BrewDog Edge

Although BD first brewed this a while back, Edge remained one of the few from their stable that I hadn't yet tried - until this afternoon. I was looking for a pleasant, lunchtime sesssioner, and found it in spades. At 3.2% abv, present-day Edge is a little stronger than when it first appeared (which I understand was around 2.7%abv!) but it remains a wonderful, wonderful beer, and a joy to drink on draught. A thick, tan head gives way to a black-pepper and coffee-led body, with a wonderfully refreshing fruitiness underpinning the whole thing. Despite being packed with flavour, the whole package is stupidly easy to drink. Given the current trend for 'Cascadian Dark Ale' (or whatever they're called this month), this makes a whole lot of sense. The weather is pulling us toward the season for dark milds, stouts and porters, and my lunchtime pint was supremely enjoyable. Nice to see that BD can still pull it out of the bag for lower-strength beers.

I enjoyed Edge in The Victoria, Leeds - should still be on now if you want to try it.

Quick News Round-Up - MTT Expand Further, Foley's and Tap Up For Awards...

A couple of post-worthy snippets caught my ear this afternoon: Firstly, Market Town Taverns have announced that they are currently refurbishing the forgettable Waterhole on Great George Street and turning it into Veritas Ale & Wine Bar. It should be opening in early October, and given MTT's track record, this is great news for Leeds beer drinkers. Along with the imminent opening of East of Arcadia, and another site in Meanwood, it would seem MTT are going from strength to strength. And well deserved, too - MTT represent a safe pair of hands, and Veritas will form an intriguing little beer circuit at that end of Leeds with Foley's and The Victoria.

Speaking of Foley's, they've just been shortlisted for the Publican Cask Ale Pub of The Year, along with another Yorkshire stalwart, The Sheffield Tap. Congrats to both, and well deserved, I might add.

Brewery News; Rooster's have a pumpkin ale ready for Halloween - keep an eye out - and the ever-popular Naylor's have opened a new Beer Emporium, selling their wares and also a few homebrew supplies, as well as a bar, at their brewery. Knowing how many Ale enthusiasts live in the Keighley area, I'm sure it'll be popular. Wharfebank are now stocking an IPA named WISPA, and thier eagerly-awaited Black Tom Mild is now available. Keep an eye out. Anyway, that's it. Keep on reading - and drinking. Cheers.

Monks and Helpful Barmen

I’ve spent the last few weeks swanning around the Italian Lakes, enjoying a honeymoon and taking a well-earned break. The food was awesome (more on that to come later), but Beer was sadly lacking. Despite being in the North, we simply didn’t have enough time to take in any brewery visits – however, I must stress that this was not really the point of the visit. I did, however, manage to try a couple of tasty morsels in amongst that gallons of wine and Weizen (It’s that or Nastro Azzuro) that I’ve consumed in the last three weeks.
I’m sure that if you’re reading this, you’ll have developed “The Eye” – an ability to walk into a beer aisle, or bar, and within seconds targeting an alien beer label or pump clip; the ultimate target – the one you haven’t had. Terminators have a similar function, but they use it to sort out the random public and Sarah/John Connor before blasting them into next week with high-powered weaponry.

As a result, I’ve managed to pick up new beer in Garden Centres, Garage forecourts, gift shops and even Theatres. In Venice, I found a bottle of Birra Dolomiti (4.9%) nestling away amongst waffle cones in a Gelato stand. Odd, but what the hell. Despite being advertised ‘Pils’, it was in fact more of an Amber Lager – sweet, with a grainy, caramel & boiled sweet body, with a floral hoppiness in the nose. It was little too sweet for me personally - but after a few days of lagers, drinking something with a little body and hop aroma was manna from heaven. And the Pistachio Gelato was excellent, too.

Terminator-Eye ('cos that’s what I’m calling it from now on) also came in handy in Florence, where a coffee shop (and a damn charming one at that) was selling bottles of 32 Via Dei Birrai’s Audace (8.4%). One was duly bought and taken home, where I enjoyed it with lunch the next day back on the terrace. Apricot-colored and with a billowing head, there was a familiar bretty/spicy nose one would expected from a top-fermented Blonde. The taste, however, was much fruitier and lighter than I expected – long, smooth, and packed with citrus peels and peaches, leading to a honeyed, sweet finish. A ridiculously easy-going beer, packed with flavour. Gimme more. In fact, I was so taken by this, I didn't take any pictures. Hence the web-shot. Apologies.

