Meat and Beer Tasting at Brew Dog London with Cobble Lane Cured

Last night we ventured forth to Camden for our second night of beer-matched-with-something-tasty at Brew Dog. Last time it was cheese and this time it was meat.

Brew Dog have worked with a small charcuterie company in London – the only one in London we’re told. These guys brought Picco Salumi premises in N1 off the previous owner 6 months ago and are rebranding as Cobble Lane Cured. Everywhere I can find they are referred to using the previous business name, including on Brew Dog’s own site. However, it seems they’re trying for a name change – so thought I’d mention that here.

Interestingly, Islington seems to be fostering a bit of a food movement according to an article in the Evening Standard from September 2013.

The evening began and ended with beer and meat. Over the course of 3 hours, we slowly consumed enough beer, bread and salami to keep us going for the duration.

As part of this meat-fest, there was some cured lamb (a violin of lamb was mentioned – this had to do with how you slice the cured meat if I’ve remembered correctly) that split opinion and a pepperoni that packed a punch. The following photos show meats #2 and #3 both of which were my favourites.

Brew Dog beer matching begins

Brew Dog beer matching continues

• Meat #1 was a basic italian style salumi
• Meat #2 was coppa
• Meat #3 was Bresola
• Meat #4 was the spicy pepperoni
• Meat #5 was the air dried parma ham style lamb

The beers went from very drinkable into the slightly murky territory of 18% alcohol content – those pokier beers don’t always appeal to me. We had the Punk IPA and Dead Pony – both two of my favourite Brew Dog beers, all would go perfectly with a beer stick.

This is what’s known in the business as a beer stick

All the meat all the time – we purchased beer sticks. They’re good for fishing trips.

Along with the inevitable excitement of beer combined with awesome cured meat, it was also exciting to find out that Cobble Street Curing invite the general riff raff that is the public into their kitchens to see how the process works. Suffice to say, I know at least one bearded Canadian who will be taking them up on that offer.

Beer tasting on the balcony: Brew Dog and Tate Lichtenstein APA

Another sunny Sunday, another beer tasting on the balcony.

This time it’s a collaboration with Brew Dog and the Tate, using Lichtenstein for the bottle design.

From the bottle: brewed with rye and US hops, this is a vibrant yet refreshing take on the American pale ale style.

Alc. 5.2%

Ty’s thoughts:

It’s good, hoppy. For me, it leaves a slight liquorice flavour on the back of the mouth. It’s very effervescent. I find it hard to describe the rye flavour – there is something about it that reminds me of rye breads, but it isn’t overtly rye or dark. I’ve known lots of rye beers to be darker in colour.

Charlie’s thoughts:

On a purely aesthetic note, the Lichtenstein inspired label design is awesome. On the beer itself, the first sip I thought it was too bitter for me, but the taste mellows on the second sip. Perhaps it’s the rye in it, but the flavour coats the mouth – and whilst it’s nice, I’m not sure I’d drink more than a half if out. I think maybe the rye gives it a heaviness that adds to that conclusion as well.

A sunny spring day beer review: Fathomless Oyster Stout

It’s been a while since we reviewed a beer, but we certainly have a lot to try (our West Ham flat is a kind of makeshift beer cellar).

Today’s brew is Fathomless. It’s a 5.2% Oyster Stout, brewed by RedWillow Brewery in the UK. It’s a bottle conditioned ale.

Charlie’s thoughts:

“At the first sip I wasn’t sure, but the taste grew on me. It’s a lovely, light stout and perfectly suits this sunny day. A stout for spring if you will. I’d recommend it to someone wanting to try stout for the first time, who usually drinks lighter beers. Overall: it’s very quaffable.”

Ty’s thoughts:

“Slightly bitter, doesn’t have that full stout heaviness. Quite light in colour for a stout, with a slight liquorice flavour. There’s a sweetness but with a hoppy-ness along with it.”

We’re drinking beer again – more Hitachino Nest Beer: Weizen

From the bottle: “This German style Weizen is a cloudy beer brewed with wheat malt and a fragrant yeast. Please enjoy the banana like flavour and light taste.”

