What’s opening and when? Birmingham (and nearby) Edition

As we approach 12th April, I wanted to spend a little bit of time assembling a handy guide to all the brewery/taprooms reopening soon. I for one, can’t keep track on all the different social channels so here’s all the good stuff in one place, including, opening dates, hours and any other cool stuff you need to know.

Hope this is helpful for you, my beer loving friends.

If there are any I’ve missed, please add a comment add I’ll incorporate the info… it’s a work in progress.

Burning Soul

Opening When? From Friday 16th April.

Times? 3 sessions will be operating: Friday 6pm until 9.30pm, Saturday 1 – 4.30pm and Saturday 6 – 9.30pm.

How do I book? Bookings can be made via the webstore and cost £5 which will be redeemable off your first beer! Book here.

Are walk-ins accepted? TBC

Anything else I need to know? Groups of up to 6 will only be accepted.

Brum Brewery

Opening When? From Thursday 15th April 2021 their beer garden is open. 

Times? Thursday 4-10pm, Friday 4-10pm, Saturday 2-10pm , Sunday 12-7pm

How do I book? Click here.

Walk-ins accepted? Table booking recommended but not essential, walk-ins will be accepted providing the team has space. Bookings can be made as little as 60 minutes before arrival.

Attic

Opening When? Friday 16th April

Times: Slots are split into sessions: Friday 6-8pm/ 8.30-10.30pm; Saturday 1-3pm/3.30-5.30pm, 6-8pm, 8.30-10.30pm; Sunday 1-3pm, 3.30-5.30pm, 6-8pm.

How do I book? Click here but it looks like the first three days of opening are already sold out!!!! You can then book two weeks in advance on a rolling basis.

Walk-in accepted? NO. As before, tables will be booking only and arranged in slots to allow the team to clean properly between sittings.

Sommar Brewery

Open When? 12th April

Times? 12-9pm Monday -Sunday 

How do I book? No bookings required.

Walk-ins accepted? Yep!

Anything else I should know? Food available via pop-up @stackzbirmingham and Sommar’s first two beers a 5.5% lager 7% stout will be available when they open the doors. You can also expect a wide range of guest beers on draught and in can, plus doing coffee from Quarter Horse.

Green Duck

Opening when? 12th April

Times? Friday 4-11pm and Sat 1-11pm

How do I book? You can’t!

Walk-ins accepted? Walk-ins only.

Anything else I need to know? Beer releases weekly, full beer menu available and street food vendors will be there!

The Paper Duck

Opening when? 12th April

Times? Mon-Sat 12 – 11pm, Sun 12-11.30pm

How do I book? Click here to register your interest. Registration requests are holds until the team work through to confirm them to give you the best and safest experience possible.

Walk-ins accepted? Yes, subject to availability.

Anything else I need to know? Last seating time available is 9pm. There are both covered and uncovered tables. Dogs welcome and under 18s not accepted after 8pm. The menu will also have the full line-up of 18 taps, over 50 cans and bottles!

Will you be booking anywhere or have you already booked?

I can’t wait for a fresh beer – cheers to that.

Let the beer advent-ure begin

If you’re on the hunt for a beer advent calendar but aren’t sure which one to choose, I’ve created a handy guide below so you don’t miss out on that all important 1st December beer.

Beer Travels – Havana

I’ve had a bit of a break from blogging – a lot has happened in my life over the last few months (I won’t go into all this now) and things overtook my writing time and time again. Well now I’m back and hopefully you’ll enjoy the new content I’ll be adding to this little corner of the internet. 

Earlier this year I was lucky enough to get my ass to a few places on a crazy jam-packed trip – one of these places was Havana. Though there are many problems with hunting down beer in Cuba; one being that there’s often beer designated for tourists (namely Cristal) and some more tastier beer which the locals love – this was the stuff I was trying to sniff out! Both Cristal and Buccanero weren’t really hitting the spot to say the least! Check out the reviews on Rate Beer if you need further evidence.

