North Beer Club #26 - December 2022

HELLO!

Happy Christmas everyone - thanks for all your support this year. What a year it’s been. We have put together a little look back at the year in this month’s booklets. Flick through for some memories. This month’s box sees some very special beers! Endless Ends is our take on a Christmas beer, with festive spices and a warming boozy kick. Our birthday beer, Seven Times Around the Sun, sees us take our next steps on the TIPA trail. The brewery team have nursed this beer through, and are incredibly proud of how it’s tasting. And our collaboration with Fuerst Wiacek sees us experiment

with new yeasts. Collaborations are a great space to try new ingredients and techniques, leaning on each other’s expertise.

I am writing this month’s welcome note in a building site that in a few short day’s time will be our new taproom in Birmingham. Make sure that you pop in and say hi to the team at Snow Hill, and don’t forget your 10% North Beer Club discount cards.

Have a great holiday season - see you on the flipside for more beers!

Love North xxx

A YEAR OF NORTH

It’s been a big one and we’ve achieved a lot! It’s been awesome to share our achievements with you and can’t wait to get to work on our plans for 2023, but for now, here’s a run down of what we’ve been up to this year, in case you forgot. It’s been a long time coming and something that we feel we’ve only been talking about, but finally, on November 25th we opened North Taproom: Snow Hill, Birmingham and on December 19th we opened North Taproom: Circle Square, Manchester. These bars are the first bars we’ve ever opened outside of Leeds, it feels a little scary but also incredibly exciting! If you’re ever in Birmingham or Manchester, check them out and tell us what you think! (Also put that North Beer Club membership discount card to use too). 2023, two more taprooms are coming! Where would you like to see us open? (Wrong answers only.) This year we made 33 collabs!

*Takes a deep breath* Stillwater - Hard Seltzer + Raspberry + Mosaic / 5 Points Brewing Co - English IPA / Brewgooder - West Coast Pale / Brick Brewery - Honeyberry Stout / Bundobust - Pineapple + Coconut Lassi Sour / Mango + Lime Lassi Sour / Chow DownMandarin Pale / Cloudwater - West Coast Pils / Dig Brew - West Coast IPA / Docks Beers - Table Beer / Full Circle - Citrus IPA / Fresh Hop IPA /Fuerst Wiacek - Pale Ale / Funky Fluid - Sour IPA / Neon Raptor - Imperial Stout + Banana + Chocolate + Peanut / Newbarns - Lager / Newtown ParkTriple Fruited Gose + Strawberry, Blackberry, Red

PHEW! That was a long list! And those collabs were a lot of fun! Which were your favourites? And more importantly, who do you want to see us brew with next year and what would you like us to brew? We’ve got a few collabs already lined up for 2023! Denmark’s TO ØL have been on our wish list for some time now, it’s almost happened a couple of times but next year the stars are aligning! We’re both known for sometimes using slightly off-piste ingredients, so we’re hoping to put those traits to use! Spain’s Oddity are also on the schedule, a little known brewery but they’re making big waves! They’re a small family brewery and we’ve known their Head Brewer Ivan for

some time now from his days spent brewing at Whiplash. Hops are their forte so expect something juiced up to the high heavens!

The North family have been hard at work raising money for our charity partners, St. George’s Crypt. So far we’ve got over £16,000 in the pot. North Bar Social’s Matt shaved off his gorgeous locks. A whole bunch of our team slept outdoors at Headingley Stadium. We made two batches of our St. George’s Crypt Session IPA with 10p of every draft pint and can being donated to the crypt. All of our bars have been pouring Vanishing Point with 10p of every pint going to the crypt also! We’ve enjoyed working with St. George’s Crypt so much that we’ve decided to continue our partnership with them for another year! They’re an incredible charity and there is

lots more to be done to support them and the amazing work they do!