The nearest village to where we were staying was Bardolino, a pretty, typically lakeside village enshrouded in Vineyards. We’d explored the place a few times before hitting upon Asso Bar (stop sniggering at the back – it translates as ‘Ace Bar’), which set itself apart by offering an excellent array of Belgian beers. Given all the Osterias we’d been drinking in, this was a refreshing change of pace. Knowing our schedule I’d given up hope of trying any more decent Italian beer by this point, but this all changed when I got speaking to Christian, the owner of the bar. He knew what I was getting at the second I ordered a beer and asked where all the Italian Craft beers were.

We had a chat about beer quality, relationships with brewers in both Belgium and Italy, and stocking what they want to stock versus what they can actually sell (I’m sure the likes of Zak and Matt could probably attest to that, working in the industry and all). I bought some beers from a Benedictine Monastery based near Milan (for a decent insight to the monastery itself, see here) with his recommendation. Finally, he dug out a bottle of Baladin Open and insisted that I take it away – with his blessing. Beer really does bring out the best in people. The encounter gave me a warm glow for the rest of the day.

The Cascinazza Monastery currently produces an Amber (6.4%) and a Bruin beer, and both were really pleasant. The Amber was on the dark side, with plenty of dried apricot on the nose. Livelier than the Audace, it had a much spicier taste to it, despite again being fairly easy to drink for its strength. The tobacco-coloured Bruin (8%) packed in much more flavour; sultanas and raisin on the nose with a touch of vanilla, a full, rounded body with not much bitterness. We drank this with a selection of cured meats and it was perfect – enough body to stand up to the food. Despite both being quite lively carbonation-wise, I thoroughly enjoyed both beers.

The Baladin Open (7.5%) was something else though – man, what a beer. Golden-hued, with a thick, creamy head, the nose is pure tropical fruits and Lychee. Hints of Strawberry ripple through it, and the body is packed with the sort of juicy malts to balance everything out. Smooth & refreshing, this was without a doubt one of the best beers I’ve tried yet – a sort of quasi-IPA, I guess, with one of the best aroma profiles I’ve ever had the pleasure of experiencing. The fact that it was a gift from a stranger makes it all the sweeter.

Grazie, Christian!

Birra Del Borgo/Dogfish Head - My Antonia

I've been looking forward to My Antonia for a while - not only because I've never tried an 'Imperial Pilsner' before, but it's also my first Italian Craft Beer. For some reason, ales from Italy have passed me by of late.

Birra Del Borgo and Dogfish Head are the fathers (Awww ain't it cute, Sam!) of this wonderful beer, and given that I have no reference point, I'd go as far as to say it has one of the most unique aromas I've ever had the pleasure of smelling; floral, bright, sweet and with a vibrant, green hop character. I expected a bit of citrus in there, but no; the profile is almost herbal, all wildflowers and spice.

Gold in colour and sporting a thick, billowy head, the mouthfeel is thick, and the masses of juicy malt lay down a sweet-enough foundation for that late, long bitterness, which make My Antonia a supremely refreshing beer, despite having an abv of 7.5% and a lot of flavour. There's a liquorice note in there too, which is surprising but works; and in summary I'd say that of the whole package - the label, the bottle, the flavour - all works. IPA fans will ave something to latch onto, Golden Ale and Belgian Blonde fans will have something to latch onto. This is new beer, from a brewery that is growing within a scene that is growing. I loved this, and I'll be getting whatever else I can get my hands on from BDB.

This leads nicely to the fact that I'm taking a little time off - and this will be my last post until October. I'm getting married at the weekend, and then spending a much-anticipated honeymoon in the Italian Lakes, where I'm hoping I can try some more luscious Italian Craft Beers - here's hoping. I'll still be tweeting and all that jazz until next week - but as for blogging - I'll speak to you all in a month's time.

Cheers!

