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Aug 06

London Craft Brew

Posted in: ale, lager, microbreweries, stout

Three small batch breweries rethink the The Big Smoke’s take on beer

Nothing goes better with a carefully constructed burger or a gourmet hot dog than an equally well-crafted beer. With London’s independent food scene heating up, a number of local producers are creating brews to match this artisanal sentiment. Born from the quest for better-quality beer, here are three we’ve found that stand out for their distinct flavor and meticulous brewing process.

Redchurch Brewery

Following an unfiltered brewing process, Bethnal Green’s Redchurch Brewery bottles each beer live for the most in flavor and maturation. The 10-barrel brewery launched a year ago by lawyer-turned-brewer Gary Ward, who aims to raise the bar for traditional English beers by adding more depth to the classics with big, hoppy flavors. The Redchurch range currently includes aptly titled brews like Hackney Gold, Hoxton Stout—a rich, dark beer modeled after Guinness Foreign Extra—Shoreditch Blonde, Bethnal Pale Ale, India Pale Ale and Old Ford Export Stout.

The Kernel Brewery

Located in South London, The Kernel Brewery also bottles their beer alive, allowing it extra time to grow and mature while in the bottle. Now three years old, the brewery is the upshot of former cheesemonger and Kernel founder Evin O’Riordain’s trip to Brooklyn, where he became inspired by the level of attention paid to both producing and consuming beer. His range has grown to include a handful of porters, pale ales and IPAs, as well as an award-winning stout based on a recipe used by a London brewery back in 1890.

London Fields Brewery

Started just a year ago, London Fields Brewery reflects Hackney’s industrious spirit and artistic fervor. The 10-barrel brewery currently handcrafts five regular beers, including Pale Ale, Hackney Hopster, Unfiltered Lager, Wheat Beer and Love Not War—a nod to the London riots, which trapped the first batch inside the brewery. An integral part of the community, London Fields also frequently collaborates with their peers to create both experimental beers and neighborhood food events, like their summer affair with The Dead Dolls Club and their pop-up with Tomscoopery gelato.

Jul 18

Innis and Gunn Irish Whiskey Cask

Posted in: brewery, cask, stout

The accidental birth of the perfect summer beer

In 2002, a whiskey distiller approached Dougal Sharp, a top brewer at Caledonian, to create a method of brewing whiskey that would give it an ale finish. Sharp invented a process that would impart a beer flavor onto the oak whiskey casks, but to his surprise it would be the beer brewed in these casks that would be too good to throw away. Born by accident, Innis and Gunn was launched in 2003 by Dougal and his brother, Neil, based on this oak cask aged brewing process.

In March 2012, Innis and Gunn released their first limited-edition Irish Whiskey Cask stout. “We have never brewed a stout before, but when we heard we could get ahold of those exceptional barrels, we got very excited at the prospect of maturing a Scottish Stout in former Irish whiskey barrels!” says Dougal. The Innis and Gunn Irish Whiskey Cask is the first beer to be aged in former triple-distilled Irish whiskey barrels. The result is a dark beer with a chocolate and treacle taste, hints of oak and vanilla, and a crisp whiskey finish.

Although stouts are not typically considered a summer beer, the whiskey finish makes this beer surprisingly refreshing. A perfect bottle to add to the backyard rotation, this stout tastes great when paired with this summer’s Euro Cup festivities and bratwursts on the grill. Four packs of Innis and Gunn‘s Irish Whiskey Cask beer can be found for a limited time in the US at Whole Foods and other retailers for $13.

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