we finally got to The Lamb & Flag, where a decent pint of Young's Special hit the spot after a hot tube journey. I really do like this sweet but fruity beer, and it was nice to find some.
Food-wise, La Perla, (A mexican cantina in Covent Garden that I've blogged about before) was as good as it was in 2007. Street Tacos - Soft flour tortillas with pulled Pork and Prawn meat with lashings of chilli salsa and sour cream managed to be sweet, hot, sour, salty and sweet all in one mouthful. A couple of Dos Equis washed them down. Good Food, Good Prices, Good Staff.
Full of Mexican food, we sauntered to The Harp to finish the night on Darkstar Hophead and Original (A beer that I have neglected in the past but am developing a serious jones for) before giving into familiarity and ordering some Taylor's Golden Best.
Overall an entirely pleasurable Saturday night.

Kudos of the Weekend go to whoever parked their black VW Polo outside the Market Porter on Saturday lunchtime - with two Leeds United Badges in the back window and a dangly Leeds Badge on the rearview mirror, you certainly drew a salute. Nice to see, in the middle of London!

Yorkshire Dales Brewing Co.

If that's not an evocative name for a brewery, then I don't know what is. Rolling hills, glowering skies and no-nonsense brewing. That's what I think of when I think of 'Yorkshire' and in a lot of ways that's what the two beers I've just enjoyed from the Yorkshire Dales Brewing Co are.

First up is Great Shunner (4.2% abv). A dark amber-hued beer, the aroma is mostly cola, with a sweet malt and a hint of biscuit. Quite dark for a 'session bitter'. it turns out to be fairly thin in body but with a nice, late, bitterness. The head stays around for a while, and its an easy pint to drink.

Much more complex, but strangely lighter in alcohol, is the Darrowby Dark (3.7%abv). The first thing you notice is the smoky aroma, which does carry through to the taste. Hopped milder, this beer is firmly pitched at the Dark Mild clan, and does a respectable job. There's a slight hint of bitter chocolate in the body, aloing with a late cherry/red fruit hit, but the lively carbonation again renders the mouthfeel a little thin - when in this case it could be more strong.

Both beers are decent enough, and I would certainly make a beeline for their cask counterparts - there's a lot going on in these beers, flavour-wise, but the bottle-conditioning gives them both a lively feel that doesn't quite do them justice. YDBC have a decent array of bottle-conditioned brews, and I'll buy more in the future.

The Station Inn, Whitby/ The Vic, Leeds

It's been ages since I reviewed a pub - simply for the reason that no new ones (or ones worth writing about) had popped up recently. That all changed at the weekend when I was pleasantly surprised by The Station Inn in Whitby.

Now, I like Whitby. Really; I like the beach, the Fish & Chips (although getting pricier each visit) and the uneasy alliance formed between the Goths and Chavs that make up about 80% of Whitby's tourist population at any one time. One thing that Whitby does not have, however, is decent pubs. Sorry - my opinion - but I really can't say any appeal to me. Except The Station.

Situated, well, opposite the train station, it's a small, three-roomed pub with an excellent array of beers on offer. I counted Timmy Taylor's Best, Sharp's Doom Bar, Copper Dragon Challenger IPA, Daleside Blonde, Black Dog's Whitby Abbey Ale, Adnam's Bitter and Courage Directors. Not changing the world, admittedly, but a fine lineup. Being a nice day, I plumped for the Daleside Blonde and Black Dog's Whitby Abbey Ale - the latter being a lovely, moreish tawny best that warranted a second pint. The beer was in excellent condition, too. I'll be visiting again, for sure.

