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The Expansion of Peerless

3/24/2015

Peerless Brewery has been in operation for a while in terms of the current climate, although 2009 doesn’t seem too long ago; though the brewery is pretty much a stalwart of the beer scene in Liverpool and on the Wirral Peninsula. Currently they are most known for producing very solid cask beers such as Full Whack, Viking Gold and their Oatmeal Stout, along with supplying a few choice locations with their bottled wares. Peerless, run by native Cumbrian Steve Briscoe, is located on the premises of the original Birkenhead Brewery (the strapline of which was also from where Peerless drew inspiration for its moniker), has now increased its brewery capacity to effectively double the output from existing kit to a 30 barrel plant.

Though it did take three attempts to break the bottle on a brewing tank, the plant is now most likely operation and the expansion open for brewing! Peerless has received numerous awards from SIBA (Society for Independent Brewers) for its beers, including two recent gold medals. Indeed, the brewery performed quite solidly at the last Battle of the Breweries event in late 2014, with very positive feedback coming in about both the Oatmeal Stout and the RIOTS (although at the time, this was a first batch, kindly provided by Steve for getting feedback – the latest iterations are very accomplished and enjoyable complex stouts).

From the existing...

...To the new

For one evening, Steve opened the doors to invite guests along to inspect the new kit, share some food and drink matching (for those who a regulars on this blog, they will appreciate this was a pleasing aspect of the event for me) and listen to beer writer Roger Protz talk them through some of the beers tasted on the evening. Those who are interested in the specifications of the new kit, the brewery website has a blog which covers the new items of kit that have been installed [http://www.peerlessbrewing.co.uk/article/19/peerless-doubles-in-size]. The presentation and presence of Roger Protz was testament to the hard work undertaken by the team at Peerless under Steve’s supervision; fingers crossed they continue with this ethic with the new brews they’ll output in the near future.

The full range of Peerless Cask ales were on for the evening, including the highly competent Knee Buckler IPA

More Casks and a bottle of the excellent RIOTS

The bulk of Roger Protz’s talk focused on the make up of each of the Peerless beers drunk, along with a foreword on the growth of the brewing industry in the UK amongst the growth internationally. There was also a reinforcing word on the reputation of beer which whilst steadily improving, is still on the back foot compared to wine (at least in the mainstream media). I won’t wax lyrical any more on this matter here, as I have already covered my rallying cry on the matter in a previous edition of this blog.

Peerless beers are becoming ever more visible in Liverpool and the wider area, having been most conspicuous in Wetherspoons pubs on the Wirral, but places like Tithebarn Street’s James Monro for cask and the Londis on Penny Lane, Mossley Hill for bottles are becoming more frequent – and with the expansion perhaps moreso in the future. Steve seems to be very happy with the expansion, with little concern for finding the ever-competitive market for his beers. For a full spectrum of their brews, the best option is to attend either a brewery tour, or to visit the brewery premises for one of their ‘Thirsty Thursday’ events. Details for both of these are present on the website.

Until next time!

Pedro.

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Peerless Brewing Company
8 Pool Street
Birkenhead
CH41 3NL

Tel: 0151 647 7688
Email: steve.briscoe@peerlessbrewing.co.uk
Twitter: https://twitter.com/PeerlessSteve

Roger Protz
Roger is a journalist, writer and campaigner. He has edited the Good Beer Guide since 2000 and also edited the same publication during the early 1980s.
Web: http://protzonbeer.co.uk
Twitter: https://twitter.com/rogerprotzbeer

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ElectroKemistry Beer Review - February 2015

3/20/2015

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Welcome everyone to the first beer review blog for 2015!! It’s a little later than planned due to a double whammy of illness, meaning the usual intake was severely limited through January and at the end of February, but with a little luck, things will improve and I’ll still be able to provide a monthly review as normal to go along with the usual reviews, recipes, MTBs (meet the brewer events) and other one off events that usually get covered. Sadly, I was unable to attend an event I was looking forward to during the end of February, with Source Deli in Ormskirk managing to bring down the guys from Summer Wine Brewery to pair their beers with a six course dinner. Gutted doesn’t cover it.

