7 Colours of the Rainbow Project 2017

Rainbow Project 2017 photo bombed by a rainbow!

It's that time of year again for the Rainbow Project launch! Now in it's fifth year, this event brings together breweries from other countries and the UK to create beers inspired by the seven colours of the Rainbow. The project started in 2013 but it was 2014 that was the most memorable. This was the year that the partnership of Omnipollo and Buxton were born with their Yellow Belly which still is produced today. This has lead them to go on to collaborate on the growing range of ice cream ales! Last year the UK were teamed up with seven New Zealand breweries however these didn't quite live up to the hype as the previous years had. Although the descriptions sounded amazing the tastes fell a little flat. That being said one did stand out to me - Black & Blue by Wild Beer and 8 Wired. This has some great spice from the peppercorns used in the brew and real lip puckering sourness. I do love a Rainbow a Project so of course I had to get a case and this year the project headed back to the US for some inspiration. I noticed from the descriptions that a few of the beers had a Mexican theme running through them. With that in mind my boyfriend cooked up some fiery soft tacos to accompany this Rainbow Project. 

Blue - Santo Del Frio by Siren and Sante Adairius

Sours are usually predominate styles within the Rainbow Project so it makes a change to see an American lager. Brewed using cryogenically frozen hops this beer has a crisp taste as well as light finish. The breweries put a lot of thought into the ingredients to give it a Mexican finish by adding blue corn tortillas and blue agave (barrel aged in tequila barrels) to the brew. I didn't really get much of the tequila but the overall finish of the beer was good. A very easy drinking lager perfect with spicy tacos! 

 

Red - Amancecer Mexicano by Magic Rock and Casita Cerveceria

This has some complex flavours running through it. The first flavours that you get are spice from the chilli and cinnamon followed up with some citrus notes. These flavours are all balanced with the sweetness of hibiscus which I suspect have also given this beer it’s colour. This sour was a great way to finish our Mexican meal but one can was enough. 

Green- Mojito by Hawkshead and Modern Times

Quite a murky looking beer from the pour and the most dominant flavour is mint. On the back of the throat I got a familiar rum warmth. I quite like this beer as I do enjoy a mojito and I think it stays true to the flavours of this popular cocktail. My boyfriend in the other hand didn't feel it was for him, “a bit too much like toothpaste” he commented! 

Yellow - Rex Apiary by Beavertown and Jester King

This beer is a bit more savoury in flavour from the rosemary, it reminds me of Walkers Roast Chicken crisps! For me though I feel this herb has overpowered the other notes listed in the beer description, honey and Texas dried lemons. I do like that Jester King have had their own culture shipped in from the US so that this beer truly had a piece added to it from both sides of the pond. 

Orange - West Fork by Partizan and New Belgium

I don't think there is anything groundbreaking about this beer but it is highly drinkable. I really like the background of the beer from my Rainbow Project leaflet. It tells a four year old story of wild fires destroying a beautiful area of Colorado where spruce tips grew. Despite the spruces not yet being ready for this brew the story is inspired by the Phoenix, rising from the ashes and being reborn. This is a really nice saison, pure and simple. 

Indigo - Indigo by Wild Beer and Side ProjectThis beer pours a pretty purple colour and smells like it is full of berry flavours. Unfortunately it doesn't live up to its promise and the taste is a little weak. The mild sourness is not something I would expect from Wild Beer so it is a little disappointing. Particularly as I am such a huge fan of their beers and the Black & Blue from last years Rainbow Project was my highlight. Hopefully they can bring it back next year! 

Violet - Burial Vault by Burning Sky and 3 Floyds

This wasn't a beer for me, I felt the flavours of the bourbon and the burgundy seemed to overpower my palate. My boyfriend however really enjoyed this white stout. He liked the balance of the burgundy and bourbon against the sweetness of the lactose. Not sure how this is linked to the colour violet but it is definitely the beer you want to finish the Rainbow Project on! 

All in all I've really enjoyed this years Rainbow Project. I think the Red and Green will have to be my favourites as they have interested me the most. Even though there was one or two from the collection that weren't to my tastes the Rainbow Project is all about being creative and having fun. It's also a good way of building relations with international breweries which can only be a positive thing in this growing beery world. 

