Beak Bangers, Did Anyone Say Puttty?, Domaine Du Meteore!
H E L L O
C L A P T O N C R A F T
F A N S !
We can't quite believe it's somehow March already, though we're not complaining as we finally begin to move away from those dark mornings and early evenings! That also means fresh Spring starts, and we can think of none better than a debut shop-wide drop from Lewes luminaries, Beak. If that wasn't enough we have a hefty resupply from Verdant including that surprise release - the myth, the legend, the green TIPA monster itself, Puttty.
Segueing briefly to the wine world, we're also delighted to highlight Domaine Du Meteore. Producers of one of our all-time shop favourites, the Leonides Rouge, we've got two more cuvees that showcase the incredible terroir of the Languedoc.
Over online we have Boxcar and Sureshot drops respectively highlighting two outrageously in-form breweries at the moment. As to our magnificent Managers, they shine a spotlight on Burning Sky, Track, Wild Card and more, while the Queer tasting-a-thon continues tonight in Balham from 5pm, with BBNo visiting Walthamstow too from the same time. Anyhow, let's dig in!
B R E W E R Y
O F T H E
W E E K
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Beginning life as a nomadic project run by food and drink writer Daniel Tapper, it took several years for the Beak we now know and love to find fruition. Scraping enough money together to guest brew three or four times a year at some of the UK's greatest breweries like North, Burning Sky, Partizan and Northern Monk, Tapper honed his recipes before joining forces with Robin Head-Fourman. Introduced by Newbarns co-founder Jonny Hamilton, Robin had been working at nearby Burning Sky for four years before they took the leap to make the project permanent, laying roots in the East Sussex town of Lewes, just outside Brighton.
Set against the magnificent cliffside, with an award-winning taproom and street food canteen in tow, they've become best known for their juicy, hop-forward IPAs, a sprinkling of crispy Lagers, decadent Stouts and a small, seasonally brewed mixed-fermentation project. Though no strangers to the shops having been stocked since 2020 when they first popped up on the craft radar, this time we have our first drop live and direct from the source. Meaning fresher brews, more new specials and sharper prices, we absolutely can't wait to see how these six slammers go - get to know!
Up top, it would be remiss of us not to mention their flagship IPA, Parade. Saturated in Citra, Mosaic and Idaho 7 hops this is fermented with London Fog yeast and is brimming with dank fruit flavours of ripe mango and tangerine peel alongside a peachy bubblegum finish. Tangy, and thick, but never overly chewy, it's a masterclass of flavour and finesse. Brewed to celebrate their lauded festival, These Hills is a similarly juicy Pale Ale clocking in at a suppable, Steady-esque 5.2% - this one is seriously not to be missed.
A celebration of one of their favourite hop varieties, the catchily titled, HBC 585, Lome is another hazy IPA ticking all the boxes. Think deep guava aromas followed by gentle, tropical flavours of lychee and passion fruit. Meanwhile, NZ IPA Effigies is brewed with frankly silly quantities of Nelson Sauvin and Motueka. The former brings sherbety white wine aromas to the table, with the latter imbuing lemon, lime and flat peach flavour. Offering up a little crisp palate cleanser for you, we also have Roll another NZ-inspired effort, but this time in the form of a hoppy little Lager, with notes of crackery citrus, hay and sourdough.
Finally, we pivot back to hazy heaven once more with the suitably intimidating Sappp. Their biggest ever DIPA, this is as fresh out the Lewes gates as it gets. Made with Simcoe and Citra dancing upon a foggy, pillowy soft base, grab this one while you can, it won't hang around.
As ever, we have a rather inviting offer of double loyalty points in-store, with 10% off 6 or more online on all Beak brews until next Friday. Though, we'd hope it shouldn't take too much persuading for you to get your chops round these - enjoy!