Last week, at the presentation to Foley's of the CAMRA Pub of the Year award, we got talking about The Victoria & Commercial Hotel in Leeds - a pub that I had visited in ages. It's still a quiet oasis from the screaming bars of millenium square, with all the ornate windows and woodwork that I remembered. The huge main room is a wonderful place to sit and have a drink. Situated just behind the town hall, Nicholson's have done their usual efficient preservation job and the result is a lovely, unfussy yet grand pub. The beer is good too - when I visited, Tetley's Dark Mild, Acorn's Barnsley Bitter, Cairngorm's Nessie, Sharp's IPA and Morrissey-Fox's (or whoever brews it this week) Proud of Pubs Best Bitter. Out of curiosity I ordered a pint of Mo-Fo (please shoot me if I ever use that phrase again) and nearly fell over; for it was actually rather good. A thick, creamy head gave way to a huge, malty best with a massive sweetness at the end. A slight smokiness lingered - fans of Milds and Dark Milds should hunt this one out.

So far a week of pleasant surprises, all in all.

The Station Inn, New Quay Road, Whitby, YO21 1DH - Tel: 08721 077 077

The Victoria & Commercial Inn, Great George Street, Leeds: Tel - 0113 2451386

BrewDog Tokyo - tasted...

...Well, I've spent the last couple of hours tasting the most talked about beer this week - BrewDog Tokyo. At a massive 18.2% abv, the alcohol content of this stout has gained most of the press, but we've had very little on taste so far. I've never had anything this strong before, so it really was a first.

Once the incredibly lively, orange head dies down, you're left with a stout as dark as a Newcastle supporter's mood. It really is black. The nose is where you get the first hint of how strong this stuff actually is - there's a brininess to it that, for me, was a little meaty. Before you drink it you know it's going to be hot, but the once the initial warming alcohol fades, you get a surprisingly round, raisiny fruitiness with only a whiff of smoke - just before the final bitter tang and another hit of alcohol to warm the throat. It's certainly not as dry as I thought it would be, being an imperial stout. It is dry-hopped,but for me the malts and oak chips dominate the flavour profile.

Of course, It is ludicrously strong; you can't get away from that. In fact, one bottle is a struggle - furtive sipping is the way to go with this one. However, I found it surprisingly well-balanced, and quite unlike anything I've managed to get my mitts on yet. And that's the point of beer-hunting isn't it?

Now, I'm feeling a little sleepy...

GBBF List Now Available...

CAMRA have begun emailing out the beer lists for the GBBF – although I’m not attending due to other, non-beer-related commitments, there are a few beers on here that I would have made a bee-line for, and will be worth checking out.
Fuller’s 2009 Vintage Ale will be available on cask – so that’s stop number one right there. Bartram’s Cherry Stout, Hawkshead’s Organic Oatmeal Stout and Dark Star’s Espresso all satisfy my penchant for the dark. From further afield – and this is what the GBBF is about, for me - 32 Vei Dei Birrai’s Oppale, Grado Plato’s Amber Lager Strad San Felice head up the impressive Italian Beer section, with Allagash’s Odyssey, Tuckerman’s Alt & Widmer Brother’s Drifter Pale Ale all being on my list for some time now. Ditto Galway Hooker.
From these shores, Bristol Beer Factories’ Milk Stout should be on, and beers from Triple fff, Loddon, White Shield, Salopian, Highland, White Water all coming recommended. But that’s just me - there’s loads to choose from, as you’d expect.
A shame I won’t get to try, but I’ll live. I’ll enjoy reading the myriad of posts from my fellow bloggers afterwards. Let me know how you get on.

Beer Before Chess....

Genius, as always, from Toothpaste For Dinner

Grattis, Brewdog.