Missed the Beavertown Bus? - Beavertown Extravaganza 2017

So it's the day after the end of Beavertown’s Extravaganza 2017 weekend and what a great festival it was. So many breweries spread out throughout the Printworks London which proved to be a great space for this type of event. 4,000 people were said to be attending the Extravaganza and to be honest it didn't feel like that many as it wasn't overcrowded. I went along on the first day on Friday and as I was getting closer to the Printworks I could feel myself getting excited. On arrival we were all given a short snifter style glass for the 100ml pours in this ‘all you can drink’ festival. I'd already looked at the beer list before arriving and I thought I had planned out where I was going to get my samples but as we filtered into the halls I was overwhelmed by the amount to choose from - it was like being a kid in a sweet shop. I saw lots of people had come prepared with their beer lists printed out. I even saw one guy had made a spreadsheet with colour codes for which room the breweries were set up in! I found it impossible to stick to a plan as breweries were rotating their beers on two taps each. You just had to get to the front of the queue and decide when you were there. 

My first beer had to be Rubus Maximus, a collab with Wild Beer and Beavertown which has been reprised from 2014 when it was special limited edition batch. I loved this beer when it first came out and was lucky enough to have one of the last growlers from Wild Beer so naturally I wanted to start my Extravaganza day with this. It was just as I remembered, fruity raspberries with a sour kick. It was a good job I went here first as within 25mins of the festival opening the Rubus was all gone! 

Some of the main events that got people talking at the Extravaganza were the Rainbow Project 2017 and Buxton/Omnipollo ice cream beers. As I have already sampled Buxton and Omnipollo’s ice cream beers I decided to give them a miss but from what I heard they were doing soft serve again! I had been looking out for the Rainbow Project beers during the Extravaganza as it looked like they would be served at their respective breweries however in the centre of the festival popped up a stand that was serving all 7. I only managed to try two of the colours, Red - Amanecer Mexicano by Magic Rock & Casita Cervecería and Green - Mojito by Hawkshead Brewery & Modern Times, but I have just ordered a Rainbow case to try at home so look out for that post! There was, however, another green beer doing the rounds at the festival. Troll So Hard brewed by J. Wakefield, a sour lemon and lime Berliner Weisse that certainly looked like it should have been in the Rainbow Project. I didn't get an opportunity to try this but from what I saw of it walking around the festival is that it was indeed an eerily green colour - hope nobody Hulked out after drinking it! 

I had even more trouble trying to pick what to eat as Kerb had supplied some really great street food stalls with so many different cuisines on display. After doing a few circuits of the food stalls I decided on a steak and chips with béarnaise sauce which hit the spot after a few beers. I also found an Indian street food stall that were selling onion bhajji bowls. These were amazing giant bhajjis served with a drizzle of mango chutney - I could see why the queues from here were so long! 

I saw on Twitter that some people had a few gripes about the Extravaganza, mostly about the queuing and that a few breweries sold out during the festival. To be honest the queuing at the beginning was a bit long but as everyone got into different rhythms the lines got shorter. Also because we were only having 100ml pours people were getting served quickly and you didn't mind waiting if it was a beer on your list! As for the breweries selling out you could see why as a lot of the big names had the longest queues, Other Half, Wild Beer, Buxton, Omnipollo and Cloudwater to name a few, so it was inevitable that they might be the first to close up. I didn't feel like this caused me any problems though, there were still plenty of breweries still serving up their beers and it was a good way of trying breweries who I had not heard of yet. 

Overall the Beavertown Extravaganza was well organised with a great display of beers from breweries all over the world. I had such a great time and tried quite a few beers, some I loved and others that weren't perhaps to my taste, but that is what it's all about. I can't wait to go again and hope to see you guys again next year! 

After the Beers of Summer have gone

Its been a busy couple of months over the summer for various reasons but I still found time for some beers. In August London played host to many festivals and fringe events, most notably the London Craft Beer Festival (LCBF) followed by CAMRA’s Great British Beer Festival (GBBF). Unfortunately I didn't make it to GBBF as the beer list didn't really appeal to me, however I was really excited to be able to attend the LCBF.

