Glad All Over!

Selhurst Park

So as previously mentioned last weekend was the first CPFC beer festival. The festival originally started as a small festival with just 500 tickets but ended up having over 1400 in attendance had been spurred on after requests from fans earlier in the season for Real Ale to be sold in the bars around the ground.

With the final list offering over 80 Ales and Ciders, spanning the length and breath of Britain from St Austell to Isle of Arran. (Although the initial beer list had promised 3 casks from Brew Dog, which I had been looking forward to showcasing to some friends and family for the first time had sadly been omitted from the final list) Held in the gangways and bar of our "kop end", The Homesdale Road stand it was a bit strange catching glimpses of an otherwise empty stadium.

For me there was only ever one option for the first beer of the the festival. Neil Morrisey's Palace Blonde 4.2% ABV and it didn't disappoint! I've not been a fan when I've previously tried Neil's beers but Palace Blonde was fantastic! With a beautiful golden colour and a sweet floral nose the taste was well balanced with a pleasant non overpowering bitterness, a perfect summer session beer. I really hope I get to taste this again!

Me and Oz Clarke

Spoilt for choice with Kelham Island Easy Rider 4.3% ABV and Castle Rock Harvest Pale Ale 3.8% ABV, which I had been disappointed with in its stronger bottled version but is proved why its the Champion Beer of Britain on cask. With the FA Cup Final being shown on TVs around the stand I was lucky enough to get a chance chat to Oz Clarke about his future shows with James May, including the hunt for great pork pies! Oh and of course great beer. Oz also agreeing that Palace Blonde was excellent and almost on cue we we're joined by Neil Morrisey, who was both elated and disappointed to discover that all 5 casks of his beer had sold out!

With the match over it was time to try a few more beers, other highlights were Toad M&R Chocolate Stout 4.6% ABV  and Darkstar Festival 5.0%.  However for me the beer of the day for me was local brewery Sambrook's Celebration Ale 4.9% brewed in celebration of Royal Wedding, amber in colour with a strong flora citrusy aroma leading to a lovely sweet taste of lemon and honey with a distinctive floral flavour.

By 7pm a black market in beer tokens was in force, the club having purposely sold enough to cover what was available, so wearily I headed home. The whole day had been brilliant, sampling great beer in view of the pitch of my favorite football team was a great experience, But you didn't have to be a Palace fan to appreciate the day, with local bands providing entertainment throughout the day as well as the now infamous Crystal cheerleaders performing a few of their routines. The debut Beer Festival was a great success so much so that I'm told plans are already a foot for an autumn festival later this year!

CPFC Beer Festival

Combining two of my favortie passisons beer and football, My team Crystal Palace are hosting a beer festival this weekend (May 14th)

Offering 40 Ales from the likes of Brew Dog, Darkstar & Oakham, As well as actor and Palace fan Neil Morrissey's "Palace Blond Ale"!  Which he has brewed specially  for the festival. Not only this but the festival is set to be opened by Alcohol connoisseur Oz Clarke!

Co-owner and ale and wine expert Steve Browett has also given an interview to Five Year Plan Fanzine
on the event

The Palace Beer Festival takes place this Saturday (the 14th of May) in the Red and Blue bar at Selhurst Park, from midday until 9pm. Tickets are available from the box office on 08712 00 00 71 or click here to book online.

My Russian Dynasty

Red Square

So its been a while since I've posted, mostly because I've been obscenely busy and also because I took a ten day trip to Russia over Easter.

My trip was never intended to beer centric, but holidaying or traveling inevitably means you're sure to have a few. My first port of call was St Petersburg, the beautiful baroque city built as a gateway to the West and Europe. Its also the home of Imperial Stout and Baltic Porter (see previous posts) my knowledge of the Russian language was limited to a few phrases which inevitably made ordering drinks at a bar difficult. Exchanging hand gestures for "big" or "small" became a common event. My first night I arrived late and headed for a beer and a bite to eat at Tinkoff. Tinkoff started as a micro brewery in St Petersberg but now is American owned and has brewpubs all over Russia. Sadly I wasn't impressed, with a dodgy wedding esq band playing to a near empty bar and a menu mostly consisting of Sushi (a common theme in Russia) not to mention the pint of Temnoe 6.0% which was sold as a Porter but actually was more of a weak Dunkel. I didn't stay long, heading back for a early night that turned into an all night drinking session with added Vodka.

