BEST of BOOZE #3 hq

BEST OF BOOZE _ Nº 03 2016

BAVARIAN BREW Munich’s Augustiner

HOME-BREWING Jonas Andersson PORTER & ALE The Irish Selection

WHISKY Scotch Swedish

Irish

Belgian Beer Czech Beer

Janko “BEER TRENDS 2016”

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BEST OF

BOOZE Produced by: Ace Publications Stockholm Sweden e-mail: info@acepublications.se Editor: Noel Sheehy

INDEX #3 2016 4. Winter Ale 6. Whisky From Sweden 8. Bavarian Brew Munich

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10. Janko’s Beer Trends 2016 12. Scotch Whisky Regions

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14. Jägermeister -The Hunter’s Choice 16. Porters- The Irish Selection 22. The Luxury Irish whiskey 24. Irish Ale 26. Belgian Beer With Per Contributors: Jerry Lindahl Erik Öl-sson Janko Per Brandorf Helsing Leon Smith Layout & Design: Johno Reffero Ace Publications Cover Image: Courtesy ofGuinness

28.Dykes Brewery -The Big Interview

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32. Swedish homebrewer Jonas Andersson 34. Pilsner Beer Czech mate 38. Belgian Beer Beauty

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42. Southern Comfort

Welcome readers to latest issue. In this number we will look at some legendry drinks with great stories behind them. We look at the leading Swedish Whisky. Beer legend Janko(Jan-Erik Svensson) tells us about Beer Trends in 2016. We focus on Winter Ale, regular ale and porter stout. While in Germany we sample Augustiner, Munich’s finest. We look at Scotch whisky and endeavour to explain its whisky regions. And across the sea we exlore Ireland’s luxury Whiskey. Erik Öl-sson interviews the master of home-brewing, Jonas Andersson. We meet Dykes Brewery who share their fascinating story, and also their delicious Ale. We remember the drink of Hunters, can you guess it? And due to public demand, Belgian Beer comes under our spotlight twice so Per Brandorf digs a bit deeper for us. Next door in Czech Republic we share the history of the oldest Brewery. Finally in the US we explore an old favourite Whiskey. Don’t be afraid to enquire about guest beers at your local bar. And remember to always drink sensibly.

Enjoy the read Slainte!

Noel

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Winter Ale-A Growing Market

Drinking during Christmas has its origin in paganism, but what the word means is shrouded in mystery. In regular days when people drank it was a watery beer, but when Christmas approached, the beer was brewed to a dark and heavily beer that would fit the often greasy food that was served, but also warm in the biting cold.

Text: Jerry Lindahl In ancient times people sacrificed also regularly which meant that they sacrificed to the gods for the successful harvest, hunting or whatever they felt needed. The largest and most important feast was the last, the winter solstice which falls on 21st December and the beer was a central part of the ceremony. It was therefore particularly important that it became a really strong and good beer so they could appease the gods.

What we today associate with a classic Swedish Christmas beer was born in the mid-1800’s when several brewers began brewing and selling Christmas beer on a commercial basis. A tradition that has endured to the present day. Traditionally, it is a dark lager with an alcohol strength of approximately 6% and a slight sweetness.

The reason is that they felt it fits into the heavy Christmas dinner with many different flavors and tangy pickles.

But even such a tradition-bound beverage like our dear Christmas beer it has had its slumps. 30 years ago interest in Winter Ale, Christmas Beer hit an unprecedented low. Interest from breweries and the selection available was pretty meager. Of course it would be Ale to the Dinner. It was just as self-evident as Julmust but what kind they drank was not so important.

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Our own Christmas beer has also changed and evolved and today offering a rich breadth of taste and character, ranging from the classic dark to drier and more bitter beers and sometimes even with little smoke flavor. Experimentation does not seem to subside in the Swedish brewers of empty shops.

Several of Christmas Beers that began being brewed by the new wave of microbreweries 1020 years ago in a new style has become recurrent classics. Some breweries change to the recipe from year to year, while other brewery maintains a successful recipe which then becomes a classic and tradition to look forward to. You should not change a winning concept.

Sure they brew a strong beer for Christmas in other countries, too, but they have more of the character winter warmers and are not really intended as a beverage. Simply a fuller and very complex beer tastes best on your own and at any time when it’s snowing and really cold outside.

Then it is good to warm up with a strong, dark beer.

To contact Jerry for Tastings please email avecprovning@gmail.com

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Swedish Single Malt Whisky Text: Leon Smith

When it comes to Sweden and the alcohol it’s famous for its always Vodka or Cider.

For those of us living here, we know that Whisky production has begun with a bang.

Mackmyra Whisky is a Swedish single malt whisky distillery. It is named after the village and manor of Mackmyra, where the first distillery was established, in the residential district of Valbo, south-west of Gävle. The toponym is commonly suggested as deriving from owlet moths (Swedish: nattflyn) and mire (Swedish: myr). However, owlet moths have all but disappeared from present-day Mackmyra, due to the gradual rebound of land a result of the melting of ice sheets 10,000 years ago.

Mackmyra Svensk Whisky AB is a publicly traded company, listed in December 2011 on Nasdaq OMX’s alternative-investment market First North.

The company has about 45 employees with annual revenues of around SEK 100 million.

History Mackmyra’s history started in 1998 at a Swedish winter resort, where eight friends from the Royal Institute of Technology met up for a ski trip. Noticing all of them had brought along a bottle of malt whisky for the host, a conversation started about the manufacturing of a Swedish whisky. The following year a company was founded, and after years of experimenting with 170 different recipes, they finally settled on two recipes in 2002. That same year a new distillery was built in the old mill and power station at Mackmyra, which went on stream in October. The first limited edition single malt whisky, Preludium 01, launched in February 2006 and soldout in less than 20 minutes.

Production All ingredients used in the production are sourced within a 75-mile radius from Mackmyra, except for the yeast, which is from Rotebro. The water undergoes a natural filtration process in an esker nearby and is only sterilized with a high-intensity UV light.

The peat is from a local bog near Österfärnebo, and the distillery uses barley from Dalarna and Strömsta Manor in Enköping.

Mackmyra bottles all of its wares in their natural colour, without additives, and ages their spirits in four different cask types: bourbon, sherry, Swedish oak and in a special signature cask made from classic American bourbon casks and Swedish oak.

The whisky is generally matured 50 meters below ground in the disused Bodås Mine in Hofors, and most releases have been at cask strength, except for The First Edition and Mackmyra Brukswhisky.

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Distilleries Mackmyra has two active distilleries. The first went on stream at Mackmyra in 2002, featuring a full-sized pot still from Forsyth’s in Rothes, Scotland, Swedish stainless steel washbacks and a German mash tun, with a production capacity of 600,000 bottles a year.

A second distillery, about 6 miles east of Mackmyra village, was built and went on stream in 2011. The project cost has been estimated at SEK 50 million, featuring two full-sized pot stills with a production capacity of 1,8 M bottles a year. It’s seven stories high, using gravity to power many internal processes within the distillery, resulting in about 45% less energy use compared to the first distillery.

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AugustinerA Taste of Germany Augustiner-Bräu is a brewery in Munich, Germany. Established in 1328, it is Munich’s oldest independent brewery.

Text: Noel Sheehy History The Augustiner Brewery was first mentioned by name in 1328, established within an Augustianian Monastery which had been settled just outside the Munich city walls in an area called Haberfeld (or Haferfeld – “oat field”) in 1294.

The Monastery complex was the largest sacred building in Munich until the completion of the Frauenkirche cathedral in 1494. The Augustinian monks supplied beer to the Bavarian Royal Wittelsbach family until 1589, at which time the Hofbrau brewery was founded.

In 1624, the Augustiner Monks of Munich gained particular notoriety. A life size wax figure of Christ, which had been an object of worship, had been miraculously repaired under their watch just one year after having been broken. The statue is displayed during the Advent season each year in the historic Bürgersaalkirche on Neuhauser Street.

In 1759, the Augustinian Monks of Munich were among the first members of the Bavarian Science Academy. Meanwhile, during this era, Augustiner’s annual output reached 250,000 litres, three times the amount of an average brewery of the time.

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In 1803, as part of a secularization movement, the monastery was dissolved, and the brewery at first continued operation under the management of the State, but then later privately held. Then in 1817, as the original building had fallen in great disrepair, the brewery was moved to Neuhauser Street.

Anton and Therese Wagner, a brewing family from Altaching bei Freising, acquired the enterprise and the brewery has continued to be privately owned since. Around 1840, Anton Wagner acquired a storage facility on Rosenheimer Street in order to expand the brewery and after Anton’s death in 1845, his wife Therese ran the business.

Augustiner entered the industrial age in 1852 with the adoption of a steam engine to aid in production. Then in 1857, a further storage facility was acquired on Landsberger Street, and eventually all production was moved to the new site, while a brewery-sponsored restaurant continued operation at the Neuhauser Street location.

Joseph Wagner (JW as marked on the current label), took on the management role following his mother’s death. The brewery further expanded in 1862 with the addition of another storage cellar on Arnulf Street, the current site of the famous Augustiner Keller and Beer Garden.

In 1880, Joseph Wagner was recognized as a founding member of the Bavarian Beer alliance, and later in 1887, Augustiner’s iconic “JW” trademark with Bishop’s staff was registered.