Although recently it's seemed that its in every beer blogger's job description to include at least one article about BrewDog, it was with genuine pleasure that I read that BrewDog have had a very successful first half of the year - and have just wrapped up a deal to become Britain's #1 imported beer brand in Sweden.
So what - it's Sweden! you may snort into your freshly poured 77 - but, despite proving that the Swedes clearly have decent taste - for me, this news sets the bar a little for what Independent Brewers can achieve.
Not only have BD managed to get the financials spot on and become a very sound business (a side often overlooked in Brewing), they've done it by not being safe. This, let's not forget, is why we (generally) love them in the first place. Remember your first sip of Trashy Blonde and Punk IPA? That search to land a bottle of Tokyo and the simple genius of the Paradox series? The whole Zeitgeist-art-gallery-orgy -then-buying-crates-of-the-stuff-for-knockdown-prices thing? It was as if the US 'Spirit of Adventure TM' had drifted off course and ended up in Fraserburgh. And don't even mention the Portman Group debacle (and the priceless marketing that achieved). Hunter S Thompson would be proud.
Yep, what lifts my glass is that BD have managed great growth but stayed true to what they do best. Imagine if thier next beer was 'BrewDog Bitter', a lank, trad, been done a thousand times beer. Unthinkable. Yet it happens all the time; other breweries roll out a thousand variations on one theme. Not BD - whack on top of this the fact that you've got green credentials in plans for a new eco-friendly brewhouse, and BD fast become a real success story with a good heart, too. Awww.
So, here's to it, lads. Congrats, or rather, Grattis. Just don't change, eh?

Home-Made Fishcakes

Although you need a little bit of forward planning, home-made fishcakes are super-easy to make, and are actually a great little beer snack. Surprisingly, tinned fish makes better fishcakes than fresh, I find. To be honest, you can use any fish you like, I reckon - but here's my version. Be sure to use fresh herbs though - it really does make a difference in the end.

Fishcakes (makes 6-8)
You Will Need:
One tin of Red Salmon
One small tin of Mackerel
150g of potatoes - Rooster's or King Edwards will do fine
2 tbspns Mayonanaise
2 Hardboiled eggs, cooled and chopped
2 pickled gherkins
A small amount of chopped anchovies - about four
Salt & Pepper to season
A pinch of Cayenne pepper
Chopped, fresh parsley and dill - a good fistful of each
A squeeze of Lemon
A dash of tomato puree

1. Boil your potatoes, and mash. Then, in a large bowl, add the mayonnaise a mash some more. Use a fork to then 'whip' it up so it's creamy.
2. From here, all you need to do is add your fish, gherkins, egg, and various seasonings to the potato and fork again - enough to mix but don't obliterate it.
3. Cover, and chill for three hours. This is really important - if your mix is not chilled, it will dissolve in the pan.

Get a couple of plates out and in a bowl crack two eggs and whisk. Place some plain flour on one plate, and some ready-made breadcrumbs on the last one.
In a chip-pan, heat up enough oil to shallow fry the cakes.

When the oil is hot, shape the mix into cakes, then dip into the egg, drain, then into the flour and then roll in the crumbs. Then place the cakes carefully in the hot oil. They'll only take a couple of minutes each side. When cooked, drain on some kitchen paper and serve with a big dollop of tomato or tartare sauce.

Easy enough, but takes a bit of planning for the mix to chill. As for the fish, use what you like. I washed this down with a cold pint of Timothy Taylor Landlord Pale Ale. I chose this great beer because despite being pale, it's got a really bitter edge and a really juicy maltiness that stands up to the oily fish without overpowering it. Lovely.

North's US BeerFest

My drinking has had a distinctly American feel to it this week with North Bar bringing over baskets of US Beers for us to taste. And taste we did.
First up, Flying Dog's In Heat Wheat. This must be one of the few Flying Dog Ales I've not yet tried, to so get hold of it on draught was a great opportunity. Pleasantly refreshing without being cloying, it had a smooth, banana taste at first that soon mellowed even further, leaving a little bit of Marzipan behind. Very tasty, and very moreish. Next up, the much-lauded Dogfish Head 75 Minute IPA - or 'Johnny Cask', as it's more commonly known (Click here to find out more about the Johnny Cask System). I really enjoyed this - yes, it was a blend of the 65 and 90 Minute IPA's so you kind of know what to expect - but still managed to become something different. Smooth, with only a little alcohol warmth at the end, and a balanced (although very fresh) hoppiness running through it. There's a real malty sweetness to it too, but it remains citrussy and not too cloying.