What can we say, we’ve been holding a load of events at Springwell, but there was one in particular that stood out. 2022 was the year we held our very own festival, Springwell Sessions. It was awesome. The perfect way to say goodbye to the COVID era and reconnect with so many people, all at our new home. We had such a good time throwing our own beer festival, we’ve decided to do it again AND again! YEP! Next year there will be not one, but two Springwell Sessions! So if you missed it this year, you’ll have two chances to come visit and party with us next year! Springwell Sessions returns: April 28th - 30th + September (dates TBC) Of course, you’ll have first dibs on tickets.

Field Recordings is born! We’ve released three beers from Field Recordings, there’s one that we made but didn’t release, we’re working on that coming to you next year though. So far, we’ve experimented with yeast and thiols and we’ve begun our barrel ageing programme. It’s been pretty exciting for us so far, as we said when we first started Field Recordings is all about time so don’t rush us, but, we are hoping to turn up the pace a little more with our Field Recordings releases next year. We’ve been pretty happy with our releases so far, what was your favourite and what kind of experiments do you want us to dabble in?

In July we held a big, big party for North Bar’s 25th birthday! We got some awesome collaborations in with Sierra Nevada and

Roosters Brewing Co. We drank a lot of tequila and welcomed the one and only Garrett Oliver to North Bar to host a tasting of Brooklyn Breweries most prized and exclusive bottles. We can’t quite believe North Bar has existed for a quarter of a century, it’s a true testament to the people that make North Bar what it is. From the staff, to the customers. Thank you all of you who helped us celebrate and have supported North Bar over the years.

New look who dis? Whilst we were very sad to see those four big white letters disappear from our cans, we are absolutely loving the new designs created by Refold. They’re much more in keeping with our retro / sci-fi aesthetic and do a great job of letting everyone know exactly what’s in the can at glance!

NORTH x FUERST WIACEK

Style Pale ABV 5.5%

Hops Mosaic + Idaho7 + Cryo Pop + Strata

Our fifth collaboration with Berlin’s Fuerst Wiacek sees us utilise an experimental yeast strain that unlocks an abundance of new flavours. Along with a grist full of creamy oats we mashed in the beer with Cascade hops, this method enhances the WHC Lab Hop Unlock yeast’s natural ability to biotransform compounds found in malt and hops to unleash thiols, that are usually achievable by our ordinary brewing techniques. White gummy bears, grape, honey melon and passion-fruit aroma kick off this succulent Pale Ale. A whirlpool addition of Yakima Chief’s CRYO POP blend sets a base of fruit cocktail. Big doses of Mosaic, Idaho 7 and Strata unify and bring a punch of pink grapefruit, orange sorbet, cherry and fleshy pink guava all laid on a rounded and slightly sweet base with a drying sherbet finish. Be rest-assured, there is a hell of a lot packed into this Pale Ale.

VEGAN / CONTAINS BARLEY + OATS

ENDLESS ENDS

Style Imperial Stout

ABV 10% Hops Columbus

Endless Ends is our celebration beer, made to be sipped as we draw the year to a close and bring in a new one.

A robust and warming Imperial Stout made with specialist malts, indulgent adjuncts and festive spice. The grist comprises of Mild Ale, Vienna, Munich, Brown, Special B, Beechwood Smoked Malt, Chocolate and Black Malt for a scrumptiously smooth and roasty base. We fermented with our house ale yeast to bring a bright cherry and currant character to the beer. Once fermented, we filled our hop canon with cinnamon sticks, crushed nutmeg, cacao nibs and vanilla paste, circulating the beer through all of these festive treats until we heard jingle bells and Auld Land Syne!

A toast to all of you and your loved ones, many happy returns and to good health!

CONTAINS BARLEY + CINNAMON

7 TIMES

THE SUN

AROUND

Style TIPA

ABV 11%

Hops Mosaic + Azacco + Strata

It’s our seventh birthday! And we’ve brewed a TIPA! The brewers think this might be our best one yet. Big claim, let’s get into it!