As a result of the aerial bombing of Munich during World War II, Augustiner Brewery was 60% destroyed, but of course later rebuilt. In 1971, the brew house was completely renovated, adopting the use of stainless steel tanks.

In 1996, Edith Haberland Wagner, the last of the Wagner dynasty, bequeathed her share in the brewery ownership to the Edith Haberland Wagner Foundation, and the foundation continues to hold 51% of the shares of the brewery to this day.

In 2013, Augustiner opened the Klosterwirt, returning to their origins on the site of the original Augustinian Monstery, just next to the Frauenkirche in central Munich.

Augustiner at Oktoberfest It is not known when Augustiner beer was first featured at the Oktoberfest, but the first record of an Augustiner beer stall is featured on a picture dating from 1867. The first appearance of an Augustiner beer “castle” was later in 1903, and finally in 1926, the Augustiner Festhalle was erected for the first time. The original tent featured a tower, which was later removed from the construction design during the years 1949-2010.

The tower was reinstated in 2010 in celebration of the 200th anniversary of the Oktoberfest, and has continued to be a feature of the Festhalle to this day. Since 1987, Augustiner is the only brewery of the 6 featured at Oktoberfest, to exclusively pour from their wooden barrels.

Beers Augustiner Helles (5.2%), This is Augustiner’s most popular beer a pale lager that is given a prolonged secondary fermentation.

Edelstoff This is a slightly brighter, slightly sweeter, more sparkly, and stronger (5.6%) lager. In America Edelstoff is 5.7% alcohol content Augustiner Dunkles, a malty dark beer Augustiner Pils, brewed according to the original Pilsner recipe.

Augustiner Weißbier Oktoberfestbier, A style of beer known as Märzen in German, specially brewed for the Oktoberfest. Augustiner′s Oktoberfest beer and Edelstoff are the only beers at the festival that are still served from traditional wooden barrels.

Maximator, a Doppelbock and, like the Oktoberfestbier, seasonal. Brewed to coincide with Lent, this is a starkbier (strong beer, 7.5%).

Heller Bock A well lagered pale, seasonal beer (7.2%), only available in May and June in Munich.

All of Augustiner′s brands are brewed in accordance with the Reinheitsgebot. This means the ingredients of the beer are just four: water, grain (barley and or wheat), hops and yeast.

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Beer Trends in Sweden 2016 Text: Jan-Erik Svensson

Here we get some beer tips from Swede Jan-Erik Svensson where he seeks out exciting developements.

In December 2015, media reported that the number of breweries in Sweden had reached 200. That was only partly the truth - the number of true production units was about 170 in the beginning of 2016. But the demand for craft beer seems to continue to grow, and by now there surely are at least 200 breweries in Sweden.

The most-selling beer style is of course still International Lager. But many of the new brewers are competing with totally different beers. And the big ones are creating brands that appear similar to true craft beers. Never before has the number of brands from the leading companies been so extensive.

The spearhead style of Swedish craft brewing continues to be IPA. Over the last few years, many beer lovers have pointed out Gothenburg as the most vital brewing centre, and beers like West Coast IPA from Stigberget is reported to win one blindfold tasting after another.

But less hoppy beer styles, and weaker beer in general, are much more popular today than a couple of years ago. Many beer lovers focus on Belgian, French and German style sour ales, as well as on beers fermented with Brettanomyces yeast - the result tends to be dry with a barnyard bouquet. Beer fermented with Champagne yeast is also gaining popularity. Among the weaker beers, Session IPA has become a sought-after alternative. This four-odd percent ABV beer retains the hoppy character of its stronger cousins, but is considered to be more drinkable. Session IPA is perhaps pushing out traditional British cask-conditioned bitter, that is often considered lacking enough bitterness.

And real ale is harder to handle than a regular keg.

Another trend is beer produced from local ingredients and eco beer. Some brewers focus on ethics and give some of the profit away to charity.

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A strong trend that started a decade or so ago but still lasts is to put stronger ales and stouts in casks where spirits have been - often bourbon, brandy or whiskey. The beer will pick up the aroma from the spirit, which many beer aficionados like. At the same time, you can hear many beer lovers who have been around for a while insist that they are turning back to more classic beer styles like traditional Lager and Porter. This could be a trend to come, but for now most new brewers are sticking to more innovative beers.

But there is one classic beer that has enjoyed a revitalisation - Pilsner Urquell. Selected restaurants are serving the beer from tank, with a pouring method that make the beer taste just like in Prague or Pilsen.

Beer has achieved a firm position in the higher gastronomy. Beer and food pairings have become a part of fine dining, and some chefs have their own brands together with prominent craft brewers. Some restaurants even have installed their own brewery.

Craft brewers have often cooperated in one way or another, but it is more and more common with cobrewed beers. And last but not least, Sweden today has beer festivals in cities and towns all over the country. Most are more or less trying to copy the original Stockholm Beer & Whisky Festival, but arrangements like Söderbärke Mikroölsfestival and All In Beer Fest in Gothenburg are totally different.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Jan-Erik Svensson lectures regularly at including restaurant universities in Grythyttan and Umeå and is the author of Ölkunskap, the first and only Swedish textbook on beer.

Grenadine Publisher has previously published a handbook beer.

Jan-Erik is frequently hired for beer tasting and a judge both in Sweden and abroad, and he also arranges trips with unique themes to Europe’s premier Beer coutries. He has received awards from, among other things, Swedish Ölfrämjandet, Stockholm Beer & Whisky Festival and Skåneländska Gastronomiska Akademien.

He is honorary member in several Beer societies.

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Image: “Janko” Jan-Erik Svensson BESTBEST OF BOOZE_ OF BOOZE_ Nº 02Nº2016 03 2016

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Scotch Whisky – Made Simple Text: Nollaig Mac Sithaigh

Looking at Scotch whisky can be confusing. As you have both regions and types to look at. And there have been some changes, production is so intense in Scotland, that new regions have been recognized due to the number of distilleries there.

Regions Scotland was traditionally divided in 4 regions: The Highlands, The Lowlands, The Isle of Islay, Campbeltown Due to the large number of distilleries found at Campbeltown, the Speyside region is now also recognized by the Scotch Whisky Association (SWA) as a distinct region. The whisky-producing islands other than Islay are not recognised as a distinct region by the SWA, which groups them into the Highlands region.

The Highlands: The Highlands is by far the largest region in Scotland both in area and in whisky production.

Some Highland distilleries include: Aberfeldy, Balblair, Ben Nevis, Dalmore, Glen Ord, Glenmorangie, Oban, Glendronach, Old Pulteney and Tomatin.

The Islands, an unrecognised sub-region includes all of the whisky-producing islands (excluding Islay): Arran, Jura, Mull, Orkney, and Skye: with their respective distilleries: Arran, Jura, Tobermory, Highland Park and Scapa, and Talisker.

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The Lowlands: The southernmost region of Scotland.

There are 5 distilleries that remain in operation: Auchentoshan, Bladnoch, Glenkinchie, Annandale and Ailsa Bay from the Girvan Distillery plus three more Daftmill, Eden Mill, and Kingsbarns are currently pending their first releases.

Speyside: Speyside gets its name from the River Spey, which cuts through this region and provides water to many of the distilleries.

It has the largest number of distilleries, which includes: Aberlour, Balvenie, Cardhu, Cragganmore, Dalwhinnie, Glenfarclas, Glenglassaugh, Glenfiddich, Speyburn, The Macallan, The Glenlivet, and The Glenrothes.

Encompassing the area surrounding the River Spey in north-east Scotland, once considered part of the Highlands, has almost half of the total number (approx. 105 as of 2013) of distilleries in Scotland within its geographic boundaries; consequently it is officially recognized as a distinct region.

Campbeltown: Once home to over 30 distilleries, currently has only three distilleries operating: Glen Scotia, Glengyle, and Springbank.

Islay: has 8 producing distilleries: Ardbeg, Bowmore, Bruichladdich, Bunnahabhain, Caol Ila, Kilchoman, Lagavulin, and Laphroaig.

Although only 5 regions are specifically described, any Scottish locale may be used to describe a whisky if it is distilled entirely within that place; for example a single malt whisky distilled on Orkney could be described as Orkney Single Malt Scotch Whisky instead of as a Highland whisky.

Types There are two basic types of Scotch whisky, from which all blends are made: Single malt Scotch whisky means a Scotch whisky produced from only water and malted barley at a single distillery by batch distillation in pot stills.

Single grain Scotch whisky means a Scotch whisky distilled at a single distillery but, in addition to water and malted barley, may involve whole grains of other malted or unmalted cereals.

Three types of blends are defined for Scotch whisky: Blended malt Scotch whisky means a blend of two or more single malt Scotch whiskies from different distilleries.

Blended grain Scotch whisky means a blend of two or more single grain Scotch whiskies from different distilleries.

Blended Scotch whisky means a blend of one or more single malt Scotch whiskies with one or more single grain Scotch whiskies.

Single grain The majority of grain whisky produced in Scotland goes to make blended Scotch whisky. The average blended whisky is 60%–85% grain whisky. Some higher-quality grain whisky from a single distillery is bottled as single grain whisky.

Blended malt Blended malt whisky formerly called vatted malt or pure malt (terms that are now prohibited in the SWR 2009)is one of the least common types of Scotch: a blend of single malts from more than one distillery (possibly with differing ages).

