While there are no hard and fast rules as to what beers people should drink, in general it is common for more people to enjoy darker beers coming into the darker months and lighter coloured beers during the brighter months.  Cider makers often say that their year starts in March and continues through to about September.  Likewise, brewers of dark beers often see an upsurge in interest in their beers in the winter months.

To-day, we are looking at this seasonality from two points of view.  Firstly, we are looking at a beer brewed to a very traditional old English style – the brown ale.  Crafty Dan Big Ben is a modern, craft brewery’s interpretation of the brown ale style.  Our second beer takes this idea of seasonality to a second level.  While it is a porter, in keeping with our dark ale theme, Red Hook Pumpkin Porter is brewed with a few eccentric ingredients.  Pumpkin beers have become particularly popular with craft breweries around the world in the last number of years.  Tying in to both Halloween and also the Thanksgiving season in the U.S., pumpkin beers are not always dark beers (like Red Hook Pumpkin Porter) – their style is defined initially by the fact that they are brewed using pumpkin as an ingredient, and then to a secondary extent, the style usually includes the types of spices (nutmeg, cinnamon etc.) that one would associate with Pumpkin Pie.

Origins of Dark and Seasonal Beers –

The colour of beer is derived primarily from the malts used in brewing the beer.  In olden days, when barley grains were being malted into malted barley, the malsters did not have the skill to kiln (heat) the malts in a gentle way.  As a result, all beers had an element of dark colour to them.  Brown malt was particularly common two hundred years ago, as was roast barley and roast malt.  Pale malt, that is now the mainstay of most beers (even dark beers, where the colour is achieved with a proportion of dark malts) was simply not available, as the technology did not allow for light kilning.

The more common flavours that are achieved from dark malts range from biscuit through toffee, caramel, brown sugar, coffees, chocolate, espresso, smoke and charcoal.  Many of these flavours – particularly the ones on the darker end of the spectrum – bring with them the suggestion of warm fires, and warm foods.  There is probably an element of comfort that people derive from these flavours in darker, colder months.  Even in a beer served cool or slightly chilled, the presence of these flavours provides an element of comfort when they are present in a drink.

Seasonal beers originally grew out of the desire to celebrate an occasion.  No surprise that when unusual ingredients are used in seasonal beers, that they would be ingredients associated with the season in question.  Christmas spices are often used in Christmas beers – Christmas being the first season that people gravitated towards when it comes to seasonal beers.  As brewers sought to brew a beer to suit other occasions, the theme of the occasion was no doubt an influence to their creativity.  Hence the emergence of pumpkin in beers – pumpkin being so distinctly associated with Halloween, but also in the U.S. with Thanksgiving.

One of the challenges with a pumpkin beer is that pumpkin itself is a relatively subdued flavour.  While it has a distinctive sweetness to it, pumpkin does not have the strength of flavour that one would associate with other ingredients (e.g. coffee, chocolate, chilli etc.) that are sometimes used in beers with unusual ingredients.  Brewers use two approaches to overcome this – the first is to use paler malts that allow the flavour of pumpkin to come through more clearly.  The second is to use an array of complementary ingredients – often the other ingredients associated with pumpkin pie (such as cinnamon and nutmeg) to deliver not only the flavour of pumpkin, but also flavours that people would associate with pumpkin.

Crafty Dan Big Ben –

Beer Style                           -  Brown Ale

Alcohol by Volume          -  5.8% a.b.v.

Brewed by                          -  Crafty Dan Brewery, Blackburn

Brewed in                           -  Lancashire, England

Thwaites brewery has been particularly innovative since their 200^th birthday.  Each year, under the Thwaites brewery name, they brewed and launched different beers in the U.K.  Beers such as Wainwright, Double Century and Tavern Porter have been met with a great reception by beer drinkers interested in choice, variety and great quality beers.  With such an old brewery, there is always the issue of upkeep of the brewery – and with Thwaites it has been no exception.  Given that the brewery was built as a traditional tower brewery (over five floors, and stretching up some distance into the sky), as renewal was required, this presented numerous challenges.  The decision was made to build a new brewery off-site, and this is currently underway.  However, while Thwaites has clearly embraced modern craft brewing approaches in the new beers that they were brewing, they did not want to lose the centuries of tradition and heritage associated with their brewing site in the centre of Blackburn.