So, apart from sipping copious amounts of Havana Club what were the beer highlights?

Well, first up there was Plaza Vieja a Microbrewery tucked away in the corner of a lively part of Havana. This location is a magnet for tourists so try to be selective about when you arrive – there could be a wait if you’re banking on getting a table for more than two of you. If you have patience, it’s well worth a visit.

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Extremely crammed, there was a little wait for a decent seat when we arrived. It might not have been the greatest time to visit because it was absolutely teaming it down with ran when we arrived so everyone was eager to get inside. A band serenaded the guests as is normal in Havana but there was definitely an increased vibrancy about this place with folk having dance offs outside! At one point I even got roped in……

If you go make sure you invest the 12 CUC for the cylinder of beer – only in choices of dark, light and black. We opted for the light option and although it wasn’t amazing this really was one of the times I’ve been most thankful for a sip of beer! The cylinder held 6 pints and was excellent value… we were definitely tipsy when we stumbled out. The food wasn’t great but to be honest we only found one decent place to eat in the whole of Havana – if you’re going to graze go for the skewers.

A few days later we took a long stroll to Cerveceria Antiguo Almacen de la Madera y El Tabaco, which is in the South East of Havana on the docks. As the name suggests this hanger style Microbrewery is situated in an old tobacco factory and has a pretty nifty looking taproom. After days sipping Cristal this place seemed like it was sent from heaven.

If you have time to visit one beer hot spot in Havana then choose this place. Although we arrived in the day where the atmosphere was more chilled, the set up  is certainly impressive.

Beer comes in light, medium and dark and when it arrived it was lovely and cold. If you love your snacks BBQ style, then the food offer here will be right up your street too.

 

 

Brews & Trews – A day in York

I recently had the pleasure of spending just under 24 hours in York. It was actually my first visit (well, that I can remember) and I was a little too excited to sample its delights.
My reason for visiting? Well, I was invited to attend the IoIC awards by Purple Monster who were up for the ‘Standout Communication’ award – and they only bloody won didn’t they?! Thanks so much for the invite guys.
I’ve been to a lot of award type events (it comes with with the marketing job territory right?) though this venue was definitely the best one yet. The National Railway Museum was definitely magical – the sight of the opulent trains dripping in gold trimmings actually got my pulse racing nearly as much as my trip to Hogwarts at Universal Studios last summer. I wasn’t sure this was possible at all.
 Yes, I found the train with a bar inside it of course – you can always rely on me. I’m mentioning the awards because I munched on a tasty Yorkshire pudding with pulled beef and black sheep ale gravy! I’m not sure I’ll ever look at a Yorkshire pudding in the same way now. This little delicious treat was like a cross between a filthy Mexican meaty delight and a home cooked Sunday roast. Weird like a Heston-bluemential creation but I’m sure I’ll spend hours trying to recreate that delectable little Yorkshire pudding dream.

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The delectable Yorkshire Pudding

The day after the night before… so what to do? According to my research, I’d heard that the Trembling House of Madness and Brew York were the places be. My extremely helpful Twitter buddies also pointed out that I might like to give the Maltings, York Tap and also Fossgate Social a try to. With only five hours and a couple of vintage shops to throw into the mix I had to be smart with my decisions.
Vintage treats 
It was only 11am and I was residing in a ‘post awards do red wine mist’ so we decided that a vintage shop would be the first stop in the five hour trip round York (with a rather heavy suitcase in tow may I add). Dog and Bone Vintage seemed to summon me from the allure of its photo on the Google listing and I’m seriously glad it did. I’d be happy if this place was my next home and this really is no joke. From the NASA bags, the vintage games and its shiny books that will make any table glimmer, this place is a winner. I felt like a magpie figuring out what jewel to make its own first. The choices were plentiful.
My credit card was happy that I walked away with just a cropped cowboy red jacket, a zany patterned shirt and a series of pinup goodies that will look rather splendid in our collection at home.