Baltika 6

Since I was in St Petersburg I wanted to try a Imperial Stout or Baltic Porter. Things didn't look great when the staff in the hostel hadn't even heard of it! Luckily with limited Russian and a bit of luck in a local shop I found a bottle of Baltika 6 a Baltic Porter! This actually was a Porter, although not the best beer I've had, I was simply content on finding something! And for about a pound a bottle I stocked up.

A grueling 10 hour night train took me to Moscow and thanks to the synchronized snoring of the 3 men in my couchette, I got to sample vodka shots at 4am in the buffet car with some other nocturnal types! Moscow was instantly more Soviet, more Russian and overly more complicated!! Navigating across town on the metro was a skill in its self.  The overwhelming size of Red Square and the power hub of the Kremlin will always stick with me, As will my evenings sipping dark beers in some old stolovaya's (cafeterias) eating cheap food and watching sport! Zhiguli was with in spitting distance of my hostel harks back to the Soviet years and has its namesake beer Zhigulevskoe brewed on site.

Capitalism is alive and well in Moscow

CSKA Moscow & Spartak Moscow were playing at the 1980's Olympic stadium whilst I was in town and I was lucky enough to get a ticket the derby. CSKA Moscow play in Red & Blue the same colours as my team Crystal Palace and so I became a honorary fan for the day, getting to sample an atmosphere which was unrivaled on any level compared to a game in England.

To sum up the trip from a beer point of view, I was a bit disappointed hoping to find a bit more varied choice on offer. Local supermarkets were stocked up with English & Czech imports and having the choice of Wychwood Hobgoblin and a previously unheard of Bowman by Wells & Youngs in one bar, finding anything that seemed to be Russian was difficult. I'm guessing since the fall of communism in the early 90's the Russian market has been infiltrated with imported goods from the West. (My farther recalls mile long queues for Mc Donalds when he visited Moscow in '91) You only have to look at some of the cars parked near Red Square or the shops in the previously drab soviet shopping mall GUM, to understand that some Russians are making the most of their wealth.

But this wasn't ever supposed to be a beer holiday, it was a trip to discover and explore a vast and beautiful country! (Although I only took in its two major cities) It's one trip I'll never forget!

Check out some of my pictures here:

Russia Easter 2011

Changing Perceptions

Whilst attending a recent Meet The Brewer event with Mark from Darkstar, I was met with a remark along the lines of "You're far too young for Real Ale, F%&k off back to nursery". Although there was no real menace in this statement, it made me start to think; How old should you be to drink Real Ale? And why do people hold these perceptions?

It was clear from the moment we turned up that myself and the group of friends I was with, were the youngest people taking part in this event. This was met with enthusiasm from the barmaid who commented that it was nice to see some younger faces. So why the ageist remarks? Surely if you're attending a meet the brewer event you're more passionate about beer or that particular brewery than the average drinker and should take pleasure knowing that there are others like you - young and old alike that share that passion for great beer.

Compo & Friends

We all know Ale is often portrayed as an old mans drink, for many the word Ale often conjures up the image of an old man sitting in the corner with a newspaper and a pint. Although there is clearly some evidence for this stereotype (check out your local Wetherspoons!) why can't Ale or Craft beer be a drink for everyone? The American craft beer scene is huge, and on a trip to New York last year I couldn't believe how many bars were filled with people young and old, male and female, trying out great craft beers. Brewers like DogFish Head, Stone, Left Hand Brewing and Brooklyn (to name a few) are spearheading a craft beer revolution, making beer cool again and putting it back into favour with the younger generation. Brooklyn Brewery is a prime example of this, I stumbled into the aptly named Dive 75 not expecting much at all in the way of good beer. What I found was a Brooklyn tasting session matched with different cheeses in a trendy basement bar! Something that I'd rarely find over here in the UK.