SWB P6 Brew #3

...A bit late, this one, but I had to get it out there. SummerWine's IPA project continues apace, with Brew 3 landing last week at Foley's.

Gold-hued, there's a strong Lime and Grapefruit note here. I also found it a little less sweet than Brew 2, which made the beer just a touch thinner and lighter. Balance is still the key word here, however, and it's an incredibly refreshing, juicy IPA that tastes nowhere near it's 6.6%abv.

Brew 4 is in the Cellar now, apparently - so get yourself down to Foley's for a taste.

SummerWines new blog can also be found in the links section - it's well worth a read. >>>

Greek Lamb Pasties

This is a recipe I've had kicking around for a few weeks now, back when the sun was out (remember that - I think that was our Summer? Whenever I have leftovers, or want something simple but tasty to eat, I generally think of putting things in pastry and making a Pasty. Simple, yes, but that's how I work. To follow my Spanish Pasties from last year, these beauties are thier Greek cousins.

If you want to make your pastry, then a classic shortcrust is what you need – take 200g of Plain Flour, and add 50g of Butter. Add 50g of Lard and a pinch of salt, and rub together with your fingers to make a mix that will resemble breadcrumbs. Add luke warm water slowly – you won’t need a lot, really – until it binds. Wrap in cling film and leave in the fridge for at least 15 minutes before using. If not, then you can buy perfectly good pastry frozen these days.

For the filling, sweat down one large red onion in a couple of teaspoons of Olive Oil. Add Lamb Mince – about 500g – and brown with the onions. Add to this 4 minced cloves of Garlic, 100g of Chopped Olives, and a good few handfuls of torn spinach leaves. Season with black pepper, and the herbs that give it a flavour of Greece; Oregano and Mint. Fresh is always better – chop the leaves and add to taste; but dried will also do – just be generous with the seasoning. Stir in a tablespoon of Tomato Puree to thicken the juices in the pan, and leave the filling to cool.

When ready to cook, pre-heat your oven to 200c. Roll out your pastry and, using a plate or side saucer (depending on how large you want the pasties) and fill one half of the circles with the cooled filling. Before folding over to make the pasties, top the mix with crumbled Feta Cheese. Fold over, crimp, and place on a greased baking tray. Glaze with beaten egg and cook for about 25-30 minutes, until the pasties are golden. Baste a couple of times as you go for a great golden colour. And there you go. Filling pasties that are big on flavour. What's more - they taste even better cold, the next day. Try it.

Total disclosure time - I made these a few weeks ago, with WharfeBank's excellent CamFell Flame in mind. I was lucky enough to get a sample of it from WharfeBank to take home and enjoy - and that's the version that will appear in the next CAMRA New Full Measure magazine (You'll have to get yourself down to a pub to get it, bottle-boys).

However, I'm fully aware that that option isn't open to most of you so in terms of beers to enjoy with it, so try to go for something with a rich, sweet body to contrast with the sharp cheese and bring out the lamb; I've since enjoyed some of this batch (frozen, of course) with Brooklyn Lager and Ringwood's Old Thumper. On top of that, I'd recommend trying out Rudgate's Battle Axe, Butternuts Porkslap Pale (could'nt resist - you can buy it in the UK now!), Cain's Raisin Ale, Meantime Union or Cameron's Strongarm. Off the top of my head.

A Trio of Pales; Ilkley, Acorn and Wentworth

Since the football season started again, my intake of Pale ales has shot up dramatically. I don't know why, but when watching the footy I almost always go for a Pale - Stouts, Porters, Wheats, Wits...other styles just don't cut it. I suspect it's due to their easy-going nature, but that's not to underplay Pale ale. It's my favourite style, as much for the varying interpretations of it out there, as for it's sessionability. Pale Ale really is a blank canvas. Here's three that have really hit the spot of late.

First up is Ilkley's Mary Jane (3.5%abv). MJ's a beer that I've enjoyed on draught a few times now, but it's a rarity for me in that I think I prefer it's bottled counterpart. MJ's orange-grapefruit aroma really comes alive in the glass, and the slight carbonation means that it's got a softer, more mellow mouthfeel than some bottled pales have. It's clean, thirst-quenching and exactly the sort of Pale we seem to like these days - hopped with C-hops, and with a decent bitterness. American-influenced, if you will. Ilkley are a relatively new brewery but are filling the trophy cabinet already and becoming a firm favourite on the Yorkshire brewing scene. Keep up the good work, lads.

