Christmas. Tis the season to be jolly. And buy beer. Here's a round-up of the choicest beery offerings from my favourite online sellers.
Beermerchants have a panoply of mixed cases on offer. Their Belgian Beer Lover's case features solid stuff such as Palm, Chimay Rouge and Brugse Zot. A luxury case offers delights such as Boon Marriage Parfait, La Chouffe and Orval. And the Berry Christmas case has fruit-forward beers including Boon Framboise, Fruli Strawberry and Rodenbach Grand Cru.
They also have a rather nifty Chimay presentation tin that crams in a bottle each of red, white and blue plus a glass. And because it's in a tin, it's easy to wrap. Result!
If you're looking to treat yourself, the Connoisseurs case offers some of the finest rare UK brews like Moor Fusion, Kernel Imperial Stout and Hardknott Infra Red alongside "best of the best" of world beers such as Lost Abbey's Gift of the Magi. And there's always their ever-impressive range of rare beers from Denmark and the United States - bear in mind that some of those American brews can't even be bought in some states over there so to have them on sale in the UK is a real coup.
The guys at myBrewerytap have a great mixed case with plenty of dark beers for these cold days. Highlights for me include Dark Star Espresso (one of my favourites), Fyne Ales Highlander and a brace of dark lagers from Freedom and Brewdog. You can 'supersize' the case and add a myBrewerytap T-shirt for a fiver extra. Or why not treat someone to the full enchilada and treat them to the "52-week Beer Club" subscription?
There's also plenty of beery goodness from Manchester brewers Marble. Alongside a mixed case of their regular beers, myBrewerytap have also secured limited stocks of two specials, a US-styled IPA and a stout, both in 75cl bottles with cork closures.
Beers Of Europe have their usual range of specially selected cases, along with a Christmas mix including the likes of Hoggleys Frosty Ferret, Batemans Rosey Nosey and Shepherd Neame Christmas Ale. They have lots of other goodies on their gargantuan shelves - some that caught my eye include the Adnams Handcrafted Ales range and some superb De Molen beers such as Rasputin.
And there's a couple of great-looking gift packs over at Ales By Mail. One's from Meantime including what for me are two of the best large bottled beers on sale in the UK right now - London Porter and IPA - along with two stemmed Meantime glasses. A great way to drink in the New Year!
The other is from Moor, featuring a branded glass, T-shirt and a 660ml bottle of beer - and you get to choose which colour t-shirt and which bottle of beer from the impressive Moor range..
And Ales By Mail are obviously full of Christmas spirit already as they've offered up one of those Moor packs as a festive prize. Just head over to their Facebook page, 'like' it and let them know which beers you'd like to be drinking this Christmas. I'm sure they'll find some way of choosing a worthy winner!
Obvious disclaimer - I'm a grateful recipient of occasional free beer from beermerchants and myBrewerytap. I also like to buy beer from them - yes, Blogger Actually Buys Beer Shocker.
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Smart cafés, ye olde pubs, refurbished bars and the largest beer shop in Europe. There were many places that made Norfolk drinking a fantastic experience; here's an in-no-order top ten;
Reedham
Even just typing its name takes me back to balmy evenings and great, great beer. Sharing market-fresh food and stunning beers with head Humpty Dumpty, Stephen George, and his family at their home was an honour. And not only does Steve brew some darn tasty beers, he knocks up a mean guacamole too. The steep drop down to the riverside for beers at the Lord Nelson was only slightly buttock-clenching - perhaps moreso for Mrs Scoop as I was in 'control' of her wheelchair - and the reward was great Norfolk beers in one of those pubs that you dream about on summer evenings; cool inside, quenching beers, friendly locals. Just downriver is the Ship, a pub with great food and plenty of room outside where you can watch birds lurking at the water's edge and see the occasional train trundle across the swing bridge.
Berney Arms Inn
I can try and explain what it's like at the Berney Arms Inn, but it still feels slightly surreal. It's one of the remotest pubs in England, by virtue of there being no public road for four miles. You can catch a train to Berney Arms, half a mile away, which is (natch) England's remotest railway station. You can walk the Wherryman's Way to it from Norwich or Yarmouth. You could, of course, moor your boat right outside. And when you get there... tip-top beers from Humpty Dumpty, the breeze blowing off Breydon Water, room outside in the sun or inside in the wood-panelled bar. We did the obvious thing on a baking hot day - we sat outside and ate a huuuuuuuge mixed grill.
Mariners Tavern, Great Yarmouth
A pub that came to my attention as an ex-Lacons pun, current Good Beer Guide entry and a CAMRA branch pub of the year. After a morning enjoying the cheesy-seaside experience, albeit plagued by pollen beetles, finding a good pub was in order. The Mariners didn't disappoint; heaps of St Austell beers seemed odd but the Crouch Vale Sonnet was heavenly. Sat in a cool lounge, adorned with heaps of brewery memorabilia, far away from the braying bingo-wings, the Mariners was a true bolt-hole for an hour.