Blended malts contain only malt whiskies no grain whiskies and are usually distinguished from other types of whisky by the absence of the word “single” before “malt” on the bottle, and the absence of a distillery name. The age of the vat is that of the youngest of the original ingredients. For example, a blended malt marked “8 years old” may include older whiskies, with the youngest constituent being eight years old.

Johnnie Walker Green Label and Monkey Shoulder are examples of blended malt whisky. Starting from November 2011, no Scotch whisky could be labelled as a vatted malt or pure malt, the SWR requiring them to be labelled blended malt instead.

Blended Blended Scotch whisky constitutes about 90% of the whisky produced in Scotland. Blended Scotch whiskies contain both malt whisky and grain whisky. Producers combine the various malts and grain whiskies to produce a consistent brand style. Notable blended Scotch whisky brands include Bells, Dewar’s, Johnnie Walker, Whyte and Mackay, Cutty Sark, J&B, The Famous Grouse, Ballantine’s, Chivas Regal and Teacher’s Highland Cream.

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Jägermeister Text: Nollaig Mac Sithaigh

Jägermeister is a German digestif made with 56 herbs and spices at a strength of 35% alcohol by volume (61 degrees proof, or US 70 proof). It is the flagship product of Mast-Jägermeister SE, headquartered in Wolfenbüttel, south of Braunschweig, Lower Saxony, Germany.

History Curt Mast, the original distiller of Jägermeister and son of the founder Wilhelm, was an enthusiastic hunter. The name literally translated means “Hunting Master”. It is a title for a high-ranking official in charge of matters related to hunting and game keeping. The term Jägermeister had existed as a job title for many centuries.

Hermann Göring was appointed Reichsjägermeister (Imperial Gamekeeper) when the new hunting law was introduced. Thus, when Jägermeister was introduced in 1935, its name was already familiar to Germans—it was sometimes called “Göring-Schnaps.”

Jägermeister came to greater international attention particularly through the work of Sidney Frank, who ran an American liquor import company. He promoted the drink at the youth and student market, as a drink for parties, a quite different niche to its traditional conservative brand position in its native market. New York magazine quoted a market research firm as describing him as a ‘promotional genius’ for making “a liqueur with an unpronounceable name...drunk by older, blue-collar Germans as an after-dinner digestive aid...synonymous with ‘party’.”

In 2012, Jägermeister launched premixed drinks as a brand extension. The drinks come in two flavours, “raw” and “ginger lime”.

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Composition Jägermeister is a type of liqueur called Kräuterlikör (herbal liqueur). It is akin to other European liqueurs, such as Gammel Dansk from Denmark, Beerenburg from the Netherlands, Unicum from Hungary, Becherovka from the Czech Republic, Demänovka from Slovakia, Pelinkovac from Croatia, Riga Black Balsam from Latvia, Gorki List from Serbia, and Chartreuse and Bénédictine from France. In contrast to those beverages, Jägermeister has a sweeter taste.

Jägermeister’s ingredients include 56 herbs, fruits, roots, and spices, including citrus peel, licorice, anise, poppy seeds, saffron, ginger, juniper berries, and ginseng. These ingredients are ground, then steeped in water and alcohol for 2–3 days. Afterwards, this mixture is filtered and stored in oak barrels for about a year. When a year has passed, the liqueur is filtered again, then mixed with sugar, caramel, and alcohol.

The company recommends that Jägermeister be kept on ice and served cold, and suggests that it be kept in a freezer at −18 °C (0 °F) or on tap between −15 and −11 °C (5 and 12 °F).

Contrary to rumour, Jägermeister does not contain deer or elk blood.

Label The label on Jägermeister bottles features a glowing Christian cross seen between the antlers of a stag. This image is a reference to the two Christian patron saints of hunters, Saint Hubertus and Saint Eustace, both of whom converted to Christianity after experiencing a vision in which they saw a Christian cross between the antlers of a stag.

In the product name on the label, we see one of the few surviving examples of the use of the long s in print.

The label contains the following verse from the poem Weidmannsheil, by the forester, hunter, and ornithologist Oskar von Riesenthal (1830–1898); von Riesenthal is not credited on the label.

Das ist des Jägers Ehrenschild, daß er beschützt und hegt sein Wild, weidmännisch jagt, wie sich’s gehört, den Schöpfer im Geschöpfe ehrt.

According to Mast-Jägermeister SE, the translation is: It is the hunter’s honour that he Protects and preserves his game, Hunts sportsmanlike, honours the Creator in His creatures.

A loose translation which preserves the rhyme and meter is: This is the hunter’s badge of glory, That he protect and tend his quarry, Hunt with honour, as is due, And through the beast to God is true.

Cocktails Jägerbomb A shot glass of Jägermeister dropped into a glass of Red Bull energy drink.

A Liquid Heroin This is a shooter made with one part Rumple Minze, one part Jägermeister, and one part Bacardi 151 rum.

A Surfer on Acid This is is made with equal parts of Jägermeister, Malibu Rum, and pineapple juice.

A Tart’s Delight This is made with equal parts of Jägermeister, Fernet Branca, and gin, garnished with several SweeTarts (green preferred).

The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse This is is a shot made with equal parts Jägermeister, Rumple Minze, Goldschläger, and Bacardi 151.

Starry Night This is a shot consisting of 2/3’s shot of Jägermeister and 1/3 shot of Goldschläger.

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Ireland-The Land of P Irish drinking habits are unusual if compared to other European countries.

Younger drinkers in their 20’s tend to drink session beers, predominantly American bottled beers. Older drinkers mainly male tend to drink porter stout or ale. Luckily the Irish have the best porter in the world, and Guinness is just one of a few. Here is a look at some of the porters and their Breweries.

Text: Nollaig Mac Sithaigh Description of the Beamish Stout The legendry Beer Expert, Michael Jackson, in the 1993 edition of his Beer Companion, lists Beamish at OG 1.039 and 4.2% abv, with … a distinctly chocolaty note, some silkiness of body, and a very delicate hop character.

Chocolate malt, rather than roast, provides the keynote, and some wheat is used to help the creaminess of texture, lacework, and head. The wheat was once raw, but is now malted, to improve fermentability and therefore lightness of body. The hops include Challenger, Goldings, and – unusually – German Hersbruck. The beer has 38-42 units of bitterness.

In a later book, Ultimate Beer, he writes that; As its competitors have become sweeter, in deference to “modern” tastes, Beamish Irish Stout has seemed by comparison drier. The beer is toasty, with buttery, creamy, and peppery notes in a late, lingering, dry finish.

The Classic Beer Styles Series title Stout was published after the 1995 sale of Beamish & Crawford to Scottish & Newcastle, and was more recent than Jackson’s Beer Companion by several years. Author Michael Lewis’s questionnaire of global stout producers coughed up these particulars on Beamish as it was brewed at the time: Specialty malts & adjuncts: ale malt, roast barley.Yeast: special strain evolved from original yeast.Hop form: pellet.Bittering: Target, Challenger, Perle.

Aroma: Challenger, Goldings (added to kettle) Mash temp: 143°F Boil duration: 90 minutes Fermentation: 73°F for 75 hours Beamish Brewery .

Beamish and Crawford was a brewery in Cork, Ireland, established in 1792 by William Beamish and William Crawford on the site of an existing porter brewery. Beamish and Crawford operated until 2009 and had a number of owners, including Carling O’Keefe, Elders IXL, Scottish & Newcastle and, most recently, Heineken International. While the Beamish and Crawford brewery closed in 2009, Beamish stout is still brewed in the city, at a nearby Heineken operated facility.

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Brewery History The Beamish and Crawford brewery was founded in 1792, when two merchants, William Beamish and William Crawford, went into partnership with two brewers, Richard Barrett and Digby O’Brien. They purchased an existing brewery on a site in Cramer’s lane that had been used for brewing since at least 1650 (and possibly as early as 1500).

Beamish and Crawford’s Cork Porter Brewery prospered, and by 1805 it had become the largest brewery in Ireland and the third largest in the then United Kingdom as a whole. In 1805, its output was 100,000 barrels per annum up from 12,000 barrels in 1792. It remained the largest brewery in Ireland until overtaken by Guinness in 1833.

In 1865, the brewery underwent a modernisation programme.Alfred Barnard, a noted brewing and distilling historian, remarked in his book Noted Breweries of Great Britain & Ireland in 1889 that: “The business of Beamish & Crawford in Cork is a very old one dating as far back as the seventeenth century and it is said to be the most ancient porter brewery in Ireland.”

The company went public in 1901, issuing a share capital of £480,000. Further expansion was aided by the acquisition of a number of local breweries in the early 1900s. In 1995, Beamish and Crawford sold the brewery to Scottish & Newcastle.

With the 2008 takeover of Scottish & Newcastle, the brewery passed into the hands of its main Corkbased rival Heineken International.

In December 2008, it was announced that the Beamish and Crawford brewery was to close in March 2009. Production was moved to the nearby Heineken Brewery (previously Murphy’s), with about forty of the Beamish staff moved to Heineken.

The brewery buildings are still in the heart of Cork’s medieval city, close to the South Gate. The original brewery facilities are subject to planning permission for use as a visitor and events centre.

In 2009, after just over two years of being reintroduced to the US market, owners Heineken decided to stop distribution of Beamish products outside Ireland.

Porter Stout!