Victory Prima Pils next - although I have to be honest and say I didn't really think it was too Pils-y. It was decent though - lots of earthiness on the nose, and a high, astringent hop bite at the end of a long sip. Again, quite a fresh taste, although quite sweet. Interesting, and something I think I would try again; although I personally thought it had more in common with a Kolsch on steroids.
Sierra Nevada's Smoked Porter finished my week-long tasting, with a subtle smokiness and chocolate to coat the tongue. With a bottle of Rogue Dead Guy Ale waiting for me at home, I will continue my US-Centric drinking well into next week, I reckon.

Honey Chicken, Honey Beer

...Put your chicken pieces onto a baking tray and put in a preheated oven at about 200c. As they cook, blend three large spoons of honey, two teaspoons of Wholegrain Mustard, one teaspoon of dijon mustard and some parsley, if you have it.

After about ten minutes, give the chicken a coat of this sweet gunk, and put back in. Give it another ten, the repeat. Then another ten, and repeat. Keep coating, and you'll end up with great glazed chicken. It's like continual hopping that Dogfish Head do, but with food.

Serve with corn on the cob, and a cool pint of Cropton's Honey Gold for a quick and tasty midweek TV supper. Now, where's that Charlie Brooker programme I Sky+'d from last night...

Festival Time

It's the season for beer festivals, without a doubt. Here's a quick roundup of the ones that stand out for me. If you're near any of these you should check them out - there's nothing like a good fest to try something rare, hard-to-find or new.

The wonderful beer-hall at Hawkshead hosts their annual beer festival, 23rd & 24th of July. Hawkshead are, in my opinion, a great brewer, and their beer-hall will provide an excellent backdrop to beers from Palmer's & Arkell's to name a couple.

Breweries from the Kent area get centre-stage at the Kent Beer Festival (16-16 July), with Hopdaemon and Ramsgate among the treats. For Yorkshire treats, North's American Beer Fest and the highly-rated Harlequin are good starters for ten. The Harlequin's a great spot in Sheffield, and although I can't find a beer list (help, anyone?), I'm sure it'll be worth a visit. The Ship and Mitre are holding a Belgian Beer Festival on the 29th July, and the Reading Real Ale & Jazz Festival sounds like a decent weekend, too - with beers from Oakham's, Elgoods and Hopback on for your delectation. Beer and Jazz. Love it. And for steam enthusiasts, there's the Poppy Line Beer Festival at Sheringham Station (17th-19th July), featuring beers from the East Anglia area, food and entertainment.

Oh, and there's something called the GBBF going on too.

The Week So Far in Beer

With the weather being so damn humid, the pull of the quick beer after work has seemed stronger this week. What better way then to let the rush hour pass sipping a decent pint, so that you can enjoy a much less stressed journey home?

First up, Shepherd Neame's Whitstable Bay Organic Ale. A beer I've tried in the past in bottled form, and been fairly unimpressed. The draught version is a little creamier, but still doesn't have a lot of body. Some would say perfect for this kind of weather! It's got a great colour, though, and a really peppery hop nose.

Next up, St Austell IPA. Again, I expected a little more from this in the way of hops. However, it does have a nice, biscuity body and a refreshing, sweet aftertaste. I could probably drink a lot more of this, and I don't see it often in Leeds.

Sleeman's IPA on the other hand, is a different beast. Since being permanently installed at Foley's Cask Ale House, I've been drinking a lot of it. Sweet, but with a bitter hop bite, it's a wonderful, frosty friend in these climes. My personal nadir of Sleeman's IPA worship was taking three colleagues to Foley's post-meeting, all self-confessed Lagerheads, and convincing them all to try one. They did, and declared it 'Fucking nice, that, man'. And my work here is done, as they say.