V E R D A N T
A R E A T
I T A G A I N
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Yep - here we go once more! When we got news that the dastardly Verdant had sneakily undertaken a TIPA spin of Putty, we did somewhat of a triple take ourselves. Ever gluttons for online punishment they've sucked up the world's supply of Galaxy, Mosaic and Azacca hops like an insatiable black hole and then pummelled them violently into this crazy relative of their most famous beer.
"How much can it take? How saturated can a beer become? How dense is dense enough? Does a straw have one or two holes? Drinking Puttty will provide the answers and more..." - Verdant, 2023
Available in limited supply with a maximum of 2 cans per person, we still have a handful left online, with all shops receiving their allocation by 6pm today. Feel free to call ahead to avoid disappointment, but whatever you do be speedy, Puttty will not hang around!
But, it's not just TIPAs this week from Verdant, in fact we have a cheeky little quintet in fine support. Their original bright idea, the effortlessly crushable XPA Lightbulb returns alongside the dank, bittersweet, yes even wonderfully cheesy, American Pale Headband. We also have their superb latest batch of Helles, an endlessly quaffable Lager with nuanced bready malt goodness from first to last sip.
Meanwhile, IPA pair Laugh At The Odds and Way Beyond The Long Blank deliver that tropical Verdz umami we all know and love. For the first think squidgy nectarine and pineapple wrapped up in smooth apricot, while the second is all white grape, sharp stone fruit succulence. Now, who says we don't treat you!
L A N G U E D O C
V I N O
L E G E N D S
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Named after the two hundred metre-wide meteorite crater which lies at the heart of the domaine, created some ten thousand years ago, Domaine Du Meteore are based high up in the Languedoc mountains, spanning the schist soils of Faugères and Saint-Chinian. Sheltered by the Cevennes mountains to the North, a down-current of cool air brings freshness and acidity to their wines, along with the distinctive minerality found in this unique climate.
Surrounded by the garrigue (the open shrubby vegetation of the dry, Mediterranean region), a gentle scent of wild thyme, fennel and citrus drifts across the organic vineyards in an utterly picturesque setting. And, having been absolutely enamoured with their story, new wave methodology, and commitment to quality we can't wait to present you with a trio of their tantalising treats.
Of course, you may well be familiar with their Léonides Rouge. A staple of CC since the old days, this meaty, spicy red composed of Syrah, Grenache and Cinsault grapes is as alluring as it's ever been. With heady blackcurrant, liquorice and wild herb notes matched by the brightness of the fruit, and a silky texture, beautiful balance is the name of the game here.
Showcasing Mourvedre instead of Cinsault, Perséides is a new entry for us, though a similar blend which combines more mineral, peppery tones with a hint of menthol and a complex, vibrant richness. Dry and delicate, their go-to Rosé, Le Météore is a brilliantly approachable, and elegant Spring-leaning effort. Featuring aromas of strawberry and grapefruit, with a hint of white pepper, this is smooth and fresh on the palate with vivid, zingy acidity. We hope you enjoy them all as much as we have!
W E B S H O P
W O N D E R S
T H I S W E E K
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We were absolutely gutted to hear that Boxcar's future is somewhat up in the air after a nightmare with their landlord early last week, but we'll be keen to follow them wherever they go. With a cultivated flowing, excellent ideals and some exciting plans for the future, we hope we needn't worry too much about these heroes of the game.
Even so, we didn't really need an excuse to grab something from these local legends, so four fresh favourites to keep us going is exactly what the doctor ordered. Crispy-clean Lager Born Slippy makes its comeback, alongside Dancing Light, a Pale of pintable, peachy, sweetshop proportions. The latest in their regularly brewed line-up IPA Head Trip is an oh-so-smooth effort with slick hop fun galore. Lastly, Double Stormbird dials up their absolute favourite to a dangerously drinkable DIPA format.
Rumour has it they've been cooking up a new batch of Dark Mild at our pals Drop Project gaff, so they will likely be back sooner than you think...