Murphy’s Irish Stout Murphy’s Irish Stout (often simply Murphy’s), is a stout brewed at the Murphy’s Brewery in Cork, Ireland. It is owned and distributed by the Dutch brewer Heineken International.

Murphy’s was heavily promoted worldwide

by Heineken throughout the late 1980s and 1990s, but it ultimately failed to substantially dent Guinness’ global stout market share, and Heineken have since directed their attentions to other brands.

Flavour profile It is brewed to be less heavy and less bitter than its chief competitor Guinness. Its flavour is evocative of caramel and malt, and is described as “a distant relative of chocolate milk”. The resemblance to milk extends beyond flavour to texture: Murphy’s is free from any hint of carbonation, and is delivered “black as strong cappuccino” with an inch of foam – the head – on top. The water of the River Lee in Cork allegedly gave Murphy’s its quality.

History Local Irish history pits the Guinness drinkers of Dublin squarely against the Murphy’s drinkers of Cork. There has long been a lively rivalry between the two, with Murphy’s viewed as the more “craft” stout, and Guinness being the more mainstream. After years as a solely local stout, the acquisition of the brewery by Heineken in 1983, with a consequent expansion in distribution and international television advertising, exposed Murphy’s to the international drinking community.

Widget In addition to being distributed in kegs, Murphy’s is also available in a can. To simulate the appearance and texture of the tap version, cans of Murphy’s contain a nitrogen widget, which increases the creaminess of the head when poured.

Overseas markets Murphy’s was launched on draught in the United Kingdom in 1989. Cans were launched in 1992. It is now rarely found on draught in the UK, although is stocked by many major supermarkets in cans.

In the UK it is brewed at Heineken’s Tadcaster plant in North Yorkshire for the home market and some export markets. According to Euromonitor, Murphy’s sold 25,000 hl in the UK in 2011. Popular export markets include Norway and Italy.

Sales Export volumes peaked in the mid-1990s and domestic volume peaked around 2000. The brand is suffering in its native Ireland due to a declining market for stout. It holds a 5% market share of the Irish on trade stout market, although this is largely a result of its 28% share of its native Cork market. Murphy’s has a limited presence in Ireland outside of Cork. In 2011, 60,000 hectolitres of Murphy’s were sold in Ireland.

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Porter Stout continued

Guinness is an Irish dry stout produced by Diageo that originated in the brewery of Arthur Guinness (1725–1803) at St. James’s Gate, Dublin. Guinness is one of the most successful beer brands worldwide. It is brewed in almost 60 countries and is available in over 120.

Composition of Guinness stout Its made from water, barley, roast malt extract, hops, and brewer’s yeast. A portion of the barley is roasted to give Guinness its dark colour and characteristic taste. It is pasteurised and filtered.

Making the product requires knowledge in the sciences of microbiology, mycology, bacteriology, and thermodynamics. Despite its reputation as a “meal in a glass”, Guinness only contains 198 kcal (838 kilojoules) per imperial pint (1460 kJ/l), slightly fewer than skimmed milk, orange juice, and most other non-light beers.

Until the late 1950s Guinness was still racked into wooden casks. In the late 1950s and early 1960s, Guinness ceased brewing cask-conditioned beers and developed a keg brewing system with aluminium kegs replacing the wooden casks; these were nicknamed “iron lungs”. The production of Guinness, as with many beers, also involves the use of isinglass made from fish. Isinglass is used as a fining agent for settling out suspended matter in the vat.

Draught Guinness and its canned counterpart contain nitrogen (N2) as well as carbon dioxide. Nitrogen is more soluble than carbon dioxide, which allows the beer to be put under high pressure without making it fizzy. High pressure of the dissolved gas is required to enable very small bubbles to be formed by forcing the draught beer through fine holes in a plate in the tap, which causes the characteristic “surge” (the widget in cans and bottles achieves the same effect This “widget” is a small plastic ball containing the nitrogen with also just a little beer itself. The perceived smoothness of draught Guinness is due to its low level of carbon dioxide and the creaminess of the head caused by the very fine bubbles that arise from the use of nitrogen and the dispensing method described above. “Foreign Extra Stout” contains more carbon dioxide, causing a more acidic taste.

Contemporary Guinness Draught and Extra Stout are weaker than they were in the 19th century.

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Foreign Extra Stout and Special Export Stout, with abv of 7.5% and 9% respectively, are perhaps closest to the original in character.

Although Guinness may appear to be black, it is officially a very dark shade of ruby. A feature of the product is the burnt flavour that is derived from roasted unmalted barley, although this is a relatively modern development, not becoming part of the grist until the mid-20th century. For many years a portion of aged brew was blended with freshly brewed beer to give a sharp lactic flavour. Although the Guinness palate still features a characteristic “tang”, the company has refused to confirm whether this type of blending still occurs.

The draught beer’s thick, creamy head comes from mixing the beer with nitrogen and carbon dioxide when poured. It is still the best-selling alcoholic drink in Ireland.

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Porter Stout Continued The Guinness Timeline Arthur Guinness started brewing ales in 1759 at the St. James’s Gate Brewery, Dublin. On 31 December 1759, he signed a 9,000 year lease at £45 per annum for the unused brewery.

Ten years later, on 19 May 1769, Guinness first exported his ale: he shipped six-and-a-half barrels to Great Britain. There have been claims that Arthur Price, a Welshman, took the original recipe with him to Ireland where he hired a servant, Richard Guinness, whose son later opened the brewery. “Stout” originally referred to a beer’s strength, but eventually shifted meaning toward body and colour.

Arthur Guinness started selling the dark beer porter in 1778. The first Guinness beers to use the term were Single Stout and Double Stout in the 1840s.

Throughout the bulk of its history, Guinness produced ‘only three variations of a single beer type: porter or single stout, double or extra and foreign stout for export’. Porter was also referred to as “plain”, as mentioned in the famous refrain of Flann O’Brien’s poem “The Workman’s Friend”: “A pint of plain is your only man.”

Already one of the top-three British and Irish brewers, Guinness’s sales soared from 350,000 barrels in 1868 to 779,000 barrels in 1876. In October 1886 Guinness became a public company, and was averaging sales of 1,138,000 barrels a year. This was despite the brewery’s refusal to either advertise or offer its beer at a discount. Even though Guinness owned no public houses, the company was valued at £6 million and shares were twenty times oversubscribed, with share prices rising to a 60 % premium on the first day of trading.

By 1900 the brewery was operating unparalleled welfare schemes for its 5,000 employees. By 1907 the welfare schemes were costing the brewery £40,000 a year, which was one-fifth of the total wages bill. The improvements were suggested and supervised by Sir John Lumsden. By 1914, Guinness was producing 2,652,000 barrels of beer a year, which was more than double that of its nearest competitor Bass, and was supplying more than 10 percent of the total UK beer market In the 1930s, Guinness became the seventh largest company in the world. Before 1939, if a Guinness brewer wished to marry a Catholic, his resignation was requested. According to Thomas Molloy, writing in the Irish Independent, “It had no qualms about selling drink to Catholics but it did everything it could to avoid employing them until the 1960s.”

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Guinness acquired the Distillers Company in 1986. This led to a scandal and criminal trial concerning the artificial inflation of the Guinness share price during the takeover bid engineered by the chairman, Ernest Saunders. A subsequent £5.2 million success fee paid to an American lawyer and Guinness director, Tom Ward, was the subject of the case Guinness plc v Saunders, in which the House of Lords declared that the payment had been invalid.

In the 1980s, as the IRA’s bombing campaign spread to London and the rest of Britain, Guinness considered scrapping the harp as its logo.

The company merged with Grand Metropolitan in 1997 to form Diageo PLC. Due to controversy over the merger, the company was maintained as a separate entity within Diageo and has retained the rights to the product and all associated trademarks of Guinness.

The Guinness Brewery Park Royal during demolition, at its peak the largest and most productive brewery in the world The Guinness brewery in Park Royal, London closed in 2005. The production of all Guinness sold in the UK and Ireland was moved to St. James’s Gate Brewery, Dublin.

Guinness has also been referred to as “the black stuff”. Guinness had a fleet of ships, barges and yachts.

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Irish Whisky Very Rare – and Beautiful Text: Noel Sheehy

People who like Irish whiskey enjoy the smoothness and balance of the drink. If you are a fan of smoky whiskey then this is not the whiskey for you. If you want to try something Irish and a bit more exotic then it’s a good choice.

This is a premium blended Irish whiskey, produced

by Irish Distillers at the New Midleton Distillery, in the East Cork town of Midleton, from which it gets its name.

Midleton Very Rare has received strong reviews and several awards. As the name suggests, the whiskey is produced in limited quantities. Only 50 casks are released each year, it is therefore both expensive and collectible. Each bottle is individually numbered and signed by the master distiller.

The whiskeys used in the blend are handpicked by the Master distiller, all are triple distilled and have aged between 12 and 25 years in individually selected Bourbon or Sherry casks. Because a new vintage is created each year, each differs slightly and has its own character. It is distilled at the same location as the more affordable Jameson whiskey.

History Midleton Very Rare was launched in 1984 to celebrate the whiskeys produced in Midleton.

In September 2014, to commemorate the 30th or Pearl anniversary of Midleton Very Rare Irish Whiskey, Midleton Distillery invited their Master Distiller Emeritus Barry Crockett out of retirement to join his successor and current Master Distiller Brian Nation in producing a special anniversary expression of just 117 bottles of Midleton Very Rare 30th Anniversary Pearl Edition.