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Bowler Vintage

The next stop was Bowler Vintage in Fossgate. Sharply dressed gents, this really is the place for you with its glorious hat collection, sharp tailoring and beard grooming essentials. Gals fear not, the upstairs is like a treasure trove where labels like Collectif and Hell Bunny adorn the rails – there are also some genuine vintage gems to be found, like old school denims and the sunglasses collection kept me busy for a while. I walked away with some sunnies and little red pillbox hat – which I’ve longed for. Normally finding a hat that perches nicely on my massive head is rather difficult.
Beer o’clock 
It was just past noon when we went on our quest to locate Brew York. We arrived at the gates and my heart sank when I thought the tap room wasn’t open but I’d read the sign wrong and realised it opened at noon – phew!
Brew York is located around 15 minutes from the station and hosted within York’s historic city walls. The brewery houses a 20 hl Brewhouse which is perfectly set up to brew it’s core range of six beers.
This place really remind me of Nightshift which I visited in Boston. Although it wasn’t busy due to it being so early we really sensed the good vibes in this place – I wish there was somewhere like this where I live, I’d definitely be a regular. For such a big space it really managed to feel homely and I really could have stayed there relaxing for hours. I’d love to have experienced the place on a Friday evening as I’m sure it would have been bursting with energy.

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Brew York

We chose to sip the Brew York, Brew York American IPA and the Big Eagle IPA. The latter was definitely my preference, it was just well a little more punchy and I certainly needed something with a little more flavour to get me going.
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Next stop: The Hop – the sheer thought of having a stonebaked fresh pizza with a beer had me salivating like Homer Simpson lusting after his favourite shiny pink ring doughnuts. The bar man (sorry I didn’t catch your name) was so friendly and whilst pouring me a half of White Rat he placed a bet that the pizza would rock my world. I was sceptical after suffering major pizza disappointment in the past from so called ‘artisan’ outlets that tricked me and my cheesy lust with their promises.
Our ‘spicy pepperoni’ landed on our table and my eyes popped out my head because it looked so darn tasty. Would it taste as good as it looked though? It really tasted sublime, the right side of spicy, it was crispy edged and they didn’t scrimp on the cheese – good work guys. The venue was great, airy and quirky and with our pizza (big enough for two to share) and my beer coming in at under a tenner this place did rock my world.
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My ‘must-visit’ was definitely the House of Trembling Madness and what a place this really is. So many beers to choose from downstairs and so much quality banter upstairs in the pub/restaurant area. With a whole floor of beer to drool over it was hard to know where to start.
I needed a beer to contemplate my overwhelming beer purchasing decisions, so upstairs we went. After making friends with a few locals we managed to hustle a few standing spots which was perfect before the epic three hour train journey we’d need to catch afterwards. If there’s more than a few of you wishing to eat here plan carefully, this place was buzzing and hard to find a few seats if you were craving their mouthwatering pies to eat. What I will say is – be patient, browse the beer selection, grab a half and chill standing up and it won’t be long before your reach table nirvana.
As we sipped our beer, mine was a cheeky little half of ‘Seed of Good Hope’ by Bad Seed Brewery we drank in our surroundings. A collection of taxidermy animals stared at me from the high wall above as I considered if I could truly manage the £9 yard of ale before the train journey home. I decided it wasn’t a great idea, Virgin Trains are hellish enough.
If carrying beer wasn’t an issue we’d have no doubt walked away with more beery delights. So, what did I grab….? Here’s the lowdown below:
house of trembling madness beer haul
Last stop on the way to our train was The Maltings which kind of looks like a crazy old school rock club from the outside with its plethora of black paint. Getting a seat inside was really easy mid-afternoon and the beer choice was pretty good. I settled for a ‘Howl’ by Rooster brewery which I sipped while readout the hilarious trip advisor review adorning a wall near the bar. The reviewer in question really wasn’t happy at the spice of his chilli – you’d have thought the term ‘chilli’ on the menu may have been a good enough hint at it’s possible taste. You’ve got to love a pace that has a great sense of humour and this place certainly has personality a plenty.