Red Squirell's Conservation Bitter is another solid, sweet, easy-drinking beer that further enhances my respect for them, and Cairngorm's ludicrously named Nessie's Monster Mash kept up the standards too, although this ruby-coloured leviathan was a little heavy for the weather.

All in all, a good week so far. Bring on the weekend!

These fine beers were sampled in The Palace, Mr Foley's Cask Ale House, and The Scarbrough Taps.

Rogue Brutal Bitter & Amber Ale

Ok. The sun’s shining, there’s a smell of barbecue in the air, I’ve looked at about as many wedding venue brochures as I can take and i’m going to see Fleet Foxes in a couple of hours. Time, I think, for a beer. So it's out into the garden I go with a brace from Rogue.

I do like Rogue's beers, even if they do have a habit of tasting similar. Saying that, I don't drink enough of their stuff to really get a hold on 'their signature', so maybe that last comment was unqualified.

Anyway, it's a taste I like and the intriguingly named Brutal Bitter (6.5abv). You wouldn't get an English brewery deeming their bitter 'brutal', would you? It'd be something like 'Morally Questionable Bitter', or 'Bitter That's A Lot Nicer Once You Get To Know It'. It's not that brutal either (Those playful Americans!) - it's a nice beer, albeit a standard US Pale amped up to 11. Bitter, in the traditional English sense it ain't, but it does have a nice creaminess to the body that is sometimes missing from the more hop-leaning US brews. Copper in colour, and with a massive, high bitterness, it's a refreshing, decent beer despite being a little thick - it's surprisingly balanced, too.

Next up, American Amber Ale (5.6abv). One of my favourite styles; and it doesn't disappoint. Lighter in colour than the Brutal Bitter, but much sweeter, and with a less pronounced malt backbone. The hops come through on the nose and at the end of the sip, leaving a slight pepperiness. Ultimately, for me, it'd be too sweet to drink a lot of, but for lovers of US Crafts (ie Me), it's a pleasure to drink.

I like Rogue. I like their beers (a lot of them; over 150, I reckon), their image, their ethos. I liked them even more after finding an enlightening profile of Rogue Leader Jon 'More Hops' Maier on Youtube. Still hands-on despite his age, Jon embodies the spirit of American Brewing - especially for Rogue. Check it out.

The Unexpected - Or Was It?

Don't you love it when you buy a mixed case of beer, and one totally surprises you? Maybe one that you would have normally passed up, in other circumstances? This happened to me last night, with Young's Special London Ale.
As I drunk this nectar, it occured to me that maybe I shouldn't be surprised. After all, the last three bottled offerings I had tasted from Young's had also been brilliant - Double Chocolate Stout (A classic), Kew Gold & Waggledance - so why not this?
Special London Ale reminded me of Sierra Nevada Pale Ale - don't scoff; hear me out. A gorgeous copper colour, and a fruity, peppery hop presence in the nose. The malts were nicely balanced, all candied sweets and caramel. I also thought that for all its sweetness, Special London Ale had a surprisingly long bitterness - closer to an IPA in those terms. For a beer sitting at over 6% abv, it was surprisingly easy to drink; so I drunk it. And I will go buy more.

Anyone know where I can get this gem on draught?

Tomato and Feta Prawns

...A variation on an old Mediterranean classic; sort of a tapas dish. Just something we knocked up with what we had, and eaten in the garden on a surprisingly warm afternoon. Nothing fancy:

Heat your grill. Slice two large tomatoes and lay in a pan with a good glug of Olive oil and some black pepper. Slowly simmer so that the tomatoes soften but do not lose thier shape. Add a splash (not too much) of balsamic vinegar over the top.

Whilst they are softening, crush two large Garlic cloves and sling in a warm pan with another teaspoon of Olive Oil and about 250g of Prawns; the bigger the better. Flash fry, and when done whip off heat to prevent overcooking.

