May 2012 Recap: Edinburgh

Having still not caught up on my Spring and early Summer goings-on here's another belated blog post for consumption.

Two of Edinburgh's finest

Up until May I'd never been to Scotland, a travesty when accounting for 50% of my heritage. My father you see, hails from the land that brought you: Scotch, the Highland charge, man-skirts and of course prehistoric monsters hanging about in lakes. And whilst most write-ups about Scotland would include the first item listed, it isn't going to make much of an appearance here. Neither are any of the others. Sorry to disappoint. What I'd rather tell you about are two fantastic pubs in Edinburgh, both very different entities. Even though both are relatively new to the Edinburgh pub scene, their differences compliment an already great city for drinking. One old-school and traditional, the other modern and industrial chic. Both first-rate beer establishments.

The Bow Bar

Edinburgh has some great pubs and any self-respecting boozer in the Scottish capital will have countless single-malts shimmering from the shelves. Bow Bar isn't any different, there's enough whisky to keep the connoisseur happy, over 200 in fact. From eight air dispense pumps flow real ales that were obviously picked by someone going out of their way to provide the interesting for the discerning. A pub so close to the touristy areas of the city doesn't really need to do this and it's what makes Bow Bar stand out. Their craft beer bottled range numbers around forty and is again picked carefully to provide quality options. Their home-made pies complete their offer of sustenance.

This Grassmarket based tavern is also an atmospheric place, the décor captures that old world feel, the memorabilia and ephemera on the walls remind us of an elegance that's fading in our modern world. A good pub should aim to rescue us from the banal, like all good pubs Bow Bar is the antidote of most of life's problems.

Bow Bar can be found on West Bow, Edinburgh, EH1 2HH

BrewDog Edinburgh

Ah BrewDog... those Scottish, headline grabbing, controversially marketing, ever conquering brewers have been planting flags all over the UK recently. And when BrewDog Birmingham opens shortly it will bring their bar chain to eight, Martin and James have engineered a meteoric rise from their humble 2007 beginnings. BrewDog Edinburgh was their second venture following on from the brewery's hometown opening of BrewDog Aberdeen.

BrewDog doesn't appeal to “everyman” and its Edinburgh outpost follows this no nonsense approach. “No Tennents. No Carling. No Smirnoff. No Televisions.” is BrewDog canon. On draught are the staples you'd expect (Punk, Hardcore etc.) and other rarer BrewDog creations. These sit alongside highly regarded beers from around the world, beers at the forefront of the BrewDog entitled “Craft Beer Revolution”. The fridges are also awash with bottled offerings from far and wide.

BrewDog Edinburgh is not an antiquated watering hole. There's exposed bricks and steel girders, lots of steel and bricks in fact, and 1930s-style filament light bulbs, there are also comfy leather sofas and board games if such takes your fancy. And there's nothing wrong with thrashing your drinking partners at Connect Four over a Tactical Nuclear Penguin. This unconventional, avant-garde approach attracts a much younger clientèle to the quality beer market and for that alone BrewDog should be applauded.

BrewDog Edinburgh can be found at 143 Cowgate, EH1 1JS

So if you're visiting Edinburgh and get tired of single malts (heaven forbid) and the regular tourist traps then those two venues are for you. Delightfully different from each other, both equally magnificent.

Christmas Drinking 2011

With the festive season all too quickly over and the weather in England being its usual bleak mid January self I thought it a good time to reminisce over the magnificent beers I'd stocked for Christmas day. Here they are in all their glory...

Silly Saison, 5.2%

The brewery of Silly is situated south of Brussels on the way to Mons. 16 different beers are produced but it's their Saison that they're really known for. A nutty, caramel beer, spicy and fruity with a balancing citrus finish. Slightly darker than your average Saison. Silly name, serious beer.

Marble Brewery Lagonda IPA 5%

This beer from Manchester based Marble is; quadruple hoped, spicy, peppery, citrusy and includes a very dry finish. Uncomplicated, refreshing and thirst-quenching.