From this desire to merge two competing goals, the Crafty Dan brewery was born.  On the site of the old Thwaites brewery, Thwaites have established a modern craft brewery.  Christened ‘Crafty Dan’ (Daniel Thwaites is the name of the original brewery founder), this brewery maintains brewing on site in the centre of Blackburn in Lancashire, but fuses craft brewing approaches to the beers that they brew.  In parallel with this, Thwaites are building a new brewery off-site to brew their ‘traditional’ beers – such as Lancaster Bomber, and the other beers that have been added to their traditional range that have been met with acclaim and appeal.

Developing on the craft tradition blossoming in England, Big Ben is a modern interpretation of a classic British ale style.  This beer presents with rich aromas of toffee, brown sugar with a background of coffee, and suggestions of woody character.  Chewy caramel and toffee and cocoa powder combine on the palate with  in a medium bodied beer with a blend of English and American hops – Fuggles, Goldings, Challenger, Chinook, Citra and Summit – to deliver an incredibly complex, sophisticated, rich and bittersweet beer.  The complex blend of hops in this beer adds an interesting dimension to the flavour.  While dark malt flavour predominates, and this is supported by an oaky, wood character from the hops, the blend of flavours is further supplemented by a most interesting, and contradictorily complementary fresh zing of citrus and soft fruit hop character.  In no way could this beer be described as having the citrus character of a bright North American Golden Ale – instead, this fruit flavour is a background dimension that keeps superb balance in the dark malt flavours which distinctly predominate.

If one is looking for a beer that balances the classic dark malt character of a traditional English brown ale with the innovation and excitement of the craft brewing tradition – and is looking for a delicious beer to boot – it would be hard to find a better example than Crafty Dan Big Ben.

Red Hook Pumpkin Porter –

Beer Style                           -  Pumpkin Porter

Alcohol by Volume          -  5.8% a.b.v.

Brewed by                          -  Red Hook Brewery, Seattle

Brewed in                           -  Washington State, U.S.A.

 

Pumpkin beers have taken the American craft brewing scene by storm over the last five to eight years, and their popularity has lead others to adopt the style in other craft breweries.  The first pumpkin beers were typically amber in colour – in keeping with people’s expectation of the colour of pumpkins.  However, as time has gone on, brewers have investigated and experimented with other styles, stretching them to include the traditional ingredients of pumpkin pie.  The results have been delectable, and reflect the creativity that is not only possible, but central to craft brewing tradition.

 

Pumpkin Porter embraces the idea of dark beers for the dark months of the year with both hands.  Using porter as a base for the beer delivers an array of flavours and aromas that one would associate with this style – espresso coffee, cocoa powder, chocolate are all very much in evidence in the aroma and on the flavour.  Now to the pumpkin side.  There is a suggestion of something in the flavour, but if I am to be honest, I don’t know if I would confidently pick it out as pumpkin on a blind tasting.  What is a bit more evident in the complementary flavours is the cinnamon – which nicely complements the dark malt flavours – and the nutmeg, that comes through as a creamy nuttiness in the finish and aftertaste.  All of this is further complemented and enhanced by a further unusual ingredient – maple syrup – which gives a slightly smoky sweetness to the beer.