Breweries like Brew Dog here in the UK, have clearly taken inspiration from the USA and tried to make beer cool again. Whipping up a storm and controversy with their high percentage beers, no nonsense punk attitude and general mischief, they've opened craft beer and ale to a brand new market. People like me! I've stated before that the press lead me to Brew Dog and inevitably my adventure into beer and ale. Now, because of that I'm a CAMRA member and writing this blog.

Westow House SE19

Local to me is a perfect example of how things are slowly heading in the right direction. The Westow House is a trendy pub catering for a younger crowd. Open to 2am on a weekend, with DJ's retro arcade games, a ping pong table! and most importantly Real Ale on tap. Not only that but they regularly tweet their current ale offerings. I honestly can't think of anywhere else I could be at 1am on a Saturday morning sampling Thornbridge Japuir! If only more places would start coming around and offer a quality experience with a quality range of drinks to go with it. I'm not saying I want some sweaty Shoredich club to start selling ale but bars and club-pubs are missing a trick by not offering a variety of beers to a younger experimenting crowd.

As Mark from Darkstar said at the event, the craft beer world is changing. Drinkers are far better travelled and as such they are becoming familiar with more varied flavours and  thus want more adventurous and unusual tastings beers. It's really encouraging that so many people (and breweries) in the ale and craft beer scene have embraced this and hopefully it means that more people will be tempted to try local or specialist beers in the future, rather than their regular bland fizzy lager's. It's still nonetheless sad though that a small minority are resistant to new ideas, and wary of new faces at 'their' events.

Maybe I'm just a young person in an old persons world? But it certainly doesn't feel like that to me!

When in Rome....

So myself and my girlfriend jetted off to Rome last weekend, as well as the sight seeing, culture & great food, I squeezed in some time to sample some of Rome and Italy's finest bars and beers. Having booked the trip a few months ago, I was pleasantly surprised to find Zach Avery's article on Rome's Craft Beer scene in CAMRA's spring edition of BEER magazine.

Rome is a fascinating city, with  thousands of years of history, when standing next to the Colosseum or the Arch of Constantine it's hard to quantify just how old they are. There's simply so much to offer, around every corner there seems to be either a church with hidden grandeur or an ancient ruin to grab your attention and takes you off your route.

Our first day found ourselves walking around the city taking in the sites and generally experiencing Rome's wonder. Walking down Via de Torre Argentina past the ruins of Largo di Torre Argentina (the site where Caesar was assassinated) whilst my girlfriend befriended the local stray cats that have made the ruins there home. It was getting cold and decided it was time for a beer and somewhere warm.  A quick look at the map showed that Open Baladin was around there somewhere! Tucked of a side street off Piazza Benedetto Cairoli, is the Beer Drinkers mecca Open Baladin.

Wall of Bottles

Open is the type of place you could quite easily walk past without ever knowing whats behind its doors. None the less than 12 taps adorn the bar with 3 or 4 hand pumps as well as a wall of beer bottles. Taking a seat at the bar in front of a a Brew Dog Rip Tide pump clip, I was both excited and disappointed that a brand I'm overly familiar was on offer. Asking the advice of the friendly bar staff and trying a beautiful beer made with horse chestnuts, I settled for a Birra del Borgo - Re Ale 6.4% ABV. An Italian take on an American style IPA. While Christine plumped for a  deliciously fruity Peach beer.

ReAle

Next up was a wonderfully hoppy beer Birra del Borgo - Hoppy Cat.  Getting hungry and with the night well and truly beginning we sampled one of Open's special burgers and home made crisps and like several reviews gone before I was not disappointed a beautiful rare burger oozing with flavour and topped off with Opens home made ketchup!

Making friends with a local who now resides in London we took the offer to catch a bit of live music. Armed with a map drawn on the back of a napkin we headed of in the rough direction. Just as we'd decided to give up I spot a small chalk board sign in the entrance to a book shop. Tucked away in under books was a small bar with 3-4 different beers on tap and there regular Porter House Oyster Stout. With a CAMRA certificate on the wall to accompany it. This time Kwak was on tap and more because I love the glass than anything else decided on a tipple and sat down to check out "Midnight Radio" with their beautiful jazz flute and looped guitar. My girlfriend certainly approved of my choice in beer as the next time I turned round my drink was all but done! With that we set off for our stroll through Rome's street lit Via's.