Adnams Cellar and Kitchen, Southwold
Having mentally spent my wages for the next three months whilst perusing the wine in their Southwold shop, I was ready for an Adnams beer in their hometown. So it was a pleasant surprise to find an airy café behind the store, especially when it had cold bottles of their decently-wheaty Spindrift on offer. The food looked gobsmackingly-fresh - I'm still not too sure how we avoided the cheeseboard - and the suntrap outdoor area gave me a chance to enjoy an Adnams beer whilst spending too long a time pouring over their catalogue...
Ugly Bug, Colton
We found this place last year after a visit to the Royal Norfolk Show; looking for a place to stay near Norwich this year, we were keen to return. It feels like it's in the middle of nowhere but it's only a ten minute drive from superstores and the Park & Ride. It's laid back and open plan. The landlord, John Lainchbury, actually brings the menu board over to you. The beer is local and top-quality (Humpty Dumpty's Little Sharpie was on whilst we stayed). The food is local, fresh and plentiful (with the likes of samphire, crab, fish, duck...). The room we stayed in was clean, comfy and a ten-second walk to the bar. No noise at kicking-out time, a relaxed vibe at breakfast and a mad-as-a-box-of-frogs-dog - Alfie - who never seemed to stop running. An absolutely outstanding pub.
The Plough, Norwich
Amongst the eclectic mix of music shops, chandlers and arts venues on St Benedict's Street in Norwich there's a sixteenth century pub serving twenty-first century beer with a timeless feel. The Plough offered whitewash and pine, chilled music, a cordial welcome and bloody good beer. The only thing that annoys me about Grain Brewery beer - the Plough is a Grain pub - is that I can't get enough of it. Major props to the barman who knows a knackered toper when he sees one - I ordered a pint of Harvest Moon and was offered a pint of iced water to go with it. The wander down to Norwich's legendary pub, the Fat Cat, was just worth it but... truth be told, I'd have rather stayed at the Plough and chilled a little longer.
Kett's Tavern, Norwich
When you've spent the morning meandering alongside the River Wensum, when Cathedral and Cow Tower have long since been lost to your sky-line, when you reach the medieval Bishop's Bridge and fancy a pint... keep walking a wee while longer. At the base of Kett's Hill, there's a rangy multi-level pub that serves bacon buttys all day, good value nosh at lunch (fish finger sandwich: top nom) and Indian food from a nearby curry house in the evenings, alongside an impressive array of the counties best beers. Wolf Golden Jackal is a staple offering - it appears on their very competitive meal deals at lunch - just another reason why the pub is well worth seeking out.
The Three Horseshoes, Warham
Another of my all-time favourite Norfolk pubs. Why? Some of the best pub food I've ever tasted - their pies, puddings and flans are superlative. Some of the best draught cider I've ever tasted - from just up on the coast at Whin Hill. By far and away the best pint of Woodforde's Wherry that I've ever tasted - straight from the barrel. No chips, no screaming kids, no hassle. It's a bit of a Bagpuss pub, frayed around the edges, but I can think of no finer place in North Norfolk in which to drop down a mental gear or two and enjoy some of the finest beer and food that the county has to offer.
The Bull, Little Walsingham
Yes, it serves Suffolk cider (Aspalls). Yes, it's slightly pricey. Yes, it's often full of clueless pilgrims from the nearby shrine. Just imagine this; a pub you visit every year on holiday where, shortly after you've ditched your luggage, you're sat outside in the sun with a cool pint, the weekend papers and a bag of crisps. Drudgery drops from your shoulders. Everything slows. Time becomes elastic. That's what the Bull means to me. No photo required.
Beers of Europe
The biggest beer store in Europe. Local beers. European beers. US beers. World beers. Bargain beers. Brews as rare as rocking-horse-shit. I bought bottles of beers I'd been drinking all week (Humpty Dumpty Little Sharpie). Bottles I'd had sips from once before (De Molen Mout & Mocca). Bottles that I've writhed around in ecstasy over before (Cantillon Lou Pepe Framboise). Bottles for friends, bottles for neighbours. And I always end up buying another ruddy glass that I really have no room for but, hey, it looks cool. A photo doesn't do the place justice, so watch their video instead:
A fantastic trip; generous people, beautiful scenery, superb food and drink, relaxing and invigorating times. Bottomless thanks to Stephen and Lesley George of Humpty Dumpty, John and Alison at the Ugly Bug, Glynis and Richard at the Old School, East Barsham and countless others who made it this a Norfolk (and slightly-Suffolk) World Tour to remember.
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What I know about Amarillo; 14th largest city in Texas and one-time helium capital of the world, Neil Sedaka wrote about the way to it and Virgil Gamache Farms have the registered trademark for the hop variety.