A brewery that needs no introduction (on TGS, anyway) is Acorn - purveyor of consistently high-quality beers. Blond's (4%abv) no exception - a grainy, cereal-tinged body gives way to a lemony aroma and surprisingly dry finish. In fact, it's this dry, crisp finish that makes Blonde a success in my opinion. It's super-pale, but packs in a lot of aroma. Another one for Acorn completists to have a bash at, I think.

Finally, staying in Yorkshire (thanks lads!), Wentworth's WPA (4.%abv) is well worth a try. Straw-coloured, it's got an amazingly vibrant apple/pear nose; one that you really don't expect. Well-balanced, with an excellent bitterness at the end of a very long sip, it's one to drink a lot of, for sure. I'd love to try this on draught and compare the two - I really didn't expect much out of the ordinary from WPA, but was surprised at its depth of aroma. A pleasure to drink.

The Garden Gate, Hunslet, Leeds

When Leeds Brewery announced they were rescuing The Garden Gate in Hunslet from dereliction, a cheer went up across the Leeds beer community. It seemed like a match made in heaven, and one that was warmly welcomed at the time – but, a few months on, has it worked?

After spending an entirely pleasant lunch there, my answer would be a resounding yes. I’ll be honest – I’d never been here before. I’d been aware of the building’s importance in Leeds folklore as one of the original Tetley Heritage houses -built in 1903 and grade-two listed - and seen many a picture of its outstanding tiled facade, but it had remained just that bit too far out of town for me to venture toward. I won’t make that mistake again.


The building is jaw-droppingly beautiful, and my pictures don’t do it justice. There’s a warmth to the building that invites you to venture inside - and that is partly down to its new owners, who have kitted the bar out with Leeds’s solid, ever-dependable beer range, and wisely kept every feature about the pub intact, creating an incredibly welcoming atmosphere. Not that they’ve had much choice - the mosaic floor, the tilled bar, the acid-etched glass partitions; before, you would go in just to gawp at the tilework – now there’s a quality of beer to be had, too. It’s a deceptively large pub, and has one bar serving two rooms. Leeds Pale, Midnight Bell, and Best were on (and all in excellent condition, I might add), along with one guest Leeds beer per month and a couple of guests - Tetley’s Dark Mild and, on this occasion, Lancaster Blonde.

As I sat with my beer and chatted with the new hosts, Adam and Ciara, the one thing that struck me was the reverence for the building. Yes, they are young; but they are more that aware of the history of the pub, and the task they have on their hands. Currently working all hours, the two (and their entrancing dog, Diesel) are committed to making this work. Previous pub companies have treated the GG with a fraction of the respect it deserves, and Leeds, along with Adam and Ciara, seem determined to make sure that isn’t that case again. Given the situation, I don’t think Leeds could have given the task to a more suitable couple.
This attitude epitomises how I feel about Leeds Brewery.

Through buying up a varied selection of pubs and bars across Leeds, they’ve catered for all tastes and become firm fixtures in Leeds’s drinking circuit. The Midnight Bell may be full of modern, clean lines, but it’s still an old-fashioned ale-house at heart. Pin may tout cocktails and music as its USP, but it bears well-used pumps for Pale and Midnight Bell. And as for the Brewery Tap – well, it does have the cities’ only on-site lagering facility (when it’s up and running), and is always a good bet for a decent pint before that train home. Despite producing solid, dependable beer, Leeds have been quietly buying up an eclectic range of premises in which to enjoy them in - and for that, they should be praised.

What you have here is one of the most unique drinking experiences in Leeds. A building that has to be seen to be fully appreciated. Sure, it’s all of four bus stops outside Leeds, but it’s no excuse at all - visit the Garden Gate for a beer, and you’ll have drunk in a rich part of Leeds’s beer heritage. Catch it while you can – the BBC are filming here later in the year, and there’s a tour of the building next month for Yorkshire Heritage. This is one of Leeds’s most important pubs, and there’s no reason for you to ignore it now.