Anyway, I have done my best to make up for this loss through some writing and reviewing here, covering two of Summer Wine Brewery’s very, very solid range of beers that Source Deli stocks. As you can see, I’ve got a spread from the other notable bottle shops around and about, including the 23 Club in Liverpool who have increased their range recently taking on a huge variety of different beers to their shelves and happily for consumption on and off the premises.

Hopefully something here will catch your eye and you’ll be able to make it over to one of our excellent bottle shops (or one near you – the numbers are increasing and there are very notable places in Manchester, Birmingham, Leeds and Sheffield that stock some excellent stuff) in the region to support local business and some of the excellent breweries out there.

Cheers!!

Summer Wine Brewery – Klooster

Klooster is a 5.4% Belgian style witbier brewed with East Kent Goldings hops, coriander and orange peel using Belgian yeast to maintain a true backbone to the style. The appearance of this witbier is a hazy, yet pale golden colour with a crisp white head. The nose is quite tangy with notes of candied peel, yeast and unripened bananas. The usual spiciness is also present, notes of herbal coriander and cloves carrying across pleasantly into the flavours too. The flavour is quite refreshingly light, the candy sweetness balanced by a slight acidic citrus peel quality, along with some malted flavour pushing through. The body is quite light in the style, feeling quite spritzy and lively in the mouth without any of the usual cloying character. Finally, the finish is slightly sweet and has a lemon and slight grainy tang to it. A definitely more summer orientated take on the witbier style, working well with barbecued white meat and hotdogs.

(Sourced from Source Deli, Ormskirk)

Brouwerij Corsendonk – Dubbel

An eerily dark Belgian Ale has crept its way into the blog this month, with no small accomplishment in brewing for this very rounded 6.5% strength Dubbel style beer. The appearance is nothing out of the ordinary for the style, with a dark brown hue to the body below a plentiful beige head (which tightens up as drunk, without diminishing too quickly), thanks to the carbonation in this ale. The aromas are sweet, yeasty and packed with toffee and caramel from the off. There is a hint of cola at the end of the nose too. The flavour is as the precursor of the aroma suggests, with caramel, cola and nutty notes above a fug of very interesting soured-coffee. There is also a layer of dried orchard fruit in the flavour of this beer; notably of some apricot character. The body is quite chewy, whilst retaining some of the effervescence from the carbonation to lighten things. There is a slight cloying in the mouthfeel, but the finish is pleasant enough, carrying through into dry caramel and the dried fruits, both of which lingering in the mid-to back area of the tongue. Caramel and biscuit based desserts or perhaps venison and game dishes may benefit from this pairing, along with the usual obvious cheese board!

(Sourced from Crosby Bottle Beer Shop, 59 College Road, Crosby)

George Wright Brewing Company – Pipe Dream

This is a light copper coloured 4.3% ale that carries a crisp white head that is well-retained throughout drinking. The aroma is of malt and an accompanying layer of floral notes, along with a very ‘woody’ expression on the nose, there is also a hint of some citrus present. The flavour is very dry and sharp citrus base that is twinned with a slight metallic and malty tang. Though the Pipe Dream is quite light in body, it is sharp and tangy that has a lingering and slightly aggressive finish which departs, leaving a dryness on the middle to the back of the tongue. This would be well paired with traditional fish and chips; maybe even with some chip shop curry to provide a foil of sweetness, perhaps with half rice half chips.

(Sourced from Inn Beer Shop, Lord Street, Southport & George Wright Brewing Company Beer Emporium, Cambridge Road, St Helens)

Summer Wine Brewery – Mokko

A deceptively strong and smooth milk stout and the second of the Summer Wine Brewery beers this month, Mokko tips the scales by weighing in at 6%. Using soft water, dark malts and lactose, there is also some hop character provided by the use of Goldings. The colour of Mokko is a dark brown to black that is crested with a creamy and off-white head that is soft, fine-bubbled due to the solid carbonation and body of the beer. The nose carries milk chocolate, cream and a light roasted coffee than spreads into a nutty character as you drink. The flavour translates very much from the aromas, with the coffee notes along with a slight sweetness to balance the acidic but creamy coffee. The finish is off-dry, leaving a lingering nutty flavour that is accompanied by a silky mouthfeel. Chocolate brownies, tiramisu or maybe even an affogato dessert would benefit from this beer’s presence.