Reviews Midleton Very Rare has received strong reviews from a number of sources. It was awarded a Double Gold rating (meaning unanimous gold medal from all judges) at the 2007 San Francisco World Spirits Competition after having won only Gold in 2005. It was a finalist in the Ultimate Spirits Challenge 2011, where it earned a rating of ‘Extraordinary - Ultimate Recommendation’. The prior year, the 2008 vintage was awarded the Chairman’s Trophy (top prize for its class) in this same contest. It was also a finalist in the Ultimate Spirits Challenge 2011. It currently holds a rating of 93 on ‘For Peat’ Sake’.

Image: Old Midleton Distillery 22

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Irish Ale- A Name Changer Text: Leon Smith

This is an Irish red ale-style beer from Kilkenny, Ireland. It is a clear beer with a red colour. Smithwick’s was originally created as a special brew for the first Kilkenny Beer Festival. It was later renamed Smithwick’s No. 1 but is known today as Smithwick’s.

History Smithwick’s was founded by John Smithwick in 1710. It was originally brewed in St. Francis Abbey Brewery in Kilkenny which is Ireland’s oldest operating brewery. The brewery is situated on the site of a Franciscan Abbey where monks had brewed ale since the 14th century, and ruins of the original abbey still remain on its grounds.

The old brewery has since been renovated and now stands “The Smithwick’s Experience Kilkenny” visitor attraction and centre.

John Smithwick was an orphan of the Irish rebellion who had settled in Kilkenny. Shortly after his arrival, Smithwick went into the brewing business with Richard Cole on a piece of land that Cole had leased from the Duke of Ormond in 1705. Five years later, John Smithwick became the owner of the land. The brewery stayed small, servicing a loyal local following while John Smithwick diversified.

Following John Smithwick’s death, the brewery temporarily fell out of family hands. John Smithwick’s great grandson, Edmond bought the brewery land back freehold and worked to reshape its future. Edmond concentrated on discovering new markets and successfully building export trade. Drinkers in England, Scotland and Wales developed a taste for Smithwick’s brews and output increased fivefold.

As a result of substantial contributions made to St Mary’s Cathedral, Edmond became great friends with Irish liberal Daniel O’Connell, who later became godfather to one of his sons. Edmond Smithwick became well known and respected by the people of Kilkenny who voted him town mayor four times.

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In 1800, export sales began to fall and the brewing industry encountered difficulty. To combat this, the Smithwick family increased production in their maltings, began selling mineral water and delivered butter with the ale from the back of their drays.

By 1900, output was at an all-time low and James Smithwick was advised by auditors to shut the doors of the brewery. Instead, James reduced the range of beers they produced and set out to find new markets. He secured military contracts and soon after saw output increase again. James’ son, Walter, took control in 1930 and steered the brewery to success through the hardships of both World War II and increasingly challenging weather conditions. By January 1950, Smithwick’s was exporting ale to Boston.

Smithwick’s was purchased from Walter Smithwick in 1965 by Guinness and is now, along with Guinness, part of Diageo. Together, Guinness & Co. and Smithwick’s developed and launched Smithwick’s Draught in 1966. By 1979, half a million barrels were sold each year.

In 1980, Smithwick’s began exporting to France.

Thirteen years later, Smithwick’s Draught became Canada’s leading imported ale. As of autumn 2010, Smithwick’s continues to be brewed in Dundalk and Kilkenny with tankers sent to Dublin to be kegged for the on trade market. Cans and bottles are packaged by IBC in Belfast. As of 31 December 2013 production in the Kilkenny brewery finished. Smithwick’s is now being produced in St.James Gate. The original Kilkenny site was sold to Kilkenny County Council, with a small portion of the site dedicated to the opening of a visitor’s centre, the “Smithwick’s Experience Kilkenny”

Smithwick’s Pale Ale In 2011, Smithwick’s extended their range for the first time since 1983 with the launch of Smithwick’s Pale Ale. The ale is made of pale ale malt, traditional Smithwick’s yeast and Amarillo hops and has an ABV of 4.5%. While pale in colour, it is not a typical India pale ale, just a lightercoloured variation on red ale.

Smithwick’s Draught has a red tone. It is produced using hops and roasted, malted barley. In 2004, Diageo PLC began distribution in the USA. Smithwick’s had previously been marketed in Canada.

Kilkenny Irish Cream Ale is similar to Smithwick’s Draught; however, it has a cream head similar to Guinness, and it has a stronger and more bitter taste than Smithwick’s. The Kilkenny name was originally used during the ‘80s and ‘90s to market a stronger version of Smithwick’s for the European and Canadian market due to difficulty in pronunciation of the word “Smithwick’s”, but it now refers to a similar yet distinctly different beer.

Smithwick’s ale has been awarded seven gold medals in the Monde Selection Beer Tasting Competition

Image: Smithwick’s Brewery

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Belgian Beauty For Beer Lovers Text: Per Brandorf

I spent the summer of 2016 in a very warm place. The city of Monterrey, located in the northern west of Mexico. During my stay, I learned that having a refreshing ice cold lager from one of the bigger corporate breweries wasn’t so bad after all in the 40 degrees’ heat. But this was then. Now, by the time I´m writing this article, it is November, the nature is half trough the season’s transformation and the days are raw, grey and foggy. The crystal-clear air is fresh and gives a faint scent of fallen leaves and dark moister soil. The Ecclesiastes teaches us that there are seasons for everything. The beer season goes probably for twelve months a year. However, the fresh cold air and the dim, mysterious atmosphere during autumn is just perfect to enjoy a Belgian masterpiece.

Belgian beer includes a variety of styles and the flavours, still, some elements characterise many of them. The astringent and phenolic, or rather that humid and spicy taste found in most Belgian beers comes from the yeast used in the Flanders and Wallonian regions. It is not unusual to let the yeast rise in over 25 degrees which contribute to the very ripe, almost overwhelming taste that are so unique for Belgian styles. Other factors, perhaps less flattering, is the high sugar and alcohol rate.

Nevertheless, Belgian beer is not for heavy consumption. One should never end up in a shortage of time before enjoying a Belgian beer. It is not designed to be consumed like a shot or to be treated like a quick sharpener before doing something else. It is to be appreciated somewhere nice and under circumstances which not interfere with the experience. Some Bars in Belgium emphasize this philosophy more than others and doesn’t allow their guest to buy more than three cups for every visit. It is to be enjoyed, not to wallow in.

Belgium is truly a Stronghold for beer and it´s not a coincident that the Belgian branch organisation, Belgische Brouwers, is one of the world’s oldest associations. The association probably also have the world’s toughest regulation for becoming a member. Still, this has not prevented a country that sometimes are called Disneyland for beer lovers from having at least 168 breweries, another 91 producers without own breweries and 4 Lambic blenders. A Total of 263 producers. With 55 registered cities, there is a share of almost 5 producers per City.

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Not bad for a country with only 30 thousand of square kilometres.

This is striking while driving through this small country. After leaving the borders of one town, it only takes about ten minutes before entering a new, and probably a new nice Pub, or an Estaminet as the Belgians calls them. Considering the country’s number of breweries, it is not unusual that an Estaminet has its own brewery, and if not, the assortment often consists by at least 200 different beers. Therefore, most of us will find at least something to appreciate if visiting one of them.

I warmly recommend a visit. However, you don’t need to travel all the way to Belgium to find a nice place to enjoy a Belgian beer. Many Swedish restaurants, Pubs and Bars has an assortment of at least one or a few Belgian bottles and some can proudly present a whole range of them. There is especially two of those places in Stockholm I could recommend. Not because of their selections are more unique but due to the expertise, burning interest and enthusiasm to advise and enlighten others about Belgian beer culture.

Make a visit to Pressklubben at Vasagatan 50.

You might be lucky and end up next to Jens Skrubbe. probably the best Belgian beer connoisseur of Sweden. But be prepared, the bar only serves Belgian beer. If not Jens or any of his team is around, try Porter House in the old city, located at Munkbron 11. Discover yourself through the restaurants mediaeval cellar vaults and observe the grand beer selection. Don’t be afraid to ask anyone if you get lost, the staff are eager to tell every visitor about what’s in the bottles. Eventually, Sweden is not Belgium but one shouldn’t have to travel far to be indulged by a Belgian masterpiece.

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Dykes Brewery Text: Leon Smith

The following interview is with Robert of Dyke’s Brewery.

Tell us how ye came to have a microbrewery?

Well, our story started almost 50 years ago back in London when my dad was out shopping with my grandmother, Peggy. He saw a colourful box on one of the shelf at the local grocery store. The title on the box was an intriguing one - “Geordie Home brewing Kit” - and peaked both his and his mother’s interest. Needless to say, it ended up in the cart and made the trip back to the house for a homebrew session. As soon as they got home, my dad ran down to the basement, dusted of the old pressure cooker and the duo brewed their first batch of beer together. A few weeks later, the home-brewed beer was ready for testing. Problem was, who was going to be the first to try it? They turned to my grandfather, who was known more for his preference in port wine than traditional beer. After a few minutes of convincing, he sniffed a few whiffs of the aroma and tasted the beer. The appreciation was evident: “Peggy, make sure the boy gets another one of those kits. This is delicious!”