To give you a snapshot of what might happen when you do ignore buildings like this, here’s a shot of the once-proud Sun Inn on Kirkstall Road – a sister pub to the Garden Gate, if you will. It hasn’t served cask ale for a while, and now the pubco in charge of it has seen fit to let some bloke sell furniture out of it. A sad end to a building of genuine importance. I don’t claim to be a saint – I haven’t set foot in the place in years – but the pub companies have got to give us a reason to go in the first place. Leeds have done that and more with The Garden Gate – maybe The Sun Inn is ripe for a rescue?

I got to The Garden Gate on the No 12 Bus, caught outside the Corn Exchange. Once in Hunslet (about ten minute's journey), get off at Morrison's, and go across the small courtyard to the right of the shopping centrereach the pub - it is hidden away somewhat. There's a good source of information about The Garden Gate, The Sun Inn, and a number of local Heritage pubs here. Visit the pub's website for further details of promotions, opening hours etc.

Sausages. Beer. That's It.

Fresh pork sausages from Kirkgate Market, fried in tonnes of onions, eaten whilst still hot with a jar of mustard for dipping. A robust, malt-led beer to accompany - Bevan's Bitter from Rhymney Brewery. That's it. Thank You.

Old Friends

One of my favourite things about Beer is its ever-changing face; seasonality keeps the pool fresh with new beers to look forward to every year, with their ever-so-subtle differences in last year’s batch keeping us intrigued. With new releases, limited editions, new trends (for example, the recent explosion in ‘Cascadian Dark Ales’ or whatever they are called this month) and collaboration beers constantly hitting us, it’s a good job there’s a lot of beer to go round. It keeps us on our toes, and I for one never cease to be amazed at new ground broken.

With all this going on, it’s easy to lose memory of those influential, classic or downright special beers. The ones that got you started. The simple ones, the ones that have dropped so far down the pecking order that the last time you drunk them you didn’t have facial hair (in my case, anyway!).

I've enjoyed two beers recently that I'd let fall into that category. Worthington White Shield first; what a beer. Although brewed by Coors, and purists may sneer, it’s still a great beer and one that I genuinely regret forsaking for so long; incredibly balanced, sweet as hell but with enough bright, citric bite to wake the tastebuds up. The bottle conditioning gives you that distinct ‘yeasty, fresh basked bread’ nose, and a liveliness that only makes it more refreshing. A wonderful Burton beer, and one that I enjoyed so much I went and bought another two bottles the next day. And I shouldn’t have been so readily willing to miss the Burton Twissup; lesson firmly learned.

Sam Smith’s Organic Best Ale was the next beer to take me back in time. I drink Sam Smith’s beers all the time, so much so that I will happily admit that I’m quite blasé about the whole brewery. I do love their whole image, that of arcane and proudly traditional brewers*, and the White Rose of Smith’s is as familiar to me as the Triangle of Bass, but for me, Smith’s represented ‘normal’. And we all know that ‘normal’ often means ‘ordinary’. So I cracked open the heavy, wonderfully-labelled bottle without a second thought; one to quaff whilst watching the football.

How wrong I was. After one sip I was concentrating fully on the beer; Crisp, with a caramel-led body that gives way to a gloriously fruity, apricot-tinged finish, I was in heaven. There’s an estery, sour note in there that gives it a wild, rangy edge, yet - as usual with great beers – everything is balanced. A masterful beer indeed; and a true example of how complex a ‘Yorkshire Best’ can be. So – new resolution time. Every few weeks, I promise to re-visit an old favourite. Looks like there’s been a whole seam of beer enjoyment there I’ve been ignoring for far too long. I don’t put this post up to educate about the beers, but to hopefully ask you; have you been ignoring an old friend for too long?

*There's not much out there about Sam Smith's, but Zak Avery wrote an excellent profile in October 2008's now-defunct Beers of The World Magazine, if you can track it down.

Grozet & Ebulum

It was my birthday on Friday, and some colleagues of mine bought me one Williams Bros's Historic Ales of Scotland boxes. Although familiar with Fraoch, I'd never tasted their Grozet (5%abv) before, so it was with some curiosity that I cracked it open and dove in.