Hardknott Queboid 8%

Hardknott was started in December 2005, it's based in Millom, Cumbria. Their Queboid is an orange amber colour, with lots of American fruity hoppyness in the aroma. Flavour is of citrus, lots of grass and pine and some sugary caramel malt. The addition of Belgian yeast gives an added interesting element to this strong and warming beer.

Dupont Avec les Bons Voeux 9.5%

The Dupont Brewery is located in Leuze-en-Hainaut, Belgium. The current brewery, founded in 1950, is located on a working farm which itself has a rich brewing history dating back to 1759. Their 'Bons Voeux' meaning 'Best Wishes' is their holiday season saison. It's a wonderfully complex beer, spicy and herby with rosemary, sage and coriander notes that are completely captivating. Creamy hops along with Belgian yeast compliment this delicate golden coloured masterpiece with the potency of the alcohol blasting through at the finish.

Gouden Carolus Noël 10.5%

The holiday period wouldn't be complete without the Christmas Carolus. This Belgian strong ale from Brouwerij Het Anker is a lovely deep brown. The nose mixes figs and plums with spices, cloves and nutmeg, the balance is perfect, the aroma intoxicating. The flavours burst out: plum, cinnamon, raisins, anise, dark berries and even a hint of lemon. Each one both intense and delicate. The yeast rounding it all out and keeping the alcohol in check. An excellently rich fireside sipper.

Schneider Aventinus Weizen-Eisbock 12%

To compliment their already popular Schneider Aventinus (8.2%), Weissbierbrauerei G. Schneider & Sohn reintroduced their Aventinus Weizen-Eisbock. Prior to the 1940s the original Aventinus was transported all over Bavaria in containers that didn't have temperature control. This lead poor Aventinus to freeze along the way. Drinkers, unaware that freezing caused the concentration of the liquid by separating it from the water, were delightfully baffled by the unique (and stronger) beer that arrived. The brewmaster at Schneider decided to recreate this marvellous “mistake” and so the Aventinus Eisbock was reborn. The beer itself is sweet, malty, lots of raisin, dried fruit and port. Mistakes should always be like this.

Odell St. Lupulin Extra Pale Ale 6.5%

I suppose this Summer ale was being drunk at the wrong time of the year, however, being a style of beer I adore it was a welcome contrast to some of the strong, dark monsters of early afternoon Christmas Day drinking. Odell Brewing Company, a converted 1915 grain elevator in Colorado opened in 1989, their Lupulin is everything you want in a pale ale. A pleasant new world hoppy beer with pine notes, very floral and fresh.

Schneider Weisse Tap X Mein Nelson Sauvin 7.3%

A German weisse brewed in 2011 to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the ABT cafés in Holland. The Nelson Sauvin hop, which is an interesting choice for a wheat beer, brings distinctive light vinous, flowery notes to a pleasantly bananary, lightly smoky brew.

Brewdog Hardcore IPA 9.2%

Brewdog need no introduction, their media exploits will have reached all but the most hardened monastic hermit communities. Their Hardcore IPA is true to its name, it's a big bold beer, bitter and sweet, packed full of hops which are only tempered by the extreme alcohol content.

Left Hand Brewing Co Fade to Black Vol.2 7.8%

This American brewery from Longmont, Colorado was founded in 1993 and has since grown to now produce approximately 35,000 barrels of beery goodness a year. Their Fade to Black Vol.2 is a smoked Baltic porter, a black and tan beer inspired by their collaboration with Nørrebro in Denmark. Flavour is of cocoa, smoke, roasted coffee and molasses.

The Kernel Export Stout London 1890 7.1%

The Kernel brewery is tucked away under a railway arch shared with a cheese maker and a salami producer in Bermondsey, just south of the River Thames, London. This beer is based on a recipe from a London Brewery in 1890, it's almost an opaque black with a beige head. Roasted and gloriously rich, flavours are espresso, dark chocolate, leather and coal balanced with a dry, woody finish. A top English stout.

So there you have it, a mighty list from my favourite day of the year, but if like Roy Wood and Wizzard you “Wish it could be Christmas everyday” a visit to the stockist Stirchley Wines, where these were procured, should let you create your own brilliant beer day for yourself.

For readers too far from Stirchley you can also check out Beers of Europe and myBrewerytap.