Love Beer Learning

In this blog series, I’m trying all the beers!  I choose a beer from one of those books recommending the beers you should try. Check out this introduction post to read the rules of the game.  I know in my last post about Budvar Dark, I said I needed to move away from British beers.  But, as I was in Manchester recently and at Track Brewing Co, I felt it would be remiss of me if I didn’t do Sonoma next.  Sonoma Pale Ale from Track Brewing Co is heralded by craft beer geeks and general beer lovers alike.  It is served on both cask and keg at Track’s taproom in Manchester and you can now get Sonoma AF.  So you have lots of options when drinking this beer.  But is the beer worth the hype and which version is the best?  Let’s take a look!   Beer: Sonoma Brewery: Track Brewing Co Manchester, UK Style: Pale Ale ABV: 3.8%   The History of Track Brewing Co The Track taproom in 2019 Track Brewing Co's journey begins amidst the vibrant craft beer s...

In this blog series, I’m trying all the beers!  I choose a beer from one of those books recommending the beers you should try. Check out this introduction post to read the rules of the game.  I’ve done a couple of British beers in this series so far, let’s go outside of the UK today and visit Czechia.  I’m a dark beer girl and dark lagers are up there on my faves list.  There’s just something about the combination of chocolate and coffee flavours with the crispness of a lager that does it for me.  And Budvar Dark is one of the greats.  When I see a Budvar stand at a festival, I’m right there and Radim, their global ambassador knows me well enough now to know I’m after a Budvar Dark in one of their beautiful glasses when I’m there! Beer: Budvar Dark Brewery: Budejovicky Budvar Ceske, Czechia  Style: Tmave/Czech Dark lager ABV: 4.7% The History of Budvar Budvar Dark Lager, also known as Budweiser Budvar Dark Lager, is a traditional Czech-style dark lager...

In this blog series I’m trying all the beers!  I choose a beer from one of those books recommending the beers you should try. Check out this introduction post to read the rules of the game.  Next up, we are going to visit Elusive in Finchamsted, Berkshire.  I found this beer in Modern British Beer and World’s Greatest Beers - let’s take a look at why this beer deserves both of those titles. Beer: Oregon Trail Brewery: Elusive Brewing Finchamsted, Berkshire.  Style: American IPA ABV: 5.8% Elusive Brewing Embarking on a beer-tasting journey is much like setting out on the Oregon Trail – full of anticipation, discovery, and the promise of new horizons. In the world of craft brewing, Elusive Brewing stands out as a trailblazer, offering a unique experience with their exceptional brews. Founded in 2016 by Andy Parker, Elusive Brewing quickly gained a reputation for its innovative and experimental approach to brewing. Located in Berkshire, England, the brewery set out to c...

In this blog series I’m trying all the beers!  I choose a beer from one of those books recommending the beers you should try. Check out this introduction post to read the rules of the game.   I’m starting off the series with Jaipur from Thornbridge.  It will become clear why this is a great beer to start with as you read on, but also, it was the one beer that I found in ALL of the books.  To be fair, some of the ones I chose have a disadvantage because they weren’t British, so won’t be in Modern British Beer, but still! Beer: Jaipur Brewery: Thornbridge Brewery Bakewell, Derbyshire Style: American IPA ABV: 5.9% Introducing Thornbridge Brewery Thornbridge Brewery's history is a fascinating journey that reflects the growth and evolution of the craft beer movement in the United Kingdom. The brewery was founded in 2005 in the heart of the Peak District, specifically in a village called Thornbridge near Bakewell, Derbyshire.  Thornbridge was the brainchild of Jim Har...

I’m sure you’ve seen the books and the posters, that tell you all the beers you MUST try before you die.  They list beers from all over the world with a bit of information about the brewery and the history of the beer, and often also have notes and comments from the author.  I have several of these books and had thought about starting a blog series where I try to cover as many from one book as I could. The problem I found with that was this - some of the beers are no longer available and a lot of them are quite traditional.  Now, I love a traditional beer, don’t get me wrong!  They are great for learning about styles and you should definitely drink a few to get a good understanding of how beers have developed over time.  But, there are so many good beers out there to try, that might be newer and didn’t make the books, for instance.  Or the beers are so obscure you may never be able to find them or try them.  So I’m going to try something a little diffe...