Raise a Pint for Burns' Night

Should old acquaintance be forgot, and never brought to mind? 

The first line to Robert Burns’ famous poem Auld Lang Syne which asks is it ok to forget the old times? Traditionally this is sang on Burns’ Night, where a dinner is held to celebrate Scotland’s most famous poet. Scotland is steeped in history and it is often remembered with their traditional food and drink. One such piece of history lies in their beer culture and whilst I was in Edinburgh I discovered the 80/-, or 80 shilling beer.

The 80/- beer’s origins go back to 1880 when malt and sugar taxes were replaced with Beer Duty. It was then the Shilling System was put in place. Ales were named on the prices per barrel, with more value on the stronger beers with higher alcohol content. The weaker beers were dubbed ‘light’ ales and the stronger ones ‘wee heavies’. 

The 80/- ale I tried was by Stewart Brewing who are an independent brewery based in Edinburgh. Whilst they are innovative with craft ales they are also brewing Edinburgh’s traditional beers. I was unsure what to expect from this style of beer as I have never come across it before but where better to try this then in Scotland itself. The liquid poured out a rich chestnut colour with close textured lacing on the head. When I took my first sip I noticed how the foam had a ‘cling’ much like a Guinness. Despite this the creamy mouthfeel was surprisingly quite light. I found there wasn't much of an aroma but the taste of toasted malt caramel was powerful - well they don't call it a ‘Wee Heavy’ for nothing

I think it is great that more modern breweries are still brewing traditional and historical styles. It shows great regional pride, much like Scotland’s Haggis and Scotch Whiskey. Whilst we move forward in the beer industry with new styles and processes, we should be reminded not to forget the history of different regional beers. As Robert Burns wrote:

And surely you’ll buy your pint cup! And surely I’ll buy mine! And we’ll take a cup o’  kindness yet, for Auld Lang Syne.

Slainte! 

New Beer Resolutions

Hoppy New Year! It’s the beginning of 2018 and I’ve decided to make some resolutions to help me along my beer journey. I’ve been inspired by the hashtag #Tryanuary so there is a theme of trying new things to my resolutions.

First of all I would like to spend more time considering the beer menu in bars and pubs. I previously have blogged about how anxious I feel sometimes when choosing a beer from a menu, particularly if I don’t know the beers or it is a new bar. I want to try to feel less pressured to make a choice and maybe have the confidence to speak to bar staff about their recommendations.

Secondly I want to try more cask ales. This might be a tricky one but it is something that I resolve to do in 2018. I am always more eager to try some of the unusual or crazy keg beer styles but I think this year I need to take a step back and appreciate some more traditional styles to widen my knowledge.

I also want to get more involved in home brewing. My boyfriend and I have dabbled in home brews with some success but we have kept the recipes quite safe. It would be great if we could have a go at some different beer styles, and with him receiving a new brew kit for Christmas I think we’ll be able to achieve this.

Lastly I would like to drink more beer styles to try and work a bit closer towards the final beer sommelier examination. A couple years ago I started the process with The Beer Academy (now The Beer and Cider Academy) and completed all the foundation work but felt that I didn’t have the knowledge to take the final blind taste test. As I don’t work in the beer industry this has been hobby and so it has been limited to part time. I would like to start testing myself and drink a range of different beer styles, rather than sticking to the ones I know, so that I can feel more confident with flavours.  

I can’t wait to get out there and start achieving my resolutions and widening my knowledge about beer. It is great that we have the initiative of #Tryanuary, particularly at this time of year to help support all links in the beer chain, but I think this should be continued throughout the year. I certainly intend to try to keep my resolutions and maybe it inspires some of you to make some too!