A change of tack, we’ve used nothing but super pale malt, careful water profiling, steady fermentation and gentle carbonation to create a super luscious, smooth and slightly sweet base that is not only highly drinkable but allows its 26 g/l dry hop to absolutely sing to the high heavens.

Mosaic kicks it all off with sticky, sweet sappy pineapple and a lasting resin tack that builds throughout, Cryo Azacca brings a pile of zingy papaya and fresh melon with Strata finishes off with a touch of soft nectarine, passion-fruit and dank aroma, all of this backed with a prickly bitterness on the finish.

Cheers everyone and thanks for celebrating with us!

CONTAINS BARLEY

NORTH x FUNKY FLUID

Style Sour IPA

ABV 6%

Hops

Our collaboration with Poland’s Funky Fluid is a mash of two styles we both brew pretty well. Sour, meet IPA. IPA, meet Sour!

For this sour, rather than kettle souring, we simply added lemon juice and citric acid, bit by bit, until it just started tipping towards a predominant acidity. Balance at play. The majority of the dry hopping was done on the cold side, we were careful to select hops that work well together and prefer cooler temperatures. Nelson Sauvin is the hop showing its character most, super clean, green grape and gooseberry flavour is upfront, with Vic Secret and Hallertau Blanc on the exchange bringing tart passionfruit and grassy notes and Bru-1 providing underripe, crunchy pineapple and floral notes.

Nelson Sauvin + Vic Secret + Bru-1 + Hallertau Blanc

VEGAN / CONTAINS BARLEY + WHEAT + OATS

SPUTNIK

Style Pale ABV 5% Hops Ekuanot + Columbus + Citra

A hazy American pale ale that has balance at its core. A good malt presence, fermented using traditional English yeast and dry hopped with new world hops, Ekuanot, Columbus and Citra hops. Bold flavours of juicy honeydew melon, citrus grapefruit, ripe mango and a touch of lychee finish with crisp bitterness. The ingredients we use bind together to create an easy drinking pale ale that can be enjoyed by anyone at any time.

VEGAN / CONTAINS BARLEY + WHEAT

FULL FATHOM 5

Style Porter ABV 6.7%

Hops Magnum

We are well and truly within dark beer season! It’s the perfect time to get into comforting and robust stouts and porters! Full Fathom 5 is made with loads of the fine malts in the grist, coffee from our local Leeds based roastery, North Star (the same coffee that fuels the North team every morning) and toasted coconut. It’s always very lovely to be in the brewery when Full Fathom 5 is in the tanks!

Rich, roasty and slick. Balanced sweetness and a dry finish build the perfect beer for a second cold infusion of coffee and coconut to stand on and shine. The mood for the beer is comfort. It’s the perfect balance between a sweet treat and a robust and nourishing stout. A glass of Full Fathom 5 would transport you halfway between a nice cosy pub with an open fire and being on a beach in the Bahamas with a cocktail in hand.

VEGAN / CONTAINS BARLEY + OATS

DOCKS x NORTH

Style IPA ABV 5.2%

Hops Cascade + Cryo Ekuanot + Mosaic + The Betty + Meridian + Nectaron

Dock Beers collab beer with us is a glimpse of the future, a new standard. This futuristic IPA has been created using the latest techniques and ingredients from the bleeding edge of science and hop research. This is the future of beer. This is FUTUREPROOF.

VEGAN / CONTAINS BARLEY + OATS

ATTIC x NORTH EYE KNOW

Style DDH NEIPA

ABV 6.4%

Hops Centennial + Nectaron + Citra + Idaho 7

Attic welcomed us to celebrate the opening of North Taproom: Snow Hill and induction into the exploding Birmingham beer scene.

Together we turned it up to a million, double dry hopping with Nectaron, Citra & Idaho 7. The result? Lashings of mango pulp, a squeeze of lime juice and a twist of orange peel to finish.