Super pale, with a really green, apple-like flavour, I was quite impressed. It was chilled, but I think this only enhanced its dryness. The accompanying leaflet states that someone descrbed it as 'Pale Ale with Champagne' - I'd probably agree with that. There's not much on the nose but its a satisfying beer nonetheless.

Despite sounding like a tropical disease, I really enjoyed Ebulum (6.5%abv). Pitch-black in colour, it has loads of raisins and plums on the nose which follow through into the body of the beer along with a touch of smoke. It's strength is a little more pronounced, but it has real fruit-led depth and is sweet to enhance that even further. I didn't really get the elderberries, though - sorry, Williams Bros. Fans of darker, stronger beers should give this a go, and I will probably seek some out once the nights start turning colder.

Clams with Celis White

This is what I'm doing to console myself for not being able to attend the GBBF (too close to wedding, funds won't allow!). Clams are great right now, fresh and so much lighter than Mussels. For the easiest beer/food match, into a large pot chop a shallot and saute in butter until slightly golden. Pour half a pint of white wine, salt, pepper, and a swirl of olive oil onto the onions and simmer for 4/5 minutes. Add 3 cloves of chopped or minced garlic, and tear up some fresh basil to add at the last minute.Throw your clams in, wait until open, and serve with crusty bread. The Basil gives this dish a fragrant twist.

I know I do this sort of stuff often but I love it. So quick, so tasty. Clams are really good with Celis White, which I prefer to Hoegaarden if you can get your hands on it. Pierre Celis obviously needs no introduction (but I've attached one anyway) to beeronauts, but I find his white much fruitier, lighter and maybe a little drier than other Wits. I could drink it all day, really. An ideal summer beer with an ideal summer supper.

Porkslappin' @ North

North started their annual U.S Beer Fest today, and with it being Friday and all, I moseyed on down for an extended lunch and a little look-see at what was on offer. A tip-off via Twitter (presumably from the ever-helpful Matt) had alerted me to the presence of Butternut Brewing's Porkslap Ale - a beer that I'd been curious about since declaring it 'Quite possibly the best name for a beer ever' a few months back. A Tad frivolous maybe, but I was genuinely interested.

So, this lunchtime, here it was, sitting in front of me in all it's porcine glory. The can was snapped open, the beer was poured, and I'm happy to report....It's all right. Not ground-breaking or anything; but I don't think Butternuts claim it to be. Taste-wise, it's along the lines of Brooklyn Lager, only much less complex; toffee-led malt and that familiar boiled sweet/candi sugar rule the body, and there's not much hop complexity save for a quick, dry bitterness at the end. I could drink a couple more, anyway. Or is that just because it's canned; some kind of subliminal message to chug? Anyhoo - mission accomplished. Porkslap....slapped.

North's US beer fest range gets better every year; we seem to have moved on from the household names of Sierra Nevada and Anchor, and those importers and suppliers are coming up with the goods. Brewers like Odell, Flying Dog & Dogfish Head are becoming more and more ubiquitous (and deservedly so, I might add, in Odell's case) and my notes of the bottles in the fridge make for an impressive list; Great Divide, Big Sky, Buckbean, Moylans, Tommyknocker, Green Flash, Uncommon and Victory all sit, waiting to be sampled. Add to that the likes of SN Bigfoot, Stone IPA, Left Hand Stout and Brooklyn Lager on draught (Brooklyn's a regular at North now), and you've got a new set of choices for your weekend.

In fact, your hardest choice will be deciding simply what to try. The Grove in Huddersfield have also extended thier bar range to include a number of U.S gems. Here's A Swift One's thoughts on the matter....

Hopdaemon's Skrimshander IPA

I'd had this beer kicking around for some time, and when I cracked it open I cursed myself for not doing so sooner - although it was a long time ago now! I didn't blog it at the the time, but have since got another bottle in in order to evaluate it more seriously - and it was worth it. Hopdaemon are not a brewery that I'm overly familiar with, but that will change from now on. I loved this; copper in colour, with a hint of bready yeast and a touch of hop-pepperiness on the nose. Body-wise it's light but quite sweet, and that gives a little more balance to the moderately sharp, citrussy bitterness that comes along at the end. I had chilled the bottle slightly and it certainly quenched the thirst - but this is one beer I'll drink again and would love to try on draught, if anyone can tell me where this may be possible?

