Shouting Lager Lager Lager! South Coast Suds, Croc Crackers & In Touch 3
H E L L O
C L A P T O N C R A F T
F A N S !
With a certifiable heatwave sweeping the nation, it's our goal... no, our duty to keep you all hydrated, and by that of course we mean keeping both yours, and our fridges, filled to the brim with juicy goodness. And, with the selection we have lined up this week that should not be a problem whatsoever...
Leading the charge we have Bethnal Green belters from Boxcar, of which we're delighted to launch their first lager, Born Slippy exclusively available in cans across our shops today. Let's not beat around the bush, this is a thing of Pure! Crispy! Wonderment! To celebrate we'll also have it pouring at Wood St for a showcase TONIGHT that includes some hazy delights on draught and plenty of support in tin form. In addition, nothing says essential to us like DEYA or Time & Tide, so we're delighted to have these two back in a big way. The latest in cider meets natural wines series In Touch also lands, guest blended by Clapton Craft alumni Martyn Goodwin-Sharman, this is probably our apple-orientated highlight of the year so far.
Meanwhile, up on the cloud, we have Alsatian aces from natty favourite Domaine Durrmann, fresh Vault City, and the debut of the much talked about Crossover Blendery. Finally, picks around the shops run from Manchester mainstays Marble, to Swedish pastry lords Omnipollo, to Leyton hop heroes Gravity Well and so much more. Now, let's start those suds engines!
B R E W E R Y
O F T H E
W E E K
Tucked away in a Railway Arch moments away from Bethnal Green Station, Boxcar completed their most significant expansion back in 2019, though they probably could have done it two times over and would still not be able to keep up with demand. In their own words, they bring "ever-changing flavours and experiences, constantly evolving recipes and ideas, colourful palettes for receptive palates".
Serving up fresh, seasonal, and experimental efforts for the developing craft landscape, lead them to focus on those juicy delights we all know and love. But as noted in Pellicle Magazine, by Derek Bates (Head Brewer of Duration) they aren't popular just for leaning into the hazy style, “but it’s because they brew delicious, well-made hoppy beers with an understanding of how they are made—not just the act of throwing a bunch of hops in them”.
Now, with a regularly brewed Best Bitter in collaboration with Mills, an arsenal of Dark Mild magic, plus the occasional zippy fruit sour like Raspbluerry, no one can accuse them of being a one-trick pony. Enter Born Slippy, the next step in their evolution, and a true malt masterclass in the vein of their heritage hits. Launching across all our shops, we're delighted to showcase this special, exclusively available today from ourselves and Boxcar. Having tried this at our most recent Manager's meeting (having been freshly packaged just hours previously) we fell pretty hard for it and thought why not spread the Lager love to the people of CC.
Made with Goldings hops from East Kent, Pilsner malt from Hamburg, and conditioned for nearly two months this is a triumph of simple tradition. Expect slightly spicy, earthy, floral aromas with a smooth honey-like hop character backed up by bready, clean goodness in the body. It's pale, crisp, zingy perfection and something we plan to shout about, for as long as we can!
Of course, we also have some hazy heavyweights in plentiful supply with double loyalty points in-store or 10% off 6 or more online. Their latest Lupulin Storm promises a DIPA level of hops packed away into portable DDH Pale format. Think increased body, green tannins, and saturated tropical flavour with an oil slick texture. In comparison, house IPA Stormbird offers up a little more drinkability with Simcoe, Loral, and Amarillo lending generous tangerine notes with fluffy malt and soft water making this a drinkable dream. Lastly, fan favourite Pale Native Place is all vibrant citrus and pink grapefruit joy, designed to be sunk again and again.
To salute their top-notch talent, we're delighted to be hosting a showcase of their latest and greatest including that aforementioned quartet pouring at our Wood St Depot. Kicking off from 5pm we'll have some of the team down, as well as plenty of tantalising treats to takeaway, all ably supported by the mighty Yard Sale and Spicebox for all your foodie needs. See you there!
A D R E A M D R O P
F R O M D E Y A
A N D T I M E & T I D E
After a momentary absence, we're delighted to secure a full restock from these household names and cult favourites respectively. Beginning with those crafty crocs, there's of course a full resupply on that ever-slurpable Steady Rolling Man, as well Magazine Cover, the effortlessly crushable Session IPA made with floral, fruity Mosaic and Simcoe hops.
In contrast, outstanding IPA Into The Haze delivers a little more saturated, silky tropical luxury, while returning great Dust My Broom balances this same profile against a slightly more savoury, biscuity backbone. On the other end of the spectrum, Hoppy Pils Lorien is a bright, beautiful Pilsner with fragrant lemon, and nectarine notes accompanied by a firm, clean bitterness. What more could you want?
For all the praise Steady Rolling Man gets there's also nothing better than a sub 4.0% smasher, and in the Kent corner boy oh boy does all-Citra bestseller Spratwaffler deliver time and time again. Alongside we have their heavenly Helles Lighthouse Lager, as well as Urban Goose, another true feat of flavour to volume brewing packed with grassy, grapefruit goodness.
It might be hitting 30 degrees but there's always room for a stealthily sluggable Stout in our books. Enter Depth Charge, a wonderfully rich, complex stout featuring a whopping eight malts. Creamy, silky and beautifully balanced, roasty toasty flavours complete a fine finish. While, in a relative dearth of DIPAs we jumped at the chance to grab a fresh batch of Monster Soup. Dry hopped at a whopping 27g/l, it sings with juicy, dank, and uber ripe tropical fruit. Enough said!
