Posted by Fergus | International Beers | Posted on February 26th, 2010
Adnams Irish Dry Stout
Our version uses pale ale malt, roasted barley, flaked barley, wheat and a blend of Crystal, Brown, Amber and Chocolate malts. Hopped with Goldings. The beer will have a dry coffee bitterness and a full white creamy head.
Typical examples: Murphy’s, Beamish and of course Guinness.
“How could I not brew an Irish dry stout? Although I grew up near the borders of Cork, which has two of it’s own stouts, Guinness was still the drink of choice.
During the summer, bottles of stout were served up to the workers to wash down their sandwiches before they returned to baling the hay. My brother and I, who had been drafted in for the day, soon dealt with any remnants left in those bottles!
Although my tastes may have moved on, a bottle of dry stout still brings back memories of sunny days, warm hay, and many, many blisters from stacking the bales on the trailer. The best bit of all was sitting on top of the bales, on a fully stacked trailer, as my dad drove back to the barn, while up above we ducked the branches of the trees that hung over the road and put our faith in the flimsy construction of hay below us. I’m sure it wasn’t as idyllic as I remember it but a bottle of stout still makes me feel like I’ve done a good days work, even if all I’ve done is mow the lawn.”
Posted by Fergus | International Beers | Posted on January 25th, 2010
Adnams Belgian style Witbier
Brewed with a Belgian white beer yeast, wheat, oats and malted barley. Gently hopped with Hallertau and flavoured with Indian Coriander and bitter orange peel. This will be a cloudy pale beer with lots of bitter orange aroma and flavour.
Typical examples: Hoegaarden, St. Bernardus Witbier, Kira Wit.
“It might sound odd, but in brewing terms at least, Belgium is often seen as exotic.
None more so than their Witbiers.
Witbiers break all the rules that modern brewing has thrown up around itself. They use raw wheat, they add things other than hops, like coriander and orange peel to the kettle and they serve the beer cloudy.
This might sound like they are pushing the boundaries, but actually they are the most traditional of beers. They are essentially farmhouse beers from medieval Brussels that have made it into the 21st century and are flourishing. Their recent success is mainly down to Pierre Celis, who opened a brewery in the little town of Hoegaarden in east Belgium in 1966 and resurrected a style that was once synonymous with his town. It might not be for most people but I think that was probably the most important thing to happen that year.”
Posted by Fergus | International Beers | Posted on December 22nd, 2009
Adnams American Style IPA
Recreated using a Californian yeast strain, pale ale malted barley, along with some Munich malt, Crystal malt and malted wheat. This will provide the biscuity backdrop to the big American hops. A blend of five American hops, Columbus, Chinook, Cascade, Centenial and Wilamette will give our beer a deep citrus bitterness with a fragrant citrus/floral aroma.
Typical examples: Goose Island IPA, Stone IPA, Anchor brewing’s Liberty Ale
“America might have started out replicating beer styles from the rest of the world but they have moved far beyond that and now their beer styles are influencing the rest of the world. I think their take on the original English India Pale Ale is the most successful. It’s may be slightly odd to recreate a version of a style that was originally exported from these shores, but I love the smell of hops and an American IPA is a showcase for citrus hops. They are big, bold, some might say brash, but, to my mind at least, beautiful.”
Posted by Fergus | International Beers | Posted on November 23rd, 2009
German Style Wheat Beer
This Hefeweizen will use wheat beer yeast, wheat, Pilsner malt, Munich and Caramalts along with Hallaterau hops to give an opaque golden beer with aromas of cloves and bananas. Dry and crisp and spicy on the palate.
Typical examples: Paulaner Hefe- Weissbier, Schneider Weisse, Franziskaner Weissbier
The original German purity law forbade the use of wheat in beer and for many lovers of German beer that simplicity is still important. However for me, it is the beers that break the rules that are often the most interesting and the German beer world is full of them.
German wheat beers manage to smell of cloves, bananas and pear drops without using anything other than wheat, barley, water, hops and yeast.
Having been brought up to expect beer to be served absolutely clear it was a revelation to see my first cloudy wheat beer. Now, rather than checking to make sure that gravity is doing it’s job in making the beer bright, I’ll be checking to make sure its doesn’t work too quickly.
Posted by Fergus | International Beers | Posted on October 24th, 2009
Abbey Belgian Style Ale
We will recreate this beer using a Belgian yeast strain; pilsner malted barley and a mixture of Biscuit, Aromatic, Munich and Honey malts. The hops will be Fuggles and Styrian Goldings. This will be a full-bodied pale gold beer, fruity and spicy aroma and palate and a low bitterness.
Typical examples: Leffe Blonde and Affligem Blond.
The diversity of beer is really appreciated in Belgium. Here tradition and innovation go hand in hand and flavour is king. The abbey ales of Belgium were my first real appreciation that beer could be so different from the norm. Although most abbey ales have lost their monastic links, for beer lovers Belgium is still an enlightening experience.
Posted by Fergus | International Beers | Posted on October 1st, 2009
Kölsh German Style Beer
Brewed with a German top fermenting yeast, Munich and Pilsner malts and hopped with Spalt hops. This beer is fermented at a high temperature and then lagered to allow the beer to mellow and condition.
Typical examples: Küppers, Reissdorf
What I really love about German beer is the culture that surrounds it and that is particularly true of Kölsch in Cologne.
Everyone seems to drink Kölsch in Cologne regardless of status or gender. It crosses the divide between ale and lager and keeps the best elements of both.
Karl Marx once said that the revolution wouldn’t work in Cologne because the bosses drink with their workers.
I don’t know if a beer style can shape a regions culture or if the culture shapes the beer they drink, but I like to think it’s a bit of both.
Posted by Fergus | International Beers | Posted on September 30th, 2009
Finding inspiration for the bespoke cask beers isn’t hard as everyone does beer slightly differently.
Germany wrote the book on brewing and updates it constantly as technology and understanding advances, or when they think they might be in danger of breaking their own rules.
Britain thought that having just 1 set of rules that they had to change at a later date was going to mean a lot of paperwork. They decided instead to have 3 different sets of rules to cover all eventualities and anyone needing anymore than this was being unreasonable.
Ireland thought that writing a whole book of rules sounded like a lot of effort, however they knew someone with 3 different sets so they borrowed 1 and haven’t quite gotten round to sending it back yet.
Belgium also thought that writing a whole rulebook was a bit of a chore and a bit too formal so they just wrote the 1 rule, which is more of a guide. ‘Beer’, they said, ‘should basically be wet’.
America, having joined a bit late, looked at what everyone else had done and decided to do them all, but just a bit bigger.
Being Irish I feel I can comment on Ireland without any basis in fact, I have lived in Britain now for 12 years and we have gotten to know each other well enough that they won’t take offence. I have met a number of Germans over the past few years and contrary to popular myths, they have a good sense of humour. America won’t really care which just leaves the Belgians and they haven’t apologised for Jean Claude Van Damme so I don’t see why I should be first.
Fergus Fitzgerald