Taking a look at British craft brewing.
Sean Franklin, head brewer at Rooster’s in North Yorkshire speaks passionately about hops. Hops are at the heart of Rooster’s ales with varieties used from Europe, the US and New Zealand and Sean’s enthusiasm captures the spirit of the UK craft brewing scene. It’s a scene that grows more and more exciting each year. Micro breweries are opening at the rate of one a week while others expand to meet demand.
Long established brewers have also enjoyed growth. Lancashire brewer Moorhouse’s, which now sells its famous ‘Pendle Witches’ brands such as Black Cat and Blond Bitch in the States, has seen sales spiral and is now poised to treble its capacity with a £3.5m investment.All brewers have one thing in common; like Sean Franklin, they are absolutely passionate about what they do. This, of course, is key to the burgeoning business that has given SIBA (Society of Independent Brewers) more than five hundred members.
Innovation thrives and reveals itself with a vast array of new beers from stouts, porters and oak-aged ales to blonde light beers and fruity brews using hops from across the globe alongside traditional bitters - brewed with Maris Otter malt and traditional hops like Fuggles or Goldings - that have long been the hallmark of British cask-conditioned ales.
The historic IPA (India Pale Ales) style has made a serious return. The pioneering Thornbridge Brewery based in the grounds of a magnificent 18th century hall in Derbyshire is expanding with a state-of-the-art plant to seriously lift production of their famous Jaipur IPA. In South Yorkshire the award winning Acorn Brewery has produced 30 single hopped IPAs over the past two years. Both breweries are still only a few years old.
The passion carries through to the point of delivery. Quality here is crucial and individual brewers have worked with industry body Cask Marque in recent years to ensure that the legendary warm pint of an English summer is forever dead and buried. OK, at an ideal cellar temperature of 12-14 degrees C (54-57F) British top fermented cask beer is still well above the temperature of the European lager beers. But this is what allows the full majesty of its fruit and chocolate malts and spicy, citrus hops to work their magic on the taste buds.
The UK beer scene is also about great pubs. It’s about the heritage and atmosphere of grand country inns and cosy village hostelries or vibrant city centre pubs like the Kelham Island Tavern, Sheffield, where beer goes hand-in-hand with good food and shed loads of conviviality. Zak Avery, the British Guild of Beer Writers top beer writer in 2008, says: “I love American craft beer and the slightly raucous beers that the scene has spawned, but I also still love a pint of good English ale. With its lighter natural carbonation, lower alcohol content, and emphasis on elegant, understated drink-ability, when served in its natural home of an old English pub, it takes much beating.”
Steve Hobman is co-editor of the New Imbiber magazine and tours advisor to Beer Tours (UK) Ltd (www.beertoursuk.com), a company that aims to promote British beer tourism.
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