Here's to many more, Hopdaemon.

Turkey Yakitori with Rogue Dead Guy Ale

I love making Yakitori - little sticky bites of Soy Sauce-rich poultry goodness - but have recently dumped the traditional Chicken for Turkey. I find Turkey sweeter, tastier (because let's face it, Chicken is pretty bland) and it seems to marinate better. Turkey thigh's even better - with a deep, rich flavour. Because this dish is oven- grilled it's not massively authentic - but in terms of beer snacks it's a belter.

It couldn't be easier to make but does require a little forward planning - essentially it's a two stage process. Firstly, 24 hours before you cook it, marinate about 300g of diced Turkey in about 100g of Dark Soy Sauce, and 3 tbspns of Honey. To this marinade add four chopped cloves of Garlic, and a splash of Shao Hsing Rice Wine. This isn't hard to find in Chinese markets, and you can probably pick it up in supermarkets now. It's a little like sherry, and adds a unique bite and subtle smokiness to the marinade. Stir up, cover well, and leave to marinate in a fridge for the aforementioned 24 hours.

When ready to cook, make a basting sauce up from more Dark Soy sauce and Honey. You can make it as thick as you like; in fact, the thicker and stickier the better. Set your grill on high, lay out your turkey pieces on a grilling tray, and baste with the sauce. Grill for about 5 minutes, then re-baste. Repeat this every five-ten minutes, turning the meat and basting as you go. You want to build up a good coating on the meat, which should take about 20 minutes to cook. To finish, sprinkle with chunks of sea salt, and serve on a bed of rice.

It's natural to want to serve something like this with a pilsner or decent lager as you would do in a noodle-house, but I find that sweeter, more malt-led beers actually match the sweetness of the Yakitori in a much more interesting way. I enjoyed Rogue's Dead Guy Ale with mine; loads of caramel and crystal malts in the body, a smooth taste, with the hops only coming on late in the sip as a refreshing bitter bite. A sweet beer for a sweet meal.

Thornbridge Halcyon 2009 IPA; A Toast

In praise of Thornbridge; I can't say enough. For me, they remain at the very forefront of brewing in the UK, consistently brewing top-quality beers that not only challenge, but satisfy at the same time. They must be close to being the most-blogged about brewery out there too, so I know I'm not alone in my blind love for Kelly, Stef and the team.

In fact, Stef was recently named UK Brewer of the Year, which is just the icing on the cake and a massive acheivement not just for Stef but the entire Thornbridge team. For a personal toast, I popped up to Beer-Ritz (where else?) and stocked up on Halcyon (7.7% abv). It's my current favourite Thornbridge Beer (although that changes with nigh-on each new one I taste) and perfect for a toast.

Russet-amber in colour, and topped with a head that lasts and last, the beer is a lesson in balance: a sweet, honeyed body that supports a fruit-burst of hop aroma (Grapefruit, Gooseberries, even some Strawberry in there) and a long, smooth sip that hits you right at the end with a juicy, bitter hit. It's green-hopped, and you can tell when it's a fresh batch; Green is an apt word to describe the overall hop profile. I could drink this all day and never be bored with it (until they brew something new, anyway).

So well done, Stefano - and keep up the good work. You're making this guy very happy indeed.

Visiting WharfeBank Brewery

Yesterday morning we attended the official opening of WharfeBank Brewery. Despite only being a recent addition to Yorkshire’s brewing fraternity they’re causing a ripple already with their full-bodied ruby beer CamFell Flame winning Beer of the Festival at the Leeds Beer Festival this year.

We timed our arrival perfectly to coincide with that morning’s mashing in, which unleashed great malt-scented clouds of steam up into the rafters; no matter how many times you smell it, it always takes me by surprise at how wonderfully comforting it all is. Tony Jenkins, working tirelessly throughout the day, took us through the process, the equipment itself, and the genesis of their core beers.