(Sourced from Source Deli, Ormskirk)

Thornbridge Brewery – AM:PM

Thornbridge have had this sessionable and all-day ‘IPA’ out for sometime, but the bottling came about fairly recently by comparison, though I am sure many have had it in keg or cask before now. This 4.5% very light copper coloured pale ale has a good level of carbonation, giving rise to a soft but crisp white head. The aromas are plentiful, belying the strength of this ale; clementines and tropical fruit including pineapple, passion fruit and some coconut richness are present on the nose. The flavours do translate, with a biscuity-malt character underlying the fruit, again clementines, honey, soft citrus and coconut all carry through with a distinct absence of, or at least, a very recessive pine or wood character in the flavour. The body is ever so slightly chewy and is quite soft, along with a soft finish that loiters on the middle of the tongue by way of a slight dryness. Overtly floral and hoppy, AM:PM is a very competent pale once again from these guys and in my opinion better carbonated than on cask. Great with salted pretzels, cheese, light curries or deep fried cheese maybe.

(Sourced from Holborn Cask Ales, Malthouse Business Park, Ormskirk)

Brooklyn Brewery – Brooklyn Blast!

This is a splendid double IPA from across the pond, which packs a mean punch at 8.4% and in a generous 355ml bottle. The Blast is a tawny to cloudy yellow colour, whilst the head is a frothy and soft white crown. Rich aromas of pine and tropical fruit, especially ripe and sweet mango, work alongside some slightly woody notes and sweet citrus around the edge. There is a definite touch of minerality in the flavour, along with brioche or other bread and toffee that work well with dried pineapple and the mango flavours. The body is thick and very chewy, as heralded by the beer’s appearance, leaving a very coating mouthfeel for the Blast. The finish is as the beer tastes, plenty of fresh baked bread and a residual dryness in the middle of the tongue. Curry this one up, or maybe let it wash down a burger and ribs?

(Sourced from Holborn Cask Ales, Malthouse Business Park, Ormskirk)

Buxton Brewery / TO ØL – Collateral Carnage

Buxton Brewery have been in fine form with their collaboration beers of late, including Maple Bacon and Chipotle Stout, Berliner Weisse and Barley Wine styles. This is billed as an ‘American Strong Ale’ and a very fortifying collaboration with the Danes at TOØL. Collateral Carnage is brewed with both barley and oats to a rich amber colour with a tight white head. The aromas are heavy with dark, dried orchard fruit and thanks to the oat and barley combination, a rich grainy note, very reminiscent of opening a fresh packet of muesli or a cereal like (for those who remember) ‘Country Store’. The nose is malty, sweet and carries a lot of beery fruits, raisins, plums and prunes. In terms of flavour, a lot of the aromas translate quite directly, with the orchard fruit being twinned with cereal and caramel and oddly, a slight herbal spiciness too. In terms of body, as would be expected from a 9.1% US strong amber ale, it is thick, rich and very chewy. The finish has a very strange dry resonance that bites sharply at the back of the tongue and upon swallowing, in the throat. Complex and interesting, at the very least!

(Sourced from 23 Club Bottle Shop, Hope Street, Liverpool)

Red Willow – Witless V

Witless V is a hopfen-weisse from Red Willow of Macclesfield as part of the witless series of beers. With a cloudy yellow to blonde appearance and a frothy, soft white head, this 5.9% strength beer carries the usual aromas associated with a wheat beer. Citrus, spice and refreshingly, some pine notes are all present on the nose, carrying gently through to the flavours. Witless V drinks quite reminiscent of double IPA, not being a particularly easy beer to chug, having a thick body, resinous in mouthfeel and plenty of hop character. There is little residual sweetness present in the finish of flavour of this beer, the finish being overtly dry, lingering gently at the back of the tongue. Pleasant to drink and a very curious departure from the usual wheat/wit style.