Held at the Electric Light Station in Shoreditch, the London Craft Beer Festival was overflowing with great names from the beer industry. My highlight has got to be Buxton’s newest Ice Cream ale range in collaboration with Omnipollo. Buxton kept us waiting with anticipation as they were only serving one keg at a time - when it was gone, it was gone! They were also running their slush machines offering iced beer toppings with each sample. If you’ve read one of my earlier blog posts you will remember that I already fell in love with Buxton/Omnipollo’s first range of ice cream beers - the classic Neapolitan which I was lucky to try whilst in the Buxton Tap. With my eye closely watching the Buxton stand at LCBF I got to try these latest additions to the ice cream range: Popsicle Ice cream Pils, Blueberry Slab Cake and finally the Raspberry Meringue. I honestly felt like a kid in a sweet shop with the range of beers on display. The great thing was that with the smaller servings I could get round and try as many beers as I could! 

Although August has been quite quiet for me on the beer front, my diary is packed with events to go to in September. First one on my list is Beavertown’s Extravaganza being held on Fri 8th and Sat 9th Sept. The event boasts a large gathering of breweries and friends of Beavertown from the UK and Internationally. I am really looking forward to the reprise of Rubus Maximus, which was a Beavertown and Wild Beer collab in 2014 and has got to be one of my favourite beers! The Rainbow Project 2017 is also making an appearance with UK breweries pairing up the US again this year. I can’t wait to taste the Rainbow! 

Next will be Bristol Craft Beer Festival (BCBF) being held on 15-17th September. In attendance is a range of independent and well known breweries from Bristol and the South West as well as some guests from around the UK, US and Europe. I do enjoy seeing what our local brewers have to offer so I will be looking to see whats new during this festival. 

To finish off my September I’m venturing back up north to Indy Man Beer Con at Manchester’s Victoria Baths. In my opinion a great venue for a beer festival with great cubby holes to explore in search for my favourite beers. This will be my third visit to the city and I intend to see what else it has to offer with it’s Indy Man fringe events.

Maybe I’ll see you there! 

Best of the West Women and Beer Dinner with Dea Latis

On Thursday evening I went along to the 'Best of the West' Women and Beer dinner hosted by Dea Latis, who's goal is to get more women interested and trying beers. Held at The Albion in Bristol and supported by St Austell, this was Dea Latis' first time holding an event like this in the West Country. I found out about the event via an email sent out by The British Guild of Beer Writers of which I am a member of. Despite the fact my boyfriend works for St Austell/ Bath Ales, I paid full price for my ticket and I am not affiliated with the brewery. I went along to the dinner out of my own interest and to challenge myself with food and beer pairings.

Annabelle, beer sommelier and host for the dinner, guided us through the history of women's involvement in beer production. She was very quick to dispel any misconceptions women may feel about beer, i.e. the dreaded beer belly. The main focus of the evening, however, was to look into food and beer matches that we could try for ourselves at home. From a previous blog post you may remember that I struggle with trying new foods. I was struck with fear as I realised that two out of the five courses were foods I wasn't particularly keen on but I went into the dinner with the mentality that I had to try to eat these dishes to see how they matched with the beers. I may not have eaten everything on the plates but I gave them a good try! My highlights if the evening were a chicken liver parfait teamed with Leifmans Kriek Brut and a lemon posset with prosecco strawberry jelly matched with Bath Ales' Dark Side. These two courses stood out to me as they were so contrasting and the flavours were really complex on the palate. 

A really great thing I came away with from the experience was seeing everyone eating and enjoying beers, so much so that spare bottles were being passed up and down the table. Our group had a good mixture of frequent ale drinkers and women who were new beer. I even saw a couple of ladies, who thought that they had a definite beer type, try a new style of beer and really enjoy it. I believe that most of us who attended were challenged in different ways and have all learned something about our beer preferences.  

This was the first 'Best of the West' Women and Beer dinner and I hope to be able to go again. It would be great to see some new faces next time! 