WharfeBank currently brew three core ales: Tether Blond (4.1%abv), Slingers Gold (3.9%abv) and the aforementioned CamFell Flame (4.4%abv). Seeing the hops piled high in the cold storeroom, I remark that there seems to be a lean towards high-alpha hops (which I’m happy to see), and Tony concedes that the recipes have been formulated to simply give new twists on traditional tastes. This seems like simplicity itself, but as an ethos it’s a good one.

Taste-wise, the beers are certainly very good. CamFell remains my personal favourite of the stable, full of gently roasted flavours and an ever-so-subtle coffee aftertaste. It’s a surprisingly light beer for one with such a deep, rounded flavour, and is dangerously sessionable. Sessionable seems to be a pre-requisite, as Tether Blond is refreshing; super-pale and loaded with fragrant citrus notes. Slingers Gold continues that citrusy freshness on the nose but is smoother and fuller in the body.

WharfeBank is the baby of Martin Kellaway, an ex-cricketer who dived into the world of brewing whilst working with Caledonian and Fuller’s. He also owned the Fox & Newt Brewpub for a while as a tenant landlord and began crafting beers on their on-site kit. After gaining some investment through local grants and supporters, WharfeBank was born.

He should be proud; the brewery itself is all excitingly shiny and new, and the staff were only too-happy-to-help. The opening itself was a success; plenty of people there, some wonderful locally-sourced barbecue to go with the beer, and I’m sure that when Lib Dem MP and all-round-good guy Greg Mulholland formally declared WharfeBank open, the team breathed a collective sigh of relief.

Leeds-wise ,Wharfebank’s beers are currently available at The Grove, and will be available in Wetherspoon’s shortly. If you are a pub who wants to get WharfBank’s wares on the bar, then jump over to their website (linky above) for details. Special thanks to Tony Jenkins and Dhiraj Pujari.

SummerWine Project 6 IPA Brew 2

...Regular readers will be familiar with SummerWine's Summer IPA project, and I'm pleased to see that Brew #2 landed this week. Brew#2 proved to be a paler pint than #1, and, as expected, loaded with hops. Whereas #1 had a more herbal, green note, #2 has a much more citrus-led profile. I don't know what hops are in it, but I'd hazard a suggestion of Centennial and Amarillo being present. Still smooth, and very drinkable for its abv as before, #2 is a much fruitier beast than its predecessor.

Still, I'd like to do a side-by-side comparison, as well - What about bottling this set of big IPA's, SummerWine lads?

As usual, tasted in Foley's.

Ridgeside Brewery Launch *This Weekend*

New Leeds brewery Ridgeside will be unveiling their first brew on Sunday in Wakefield. The launch will take place at O'Donoghues (owned by Great Heck Brewery) and the beer will start flowing at 12.00 noon, supported by a presentation and a buffet (what's a beer launch without a buffet, eh?).

Head honcho Simon Bolderson told me that Ridgeside Beast (4.7%abv) will be ready to taste, and describes it as a 'Deep red, old English Ale'. Sounds lovely. Simon's story is a now-sounding-familiar one: experienced homebrewer taking the plunge after his job circumstances changed. Simon is committed, and clearly enthusiastic about beer, and that in itself deserves a pat on the back.

Unfortunately, I can't make it - but I think you all should, and tell me how it went. Looks like I'll have to wait a little longer to get my grubby paws on a pint from Leeds' newest brewer.

Wold Top's Against The Grain

I'll be honest; Gluten Free beers usually leave me cold. Thin, insipid affairs that just don't satisfy me - despite trying most that I find. To me, it's an oddity - it's a style of beer I regard with curiosity. My notion was that one day I'd find one that I like, and that in itself would be a discovery worth hailing.

Well, it finally happened. I picked up a bottle of Wold Top's Against The Grain (4.5%abv) and chilled it down to cope with the mini-heatwave we are enjoying. And cope it did: super-pale, with an all-important cereal bite in the body that most Gluten-free beers lack (in my opinion). On top of that, a wonderful nose of lemon and lime, and a good amount of carbonation making it a real thirst-quencher. I'd happily drink this again, and that's the highest praise I can give a Gluten Free beer.

If anyone else wants to recommend a gluten free beer you think I may like, don't hesitate to let me know.