5.5%

Charlie says:

Woke me up like a kick in the teeth. Sour smell and strong first taste, softening in the after taste. Have to say, first sip I wasn’t sold – consequent second and third have won me over.

An acquired taste I’d say. I personally am not getting bananas – but each tastebud to its own eh!

Ty says:

I like it. Got a cloudy apple juice look to it. It’s got a creamy finish and texture in the mouth. Slight lemony flavour, get a tiny bit of coriander/herbyness (similar to Hoegarden).

Suffice to say there will be more beer tastings coming soon

Simply because…

That is all.

We’re back with a live beer tasting – Nest Beer Amber Ale

Hitachino Nest Beer Amber ale from the Kituchi Brewery Ibaraki, Japan. 5.5%.

“This amber ale is a reddish brown beer brewed with a rich malt and bitter hops. Please enjoy the well-balanced flavour and taste.”

Charlie says:

Perfect post-sushi beer for me. It’s light so feels perfect for summer time drinking, has a mildly bitter aftertaste which adds to the overall flavour.

We’re sharing one 500ml bottle between two, but definitely suitable for quaffing to oneself. Ruddy drinkable.

Ty says:

Little bit of a caramel taste to it. Not hoppy. It’s a nice amber ale.

Next up, another Hitachino Nest. Japanese Classic Ale, matured in cedar casks. 7.5%.

“This Japanese classic ale is a recreation of the first Japanese beer made in the Edo period. Please enjoy the Japanese taste. Aged in cedar barrels like the old IPA style method from England.”

Charlie says:

A bit bitter for me on the first sip, but softens after that. Least favourite of the two, but would still order again.

Ty says:

I quite like it. Slight bitter note.

Brighton Food Festival 2012 – beer festival at Vin Du Pub

Last night we went to our first event of the Brighton Food Festival and it began with ale. We were in the function room of the Vin Du Pub flanked by a reasonable selection of ales, from brewers such as Beachy Head and Dark Star.

£5 entrance fee got us our tasting glass (effectively a standard pint glass just with the extra/vital 1/3 pint measurement marked on) and a taste of one of the beers or ciders of our choice.

I started off on the lower alcohol ales, getting a 1/3 pint of Beachy Head’s The Legless Rambler which went down a treat. Ty hit the cider to start (all the cider was 7% or more) which had a strong strawberry flavour – I moved onto that one for dessert.

The other notable quaff was the Dark Star Revelation – this rounded off our time at Vin Du Pub in favour of hitting a new pub. The consensus in the group was that, although beer festivals are a great showcase for breweries and beers, the condition is sometimes a bit off. Some beers in particular could have done with being a little colder.

So – thanks to a passionate local’s recommendation – we headed to The Cask just a couple of roads over. I think this pub had almost the same amount of beers available (certainly if you count the bottled beer) as the beer festival. Here I nursed a pint of Rabbit which was lovely – the gents hit the 10% ales and soon it was time to hit the sack.

There are plans to revisit The Cask, there are still so many things to try!

Beer bread

This isn’t your regular bread recipe, you don’t add yeast (though I guess there’s yeast in the beer) and there’s no call for proofing, rising, waiting, faffing – all very simple. We borrowed this recipe from the Farm Girl Foodie Blog.

Chocolate Guiness bread batter

The Guiness dark chocolate V1 offering was a perfect tea accompaniment, warm with a scraping of butter.  The ease of making it means you could have it made up and in the oven ready to eat within the hour. The adaptation of this bread added to the Farm Girl recipe, the following:

• 120g mixed nuts
• 100g dark chocolate
• two heaped tbsps of sugar
• two heaped tbsps cocoa powder
• a can of Guiness

Perfect for those “unexpected guests” (everyone’s seen Nigella express right?) that pop in unannounced each week. We get loads of them down Leyton way.

V2 of this bread was a Mediterranean offering, additions to the basic recipe included:

• 1 heaped tbsp chopped rosemary
• 1 heaped tbsp dried thyme
• 150g olives
• 50g sundried tomatoes
• 125g feta
• a generous seasoning of black pepper

Proper savoury wonderment.

In pictures:

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

This one Ben would definitely appreciate, especially when made with Real Ale.