Bir e Fud

The following evening we headed south of the river to Trastevere looking for a highly recommended pizzeria Da Poeta we stumbled across Bier e Fud (Beer & Food) and Ma Che Siete Venuti a Fa (But What Did You Do?). With Da Poeta heaving, to the extent they have employed a doorman/bouncer who informed us there was an hour wait. We decided to check out Bier e Fud with only a hand written sign on that wall and no pump clips, it was hard to work out what beers were on offer. Once again asking the advice of the staff I had a Birrificio Lambrate - Lambrate 6.8% ABVand beautifully picked Birrificio Rurale - Seta 5% ABV
for my girlfriend. Having a great time we stayed for another this time I tried the wonderful Birra del Borgo Duc Ale 8% ABV a deep rich dark beer, with a lovely coffee chocolate after taste I litrally didn't want to put it down.

After a wonderful meal in Da Poeta we headed back to Via Benedetta to pop in to Ma Che Siete Venuti a Fa. Its walls adored with Football paraphernalia and a Harveys mirror! It really didn't feel like we were in Italy at all. Overwhelmed with the selection on offer I had to try one of the several Danish Beers on tap at the time, Fanø Bryghus - Fanø Vestkyst 5.7% ABV and with Christine trying a Cantillon - Kriek 5% ABV.Ma Che Siete Venuti a Fa is a gem of a bar and by the time we leave the small bar is heaving with most of its customers lining the busier streets.

With that my brief encounter to Rome's craft beer scene was over! Bar a trip to New York I'd never really experienced another countries bar scene and without Zach's article I would have probably overlooked Rome's. It's refreshing to know that other countries are experiencing the same revival that we are in the UK right now and that the same pride and passion lies behind there produce.

Top to Bottom

So those of you that follow Stuart Howes blog, will know that he's set himself the challenge to brew at 12 breweries in 12 months. February's Brewery was London Bridge's - Brew Wharf

The challenge this time was to brew a beer with the most hops possible. Starting with 62 and eventually (after raiding Melissa Cole's cupboard at Lovebeer) 69 different hops

For a list of all the hops click here

Luckily I have to pass Brew Wharf on my way home, so when I spotted on their twitter account that this record breaking 69 hop beer was on tap, I had to drop in.

With 69 different hops this was always going to be a hit or miss beer. The nose was obviously amazingly hoppy with fresh organic notes. The taste however was over overpoweringly bitter. There were some sweet citrus notes to be found but they were quickly subdued by the bitterness.

I'm glad  I got the chance to try this beer, but for me it was just too much. With the everlasting bitterness still playing with my pallet as I headed home for something more balanced!

Cooking with Beer: Part 1 - Chocolate Guinness Cake

I love cooking, for some reason i find it relaxing, god knows why! So after seeing some similar posts on other blogs, I've decided to start a regular piece. So here is the first post in our "Cooking with Beer" Series.

Chocolate Guinness Cake
Recipe - http://www.nigella.com/recipes/view/chocolate-guinness-cake-3086

Baking isn't really my strong point but in a bid to prove my girlfriend that I can do as good as her I decided to give it a go.With the Carling Cup Final on the carefully positioned speakers around the kitchen, I made sure I didn't miss a bit of the action. Now I'm not really a fan of chocolate cake but this was different, after spotting a tweet from The Kernel Brewery to a blog with this recipe I thought I'd give it a go. Taking my eye off the prize to celebrates Birmingham's opening goal, whilst melting butter into the Guinness wasn't the best start but the deep black beer batter started to come together.

After 30-40 mins in the oven it was ready, an out came a moist deep dark black cake. It even looked like the one in the picture! Result!! But as the saying goes the proof is in the pudding!

After cautiously making the cream cheese icing, trying not to cover the kitchen in cream cheese and icing sugar the cake was done! Slightly resembling the famous image of a pint of Guinness thanks to the pale coloured icing and deep black of the cake. I waited considerably longer than i expected to taste it but it was great! Moist with a smokey, chocolaty taste and perfectly set off against the sour icing.

Nigella describes the recipe as "Gingerbread without the spices" so next up I think is her Gingerbread with Guinness!