In two bowls, pour your tomatoes and then your prawns. Crumble some Feta cheese over the top, and place under the grill to soften the cheese a little. Finally, shred some fresh Oregano and Basil over the top. Serve with Crusty Bread for mopping up the tomato juices.

Easy, fresh and moreish. We enjoyed a couple of chilled Konig Ludwig Weissbier with this. Seafood and wheat beers are my favourite food and beer match by a country mile, and although Konig Ludwig can be a little unsophisticated on it's own, it's smooth sweetness meant that we got through the beer as quickly as the food itself.

Things don't have to be complicated.

Bristol Beer Factory

I managed to try a couple of beers from the Bristol Beer Factory this week, on draught at The Midnight Bell in Leeds. I always enjoy seeing a couple of beers from a brewery I had not heard of - and I liked what I got.

Red actually turned out not to be that red at all in colour - well, not compared to Irish Reds - but was the pick of the two nonetheless. A firm, biscuity backbone gave way to a really pleasant smokiness on the way down, with not a great deal of hop presence overclouding it. Lovers of dark milds should take a detour down this road if you get the chance. Red certainly hit the spot after a day at work, and was finished very quickly indeed.

And so we moved onto Sunrise - and with the name, you kind of know what you're going to get. A lot more effervescent than the Red, and a strong golden yellow in colour, Sunrise was a lot more in-your-face, refreshing and fruity with a massive citrus kick at the end. Sunrise has a big flavour, but despite this it certainly cleared the dust from the throat, so to speak.

Bristol Beer Factory seem to be heading in the right direction, and it was a nice change to see their wares in Leeds. In some ways it makes sense for them to be on sale at The Midnight Bell, a Leeds Brewery pub, because BBF seem to be a similar company - a young, fledgeling brewer quickly establishing themselves as serious players in the beer stakes. They also have a floating barge-bar that is pulled in to action from time to time - which is very cool indeed. According to their website, their Milk Stout seems to be a bit of an award-winner - so I'll be keeping an eye out for that.

Beer & Art, Art & Beer

Whilst reading Ralph Steadman’s memoir The Joke’s Over recently, it occurred to me how much his schizoid imagery is ingrained into the ethos of Flying Dog, the brewer whose beers are advertised by these little works of art. Before you’ve drunk it, you kind of know what you’re going to get.
Steadman leads a tirade against the corporate brewing houses in one chapter, and then gleefully recounts being the guest of honour at a beer festival, along with some prototype artwork for the GABF 2004.
It’s all pretty heady stuff for not only a beer-nerd but an avid collector of all things Gonzo. It didn’t start here - he designed a wine label for Oddbins (which, if I remember correctly had a pirate or a parrot on it?) a few years back, and as you read he turns out to be quite the beer, wine and whisky aficionado; only too happy to lend his images to those he feels a kinship with. And why not? To a design whore like me, the label of a beer can often be the hook that lodges in my cheek, pulling my hand toward that particular beer. And it could just be serendipity that one of my favourite artists happened to hook up with a craft brewer (If only Coop or Jay Ryan would do some labels - I’d be in beer-art heaven).
We lament so many hoary, old-fashioned and formulaic beer label and pump-clips flooding our senses, that when something new and shiny pops into view it invigorates us and renews our fervour. Listen up, folks – This is good. This is progress. Sure, we love ‘Breweriana’ but need something more -and there’s not a lot of it in the UK, I’m sad to say. This is probably due to our proud brewing history –and I’m not for one second berating that. But I can’t help thinking - Did I only buy that Flying Dog beer due to the instantly-recognisable Steadman artwork? Maybe -That first bottle, an outstanding Gonzo Imperial Porter, sits empty in my kitchen, like a proud work of art. So it did its job. I passed up one other beer...for that. A sale for Flying Dog. Hurrah, everyone’s happy.

