– Up and Coming / Mad Hatter Brewing Company
This is the brand new and rather exciting brewery of Gareth Matthews a veteran home brewer of 20 years who finally saw the light and fled academia to start a microbrewery in Liverpool. His brand new and rather dinky brewery on average produces approximately 7 casks a week. Be assured that what his beers lack in quantity they make up for in quality with his favoured styles being those of the massively hopped persuasion or big stouts and porters. Port Street has had the excellent fortune of being the first to have his beer on draught this week we have his IPA (on at the moment and going very fast!), Mild, ESB and Rye Amber and look forwards to getting his beers on keg and in bottles too soon.
Gareth produces and plans to produce a wide range of beers with a number brewed with some exciting ingredients. Some that we at Port Street are looking forwards to are his ‘Imperial Porter’-the staff have already tried this and it’s a doozy, ‘Rhubarb and Rosehip Wit’-a refreshing and rather tart wit, ‘Gooseberry Fool’-a sour gooseberry beer, and ‘Minimal Difference’-black IPA with Cascade, Centennial and Columbus. But there are many more and Gareth has big plans regarding the sour side of life-fabulous stuff! In his own words “In terms of beer, I am glad to be around in a time when many brewers are making inroads into the world of experimental, thoughtful, truly artisanal techniques that refuse to conform to rigid style guidelines.” This is an apt description of both Gareth’s outlook and the kind of beers we can look forwards to getting from him.
For more information, head over here – www.madhatbrew.co.uk
Artwork by Emily Warren – www.thestealthyrabbit.blogspot.co.uk
– Review – Lovibonds Dark Reserve No 3 – By DJ Adams
Lovibonds. Why does that name ring a bell? Apart from representing a long tradition of brewing, which we’ll dive into in a moment, it is also a name well known throughout the brewing and food science industries, as the surname of the inventor of the Tintometer. Used in brewing and many other industries, the Tintometer is a device for measuring and classifying liquids by colour, and was invented in the 19th century by Joseph William Lovibond. The Tintometer classification and colour scale system is still used today by brewers to buy their malt. (You’ll no doubt be pleased to know that, according to the Tintometer Group website, their modern digital water test equipment and liquid colour test instruments are, ahem, waterproof.)
But before we go any further, let’s get to the bottom of the Lovibonds name as it applies to the brewing company. Jeff Rosenmeier is the current proprietor and owner of Lovibonds Brewery. Originally from the States, and a software engineer (there’s hope for me yet!), Jeff came to Henley-on-Thames, already bitten by the brewing bug and looking for a site for his expanding brewing ventures, came across the site that had originally belonged to John Lovibond & Sons Brewers and Merchants, and took over the name. Yes, that Lovibond. John Locke Lovibond was the father of Joseph William and three other sons who set up a brewing partnership in 1872. So the name Lovibond is almost literally steeped in brewing history and science.
Transitioning into its second incarnation, the Lovibonds brewing respect has only grown. With a handful of year-round brews, limited releases, specials and prototypes, the quality of their beers is becoming well known. I’m here at Port Street Beer House with a Dark Reserve Nr 3 in my glass. The person next to me has already picked up the aroma of bourbon. Jack Daniels, to be precise. This is a porter aged in Tennessee whiskey barrels. Dark brown with a brief tan head, you can almost sense the wet wooden barrel innards, imparting vanilla, nuts and raisins. The body is not as heavy as one might expect, and along with the malty mouthful there’s a dark chocolate and bitter, almost sour finish, with some brown sugar sweetness towards the bottom of the glass. It’s a strong one – at 7.4%, but the sample disappeared fairly quickly and it didn’t feel like I was drinking something that potent. The sourness and relative lightness definitely added to the appeal, and the drinkability.
Port Street Beer House is currently running a Festival Of Britain(s Beers) and have brought together a great collection of British brewing talent. Lovibonds is a worthy member of this collection, and have earned their place at the taps with this excellent brew. The Festival is on until this Sunday 7th April, so get yourself down there before this Dark Reserve is gone. Quick!
Brewer: Lovibonds
Brew: Dark Reserve Nr 3
Style: Porter
ABV: 7.4%
Words by DJ Adams – http://www.pipetree.com/qmacro/
– Meet The Brewer with The Liverpool Craft Beer Co. / Monday 29th April 2013
5.30pm – 8pm (event starts at 6.15pm prompt)
SOLD OUT / available from the bar or 0161 237 9949
Founded in 2010, The Liverpool Craft Beer Co. brews on a ten barrel plant producing forward-thinking cask, bottled and soon-to-be keg beers. Regular collaborations with arts and music events have seen Liverpool Craft’s beer appear in the most unique and interesting venues in the city. No mission to achieve, no message to convey. An independent brewery keeping busy brewing good beer.
– Port Street Pop Ups present Fish& / Thursday 4th April 2013 – 5pm
Fish& are bringing their unique sustainable seafood streetfood kitchen to Port Street Beer House on Thursday April 4th for the first in a series of regular pop ups, this particular one is part of our Festival of Britain(s Beers).
Forging a reputation for their twisted Fish& chips, flavours like lemon, lime& chilli, sea salt & cracked black pepper and massala spiced batters, Fish& have taken this classic part of British food and cultural heritage and given it the kick up the arse it needs to bring it into the 21st century.
There is also talk of a special PSBH Festival batter using one of the festival beers, if thats not enough there’s also talk of some very new ‘beach burgers’ appearing on the menu . . . . .
Described by on reviewer as “like a bizarre dream, restaurant quality food from a beach hut set up on a pedestrian precinct in the middle of this northern city!”
Follow fish& on twitter for more news @NoFishyBusiness