Fast forwarding a few years… In his early twenties, Dad met my mom in London when she was there interning for a hospital as part of becoming a registered nurse. Within a year or so, they’d got engaged and married and was heading to Sweden to start their life together on Swedish soil. Sweden was a special country for an Englishman. A caring wife, a welcoming state and a booming economy made integration easy. However, there was one thing that wasn’t really like home - the selection of beers at the local pub. And at Systembolaget for that matter. So Dad did what had to be done, he started brewing beer at home, just like back in England.

It all started with simple equipment in the family’s garage. A few batches of English Bitter and Pale Ale. Soon enough, neighbors from surrounding neighbourhood got word and flocked with the notion of a true Englishman making his own beer.

Those who were there will remember the Salt & Vinegar chips, the dart board hanging on the wall, and of course the musky scent of beer being tapped from the makeshift kegs. As time progressed, the family of two became three and then four, with the latest contribution being the son, Robert, who in his early days became somewhat of the brewmaster’s shadow, curious of all things the tinkering father 28

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would undertake. And this would of course include the love of brewing beer, although there was a number of years where brewing and not drinking was the main focus of the self-appointed apprentice.

With the history and knowledge of brewing science from many years prior, and having neighbours, friends, family (well literally anyone having tried the beer) praise the beer, the entrepreneurial spirit of both father and son Dykes quickly confirmed that there was a market for English ales in Sweden. As time passed, the craft beer market in Sweden matured and became more receptive for artisanal beers. Consumers became more aware of the variety of beers available from local producers and it was also in this new trend of “support local” that father and son Dykes decided to take the step and establish Dykes Brewery.

Who are the people behind the Brewery?

We are a father-and-son brewery, with Dick Dykes being a fully qualified brewmaster since decades back. The move from the UK to Sweden in the mid-70’s prompted Dick to take his passion and knowledge of all things beer and share it with fellow beer connoisseurs in the form of his fine ales. Although he’s one of the most friendly and laid-back people you could wish to meet, his natural curiosity about beer styles and ingredients have led to a range of innovative and intriguing beers. Brewing a beer that not only quenches your thirst, but is suitable to drink in connection to food, is where his extensive experience as a brewer comes into full play. One could say that it is a beer, specifically made for the Swedish palette, but with a traditional English twist.

What’s your goal and what sets you aside from other Brewers?

First and foremost, we will not be producing beer to become millionaires. We do it because we have a passion that we want to communicate - our passion is to convey a unique taste experience! We believe that those who are interested and can identify with our passion has much to enjoy from our products. We hope to offer a locally produced beer with full taste adapted to the Swedish palate.

How? By keeping the highest focus on quality in all steps and carefully choose the ingredients used in the brewing process. We are responsive and willing to listen to local demand, and with our agile production, we are very flexible and customizable in terms of the beers we brew.

As we’ve noticed that there’s interest surpassing our demand, we are working on increasing volume. However, we’re very keen on not losing our strict quality requirements and traceability.

We will always let the unique taste experience of our beer direct our focus forward and hopefully let the brewery grow organically for generations to come.

Also, the town where we have the brewery, Sundsvall, has historically had a long and impressive tradition of brewing beer, which unfortunately laid dormant since the 90’s when Pripps chose to close down their production in Sundsvall. Dad always noticed that the municipal water supply was of excellent quality, making it come as no surprise that the region have had successful breweries in the past. Digging deeper into the chemistry of it, the water we use to brew our beer on is actually classified as mineral water straight from the municipal water supply! Very few breweries in Sweden enjoy such luxury. I think that us producing our beer on natural yet local mineral water makes us stand out from the crowd.

We also believe in modern tradition. Relying on the modern equipment available today that allow us to brew our beer with consistent quality and taste, as well as respecting the traditional values of brewing craft beer and the history behind it.

That is how we, as father and son, like to think of our brewery and beer, balancing modern with tradition.

Tell us about your Beers?

We focus on brewing authentic beers which reflects our heritage as brewers but also challenge local conventions. We do not have shareholders who tell us what to do, allowing us to work freely with the public and listen to comments aired on our ideas.

Each of Dykes Brewery’s beer has its own unique and vibrant character that will appeal to the most demanding palate. We turn to beer connoisseurs who value uniqueness and identify with breweries that focus on quality. We like to think we have a vibrant personality with confidence in our beer, enough confidence that even the most discerning beer connoisseur will find room for our beer on their shelf.

We are always interested in knowing what our consumers think of our beers, and will do the utmost to make sure all opinions are heard. Send us an email, message us on Facebook, or – even better – come and see us!

We at Best OF Booze really like your Ale, what should we know about it?

Our beer is crafted with England’s finest hops and malted barley and brewed using one of Europe’s best waters. We always focus on the ultimate taste experience, and hope that our beers are consumed with friends over a deliciously prepared meal. We try to focus on producing beer that have a high sessionability over it. We want our friends to enjoy not only one, but two and perhaps three of our beers, without them becoming a “pallet killer” and ruining whatever food is paired with them. Balance is key for us, and keeping the ABV relatively low. We’re quite proud to have both a Red Ale and English Bitter on the lower end of the alcohol spectrum (both coming in at 3,5% ABV).

Any exciting plans?

Yes! We’re actually in the middle of installing a new brewhouse, moving from a 200 liter brewing capacity to 1200 liters. It’s quite the step up for us, and with this upgrade we can also start supplying the local Systembolaget without affecting distribution to our friend at the restaurants and pubs as well as low ABV outlets such as ICA Alnön, Folkölsbutiken by Mariatorget, Bottle Shop on Södermalm, and Folk & Friends on Norr Mälarstrand. We’ve also tweaked our recipe for our English Bitter, bringing it down to 3,5% (was 3,8%) allowing it to be sold at low ABV outlets in Sweden. We launched the beer in its new shape in connection to Stockholm Beer & Whisky BEST OF BOOZE_ Nº 03 2016

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Dykes

Continued

this year and it was a real crowd pleaser.

Our good friend Jonathan Henderson from Founder Brewing Co. gave us a nice shout out during a live interview at the festival, claiming that our beer was one of his favourites. For a small brewery such as ours, that means a lot.Other exciting plans include some fun activities next year, including our first appearance at “En Öl & Whiskymässa” in Gothenburg next year as well as the new festival “Malt, Mat & Destillat” held at Stockholmsmässan at the end of March. We’ll be bring some new interesting beer to both occasions, so keep an eye on our Instagram and Facebook feed for the latest.

Describe a regular brewing day?

Well, brew days can be long days, sometimes a blessing and sometimes a curse. There is nothing better than having an undisturbed six hour block of time to focus on brewing, in our world it’s like meditation. Our brew days basically consist of 10 overall steps, a quick run-through to follow: STEP 1: Crushing the grain.

We mill the grain the same morning as we brew the beer. The grain must be crushed or ‘milled’ to expose the starches inside.

This makes it easier for the water to extract sugars and other desirables. We dump the grains directly into the hopper on the grain mill that sits on top of a plastic food grade bucket.

STEP 2: Fill Hot Liquor Tank with water We fill our Hot Liquor Tank the day or night prior to the brewday with 200 liters of fresh water.

STEP 3: Heat strike water First thing we do when entering the brewery in the morning, we switch on the heating pumps and heating element so that our strike water is at the right temperature for mash-in.

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STEP 4: Transfer strike water to Mash/Lauter Tun After the strike water reaches the desired temperature, we use pumps to move over the right amount of water to our mash tun in order to soak (mash) our grain.

STEP 5: Mash The strike water we transferred over to the Mash/ Lauter Tun will have lost some heat as the kettle is slightly colder. Before mashing in (adding the grain), we let the water circulate through our HERMS coil for 5-10 minutes to get back up to the mash temperature.

Once both the Hot Liquor Tank and Mash/Lauter Tun have the right temperature for our brew (our mash temperature), it’s time to add the crushed grain.

We gently scoop the milled grain into the Mash/ Lauter Tun, stirring for a few minutes with the mash paddle to ensure that all of the grain is wet and there are no clumps or dry pockets (called ‘doughballs’).

While most of the starch to sugar conversion will take place in the first 30-60 minutes, depending on recipe, we will mash for 90 minutes to maximize conversion.

In order to keep the right temperature for optimal conversion, we recirculating the mash through a HERMS coil sitting inside the Hot Liquor Tank. The continuous recirculation filters the wort naturally using the husks in the grain bed (a process called ‘vorlauf’). This process allows the wort to slowly clear over time as the grain is mashed.

STEP 6: Mash-out After our 90 minute mash we increase the mash temperature and hold for 5-10 minutes to further dissolve the wort sugars. This is called the ‘mashout’ and helps make the grain bed and wort more fluid for the next step (sparging). At the mashout temperature we’ve chosen, all enzyme action is stopped, effectively preserving or ‘locking in’ our beer’s sugar profile so that no further changes can be made.

STEP 7: Sparge Once the grain has reached the mash-out temperature, it’s time to sparge.

Sparging is the action of rinsing the sugars from the grain. The resultant liquid is called ‘sweet wort’. (It technically does not become wort until it is boiled with hops or other bittering ingredients to offset the sweetness). The wort is transferred thru pumps to our boil kettle.

STEP 8: Boil The Boil Kettle would now be full of sweet wort.

We regulate our heating element to maintain a good vigorous boil for the duration of the 60 or 90 minute boil (depending on the beer we’re making).