I N T O U C H ( I N G )
D I S T A N C E T O
2 0 2 2 ' S B E S T C I D E R
It’s no secret that we’re big BIG fans of Pilton here at Clapton Craft. They make some of the best Cider you can get your hands on, so good in fact that last year we took a staff trip to Somerset and produced our own blend along with our sister wine shop Gnarly Vines, the result of our labour being 24 Moons. Another reason we love Pilton is that our boy Martyn Goodwin-Sharman (aka Podcaster Extraordinaire aka Clapton Craft alumni and aka Certified Cider Blender) likes to get fully stuck into the Pilton production line from time to time, and he has done absolute wonders here with the much-anticipated 3rd edition of In Touch.
Made by soaking English Regent grape skins in Ellis Bitter apple juice for three weeks, the skins are then strained off with the cider allowed to re-ferment and mature for six months, before being blended with naturally sweet new season keeved Cider. The result is a gentle spritz giving lifted aromas of elderflower, candied orange peel, and honey. In tandem fresh orange, apple flesh and red berry notes are all present and correct, delivered with a slick texture. Coalescing wonderfully, tannins from the grapes and cider apples leave a lasting, grippy finish for a natty-cider hybrid that's both a thinker and pure park juice. Pop a bottle in your hamper with a couple of snacks, find a lovely bench in your favourite green space, and watch the evening pass...
M A N A G E R
P I C K S
T H I S W E E K
EDDY - CLAPTON
🧱 BRICK 🧱
Guava Sour - Tantalising tropical tart w/ a sweet, musky finish.
Peckham Pale - Classic & clean APA w/ a straw-coloured malt backbone.
Peckham Pils - Bracing, crispy cornerstone for Lager in London.
ARTHUR - BALHAM
🔥 BURNING SKY 🔥
Saison De Peche - Redolent fruit flavours marry w/ classic house acidity.
Saison Provision - Tart, refreshing & complex oak aged Farmhouse Ale.
Choose Any Memory - Raspberry Wild Ale w/ funky, sharp fruit sweetness.
SAM - WOOD STREET
🛰 GRAVITY WELL 🛰
Hubble Bubble - Dank, unique & enticing DIPA, a real favourite.
Arrow of Time V2 - Tropical fruit salad NEIPA w/ a suitably thick mouthfeel.
Special Circumstances 3.0 - Sherbety SIPA w/ plenty of stone fruit fun.
MEL - WALTHAMSTOW
🇸🇪 BREWSKI 🇸🇪
Mangofeber - Mouth-watering, mango infused Session IPA.
Passionate Beet - Passion fruit & beetroot Berliner. Weird & wonderful!
¡Buena Para El Papa! - Indulgent Impy Stout w/ burnt molasses flavour.
LARA - FOREST HILL
🍫 OMNIPOLLO 🍫
Anagram - Intense blueberry hazelnut coffee cheesecake Imperial Stout. Yum!
In Plenty - Fondant-like Imperial Stout reimagining almond coffee cake.
Lorelai - Decadent, sticky-sweet coconut maple toast Imperial Porter.
CHIPPY - ST JOHN'S HILL
✨ MARBLE ✨
Pint - A benchmark Session Pale bursting w/ refined fruit flavour.
Earl Grey IPA - Smooth, citrusy IPA w/ top notes of floral black tea.
B'Day Beer No 4 - Crushable Cold IPA collab w/ friends Rivington.
ILARIA - KENTISH TOWN
🔨 HAMMERTON 🔨
Zed - Gluggable AF Pale Ale w/ crisp citrus & light malt character.
Groll - Dry, thirst-quenching Pils, lagered for over 6 weeks for max cleanness.
Crunch - The unparalleled peanut butter milk stout. Creamy, biscuity luxury!
FIONN - FINSBURY PARK
👌 MONDO 👌
Ronnie - Grapefruit WCIPA w/ crisp bitterness & zesty aromas.
Steve - Copper-coloured Altbier, delicate w/ refreshing fruity nuances.
Lightworks - Seriously sinkable SIPA w/ gentle citrus & grapefruit notes.
W E B S H O P
W O N D E R S
T H I S W E E K
🔬 CROSSOVER BLENDERY 🔬
Mount Ida - Barrel Aged Raspberry Wild Ale w/ an explosion of jammy red fruit.
Obsidian - Rich, juicy BA Blackcurrant Wild Ale w/ an earthy, deep finish.
The Pershores - BA yellow plum Wild Ale, feat local, fleshy, vibrant fruit.
🍹 VAULT CITY 🍹
Tonka Black Forest Gateau - Indulgent Pastry Session Sour w/ pals Low Key!
Peach & Mango - Luscious vegan-friendly Summer Session Sour.
❄️ BRAYBROOKE ❄️
Summer Pils - Hoppy seasonal special w/ vivid, grassy, citrus fun.
Keller - A truly proper Lager, full-bodied, fresh & filled w/ flavour.
Session Lager - Franconian finesse enable this to punch well above its abv.
🥂 DOMAINE DURRMANN 🥂
Rosé Nature - Bright, fruity, funky Summer juice feat. a 50/50 of Pinot Gris & Noir.
Pinot Blanc - Steely White, w/ wonderful aromatics, soft fruit & great texture.
Grizzling - Debut Pet Nat, elegant blend of high acidity Riesling & Pinot Blanc.
We hope you have a great weekend & drink plenty of water & great booze! - Team CC