UK kicks in for craft brews
A lot of has been said so far in 2015 about the craft beer journey.
Has it become too hip for its own good? Has it reached its peak? Even the question of does Big Beer even care about the little guys in the industry has been put under the spotlight.
Well, some data from the United Kingdom might give some direction for the beer path.
In the Old Dart brewing is booming. According to accountancy firm UHY Hacker Young applications in the UK to start a brewery hit 304, a 42 per cent jump from the previous year.
Sales for craft beer hit almost $800 million in 2014.
Might be some pints left for the doomsayers.
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Ken Arrowsmith showing off his new IPA at Northbridge Brewing Company.
The unusual aspect of being handed a Northbridge Brewing Company India Pale Ale for the first time was that the beer came with a manual.
Master brewer Ken Arrowsmith has been conducting beer club events at the brewpub and last week used one of the sessions to showcase the use of hops.
Tuatara Pilsner, Feral Hop Hog and Young’s Special London Ale were used in conjunction with a few slides to highlight when, why and how to use the green flowers.
Then he produced the nwe brew. Fortunately Arrowsmith saved his new IPA until last, almost building up to a crescendo for hopheads.
The finale is a nice, dry and bitter beer but one that is far from over aggressive.
“I like to do my research before I do a new batch,” Arrowsmith said.
“I’ve been able to use a pilot plant at the brewery so I’ve done some trials to make sure we got this right.
“Pale Ale is our best seller so we thought this might provide some variety.”
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One of the best elements of the announcements of Good Beer Week details is the news that another collaborative brew is being put together for the industry’s night of nights.
The concoction put together especially for the Australian International Beer Awards has become one of the highlights of Melbourne CBD function.
The winners of the previous year’s best small, medium and major breweries awards get together to make a one-off beer.
However, the 2014 Land of Plenty also made it into bottle shops around the country.
This year it is CUB, with Jaideep Chandrasekharan, 3 Ravens and Thunder Road joining forces.
A spy told The Sip a style had been decided but was being kept under wraps until closer to the end of brewing.