VEGAN / CONTAINS BARLEY + WHEAT

BIG SMOKE REVOLUTIONS

Style Amber Ale

ABV 5.5%

Hops Centennial + Amarillo + Simcoe + Chinook + El Dorado + Azacca + Citra + Galaxy

Has it really been 8 years?

To celebrate our 8th pass around the sun, we’ve brewed a delicous amber ale featuring 8 of our favourite hops.

Introducing; Revolutions.

Bursting with resinous pine, caramel sweetness and a light, bitter finish.

VEGAN / CONTAINS BARLEY + WHEAT

MEMBERS’ AREA

DIGITAL MEMBERSHIP CARD

North Beer Club membership cards now have a new look and a new way to use them!

In the North Beer Club Members area, you can now access your digital membership card. This will be renewed each month for you to use (wait for it…) across ALL North venues!

Leeds dwellers and any of you who happen to be visiting, you can now get discounts at North Bar, Alfred, Further North, Preston, North Bar Social and

Harrogate as well as the usual spots, our Leeds Taproom on Sovereign Street and Brewery Taproom at Springwell. Plus, when they’re open, you’ll be able to use your digital members card for discount at our taprooms Circle Square, Manchester and Snowhill, Birmingham.

Sometimes beers reach their expiry date before we’ve sold all the cases. These beers have been kept refrigerated since packaging so are still tasting great, but we won’t continue to sell them if they’re not at their absolute freshest.

These cases will be added to the Members Dashboard for you to add to your order for free.

GUEST BREWERY

BIG SMOKE

Big Smoke are a modern brewery and pub company, producing flavourful beer in the leafy suburbs of Esher in Surrey. They have made their mark on the industry in a very similar way to North: Big Smoke began with a group of bars before they ventured into the world of brewing. We also share a similar ethos, both being passionate about great beer and friendly service.

Founded in 2014, by James Morgan and Richard Craig, Big Smoke began brewing beer in the old stables behind their first – and flagship – pub, TheAntelope, in Surbiton. They then moved out of this 500 sq ft space in 2019 to their latest site, which features a 33-hectolitre Gravity Systems brew kit and eighteen 65-hectolitre fermenters producing Big Smoke’s core beers, alongside regular seasonal brews. This move saw them increase their annual brewing capacity to over 4 million pints!

Big Smoke saw exceptional growth in 2021, opening The Big Smoke Taphouse & Kitchen at Heathrow Terminal 2 in May. In the same year they launched their taproom at their 10,000 sq ft brewery in Surrey, bringing their portfolio of venues to a total of 15 sites across the SouthEast. Each of their pubs and bars are all unique, with their own look, feel and style of service, but the welcome is always warm.

In June this year, they expanded their airport presence by opening another Taphouse & Kitchen at Luton Airport and two new sites at Heathrow; The Oceanic in Terminal 3 and The Globe in Terminal 5. Both sites are named as a nod to the history of Heathrow: The Oceanic was the original name for Terminal 3 and The Globe references the breadth of international destinations that Terminal 5 connects. And what better way to celebrate the relationship with Heathrow airport than with a beer, designed exclusively for Heathrow: a crisp and

refreshing Pilsner – Flight Mode.

But beer isn’t all that Big Smoke are famous for. In 2019 they launched Big Smoke Distilling Co, utilising an outbuilding at their Kingston pub, The Albion, installing a 100 litre still, cheekily dubbed Ginny McGinface. Here they create artisan gins, producing small-batch, handmade spirits. Their range includes London Dry, Rhubarb & Pink Lemonade, and Sicilian Lemon Gins.

We welcomed Head Brewer, Nick, and Sales Guru, Freddie, to Springwell in November to collaborate on a DDH Pale that we cannot wait

for you all to try. We’ve been friends for so long, seeing each other at beer festivals up and down the country, that it was about time that we combined our skills and made a super quaffable beer that showcases our joint love for a sessionable Pale.