St John's Hill Opening! Gifts Galore, Gipsy Hill Greats & Tantalising Track
H E L L O
C L A P T O N C R A F T
F A N S !
Somehow we already find ourselves running headlong into that Christmas chaos, with the penultimate Newsletter proper of the year - though thankfully we're about as prepared as we've ever been. The trees are up, fairy lights lit, the gift boxes made, and now a quartet of festive fun from Gipsy Hill delivered. But, if you're not quite ready to get in the seasonal spirit we've got your usual selection of superb tastings across the shops, plus a smattering of top-notch brews from Manchester maestros, Track. We're also delighted to tease the impending opening of our eighth(!) shop in St John's Hill, Clapham. But first, on to this week's headliners...
B R E W E R Y
O F T H E
W E E K
With a festive foursome of cylindrical superstars dropping just in time for the December rush, plus an extremely special sharer, it would truly have been remiss of us not to feature Gipsy Hill as our Brewery Of The Week this time around! Supplying some absolute favourites across the suds spectrum since 2014, this bunch has arguably never been on finer form...
Opening proceedings we have Ramble, a crushable New England Pale loaded with Strata and Simcoe hops for fresh stone fruit succulence, underpinned by vibrant citrus notes and a dash of bitter grapefruit. Next up, a duo of Sour stunners, including the latest in their ever-popular Squashed series. Revisiting one of their favourite fruit combos - blueberry, cranberry, pomegranate, and acai this is a tart, juicy, smoothie slammer! Conditioned on more blackberries than Santa’s sack could carry Little Saint Nick is truly the jolliest of Christmas beers. Recirculated over fresh ginger for a warming winter kick this is sure to absolutely fly, you've been warned...
Rounding things off are two indulgent, daringly desert-like efforts. The first, Decanter, is an Imperial Stout full of roasted coffee from Le Bihan (located less than a mile from the brewery) and lashing of rich cacao. A big grist of 12 malts, including chocolate and a touch of smoked malt makes for a complex and remarkably quaffable dark delight.
Finally, Ponderer is only their second ever barrel aged release. An Imperial Stout aged in three of the finest Scottish whisky barrels for 20 months, it's exceptional food for thought, with only 800 bottles produced in total. Bringing together characteristics of liquorice, blackberry, and blackcurrant - with rich chocolate and peated whisky coming into play as the beer warms, this is ideal for drinking now, or cellaring away for a rainy (or rather snowy) day...
As usual, we've got a cracking 10% off six or more online with double loyalty points in-store around the grounds. If you're yet to sign up, shoot us an email to join the club or simply ask in-store. It goes without saying we wholeheartedly recommend pushing those taste bud boundaries and stocking up on Gipsy Hill's killer new specials!
S T J O H N ' S
O P E N S
N E X T W E E K !
We've been busy applying the final touches to our latest craft beer haven south of the river, and we're delighted to announce we'll be open at the end of next week. With over 250 different beers, 180 wines, independent spirits, four takeaway growler lines, and two wines available by refill, we're packing A LOT into this beauty of a spot. Keep an eye on our Instagram and Twitter to catch the exact opening date, and to see some behind-the-scenes action. We can't wait to get to know the rest of the neighbourhood, and start slinging some super suds to you all.
G I F T B O X
B E A U T I E S &
F R E S H M E R C H
We know how hard it is to get gift-ready, so we're always happy to do some of the work for you! The best advice we've found is to just buy for yourself, and twelve beers ranging from bucket list bangers to fridge essentials sounds pretty good to us. Featuring the likes of Siren, Brick, The Kernel, Gipsy Hill, Signature, Partizan, and more expect some of our favourite breweries bringing a blend of Pale Ales, IPAs, Stouts, Saisons, Lagers and more, all with a focus on accessibility, sessionability and pure tastiness. Designed by the brilliant Tida Bradshaw you can pick one up in-store, or online, and be sure to ask what's in the box at the moment to find out all the treats in store for you, or your recipient...
Destined for a signature stocking filler, or to complete that gift set our London Six Packs have a similar focus, with a preference for some of our nearest and dearest in the capital. In addition, we finally have a much requested top-up on all of our merchandise including slick T-Shirts, super durable organic cotton Tote Bags and cosy as can be Sweatshirts. Of course you also can't forget about Gift Vouchers, Online Subscriptions and our signature Teku glasses. Basically, we've more than got you covered and are always happy to answer any questions in-store and online, or put something a little more customised together - all you have to do is ask!
B A C K
O N
T R A C K
Despite an already humongous quantity of new bevs hitting the shops and online in time for the big day, we simply had to squeeze in one last Track for the road. Kicking things off, we have their core range classic, Sonoma back in (for now) good supply. Following up is brand-spanking new Pale New Age Soul. Bursting with fresh Rakau and Citra hops this sings with bright zingy lemon zest and sweet grape. Taking things up a notch is IPA, Proud Mountain. A true tangerine dream, with a hint of lime juice, this is surely worth the taste buds trek. Collaborating with none other than Pomona Island, Wordless Chorus is a DIPA to end all DIPAs. A melody of ripe orange, and fresh cantaloupe melon, this is an earworm in pure boozy form.
Not wanting to limit the hype hits to purely juice, we have two incredibly special Imperial Stouts from their burgeoning barrel project. Giant Haystacks is a coffee, blueberry &and granola Imperial Stout aged in freshly emptied Heaven Hill barrels delivering upfront, heady whiskey character, giving way to a slightly tart, fruity note alongside a big coffee kick and sumptuous layers of viscous dark chocolate sweetness. Meanwhile, If I Had A Soul is a chocolate and banana Imperial Stout which has spent nearly two years in Jim Beam barrels. Incredibly decadent and rich, this builds on complex layers of oak and bourbon with a sticky peanut butter coating. Think silky sweet banoffee pie meets boozy, bitter cacao warmth.
We've got a super limited supply of their BA belters in Finsbury Park, Balham, the Depot, and Online, but be sure to give us a shout if you'd like a collection from any shop next week!
U P C O M I N G
T A S T I N G S
& E V E N T S
🍸 CLAPTON 🍸
EL RAYO 5-8PM TODAY!
ELLC 18TH DEC
🇸🇪 FINSBURY PARK 🇸🇪
MACKMYRA 5-8PM TODAY!
ELLC 17TH DEC
👌 WALTHAMSTOW 👌
DROP PROJECT TODAY!
FREE TASTING
🍻 WOOD STREET 🍻
GIPSY HILL 16TH DEC
WILD CARD 17TH DEC
💫 KENTISH TOWN 💫
MONDO 4-8PM TODAY!
BRICK 16TH DEC
We hope you enjoyed our rundown & we'll see you for the last of 2021 next week!