A Heads Up

On my return to Manchester after my visit to Scotland, I popped into the Angel for a restorative pint. Luckily for me there was Hawkshead NZPA on the bar. Now this fits the description "dangerously drinkable" like a glove, with its zingy New Zealand hops and its six per cent strength. Being of the twitter persuasion, I tweeted my experience. Matt, the Hawkshead brewer, replied that I should drink it while I can, as it will be rested for a couple of months to be replaced by a similar strength beer with all American hops.

A double edged sword that.  Something to look forward to and something to miss, but I share the information as a public service.

Luckily I have a couple of bottles of NZPA left. I will be sure to eke them out carefully.

One to Watch

As a public service I like to let you know the good and bad of British Brewing.  I care about you and your drinking welfare you see.  So here is my latest top tip - pause for drumroll - Buxton Brewery Company.

Tyson and I stumbled across them in the Waterhouse in Manchester yesterday.  There is a "meet the brewer" session tomorrow night, so it isn't too late to get yourself along there and see for yourself, but when we called, by way of a foretaste, there were five or six already on the bar, including the beer which will be officially launched tomorrow night, English Pale Ale.  We tried them all and all were good to bloody good. They all had that clean, full bodied, drinkability that sets the really good brewers apart from the rest. Nor are they mean with the hops. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the Head Brewer, James Kemp is ex Thornbridge.

Pick of the bunch for me was Buxton Gold brewed with Amarillo, Nelson Sauvin and Liberty hops, though all their beers were very appealing with top marks also for the Black IPA, Black Rocks.

The good news for the stay at home amongst you is that they bottle too, but you already know that the pub is best don't you?

Learn more about them here.