(Sourced from Holborn Cask Ales, Malthouse Business Park, Ormskirk)

Happy drinking everyone, there’s plenty more articles lined up to come. If you don’t catch a MTB or recipe article, there’ll be more beer in the March installment!

Cheers!

Pedro.

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ElectroKemistry Review - The Fat Budgie, Liverpool

3/6/2015

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Perched in the most unlikely of places along Dale Street in Liverpool’s ‘financial quarter’ is the Fat Budgie, one of the newest additions to the city providing a select menu, Sunday roasts and a very understated ambience.

The restaurant layout has something of a character about it, a very homely French bistro style mezzanine seating area rests above a bar and kitchen area in what used to clearly be a small shop, although this works very much in the favour and charm of the Fat Budgie. Heavy-set wooden tables and reclaimed chairs add to the warmth of the restaurant in which, the industrious couple operate to a contemporary soundtrack at a perfectly acceptable volume (as covered by plenty of other articles recently, many place ramp their volumes up in order to fill tables and clear them in double quick time) meaning there is clear focus on comfort and not having anything about the experience to be rushed.

The menu is tightly focused on classic British/French style dishes such as slow cooked beef cheek, monkfish with lentils, pork belly and a push for more seasonal accompaniments to the meal. There are no sides to choose from, but refreshingly, the Fat Budgie do seem intent on feeding their clientele, if somewhat in a manner befitting an over enthusiastic Mother urging you to eat following a period of absence from her. Again, this rather homely charm works very much in the favour of this establishment, as there simply aren’t many places with quite as much atmospheric warmth twinned with some honest home-style cooking.

Although the drinks menu was restrictive, with Liverpool Craft Brewery alone making up the beer on our visit, the Love Lane Pale is more than adequate with the meals on offer; they do have a usual rotation of 3 beers on at any given time. There is also a small and tidy wine menu featuring 4 reds and whites apiece available amongst other options, with cucumber-steeped ice water brought to the table without hesitation. In time, one gets the impression, or perhaps hopes the Budgie will spread its wings and keep things tight in the cooking and perhaps to provide other options to provide adequate foil to the food.

Starters arrive in between friendly engagement from our host and between the haggis scotch egg and the spiced crab cakes, the former steals the limelight from the off. Crisp outside, sliced to show golden yolk and sausage meat alike, the aromas are deeply inviting. The flavours of the haggis are heavily reminiscent of how sausages seemed to taste from childhood, mostly meat with very little rusk filling and an earthy-sweet tang that settles nicely with the salad and dressing sharing the plate. The crab seems a little heady in aroma, possibly sharing the cake with other seafood items; which seem on the strong side to drown out the sweetness of the crab present. Tasty all the same, but a little disappointing when sitting in the shadow of the excellent scotch egg.

The beef cheek and the pork belly were in essence, beyond adequate in size, but also delicious and tidy dishes in their own right. Seasonal vegetables (everyone loves a bit of kale, right?) were served with the mains, but no sides being available, it did feel as though there was the need for something a little more bulky and starchy with the pork belly to break up what is rather a rich combination in each. The celeriac mash did a good job with the beef cheek, but the richness of the red cabbage, kale and pork belly was crying out for something of a carb-rich punctuation. You can’t argue with perfectly soft meat and crisply brittle crackling though.

The chocolate mousse was a pleasant dish to round the meal off, additional fruit, cream and candied orange peel providing some extra dimension to a light but still smoothly decadent chocolate dessert.

Brisk but unintrusive service was a welcome facet, the experience warranted further investigation and upon leaving, we were invited to return for the Fat Budgie’s forte of a traditional Sunday roast. The Fat Budgie is a decidedly honest venture with a lot of potential, maybe not spectacular, but it really doesn’t need to be when the menu is so focused and executed in such a comforting and enjoyable manner.

Until Next time!

Pedro.

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Fat Budgie Restaurant, 60 Dale Street, Liverpool, L2 5ST
Web: http://www.thefatbudgie.co.uk
Twitter: https://twitter.com/thefatbudgie
Telephone: 0151 345 6749

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The Expansion of Peerless

ElectroKemistry Beer Review - February 2015

ElectroKemistry Review - The Fat Budgie, Liverpool

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