BIG SMOKE BREW CO
Big Smoke are continuing to expand their joint operation with Punch Taverns. They already operate the Prince of Wales Townhouse in Hammersmith and the White Horse in Welwyn, Hertfordshire. To this they have added the Old Wheatsheaf in Enfield and the Grade II-listed White Lion in St Albans, Hertfordshire will follow shortly.
SAMBROOK’S BREWERY
After many unavoidable delays caused by the pandemic, Sambrook’s were able to open the taproom at their new premises on 17 July. The site is in the bierkeller style on two floors and features beer in tanks, outside seating in a suntrap courtyard and a private event space for beer tastings, comedy nights and live music. There will also be food, provided by independent food retailers.
DISTORTION BREWERY
Distortion started up last year in a railway arch in Battersea SW8, very close to Wandsworth Road station. Owner Andy North had previously worked for Unilever and was a home brewer for ten years before taking the plunge into commercial brewing. The brew length is 1,000 litres and they already supply a number of local outlets. Distortion do not produce any real ales; their range consists of a pale ale (Phaser, 4.7% ABV), a Kölsch (Inertia, 4.8% ABV), a porter (Decibel, 4.8% ABV) and two IPAs (Kozmic, 5.3% ABV and Quantum, 5.5% ABV). These are served from tanks at the brewery and are also available to take away. They opened a taproom at the end of May. This is open 4pm to 11pm on Fridays and noon to 11pm on Saturdays. The address is 647 Portslade Road, London SW8 3DH.
Mark Bravery
GREENE KING
There were reports recently that GK had stopped producing their Strong Suffolk Ale (6%) but, following a number of protests, including one from Nick Boley, CAMRA’s brewery liaison officer (and a member of the National Executive), GK have clarified the situation. It will now be what they call a ‘rotational’ product, which I assume is the same as ‘seasonal’, most likely appearing in the autumn.
This is good news because Strong Suffolk is very much part of GK’s brewing heritage. The beer is a mixture of two beers which are not sold separately. These are Best Pale Ale (5% ABV) and Old 5X (12% ABV). The brewing of Old 5X goes back to the 18th century and, these days, is a very rare style of beer. It is aged in large wooden vats for a year or more and the lids of the vessels are sealed with marl (a sort of sandy gravel) to prevent the beer from being contaminated by wild yeasts. Despite that, it still imparts a certain lactic sourness. Some Old 5X is also used in Old Crafty Hen (6.5% ABV) which is bottle conditioned.
Speaking to CAMRA’s What’s Brewing website, head brewer Ross O’Hara explained that sales of Strong Suffolk had been badly affected by the COVID restrictions because most sales were through the brewery shop and that had been closed. A cask version of Strong Suffolk was tried in 2002 but without success.
TRAPPIST ROCHEFORT
The good monks of the abbey of Notre-Dame de Saint- Remy, in south Belgium, producers of Rochefort beers, have recently won a vital ten year long dispute over control of the water from the Tridaine spring which feeds the abbey wells. The multi-national company that operates a nearby chalk quarry wanted to expand their operation which
involved redirecting the spring.The monks were concerned that this would affect the flavour of their beers. As reported in the Guardian (17 May), a deed from 1833 has come to light which establishes that while the quarry company does own the spring, they may not ‘remove or divert all or part of the water which supply the abbey’. Brewing at the abbey is recorded as early as 1595 and its brewing halls, which date from 1899, are said to be the most beautiful in Belgium. Beer sales reportedly contribute some €14 million to the abbey’s coffers every year.