3 Tap Rooms - 1 City

Following my pub crawl around Bristol my boyfriend and I decided to check out a few of the local brewery tap rooms. The Beer O'clock Show this week held a poll and discussed whether or not pubs would be taken over by tap rooms. It appeared that the results of this showed that whilst tap rooms are increasing in popularity, people still believe that there is a place for pubs in our British beer culture. I visited three tap rooms in Bristol last weekend: Lost & Grounded, Left Handed Giant and Moor, to see what they are all about.

Lost & Grounded was the furthest tap room from the city centre and therefore was not an easy walk. Typically breweries and their tap rooms are found in industrial estates so you really have to make a special trip out to drink there. Good job Bristol has a good network of taxis! We decided to go here first as we had heard about Lost & Grounded's Summer Brewhouse Sessions. The sessions were showcasing a range of beers from Lost & Grounded as well as from invited guest brewers. On this particular weekend Verdant were on the guest taps and we couldn't wait to get stuck in.

We tried a beer made by the hosts called Easy Peasy Lemon Squeezy which was a collaboration with Pressure Drop and has to be one of my highlights of this trip. You definitely get the lemon flavours on the nose and in the taste. A great beer to start on as, likes it name, it was such and easy drinker! I also really enjoyed Verdant's I Played Bass on that Tune which had a smooth, hoppy and resinous flavour well suited to my palate and a good mouthfeel that made me keep going back for more. 

I couldn't help but notice how impressive the brewery is. Lost & Grounded's tap room is within the confines of the brewery and so you are able to see all of the equipment and some of the brewing processes. Considering the brewery has only been open since July 2016 they have some very impressive kit. I really enjoyed my first visit here but I just wish it was more easily accessible, especially after an afternoon Summer Session!

A hop back into the taxi and our next destination was Left Handed Giant's brewery and tap room. From my last blog you'll note that I have often been into Small Bar, who boasts LHG beers on their taps, but I have never been to the brewery itself. Again the brewery is in an industrial estate but there is more of a 'hidden garden' feel to it with trees and vines surrounding the site. The inside of the tap room was a mixture of rustic and industrial decor - something I notice is quite a popular theme amongst modern breweries. I immediately noticed that the main part of the brewery is blocked off in a separate room and that the space has been purposely made for a tap room. I was surprised to see only three beers available on tap but I opted for the Lactose Tolerant. A tasty milky sweetness with a deep underlying red wine flavour. Definitely a sipping beer in my opinion.

Within walking distance of LHG is Moor Brewery. More often then not I end up coming here as it is only a short walk from Temple Meads train station. The only problem is that it is in the opposite direction to the city centre so again you have to make a special effort to come here but it is worth it. Moor have 10 keg lines all dispensing their own beers as well as one cask. Claudia was my tipple of choice as I needed something to quench my thirst after our walk over. This beer has the familiar wheat flavours I expect of a Belgian style but if you get the chance, try their PMA - definitely one of my favourites! I have to confess that Moor has helped introduce me to a range of different styles of beers such as porters/stouts/wheat that I ordinarily would not have tried before. The decor in the tap room is very clean and white with their own branding embellishing the walls. Another example of a brewery who have kept their tap room separate from the main brewery. They have also made the most of their outside space by producing a nice urban beer garden.

I feel like Moor have a good example of a modern traditional tap room and beers that compliment that idea. You still get a bit of that 'pub feel' when you are there despite the minimal decor. Despite this I don't believe that the tap room can over take the services of the pub. Each has its own qualities and I will continue to keep drinking in both!  

A Beery Bristol Pub Crawl

I quite often come into Bristol and being only a short trip down the motorway or a quick train journey it’s as easy as popping into your local for a drink. Despite this I have never really done a proper ‘pub crawl’ in the city so last weekend I decided to do just that. Theres so many places to go for a drink in Bristol but I concentrated on King Street as it is central and one of my favourite areas. I was joined by my beer loving boyfriend who was happy to take on the challenge with me!

First stop was at Brewdog Bristol - just a short walk from the end of King Street. I don't think I have ever been in here and struggled for a beer choice. As ever there was a buzzing atmosphere and the delicious smell of pizza filling the room is enough to make anyone hungry! After scanning the boards I decided to try an Elderflower Sour by Chorlton Brewing Co. for my first beer. Normally I don't like elderflower but I do enjoy a sour so thought I’d give it a try and it did not disappoint. Slightly floral on the nose as you would expect but a punchy sourness on the tongue. I felt that the elderflower helped mellow out the astringent nature of the sour flavour which made it much more drinkable and perfect for a warm day. I could have stayed longer but there was more pubs to visit and more beer to drink.