So let's concentrate on the latter. Described as 'super Cascade', the hop has a high oil content and lends citric notes tending towards grapefruit / orange whilst having a high enough alpha acid content to allow a clean bittering touch. I've collected a few Amarillo-based beers from three different countries in the last few months, so a lazy Sunday seemed an ideal time for a side-by-side tasting.
Stone Levitation is a US amber ale dry-hopped with Amarillo. Most of the Stone brews I've sampled so far have had heavyweight ABVs; Levitation lands almost featherlight at 4.4%. The aroma's hard hitting, though, breakfast juice citrics riven with hop oil. Just a waft of spicy biscuits in there too. Steady carbonation leads to a soft mouthfeel and thick lacing. As the light chestnut body warms, those hops start to feel sticky in the mouth. I'd like to try a pint of it, just to see if I become inured to the hoppiness. And then try another pint. And then another....
Back over to Blighty for a CAMRA award-winner. Crouch Vale Amarillo is cold filtered in bottles to try and capture the fresh hop feel of the cask version. It certainly has a cleaner flavour than Levitation, almost perfumed in its complexity. There's subtle honey on a sweet edge frayed by fruit, some drying orange, preserved peach, perhaps even lychee? A thinner body with little carbonation, this still carries a reasonable biscuityness that segues into slight sweetness.
Ten days ago, I'd never tried a beer by Dutch brewers De Molen. Thanks to the RateBeer European Summer Gathering I've now tried several from the bottle and even one on cask (in Huddersfield. Yes, really). Their Amarillo is another one that's been dry-hopped but has none of the Levitation's harsh edges. Instead there was a pervading sweetness; beneath lay yeasty peaches with pine and grapefruits holding back a soft caramel maltwash. At 9.2% it was remarkable for the sheer pleasure with which it hid its ABV and concentrated on delivering solid flavours. I rarely come across a bottle of this weight that offers such easy drinking - I'm glad that such accessibility and sustained flavour has been a hallmark of all the De Molen beers that I've tried.
Three beers, one hop, no cheesy puns about the song lyrics. Amarillo is a great hop variety that allows brewers plenty of space for experimentation; I'll be looking out for more examples on my travels.
I bought all three bottles from Beers Of Europe; the Stone and De Molen are stocked in limited quantity, so I'd order quickly if you fancy trying them.
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It's great to holiday somewhere and enjoy the locally brewed beers. Almost as good is to find a bottle retailer so you can bring some of those tastes back with you. Fortunately, Norfolk was blessed with some of the finest outlets I've found.
By far the largest (in fact the largest in the UK) is Beers of Europe, just outside Kings Lynn. It's a huge warehouse, natch, with a comprehensive selection of beers, wines and spirits from around the world. Their range of Norfolk beers is impressive with most (if not all) of the county's brewers represented. A good range of Belgian and German stuff too, often with matching glassware. You can buy whole cases of a particular beer at a discount or fill your trolley with individual bottles, which will be securely boxed up for you at the checkout. And with beers from far-flung parts (Vietnam, Brazil, Belarus) alongside rarer continental and US imports (De Molen, Cantillon, Stone) it's well worth the visit. If you're not passing through North Norfolk, you can buy online for reasonably-priced next day courier delivery.
At the other end of the scale, there's The Real Ale Shop on Branthill Farm just outside Wells-Next-The-Sea. They specialise in beers brewed with barley grown on the farm; some bottles even give a grid reference of the appropriate field! With a range of beers from the likes of Elveden, Fox, Humpty Dumpty, Woodforde’s and Grain, there's certainly plenty of choice and quality. Their passion for local brewing is reflected in their Drinks Retailing award as Independent Beer Retailer of the Year for 2009, complementing their CAMRA Online Retailer award in 2008.
When it comes to cider and perry, a visit to Whin Hill is a must. Their shop is located handily in a public car park near to the seafront in Wells, where you can try samples, treat yourself to a pint in the courtyard (as they're fully licensed) or pick up bottles to take away. They have a standard range of still and sparkling ciders and perrys as well as occasional single variety specials such as the delectable pink-blushed Browns. It's a superbly civilised shop, the staff are always happy to have a chat and it's a pleasure to go say hello to Fred again.
A couple of honourable mentions. The Walsingham Farms Shop in Little Walsingham offers a compact but perfectly formed range, including Whin Hill Cider and beers from the likes of Yetmans, Why Not and Wissey Valley (including their Walsingham Bitter and Walsingham Spice). If you're staying in self-catering accommodation nearby, you'll want to take advantage of the sumptuous range of meats, pies and cheeses.
As our visit co-incided with the Royal Norfolk Show, there was plenty of opportunity there to meet a number of brewers to sample and buy their products. This year, the food hall featured the likes of Tipples, Norfolk Square and the irrepressible Denis Gwatkin to name a few. More about the show tomorrow.
Needless to say, the car's back axle was put under some strain with the amount of bottles I brought back. I'll be posting a Norfolk special of 'Bottled Up' in the near future.
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