They (‘They’ being the sinister marketing men - booo) say that you take the first sip of a drink with eyes. If faced with a pump clip of a cartoon hound rutting a leg and had a comedic name like ‘Quickie’ or ‘Knee - Trembler’, you wouldn’t drink it, would you? It may as well be called ‘Trad crap-beer with a vaguely humorous label (if your humour was based on entirely 1943 standards)’.
I’m ranting, obviously, but all I want is good design – not for me; I’m lucky enough to like beer enough to try most things. I’m calling for good design to hook in those who don’t know what they are getting, but simply ‘liked the label.’ The industry needs those new drinkers.


So what appeals to me? I love the Orval label, an exercise in cleanliness and simplicity. Wonderful. Anchor Steam’s cartoony, hand-drawn lines and playful ‘skittle’ bottle-shape always brings a smile to my face. I love the brash colours of Speight’s – but not so much the beer. Ommegang’s Hennepin – now that’s a sexy label. Give me a poster of that for above my fireplace. I love the intricacy and faith to type that Sam Smith's keep going; and Bath Ale's modern way with country themes are great. I could go on, but this is a long enough post already.
What’s your fave? (and please, don’t suggest Brewdog’s Zeitgeist. That’s been done.) Have a think about it.

If you've not been on the Flying Dog site, do. It's very good, and yet again another example of what can be done if you really think about what your customers want.

Foley's Online

I am happy to announce that Mr Foleys Cask Ale House, one of Leeds' best watering holes, now have a blog up and running - and is linked over on the right. Do drop by; there's some details of the new additions to the bar - Sleemans IPA (Very nice indeed, fans of SNPA should give it a whirl) and Taddington Moravka (which I really don't need to say any more that in the last month or so I've converted at least four 'lagerheads' to this wonderful stuff. That's an impressive strike rate!)
...And Congrats from us for winning the CAMRA Pub of The Season. Well deserved.

Thanks, Dean.

'Village' Spaghetti

We've been to Greece enough times now to have a pretty good idea of what food the country has to offer. Imagine my surprise, then, when a dish I hadn't actually heard of turned out not only to be delicious but quite new to us. Immediately after eating, I whipped out my phone and started writing what I thought could be a recipe for it, to try when I got home. And here's the result. Yes, I could have asked the chef how he made it, but that would be cheating, wouldn't it? My version has more Rosemary and Spinach in it for no other reason that I like them both...lots. Anyway, it's named after the restaurant we ate it in, just like they do.

'Village' Spaghetti (serves two hungry people)

Spaghetti

About 10-15 sliced green olives

Four pork sausages, taken from skins and pulled into peices

Three rasher of smoky, streaky bacon - chopped

150ml Double Cream

1 tblspn Tomato Puree

1 tspn Red Pesto

1/2 tspn Dijon (Or good English) Mustard

Pinch of dried Rosemary - or fresh is better

Spinach - a good couple of washed handfuls

Black Pepper

Olive Oil

1. Get your Spaghetti cooking in a deep pan of salted water.
2. With a glug of olive oil, brown your sausage pieces. When browned, add your bacon and turn down the heat to cook through.

3. When the bacon and sausage is cooked through, season liberally with black pepper & rosemary and add the sliced olives.

4. After a further couple of minutes, add the cream, pesto, mustard and puree to the meat and stir through to create your sauce.

5. By now your pasta will be well cooked, so drain it.

6. Stir the spinach into the sauce and let wilt; once wilted, you can pour over your pasta and mix.

7. Enjoy.

This is one of those dishes that looks familar due to the ingredients involved, but turns out to be quite unique. As always, do make sure you use good sausages and bacon - and you must use smoked bacon. So do give it a try, you'll like it, I tell ya.

I paired this (somewhat out of season) with Flying Dog's Dogtoberfest Ale. This Marzen-a-like has sweetness, but enough slightly smoky body to compliment the creamy sauce rather than overpower it.

Cheers!

The Old Village Taverna is on the main street in Skala, Kephalonia. Do try. It's one of the best tavernas in the village, and has great wine and whole fish dishes.