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The TripAdvisor review in question

I might have only spent a day in York but it has certainly made its way into the chart of one of my favourite places in the UK for a short break. I’ll be back York.

Coffee & Beer – The Ultimate Buzz

I love coffee and I love beer, so when the two are combined I get majorly interested. There’s loads of coffee beers on the market and I’m pretty sure I have at least another thousand to taste – wish me luck.

Thanks to my buddies at Coffee Architects I visited the London Coffee Festival in April which got me thinking about coffee beers and how my love affair with them is intensifying by the day. At the festival one of my favourite coffee tinged delights was available to sip – Wild Beer’s Wildebeest, if you haven’t tried it yet get out there and hunt a bottle down pronto. It’s so good that I have one bottle that I’m coveting in my cupboard for a ‘special occasion’.


Coffee being a stimulant and beer being a ‘depressant’ in classic terms should surely cause some trouble, right? When combined though they are an unbeatable combination. So why do they pair so well? Well if you’re a fan of porters and stouts you’ll know that they are already on the malty side of the spectrum anyway – giving hints of coffee aromas and flavours, especially in the delectable finish.

Although classically attributed to these beer styles this has now been turned on its head and brewers are experimenting with a new breed of coffee beers. Craft beer and craft coffee go hand-in-hand and as a major coffee fan, I like my coffee rich, complex and chocolatey – similar characteristics to some of my favourite beers! We can rejoice and cheer while we benefit from some these tasty craft partnerships like Beavertown and Caravan, or Wild Beer Co and Tincan Coffee.

So what other coffee beers should you check out? Try these gems:

  • Weird Beard – Out of the Office – I’m in love with this coffee IPA! It’s the right side of coffee without being sickly. I actually think I could drink a couple of these quite happily but at 7.0% I better pace myself. It’s brewed with Hasbean Ethiopian Yirgacheffe Konga Sedie Natural beans and it’s as smooth as hell.
  • Marble – Chocolate Marble – This really is sublime. I would normally steer clear of anything that says ‘liquorice’ on the label so prominently but the liquorice is subtle, in fact the cocoa finish makes it super moorish.

marble beers choclate marble review

  • Nest Beer – Espresso Stout – Nest never disappoints me so I had to give this beer a whirl. I finally purchased this from Beer Gonzo, Coventry and I like it a lot. After a few sips I could actually taste currants in the aftermath of sipping it. Very different to other coffee beers I’ve tried, not as thick and there’s is certainly a tinge of fruitiness about it.
  • Beavertown/Caravan – Spresso – I first sipped this at the Beaver for my Valentine event and if I see any cans of it around again I’ll be stuffing them in my bag pronto. This beer gave me a major hit, like a big coffee clenched fist in fact. If you like your coffee flavours big then this is the beer for you.

Beer of the Week – 04.04.2016

The last few weeks you could say I’ve gone for some pretty crazy flavour choices for the title of ‘beer of the week’ so this week I’m choosing a good ‘ol golden blonde beer.

Beer of the week – 28.03.2016

When I picked this beer up I did so with a feeling of total intrepidation. I’d normally steer clear of such a flavour combination but Northern Monk Brewing Co. aren’t ones to let the side down in their experiments, so I thought ‘what the hell?’ Brewed with Grub & Grog as part of its refectory series, this beer really messed with my mind and my tastebuds!

On opening the Northern Monk Parsnip & Black Pepper Dunkelweiss the aroma had hints of wheat, caramel and banana. As to be expected from a dunkelweiss it was banana flavoured and there were definite hints of spices.

Before you get scared about the word ‘parsnip’ on the label take a chill pill because the taste isn’t overbearing at all. Yes the black pepper is evident but it isn’t so intense that it smacks you in the face, its actually pretty alluring.