Next we moved to the top of King Street which I would say is the busiest end of the pub crawl. Theres a few bars here I have never been into, one of which being our next destination - the King Street Brewhouse. We had to try some of this brewpub’s own beer so opted for the Simcoe Pale Ale. First impressions were not great as our beers were served in plastic cups and it smelt like a barnyard - but not in a saison kind of way. Unfortunately the flavour was not much better as it was thin and tasted like a poor home brew. I’ve been to the Bath Brewhouse, which is within the same pub group, a few times before but always order from the guest taps which I realise now is a wise decision.


Moving swiftly on we avoided The Llandoger Trow as it serves a majority with a steady flow of commercial fizzy lagers which are not on my radar. We also skipped past the Duke and Kongs, again because it didn't suit our beery needs. 

The Beer Emporium is one of my favourite stops in King Street. I like the concept of the bar being underground in the cellar with the low ceilings and archways giving the feeling of intimacy. First cask beer of the evening had to be from local brewery The Bristol Beer Factory with their Milk Stout. Dark and chocolatey with a milky sweetness, it tasted like the last drop of a hot chocolate. The bitter notes of this beer help keep the milk stout from tasting too sickly so is far too easy to drink! 

Just next door is the The Famous Royal Navy Volunteer which was our next stop. Last time I came to The Volly with my partner we had to walk out as there was nothing particularly jumping out to us from the beer list. On this day the boards aren't terribly inspiring but I went for a safe option, the Biere De Saison by The Kernel Brewery. To coin a phrase - “there’s no such thing as a bad Kernel beer” - and it is absolutely true! We didn't stay long here as whilst the beers available were good there was nothing radical on the taps. 



At the end of our King Street crawl was Small Bar. I feel like there is a gravitational pull here every time I come to Bristol. I really like how the beers are presented on the boards with sections for the different beer styles - pales, sours and lagers to name a few. I remember when I first started drinking beer that this made it so clear and easy to choose at the bar. There is even a list called Crazy Stuff if your feeling more adventurous! Small Bar has the closest thing to a permanent line of beers from local brewery Left Handed Giant and you’ll quite often see the LHG team helping out at the bar. I’ve come to Small Bar for the Rainbow Project launches as well as other tap takeovers. It’s a firm favourite of mine and I will continue to make this a definite stop every time I come to Bristol. What a great ending to my King Street pub crawl! 

Smoke Free Anniversary

This weekend marked 10 years since the smoking ban was placed on the 1st July 2007 in the UK. At the time there was some protest from publicans and punters alike who claimed that this would mark the decline of the Great British Pub. 

Campaign group Freedom Organisation for the Right to Enjoy Smoking Tobacco (F.O.R.E.S.T.) released a report highlighting it’s concerns for public houses since the ban was put into place. They state that over the last 10 years there are 11,383 fewer pubs in the UK which they believe to be contributed by legislation. Despite this many landlords believe that the ban has been one of the best things to happen to our pub culture, and I have to agree with them. 

Since I have been of legal drinking age the no smoking ban has been in place. As a child I remember going to the pub with my family for meals and sitting in a room surrounded by smokers. I remember leaving and the smell of stale smoke clinging on my clothes and in my hair. Now because of the no smoking ban you can see groups of people from all ages as well as families in pubs feeling more comfortable and enjoying the atmosphere. Those who do smoke will go outside and I think that in a lot of ways this has helped deter people from sparking up in the first place! 

This is of course what the government intended - a reduction in the numbers of people smoking. Cancer Research UK state that there are now 1.9 million fewer smokers in the UK with the proportion of young smokers dropping from 26% to 17%. 

So 10 years on since the smoking ban was introduced and in my opinion it can only be a good thing. I appreciate that in the beginning pubs may have lost some trade but I think as people’s perceptions towards smoking changes then pub culture will start to improve too!