Hops are added during the boil to offset the sweetness of the malt. Generally speaking, hops added at the start of the boil add bitterness, hops added in the middle of the boil add flavour, and hops added near the end add aroma. Some of our recipes will even have us add hops to the mash (called ‘mash hopping’) or to the Boil Kettle while sparging (called ‘first wort hopping’) to create complex hop flavours and aromas.

STEP 9: Chill After the boil is complete it is important to chill the wort as quickly as possible. This helps reduce possible oxidation, prevents DMS from forming, and prevents contamination from bacteria and wild yeast. Cold tap water is used to chill the wort, through a ‘wort chiller’. Our cold water source is tap water, something we use to refill the Hot Liquer Tank for our next brewday.

STEP 10: Ferment and package When the wort has chilled to desired temperature we move it over to our conical fermenters, fitted with an airlock to allow CO2 to escape while preventing contamination from the outside world. Before pitching the yeast, we aerated the wort well to provide the yeast with the oxygen required for growth and reproduction as most of the oxygen was driven off during boiling.

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Jonas Andersson Fermenting His Own Way

Every homebrewer has its own story about how they got into the business. The story of Jonas Andersson is probably different to many others. He developed an interest for Vikings and started to sew authentic clothes from that period. This made him become interested in mead, also known as “honey wine”.

Along with the rest of his historic craftwork he started brewing mead. This was back in 2002 and a couple of years later Jonas started to brew his own beer as well. Now, almost 15 years later, he has become a familiar face within the craft-beer scene in general and to many homebrewers in particular.

Text: Erik Öl-sson

Tell us more about how you got interested in brewing..

I’ve always had an interest in creating things, especially things authentic from Nordic history. I started brewing mead almost 15 years ago and I still today continue to brew mead from time to time. It is such an underrated beverage. It’s excellent to combine with different food and desserts. Many people have the completely wrong conception of what mead tastes like. I would love to see mead becoming the next big thing in craft-beverages. Unfortunately good mead is still very hard to get hold of in Sweden.

Brewing your own beer is a popular thing now.

How did you start?

I started in a very simple way buying kits of extract.

Soon I was hooked and started brewing all-grain.

I’ve always tried to keep the process and equipment simple. Today I have a 50L kettle that I’ve welded myself. I use a pump to recirculate the mash and a stainless wort-chiller. I’ve never felt the urge to buy an automatic brewing system.

How has home-brewing developed since you started?

The availability of quality products and equipment today is so much better than when I first started. It makes it a lot easier.

Have you competed with your homebrew?

I have participated a few times in the Swedish championships of home-brewing. My proudest moment was when I won the French-Belgian competition with a Saison that scored 47 out of 50 (excellent). Apart from that I have some other medals that I’ve mainly earned from my sour-beers.

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Tell us about your involvement in the Swedish home-brewing association?

I’m currently a board member and I try to represent the association at public events. One of those events is the Christmas market at Skansen every year.

At the Christmas market we try to brew beer in the same way they did in ancient times, dressing accordingly. Since I have a strong historical interest connected to food and beverages I really enjoy doing this event every year. It has also become very popular and appreciated among the guests at the market.

I know you also do work for the homebrewing supplier PGW. Can you tell me more about how you try to help them out?

I mainly try to give them advice when it comes to sourcing and what type of home-brewing products they benefit from having in stock.

For example I’ve put together a very affordable beginner’s kit to get people out there to start brewing their own beer. It doesn’t have to be expensive to get going. To go with the kit I’ve also designed some simple recipes.

Do you have any advice to the people out there who wants to start brewing beer?

Please start as easy as possible.

Buy a small cheap kit to see if home-brewing is for you. Use as few ingredients as possible in the beginning and start with extract brew before you try all grain. One good idea could be to buy one of my kits from PGW.

Apart from beer and mead, have you tried brewing something else?

Sure, I really enjoy brewing cider. I love French cider and have been brewing it for years. Unfortunately it’s very hard to find good cider in Sweden. I also brew Kombucha which is a fermented Japanese tea. A tea that is great for your health. I also do my own vinegar since a while back.

What are your plans for the future?

I love working with flavors and I feel that this is something I want to develop in the future. There are so many great drinking experiences we still miss out on when going to restaurants in Sweden. This is an area where I think my expertise could be useful, to help restaurant develop their menus and how to combine food and drinks. I’ve never really thought about trying to start my own brewery but if existing breweries would like my help, I definitely would consider it.

Speaking of breweries, I heard that you just participated in a very interesting project together with Monks.

That is true. I’ve been growing my own hops for a while now and a while back Charles Cassino at Monks got in touch with me and we decided to brew a beer made only from my own fresh homegrown hops. Not a lot of breweries in Sweden has brewed from Swedish fresh hops before so this was such a cool project. The beer is a classic English style pale ale which now can be found at Monks café at Wallingatan. It’s called Monks Café Home Grown Ale. A very tasty beer and I deeply recommend you go try it.

I definitely will Jonas and I recommend all our readers to try it as well since it’s an almost unique project. Thank you for sharing your story with us Jonas and I’m sure we will see more of you and your historical fermenting skills in the future.

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Czech mate! The First Pilsner Text: Leon Smith

Czech Beer is among the highest rated in the world. But where did it all start off with Czech Beer?

Pilsner Urquell is the name credited with Pilsner production in Czech Republic.

Pilsner Urquell is a Czech brewery founded in 1842 and headquartered in Plzeň, Czech Republic. It is the first brewery to produce pilsener blond lager style beer, branded Pilsner Urquell, making it the inspiration for more than two-thirds of the beer produced in the world today, which are named pils, pilsner and pilsener. Both Plzeňský Prazdroj and Pilsner Urquell can be roughly translated into English as “the Fountainhead at Pilsen” or “the original source of Pilsner”.

History The brewery was founded in 1839 by both local Czech-speaking and German-speaking citizens in Bohemian city of Plzeň as Bürgerbrauerei (citizens’ brewery, later translated to Měšťanský pivovar in Czech). The first beer was brewed here in 1842 by Bavarian brewer Josef Groll. In 1859, “Pilsner Bier” was registered as a brand name at the local Chamber of Commerce and Trade. In 1869, a competitor was founded as a joint stock company, later known as Gambrinus. In 1898 the German trademark Urquell and Czech trademark Prazdroj were created, to underline the claim of being the older, original source of Pilsner beer. In 1932 Měšťanský pivovar merged with Plzeňské aciové pivovary. In 1946, the brewery was nationalized under the name Plzeňské pivovary (Pilsen breweries).

After the fall of communism in late 1989, the brewery was turned into a public share company, then renamed in 1994 after the Czech name of their famous beer, Plzeňský Prazdroj. In 1999, they started to merge with Pivovar Radegast a.s. and Pivovar Velké Popovice a. s..

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The brewery has been part of the SABMiller group of companies (at the time South African Breweries) since 1999. It has been the largest exporter of beer produced in the Czech Republic since 2000 when production surpassed that of Budějovický Budvar.

Museum A brewery museum (“Pivovarské muzeum”) has been set up near the brewery in the authentic medieval brewing house with malt house, which has been declared a cultural monument. It includes the late Gothic malt house, kiln, original drying shed and two-level laying-down cellars with ice-cellar, which are hewn from the Pilsen substrata. The exhibition covers Pilsen’s most ancient history, the development of crafts, the emergence and growth of the guilds, the beginnings and development of brewing, malting, the craft of cooper, haulage and catering.

The tour includes a replica of a pub from the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries and a laboratory from the second half of the 19th century. The city walls have been opened with an example of the cultivation of barley and hops.

The museum has become an anchor for the European Route of Industrial Heritage

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Pilsner Timeline 1295 City of Pilsen established, beginnings of brewing.

1307 First recorded mention of the existence of an actual brewery with malt house.

1839 Burghers in Pilsen decide to found the Burgess’ Brewery (Bürgerbrauerei, Měšťanský pivovar) 15 September 1839 – autumn 1840 Construction of the Burgess’ Brewery, forerunner of today’s brewery.

5 October 1842 First brew of Bavarian type beer, bottom-fermented beer, so-called pale lager.

1 March 1859 “Pilsner Bier” brand name registered at the Chamber of Commerce and Trade in Pilsen.

2nd half of 19th century Brewery expands in Europe, first exports from Pilsen to America.

1869 Competitor founded as First Stock Brewery (První akciový pivovar), today known as Gambrinus.

1898 New Urquell - Prazdroj trade mark created.

1910 Světovar - Český Plzeňský pivovar akciové společnosti v Plzni.

1913 Output over 100 million litres of beer, commercial representation in 34 countries.

1925 - 1933 Merger of several Pilsen breweries.

1933 Two breweries remain in Pilsen: Měšťanský pivovar and Plzeňské akciové pivovary (PAP), with the majority of PAP shares being owned by Měšťanský pivovar.

1 June 1945 National administration for companies owned by Měšťanský pivovar in Pilsen . National administration took over management of the Měšťanský pivovar (afterwards known as Prazdroj) and PAP (Gambrinus).

13 September 1946 Nationalization of both breweries and creation of a single national company, Plzeňské pivovary.

1 Jun 1964 Formation of the company Západočeské pivovary with registered office in Pilsen. Creation of the national company Plzeňský Prazdroj with regard to ownership of trademarks and contact with customers abroad.

November 1989 Fundamental changes initiated for the company’s entire organisation.