To limit Red Hook Pumpkin Porter to the Halloween and/or Thanksgiving seasons is almost a travesty – it is a delicious beer in its own right that would be delightful at any time.  However, there is something special and appealing to the idea of seasonal beers – they provide a sense of anticipation knowing that they will serve as a special treat in a particular time or season of the year.  The array of pumpkin pie flavours in this beer tie them into Halloween, and also to people with an American tradition, to Thanksgiving.  In so doing, it becomes a beer that one starts to look forward to as the seasons change in the same way that we look forward to barn brack or Christmas pudding.

Beers Available In –

Stockists – Crafty Dan Beers –

Jus De Vine Off-Licence, Portmarnock, Dublin

Tommy O'Keeffe's, Kilcock, County Kildare

Egan's Food and Wine, Portlaoise, Co. Laoise

The Merrion Inn, Merrion Road, Booterstown, County Dublin

Solas, Wexford St, Dublin

Joe Smith Bar, Navan, County Meath

Next Door, Meath St, Dublin

Deveneys, Rathmines, Dublin

Gibneys Off-Licence, Malahide, County Dublin

The Comet, Santry, Dublin

The Lord Mayor Pub and Off-Licence, Swords, County Dublin

Martins Off-licence, Fairview, Dublin 3

McCabe's Off-Licence, Blackrock, County Dublin

Drinks Store, Manor St, Dublin 1

Redmond's of Ranelagh, Dublin

The Winewell, Dunboyne, County Meath

Callans Off-licence, Dundalk, County Louth

Delaneys, Aungier St, Dublin

Sweeney's Wine Merchants, Phibsboro, Dublin

The Wine Shop, Perrystown, Dublin

Holland's, Bray, County Wicklow

Eurospar, Dalkey, County Dublin

Probus Wines, Fenian Street, Dublin 2.

