Bohem: a new beer, called Most, has been brewed in collaboration with hop merchants Charles Faram. It is a single hop brew, using Faram’s new Most hop, which is part of the family that includes their Jester and Olicana varieties. It gives the beer grapefruit and melon notes, leading to a complex taste with a balance of sweet and savoury notes and a soft, full mouthfeel (ABV 4.5%). As with all of Bohem’s beers, it is lagered for six weeks.
Charles Faram’s managing director, Paul Corbett, said, “Most is a very new hop and still in trials. Brewing with Bohem gave us a chance to see how the hop performs ‘under fire’, using real-world Czech brewing kit and producing a commercial beer with genuine appeal to lager drinkers.” In the Czech language, ‘most’ means bridge and this beer is seen as a bridge between the UK and the Czech Republic. Most is available in keg and can while stocks last. Cans were still available on Bohem’s website at the time of writing.
Essex Street Brewery: please see the entry for the Temple Brew House in the Pub News section.
London Fields: further to the report in the last edition, the brewery and taproom, including its equipment, is being marketed by property consultants Gerald Eve. Carlsberg, as it was then, paid £4 million for the business in 2017 and, two years later, refurbished the site at a cost of £2.1 million, including new 15 hectolitre brewing kit valued at £1.5 million. The brewery has a capacity of 30 hectolitres. A spokesman for Gerald Eve told the Morning Advertiser, “This is a rare opportunity to purchase an award-winning east London brewery and taproom, together with well-known beer brands, comprising a business with huge potential for growth. The brewery has a rich history and is located in one of London’s most dynamic areas. We are excited to launch this unique asset to the market, just as Covid restrictions come to an end.”
Park Brewery: as mentioned in Christine Cryne’s article on page 16, Park Brewery are taking part in the Brave Noise Movement. All participating breweries around the world, including eight in the UK, are brewing a beer to the same recipe. This is a similar exercise to the International Women’s Beer Day. Co-founder and brewster Frankie Kearns has produced Brave Noise Pale Ale (4.5% ABV). It is described as a ‘smooth, pale ale with tropical flavours and coconut undertones, dry-hopped with Mosaic and Sabro hops’. It will be available in 440ml can, keg and cask. A proportion of the income will go to the Kingston Women’s Centre.
Frankie made the following comment, “When we started the brewery in 2014, as a woman rolling up my sleeves, getting stuck in on a brew-day, packing beer, driving trucks around, delivering cask ale to pubs, selling it etc, wasn’t always easy. Occasionally, made harder by patronising or unpleasant comments. It can bash your confidence. But I was lucky to be supported by my husband, Josh, (also co- founder) and I know that others have had far worse experiences without that support, which is why I want to be part of this campaign and help us move along collectively, to a better place. We’re lucky our team are progressive, forward thinking men and women with an even 50/50, male/female split, which is unusual in this industry and we’re really proud of that. But there’s always more to do in terms of diversity and inclusion which is why you have to keep these conversations and initiatives very much alive, and front of mind.”
Park’s winter range featured a lot of Chinook and Cascade dry hopped beers, producing citrus or orange notes, most recently with Saw Pit West Coast Pale (4.3% ABV). The more traditional Isabella Brown Ale (4.3% ABV) is widely available and Ballet Loop (3.4% ABV) has now arrived with the (rather damp) spring. With thanks to Gill and Dave Morgan.
SlyBeast: this microbrewery was an integral part of the operation when the Ram Inn in Wandsworth (SW18 4LB; formerly the Brewery Tap) reopened in October 2019. The pub had been closed since 2006 when Young’s gave up brewing at the site but they had retained ownership of this corner of the site. Young’s very much encouraged the creation of SlyBeast, which has proved to be a success and has been brewing at capacity. The pub was however a tenancy and was subsequently included in the deal when Young’s sold the Ram Pub Company to Punch Pubs last year. Initially, the pub effectively became a SlyBeast tied house and its beers were also supplied to other nearby former Young’s pubs.
Punch however have now demanded that the brewery be removed as part of their plans to make substantial changes to the pub. This will be done in conjunction with the Laine pub company, which, like Punch Pubs, is owned by the Fortress Investment Group. Consequently, the current tenants will be leaving at the end of April. The Ram Inn is a magnificent building and is deservedly Grade II listed. The gents’ toilet is a piece of history in itself. It is not impossible that SlyBeast may continue in new premises but it is early days yet. As you may imagine, those involved are deeply dismayed by these events. CAMRA’s South West London branch will be holding a farewell social on Wednesday 20 April from 6pm. All CAMRA members are welcome to attend.
Thames Side Brewery: Thames Side are on the move for the second time. The site of their current brewery and tap room is being redeveloped but, happily, they have found a new site at Thames Edge Court, just 100 metres downstream and still close to Staines Bridge. The new premises will actually be larger than the existing one and will give Thames Side opportunities for growth and continued experimentation, with many exciting new beers planned. The new site will also include a kitchen and coffee shop. The company won Food & Drink Magazine’s ‘Best Riverside Brewery – south east England’ award in 2021 and the new premises give even better access to the riverfront.
Farewell: sadly I have some closures to report:
- Enfield Brewery, founded in 2014, announced on Twitter on 24 February that they were winding down their operation and that their brewing kit was up for sale. There was also the option of taking over the lease of their
- Weird Beard Brew Co have also ceased brewing. Their last open day was 5 February. The business was being marketed by a company called European Valuations as a going concern or, alternatively, their kit was available for