1 May 1992 Following privatization the joint stock company Plzeňské pivovary, a.s. is established. Major investment, technological development, rise in output and exports, development of business and distribution network, marketing.

1994 Formation of joint stock company Plzeňský Prazdroj.

1999 Merger approved with the companies Pivovar RADEGAST a. s., and Pivovar Velké Popovice a. s.

1999 Plzeňský Prazdroj, a. s. becomes part of South African Breweries.

Apr 2002 Pilsner Urquell was voted beer of the year at the Helsinki Beer Festival.

30 September 2002 merger completed with the companies Pivovar RADEGAST a. s., and Pivovar Velké Popovice a. s. This resulted in the formation of a single joint stock company called Plzeňský Prazdroj, a. s.

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BelgianBest For Beer?

For a small country so close to large wine producing regions, It’s surprising that Belgium is so Beer focused. Much of this drive is historic reasons and habits.

Text: Leon Smith

Beer here varies from pale lager to lambic beer and Flemish red. There are approximately 180 breweries in the country, ranging from international giants to microbreweries.

On average, Belgians drink 84 litres of beer each year, down from around 200 each year in 1900. Most beers are bought or served in bottles, rather than cans, and almost every style of beer has its own particular, uniquely shaped glass or other drinking-vessel. Using the correct glass is considered to improve its flavour.

The Back Story Brewing in Belgium dates back at least to the age of the first crusades in the 12th century.

Under the Catholic Church’s permission, local French and Flemish abbeys brewed and distributed beer as a fund raising method. The relatively low-alcohol beer of that time was preferred as a sanitary option to available drinking water. What are now traditional, artisanal brewing methods evolved, under abbey supervision, in the next seven centuries. The Trappist monasteries that now brew beer in Belgium were occupied in the late 18th century primarily by monks fleeing the French Revolution. However, the first Trappist brewery in Belgium (Westmalle) did not start operation until 10 December 1836, almost fifty years after the Revolution. That beer was exclusively for the monks and is described as “dark and sweet.”

The first recorded sale of beer (a brown beer) was on 1 June 1861.

In the 16th and 17th century, a beer termed crabbelaer was the most popular beer in Ghent; at the peak of its popularity, more than 50 different breweries produced more than 6 million litres a year. Other kinds of beer brewed in Ghent were klein bier, dubbel bier, clauwaert, dubbele clauwaert and dusselaer.

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Trappist beers The brewing of Trappist beers takes place in Trappist monasteries. For a beer to qualify for Trappist certification, the brewery must be in a monastery, the monks must play a role in its production and the policies and the profits from the sale must be used to support the monastery or social programs outside. Only eleven monasteries currently meet these qualifications, six of which are in Belgium, two in the Netherlands, one in Austria one in the United States and one in Italy. Trappist beer is a controlled term of origin: it tells where the beers come from, it is not the name of a beer style. Beyond saying they are mostly top-fermented, the Trappist beers have very little in common stylistically.

Abbey beers The designation “abbey beers” (Bières d’Abbaye or Abdijbier) originally applied to any monastic or monastic-style beer. After introduction of an official Trappist beer designation by the International Trappist Association in 1997, it came to mean products similar in style or presentation to monastic beers Amber ales These are beers similar to the traditional pale ales of England, although less bitterly hopped. A notable example is the 5% abv De Koninck brand, with its distinctive spherical glasses (called ‘bollekes’). It is popular in its native city of Antwerp. Another is Palm Speciale. Some, such as Vieux Temps were based on British styles to please troops stationed in Belgium during World War I. Others were introduced by the UK-born brewer George Maw Johnson in the late 19th century. A very strong ambrée is brewed by “Bush” (Dubuisson), another brewery influenced

by British styles.

Wallonian amber or ambrée ale, such a La Gauloise Ambrée, is considered to be somewhat distinct by some beer writers, and to be influenced by the French version of the ambrée style.

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Belgian-

continued

Blonde or golden ale These are a slight variation on pale ale, often made with pilsner malt. Some beer writers regard blonde and golden ales as distinct styles, while others do not. Duvel is the archetypal Belgian blonde ale, and one of the most popular bottled beers in the country as well as being well-known internationally. Its name means “Devil” and some other blonde beers follow the theme—Satan, Lucifer and Judas for example. The style is popular with Wallonian brewers, the slightly hazy Moinette being the bestknown example. Chouffe can be considered a spiced version (with coriander).

Brown ale Regular bruin or brune beers such as Grottenbier are darker than amber ales, less sour than Flemish brown ale, and less strong than dubbel.

Dubbel Dubbel (double) has a characteristic brown colour. It is one of the classic Abbey/Trappist types, having been developed in the 19th century at the Trappist monastery in Westmalle.

Today, some commercial brewers using abbey names call their strong brown beers “Dubbel”.

Typically, a dubbel is between 6 and 8% abv.

In addition to the dubbels made by most Trappist breweries, examples include St. Bernardus Pater, Adelardus Dubbel, Maredsous 8 and Witkap Dubbel.Dubbels are characteristically bottle conditioned.

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Flemish Red /Flanders red ale Typified by Rodenbach, the eponymous brand that started this type over a century ago, this beer’s distinguishing features from a technical viewpoint are a specially roasted malt, fermentation by a mixture of several ‘ordinary’ topfermenting yeasts and a lactobacillus culture (the same type of bacteria yoghurt is made with) and maturation in oak. The result is a mildly strong ‘drinking’ beer with a deep reddish-brown colour and a distinctly acidic, sour yet fruity and mouthy taste. This style is closely related to Oud bruin.

Lambic beers Lambic is a wheat beer brewed in the Pajottenland region of Belgium (southwest of Brussels) by spontaneous fermentation. Most modern beers are fermented by carefully cultivated strains of brewer’s yeasts; Lambic’s fermentation, however, is produced by exposure to the wild yeasts and bacteria that are said to be native to the Senne valley, in which Brussels lies.

The beer then undergoes a long aging period ranging from three to six months (considered “young”) to two or three years for mature. It is this unusual process which gives the beer its distinctive flavour: dry, vinous, and cidery, with a slightly sour aftertaste. Lambic can be broken into three subclasses: Gueuze, Fruit Lambic, and Faro.

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American Taste Southern Comfort With American being in the news so much this year I thought it right to feature an iconic brand from there.

Text: Noel Sheehy

Southern Comfort, is an American liqueur made from neutral spirits with fruit, spice and whiskey flavouring. The brand was originally created by bartender Martin Wilkes Heron in New Orleans in 1874.

“An inch of vanilla bean, about a quarter of a lemon, half of a cinnamon stick, four cloves, a few cherries, and an orange bit or two. He would let this soak for days. And right when he was ready to finish, he would add his sweetener: he liked to use honey.”

Southern Comfort also produces ready-to-pour cocktails available in the US including Southern Comfort Sweet Tea, Southern Comfort Hurricane and Southern Comfort Lemonade, which are all 30 proof (15% ABV).

Southern Comfort has expanded over the years and has several product offerings globally. Outside the US, Southern Comfort produces single-serve cocktails, including Southern Comfort Lemonade and Lime in the UK and Southern Comfort and Cola in Australia.

Since the 1930s, the image on the label of Southern Comfort has been A Home on the Mississippi, a rendering by Alfred Waud depicting Woodland Plantation, an antebellum mansion in West Pointe à la Hache, Louisiana. Woodland Plantation, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, now provides bed-and-breakfast accommodation.

In 2010, Southern Comfort was rebranded and the plantation artwork was dropped from the label.

In January 2016 the brand was sold along with Tuaca as part of a $543.5m deal to Sazerac Company

History behind Southern Comfort Southern Comfort was first produced by bartender Martin Wilkes Heron (1850–1920), the son of a boat-builder, in 1874 at McCauley’s Tavern in the French Quarter of New Orleans, Louisiana. According to the New Orleans Convention & Visitors Bureau, McCauley’s Tavern was “just off Bourbon Street”, and the original form of the drink was called Cuffs and Buttons.

Heron moved to Memphis, Tennessee in 1889, patented his creation, and began selling it in sealed bottles with the slogan “None Genuine But Mine” and “Two per customer. No Gentleman would ask for more.” Southern Comfort won the gold medal at the 1904 World’s Fair in St. Louis, Missouri.

Southern Comfort packs a punch!

In the US, Southern Comfort is available as 100 US proof (50% ABV), 70 US proof (35% ABV) and 42 US proof (21% ABV). Southern Comfort Special Reserve, found in duty-free shops, is a blend of Southern Comfort and bourbon, and is 80 US proof (40% ABV). Southern Comfort Lime, released in summer 2010, is 55 proof (27.5% ABV) (UK 2013 20% ABV) and Southern Comfort Bold Black Cherry, released in summer 2012, is 70 proof (35% ABV).

In an episode of The Thirsty Traveller entitled “A River of Whiskey,” spirits historian Chris Morris describes the original recipe of Southern Comfort. Heron began with good-quality bourbon and would add: 42

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Southern Comfort In cocktails Southern Comfort is used in the creation of numerous cocktails, including the Alabama Slammer.

One of the earliest Southern Comfort-based cocktails to be marketed was the Scarlett O’Hara, concocted in tribute to the release of the film adaptation of Gone with the Wind in 1939. The mixture includes Southern Comfort, cranberry juice, and fresh lime.

In 2010, the company began marketing a premixed Southern Comfort Lime cocktail.

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