The Malthouse, Trim, County Meath

Chill Inn, Ongar, Dublin

Next Door, Harolds Cross, Dublin 6

Tribeca Restaurant, Ranelagh, Dublin

Carolan's Off-licence, Dublin 1

Deveney's of Dundrum, Dundrum, County Dublin

McHughs O/L,  Malahide Road, County Dublin

Molloy's Liquor Store, Tallaght, County Dublin

Molloy's Liquor Store, Clondalkin, County Dublin

Molloy's Liquor Store, Nutgrove Shopping Centre, Dublin

Molloy's Liquor Store, Clonsilla, County Dublin

McHughs O/L, Kilbarrack, Dublin

Molloy's Liquor Store, Leopardstown, County Dublin

Molloy's Liquor Store, Francis Street, Dublin

Next Door Forum, The Glen, Waterford, Co Waterford

Next Door, Wicklow

Worldwide Wines, Dunmore Rd, Waterford

Dicey Reilly's Bar and Off-Licence, Ballyshannon, Co. Donegal

J & A Barry, Carry Out Head Office

Next Door South Circular Road Dublin 8

Musgraves Retail Partners Ireland

Bradley's Supermarket, North Main Street, Cork City

Matson's Off-Licences, Douglas and Bandon, Cork

No. 5 Off-Licence, Waterford

The Abbott Ale House, Devonshire Street, Cork

Desmond's Next Door, Fr. Russell Road, Raheen, Limerick

Myles Creek Next Door Off-Licence, Kilkee, Co. Clare

O'Hare's Supermarket, Dunmore Road, Waterford

Number 21 Off-Licence, Ballinacurra, Midleton, Cork

Matson's Inns, Douglas, Cork

Eldon's Off-Licence, Clonmel, County Tipperary

Shannon Knights, Next Door, Skycourt, Shannon, Co Clare

Sunnydale OL Ballincollig

Sunnydale OL Blarney

Zen Chinese, 89 Upper Rathmines Road

Thai Spice, 3A Talbot Place

Pichet Restaurant

PNL Restaurants, T/A Brookwood, 141 Baggot Street Lower

Favara Ltd, T/A Saba Clarendon Street

Eddie Rockets, Dundrum

Timothy Crow Next Door

Wine Centre, Kilkenny

Dwan's Spar, Ballycullen, Dublin 16

Next Door, Kilcoole, County Wicklow

Foleys Off-licence, Sligo

Centra Enfield

House of Lotus Restaurant and Off-Licence, South Main Street, Wexford

Blackrock Cellars Off-Licence, Blackrock, County Dublin

Next Door Kildare

Desmond's Next Door, Sundrive Road, Kimmage, Dublin

O'Keeffes of Kilkenny, T/A The Wine Centre, Kilkenny

Donnybrook Fair, Donnybrook, Dublin 4

Edward Conroy T/A The Railway Bar, Boyle, Co Roscommon

Kavanagh's Off-Licence, Dorset Street, Dublin 1

Sky and Ground Wexford

The Old Orchard, Rathfarnham, County Dublin

F & R Hospitality, 81 The Rise, Mount Merrion, Blackrock, Co Dublin

Silverthorne Ltd, T/A Bruxelles, 7-8 Harry Street, Dublin 2

 

Stockists – Red Hook Beers –

Solas, Wexford St, Dublin

The Exchequer Bar, Exchequer St, Dublin

Joe Smith Bar, Navan, County Meath

Next Door, Meath St, Dublin

Newman Tavern, 11 Ludlow Street, Navan, Co Meath

Whelans Wexford St, Dublin 2

Deveneys, Rathmines, Dublin

The Comet, Santry, Dublin

The Lord Mayor Pub and Off-Licence, Swords, County Dublin

Martins Off-licence, Fairview, Dublin 3

McCabe's Off-Licence, Blackrock, County Dublin

Drinks Store, Manor St, Dublin 1

Callans Off-licence, Dundalk, County Louth

Delaneys, Aungier St, Dublin

Round 'O' Off-Licence, Navan, County Meath

The Black Sheep, Capel St, Dublin

Holland's, Bray, County Wicklow

Eurospar, Dalkey, County Dublin

Ice Box, Balbriggan, County Dublin

Probus Wines, Fenian Street, Dublin 2.

The Malthouse, Trim, County Meath

Mitchell's Fine Wines, CHQ Building, IFSC

Stephen Dillion, T/A The Beer Club, Finglas, Dublin 11

Next Door, Harolds Cross, Dublin 6

Tribeca Restaurant, Ranelagh, Dublin

Carolan's Off-licence, Dublin 1

Bull & Castle, Christchurch, Dublin

McHughs O/L,  Malahide Road, County Dublin

McHughs O/L, Kilbarrack, Dublin

O'Brien's Fine Wines, Nationwide

Next Door, Wicklow

Next Door, Rathangan, County Kildare

Next Door South Circular Road Dublin 8

Fine Wines Off-Licences, Nationwide

Bradley's Supermarket, North Main Street, Cork City

1601 Off-Licence, Kinsale, County Cork

Stack's Off-Licence, Listowel, Co. Kerry

No. 5 Off-Licence, Waterford

The Abbott Ale House, Devonshire Street, Cork

Desmond's Next Door, Fr. Russell Road, Raheen, Limerick

Myles Creek Next Door Off-Licence, Kilkee, Co. Clare

Matson's Inns, Douglas, Cork

Shannon Knights, Next Door, Skycourt, Shannon, Co Clare

The Blind Pig, Limerick

Dwan's Spar, Ballycullen, Dublin 16

Next Door, Kilcoole, County Wicklow

Foleys Off-licence, Sligo

Baggot Street Wines, Baggot Street, 17 Upper Baggot Street

Blackrock Cellars Off-Licence, Blackrock, County Dublin

Desmond's Next Door, Sundrive Road, Kimmage, Dublin

Pure Club 5th on Teeling, Teeling Street, Sligo, Co Sligo

L. Mulligans Grocers, Stoneybatter, Dublin 7

Kavanagh's Off-Licence, Dorset Street, Dublin 1

The Old Orchard, Rathfarnham, County Dublin