This beer was a little bit more surprising with every sip, giving a number of different dimensions. At times I felt it was sweet and at others spicy which as a consequence kept me coming back for more.

The bottle is quite large at 660ml so grab a buddy (or two) and give it a whirl – it will certainly give you a lot to discuss.

 

Beer and Chocolate – the perfect partnership 

Easter is one of my favourite times of year because I’m a sucker for chocolate! The darker, the better – none of this dreadful low grade milk chocolate crap! 

So what better time of year to try your hand at combining beer with chocolate? There’re many ways to indulge in both. First up, how about giving Hotel Chocolat’s Cocoa Beer truffles a whirl? At first sight I thought ‘ewwwww’ but intrigue got the better of me and I broke that packet open with gusto post dinner that same day. These chocolates are sublime and I feel stupid for doubting them, particularly as I know full well that chocolate and stout in a glass combine for dramatic effects. 
  
Dea Latis 

I recently attended the Dea Latis Event held at The Clarence, London. For those that aren’t aware Dea Latis, named after the Celtic goddess of beer and water, is a forum launched in 2010 where women working in the brewing industry could share insight. Now the group hosts tutored tasting throughout the UK and, at present, 200 ladies are in their gang. 

This particular event explored the very subject of this blog entry: beer and chocolate. Hosted by beer sommelier, Jane Payton, the evening featured five beer and chocolate pairings, with the eventual winning combination crowned at the end of the evening. 
 

the tasty combinations!
 

I was particularly taken with the Erdinger paired with the White Green and Blacks chocolate. The slight banana tinge of this beer seemed to really complement and intensify the creaminess of the white chocolate. The winning combo for the evening, which I knew I’d also love, was the Left Hand Brew Co. Milk Stout coupled with Salted Caramel and Sea Salt Divine Chocolate. The chocolate and beer individually are so delectable but together – BOOM, what a combination! 

   

 

Advice for matching

Although text books and scientific theory will point us in a certain direction toward what beer complements chocolate, it really is down to your individual preference. The Dea Latis event was evidence of this; I seriously screwed my face up at the taste of one particularly pairing, yet other ladies on my table were loving it. 

  
The host for the Dea Latis event, Jane gives the following advice:

“Chocolate and beer are natural allies – both are fermented and both have complex flavours that can really enhance each other. Cocoa is very bitter – it is added sugar that makes chocolate sweet. A tip for matching chocolate with beer is to choose quality chocolate with a high cocoa content and relatively low sugar content. 

“Choose chocolates to contrast or complement the beer for instance, a fruit and nut chocolate goes well with brown ale because of the fruity, nutty character of the beer. Or chocolate with toffee and salt with dark beers such as Porter – there is a contrast with the sweetness of the toffee and the roasted bitterness of the beer. Tangy/sour fruit beers match very well with dark chocolate. IPAs with vibrant New World hops go very well with chocolate that contains ginger.” 

So there you have it – use this Easter break to experiment and find your perfect match. What a great eggs-cuse!

Beer of the Week -21.03.2016

I’ve been through an awful lot of amazing beer of late and I can’t believe I haven’t given this mighty beer the title of ‘Beer of the week’ yet!

Dark Star has a knack for producing great beers that my tastebuds are certainly thankful for. Yes, I know that Creme Brûlée and beer combined sounds remarkably sickly but damn, this beer is so good! As a milk stout it’s definitely smooth as hell, yet there’s something remarkable about this beer and I’m unsure whether it’s the fact that they managed to produce something that’d the potential to go oh so wrong.

This is so delicious that I stocked up on multiple cans. Vanilla and caramel flavours are obviously present as you’d expect but there were definitely tinges of coffee and a weirdly palatable custard taste. Dark Star brewed this ‘pudding in a glass’ with unfermentable lactose sugar, vanilla beans and plenty of roasted malts giving it a pleasantly sweet taste,  I actually managed the whole can with ease.