On a similar upwards trajectory, although having only started proper last year, Sureshot have made waves reverberating far outside their Manchester home. But, having been headed up by an absolute superstar of the scene in James Campbell (ex Marble and Cloudwater head brewer) we shouldn't really be too surprised.
New England Pale Milson has been a cornerstone for their wonderfully designed releases, and we're delighted to see this return in fine fettle. Expect tropical fruitiness jam-packed into a super sluggable 5.2% number. Celebrating their first Birthday, they've also got the aptly titled Dilson for us in-store. A doubled-up version of their hit, this is a dank, delightful DIPA with masses of Citra, Galaxy and Mosaic.
That's not all though as we have Hairstyle Of The Gods, a West Coast IPA brewed in collaboration with coiffeurs Pressure Drop that's all bitter business upfront, all piney party at the back. And, offering further drinkability, don't you forget about Small Man's Wetsuit, a silky 3.9% Session Pale with a light bitterness and stone fruit edge.
There's never been a better time to dive into either of these greats, so get perusing!
M A N A G E R
P I C K S
T H I S W E E K
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TOM - BALHAM
🌈 QUEER BREWING 🌈
Endless Gloom - Sticky-sweet Barley Wine w/ notes of woody pine.
Burst Into Bright - Vibrant, zesty & beautifully layered IPA.
Fight Like Hell - Glorious DIPA brewed for the Trans Day of Remembrance.
🗣 TASTING TONIGHT 5-7PM 🗣
MEL - WALTHAMSTOW
🔢 BBNO 🔢
German Pils - Bright w/ a malty complexity & a snappy noble finish.
Grapefruit Pale - Freshly squeezed fruit fun w/ a crushable, tangy texture.
Thiolised IPA - Vivid, passion fruit-like English IPA made w/ a unique yeast.
🗣 TASTING TONIGHT 5-7PM 🗣
GUY - ST JOHN'S HILL
🧱 BRICK 🧱
Daiquiri Dreaming - Our juicy, jammy cocktail collab Sour classic!
Peckham Rye - A dry, moreish, spicy & caramel-tinged treat.
Thiolised IPA - English IPA w/ unique, gentle grapefruit & lychee goodness.
LARA - FOREST HILL
🎇 BURNING SKY 🎇
Table Beer - Rustic, low abv mixed ferm beer w/ light hoppy, earthy citrus notes.
Saison Provision 2022 - Crisp, quenching oak-aged Farmhouse Ale.
Coolship 2022 - Acidic English Lambic made w/ bacteria from the local area.
EDDY - CLAPTON
🎸 SIGNATURE 🎸
Studio Lager - All-day & all-night drinking Pils w/ a herbal bitter bite.
Backstage - Citric meets pine party IPA. Simultaneously juicy & clean.
Pink Vinyl - Zingy, saline Sour full to the brim with black cherry & raspberry.
SAM - WOOD ST
🛤 TRACK 🛤
From Above - Vibrant GF Pale delivering soft lemon & white grape goodness.
Cowboy Town - Malty, comforting American Brown w/ a lick of zesty hops.
Nelson Street - Zippy, ridiculously full-bodied hazy NZ hopped Table Beer.
FIONN - FINSBURY PARK
🃏 WILD CARD 🃏
Test Me - Hazy IPA w/ big tinned peach notes set against a malty backbone.
Main Hustle - Creamy, hop forward Pale bursting w/ vivid berry flavour.
9 2 5 - Oily, oaty Pale w/ a spiky, citrussy, floral finish.
ILARIA - KENTISH TOWN
🇩🇪 AYINGER 🇩🇪
Keller - Unfiltered, bready Lager boasting fresh, yeasty notes.
Dunkel - Warm, malty magic balancing cacao & crackery caramel.
Celebrator - Trademark doppelbock w/ cascading malt layers.
Thanks for joining us again on another mega roundup! - Take care, Team CC