The_Simple_Things_-_March_2020

Brewdog

Founded in Aberdeenshire

in 2007 by old school friends

James Watt and Martin

Dickie. Drawing inspiration

from the USA, they started

making ultra-hoppy keg

beers, turning their backs

on cask ale. Punk IPA (5.6%),

their flagship brew, was once

considered challenging with

its ‘hop forward’ character

but is now a bestseller.

brewdog.com

Williams Bros Brewing Co

Making ancient Scottish

styles and more modern

lager-IPA hybrids, Williams

Bros began in the 1980s with

a rediscovered recipe for

traditional Scottish heather

ale. It went on to become

the virtually hopless Fraoch

(5%) where heather and

bog myrtle replace hops (as

was the case for many beers

before hops were used).

williamsbrosbrew.com

Northern Monk Brew Co

Far less esoteric than when

they first hit the beer scene

back in 2014, NMBC has

lost none of its craft kudos.

Based in Leeds, it continues

to turn out classics, but also

speciality brews such as its

sweet Neapolitan Pale Ale

(6.2%), which intends – and

succeeds – in tasting like the

ice-cream of the same name.

northernmonk.com

The Kernel

The Kernel’s stellar

reputation comes from

its uncompromisingly high

standards. The focus is

highly hopped pale ales,

using different hop varieties,

which are usually named

on the label. Justly famed

is its Table Beer (3.3%),

which packs a hell of a lot

of flavour for its low ABV.

thekernelbrewery.com

Gadds’ Ramsgate Brewery

Based on the Isle of Thanet

in East Kent, founder Eddie

Gadd believes in fresh, local

beer so you rarely find it

beyond the county. It’s worth

travelling for. The brewery

specialises in traditional

English ales, such as No. 3

(5%), a delicious strong pale

ale that shows off the power

of East Kent Goldings hops.

ramsgatebrewery.co.uk

Burning Sky

Based in East Sussex, this

is a brewery that values

yeast. It’s best known for

its Saisons, a style originally

brewed in Wallonia (the

French-speaking part of

Belgium) where it was

brewed in the cooler months

and stored for drinking at

harvest. It also makes the

very sessionable Plateau

pale – a lemony beer that

begs to be drunk in pints.

burningskybeer.com

Wild Beer

Yeast influences the flavour

of all beer, but Somerset-

based Wild Beer give it

star-billing. They also used

barrel-ageing, where beer

picks up the flavour of the

wood. It appeals to cider and

wine fans not normally into

beer. All their beers pair well

with food – try the delicate,

citrusy Sourdough (3.6%),

with a light goat’s cheese

spread thickly on sourdough.

wildbeerco.com

Brewsmith Beer

Based in Ramsbottom,

Lancashire, Brewsmith Beer

is the brainchild of James

and Jennifer Smith, whose

brews strike an equitable

balance between traditional

and craft. Head to the dark

side with their rich, smoky

Oatmeal Stout (5.2%), which

leaves a more famous beer

of a similar style in the shade.

brewsmithbeer.co.uk

Tiny Rebel

Welsh brewery behind one

of the ‘craftiest’ brews to win

CAMRA’s Champion Beer of

Britain (2015). Cwtch (4.6%),

which is Welsh for ‘cuddle’

or ‘cubbyhole’ is made

from American hops, which

give this red ale a lemony

character, with a hint of

blackcurrant, all wrapped

up in chewy, biscuity malts.

tinyrebel.co.uk

St Austell Brewery

Founded more than 160

years ago, this Cornish

brewery struck gold when

it recruited Roger Ryman as

head brewer just before the

dawn of the 21st Century.

His recipes for beers such

as Tribute pale ale (4.2%), a

softly bitter tropically fruity

beer, are modern classics.

staustellbrewery.co.uk

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7 byold school friends

Watt and Martin

Drawing inspiration

heUSA, they started

g ultra-hoppy keg

turning their backs

oncaskale. Punk IPA (5.6%),

theirflagship brew, was once

consideredchallenging with

its ‘hop forward’ character

but is now a bestseller.

brewdog.com

Williams Bros
Making ancient
styles and more
lager-IPA hybri
Bros beganin t
a rediscovered
traditional Scot
ale. It wentont
the virtuallyhoplessFraoch
(5%) whereheatherand
bog myrtlereplacehops(as
was the case for many beers
before hops were used).
williamsbrosbrew.com

Northern Monk Brew Co

Far less esoteric than when

they first hit the beer scene

back in 2014, NMBC has

lost none of its craft kudos.

Based in Leeds, it continues

to turn out classics, but also

speciality brews such as its

sweet Neapolitan Pale Ale

(6.2%), which intends – and

succeeds – in tasting like the

ice-cream of the same name.

northernmonk.com

The Kernel

The Kernel’s stellar

reputation comes from

its uncompromisingly high

standards. The focus is

highly hopped pale ales,

using different hop varieties,

which are usually named

on the label. Justly famed

is its Table Beer (3.3%),

which packs a hell of a lot

of flavour for its low ABV.

thekernelbrewery.com

Gadds’ Ramsgate Brewery

Based on the Isle of Thanet

in East Kent, founder Eddie

Gadd believes in fresh, local

beer so you rarely find it

beyond the county. It’s worth

travelling for. The brewery

specialises in traditional

English ales, such as No. 3

(5%), a delicious strong pale

ale that shows off the power

of East Kent Goldings hops.

ramsgatebrewery.co.uk

Burning Sky

Based in East Sussex, this

is a brewery that values

yeast. It’s best known for

its Saisons, a style originally

brewed in Wallonia (the

French-speaking part of

Belgium) where it was

brewed in the cooler months

and stored for drinking at

harvest. It also makes the

very sessionable Plateau

pale – a lemony beer that

begs to be drunk in pints.

burningskybeer.com

Wild Beer

Yeast influences the flavour

of all beer, but Somerset-

based Wild Beer give it

star-billing. They also used

barrel-ageing, where beer

picks up the flavour of the

wood. It appeals to cider and

wine fans not normally into

beer. All their beers pair well

with food – try the delicate,

citrusy Sourdough (3.6%),

with a light goat’s cheese

spread thickly on sourdough.

wildbeerco.com

Brewsmith Beer
Based in Ramsbottom,
Lancashire, Brewsmith Beer
is the brainchild of James
and Jennifer Smith, whose
brews strike an equitable
balance between traditional
and craft. Head to the dark
side with their rich, smoky
Oatmeal Stout (5.2%), which
leaves a more famous beer
of a similar style in the shade.
brewsmithbeer.co.uk

Tiny Rebel
Welsh brewery behind one
of the ‘craftiest’ brews to win
CAMRA’s Champion Beer of
Britain (2015). Cwtch (4.6%),
which is Welsh for ‘cuddle’
or ‘cubbyhole’ is made
from American hops, which
give this red ale a lemony
character, with a hint of
blackcurrant, all wrapped
up in chewy, biscuity malts.
tinyrebel.co.uk

St Austell Brewery

Founded more than 160

years ago, this Cornish

brewery struck gold when

it recruited Roger Ryman as

head brewer just before the

dawn of the 21st Century.

His recipes for beers such

as Tribute pale ale (4.2%), a

softly bitter tropically fruity

beer, are modern classics.

staustellbrewery.co.uk

Brewd

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in 200 7

James

Dickie.

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