Organic Brews, just for you's...

After last weeks focus on local booze, I've been doing a bit of research into beers that market themselves as organic, traditional method or natural ingredients. And by research I mean me and the husband sitting in last night and chugging down on a few bottles while giggling at the Prince/Batman hybrid presenting on QVC (don't ask).

Anyway, in all our infinite wisdom, here's the low down. I haven't included any prices as I imagine this will vary from place to place and be dependent on whether you are paying bar prices or off sales. I've also tried to keep local once again - all these beers are brewed in the UK.

(from left to right)

Natural Brewing Company Premium Ale

4.3%

Ingredients: Barley, Hops, Spring Water

Claims to use only natural ingredients from sustainable sources and is brewed in small batches in a traditional tower brewery. Not unlike the Brew Dog also sampled, this had a fruity taste, though it was a far lighter affair. Pleasant enough.

Lincolnshire Best Bitter (Exclusive to M&S)

4.9%

Ingredients: Malted barley, Malted wheat, Hops, Water. 

This was the only beer we tested that had the Vegan stamp of approval. Though one might assume that all beers should be free from animal products, many contain Isinglass, a substance obtained from the dried swim bladders of fish, while others fail to be awarded the stamp due to using animal based glues on the labels. So this was actually quite a find.

It had a definite caramelly (again, I'll defend this word, it's in Rebenectionary) light taste. Personally I found it a little on the bland side, though Damien liked sweetness, and the fact that it left no noticeable after taste. Out out of all drinks tested this was what we deemed to be the most palatable, in the sense that you could drink this all night and not feel sickened.

St Peter’s Organic

4.5%

Unusually didn't have a traditional ingredients listing (I thought everything had to these days?) but it noted as being made from malted barley hops.

This brew carried the soil association stamp and is prepared to 'organic standard'. It was light and golden in colour, more like a lager or European beer. Best bottle design of the night by a country mile, like a big medicinal bottle you'd expect street urchin's to be swigging their gin out of in a Dicken's novel. Kudos for that alone.

Scottish Ale (M&S Exclusive)

4.5%

Ingredients: Water, Malted Barely, Malted Wheat, Dried Thistle, Dried ginger and Yeast 4.5%

This dark ale had a really distinctive ginger taste, without technically being a ginger ale. It was fresh and crisp but had a denser flavour than you'd expect given the percentage. I've never really chowed down on thistle before, so I couldn't honestly tell you if that came through or not, though there was a noticeable twang in the after taste, so perhaps that was it. Damien thought that is had quite a weird smell, but I didn't notice it. It was certainly my favourite of the night. I'd recommend this if you like ginger ale, but find the sweetness get too much after a while. This has the flavour without the sugar.

BrewDog, Punk IPA`

6%, 

Ingredients: Barely Hops, Yeast and Water

Light amber in colour, this had an initial apricotty (it's a word, really it is) taste and aroma, and a dry/bitter after taste. Both Damien and I agreed that it reminded us of something else, I thought a special edition Oktoberfest brew I'd had a few years back. It was strong, but not overwhelming in flavour; as Damien put it, 'like Arnold Swartz in a teddy bear suit.' Now that  he's in his 30s, old man Damien was put off by the packaging initially, it's not traditional enough for his liking, but it didn't sour him against it and I rather liked it.

South Wold Winter IPA (another M&S exclusive - this doesn't make me posh by the way, it's just my local shopping centre only has a Sainsbury's and a Markseeees)

6.7% 

Ingredients: Water, Malted Barley, Wheat, Hops, Yeast, Carbon Dioxide

Not bad, a fruity pale ale, with a slight sharpness. Was drank last and as a result didn't really make that much of an impact.

The morning after the night before...   

One thing you're often told, especially when you're a student and will drink pretty much anything, is that the additives and artificial ingredients in a lot of drinks, especially the likes of alcopops, cheap cider and drain cleaner, can lead to worse hangovers. So how did we feel this morning? Well admittedly we didn't drink that much (but lets face it, since having a baby all it takes is a pint of water and packet of wine gums and I'm half cut), but there was no noticeable hangover. I did however feel thirsty most of today and received a text from Damien complaining about noxious gasses - perhaps that's the price to pay for a clear head.

Local Liquer

St. Patrick's Day is just a week away and while I'll be posting nearer the time about some pre-session stomach liners, I thought I'd take a moment to celebrate the very best in local and environmentally friendly alcohol.

Buying local reduces the travel miles of your drink and also supports local industry. I'm a firm believer that all pubs and bars, regardless of brewery agreements, should make the effort to stock and promote some local samples. In the meantime I'm happy to champion those bars that do, so feel free to leave recommendations in the comments section.

Of course Guinness is the big drink on the 17th March and my personal tipple of choice. The best pints I've had have come from the Pavilion Bar and Rose &Crown, both on the Ormeau Rd, Belfast - the worst was served in an excessively tall glass in Honolulu Airport and was all kinds of wrong (seriously, some places just shouldn't bother). When down in Kerry years back Murphy's was actually the nicer option for a lot of places in and around the Dingle Bay area, but you'd be hard pushed to find this on draught in Belfast these days. Then we have local whiskey's of which there are a shit loads. Can't think of any? Then click here.

If stout or whiskey isn't your thing however there are plenty of other local options available. Whitewater Brewery, an award winning micro brewery in Co Down, produces a good range of ales and lager, including Snake Drive, a special pale ale brewed especially for St Patrick's Day. A few of the range, Belfast Ale and Coltworthy Dobbin in particular, I've seen in a couple of bars around town, but you can contact the brewery direct for a more comprehensive list: http://www.whitewaterbrewery.com/index.php/beers

If you're one of those sick in the head people who actually prefer cider, then of course we've Magners, the geniussssess who realised that if you encourage people to water down their pint with ice you can single handedly rejuvenate the apple fizz business and make a fortune. Why? I've no idea, I assume the sugar rush achieved by drinking the stuff makes people forget that they live in Ireland where it's cold and pisses down all the time, instead fooling them into thinking that they're in the tropics where ice is essential.

For the more refined pallet we have drink of champions and all awesome people, Buckfast Tonic Wine. You'll get this served by the glass in one or two bars, though it is definitely more of an offy drink. A fortified wine, it's localish - produced at Buckfast Abbey in Devon. It's not for the faint-hearted, and if you're a first time taster, don't let the initial foulness put you off. Drink through the nastiness, as it's about to get soooo good. And if you've ever been curious about the difference between the green bottled normal stuff and the different (and therefore wrong), brown bottle concoction drank predominately in the ROI, then wikipedia has the low down here.

Of course not everyone is from the same local area, so you've probably got your own favourites and feel free to give them a shout out in the comments section. You can check out your local breweries by licking on the following directories:

http://www.quaffale.org.uk/ (UK)

http://www.beerinfo.com/index.php/pages/breweries.html (USA)

http://www.tastingbeers.com/directory/regional/canada/breweries/ (CAN)

But it's not just the travel miles attached to booze that concern the eco friendly drinker, there are more and more producers starting to offer organic and Fairtrade options. I'll be doing a taste test of a few of these over the weekend and will report back.

http://pdphoto.org
Oh and it goes without saying: Always drink responsibly!