Gipsy Hill Juice Fest, Wild Beer Wonders, Park Ready Prosecco & Fresh Abyss
H E L L O
C L A P T O N C R A F T
F A N S !
We're back with a bang this time around, as if we do it any other way! Not knowing quite what is happening with the weather from one minute to the next, we're hedging our bets by bringing in a tonne of just about everything in time for the Bank Holiday weekend. There's a headlining hop fest from Gipsy Hill, your new favourite Proseccos from Le Spinne, funky fun from Wild Beer, and an array of juice joy from rising stars ABYSS. Of course, there's more delights across the shops, including German greats Augustiner, plus hazehounds in Pressure Drop, Polly's and Howling Hops. Finally, the webshop has seen some major new additions from Verdant (avail. across the shops next week), Instagram's treasured Floc., legends Cloudwater, and a brewery we can't wait to see what all the fuss is about - Rivington. Now, onto boozy business...
B R E W E R Y
O F
T H E W E E K
South Londoners supreme Gipsy Hill have always had a beer-shaped place in our hearts for their sheer accessibility and consistency, alongside a commitment to always push the brewing boundaries. Teaming up with the incredible Spanish female illustration duo Cachete Jack, we're delighted to present a quartet of June juicebombs this week, dropping perfectly ahead of schedule for the upcoming, never-ending weekend.
Fittingly opening proceedings is First Orders, a delectable NEIPA with notes of pithy orange and sticky-sweet pineapple. Brewed to celebrate your local getting back on its feet, each can has a QR code to nominate your favourite boozer to win a keg of Hepcat! Next off the bat, Felder - Gipsy Hill's wheat beer took inspiration from Bavarian brewing techniques, using a step mash for an incredible golden haze and a body softer than Egyptian cotton sheets. Full of banana and bubblegum esters, alongside soft lemon notes, it’s the perfect Summer supper. A self-confessed "brash, big hitter of a modern-day hop bomb" DIPA Moneybags sees Citra, Mosaic and Cryo hops loaded to to the max. While, their trusty Kveik yeast kicks out tropical marmalade esters, keeping everything clean and impossibly easy drinking. For the final part of the puzzle, and the latest in their Squashed sour series, Smoked Grapefruit & Rosemary channels Jim's (their head brewer) favourite cocktail for mega smoky Margarita magic.
To sweeten the deal, we've got double loyalty points across these four first-class efforts, plus last months bangers including German pilsner perfection in Pendler, their hoppiest, dankest brew ever Big Baller, and the spritzy sunshine slammer Squashed: Lychee. So no excuses not to jump for Gipsy Hill joy with another belting Brewery Of The Week!
Y O U R N E W
F A V O U R I T E
P R O S E C C O S
We've been tirelessly on the hunt for that perfect, park-ready Prosecco for years now. Enduring the hardship of quality control picnic after picnic culminating in a simple conclusion to hand select and import our favourite, lessening our reliance on wholesalers and cutting the price. Step in a duo from Le Spinee, located in the picturesque Veneto region of Italy, nestled between the rolling hillsides, and rivers of Piave and Sile.
Up top, their Prosecco DOC Treviso, or 'Spago', that old school orange cord around the cork. Fermented slowly at a low temperature, along with a second natural fermentation occurring in pressurised tanks (known as the Charmat method), the highest freshness and vivacity of this Prosecco is retained throughout. Delicate, crisp and clean this has notes of pear, citrus and a touch of stone fruit. A sluggable, Summery effort then, destined for backyards and early starts. Meanwhile, another future-classic, Methodo Antico is a potential Casa Belfi killer. Light, fresh, hazy and with a more savoury touch, a second natural fermentation occurs in the bottle for 6 months without disgorgement, for enticing brioche aromas. In all, two sure-fire party pieces with absolutely no restrictions...
T A K E A D R I N K
O N T H E
W I L D S I D E
There's no one quite like Wild Beer is there? From a BBQ-inspired smoky saison in Thrills & Grills to the elevated Corona and Lime-like Sleeping Limes, or an oak-aged spin on their classic chocolate thick-shake Millionaire they never play by the brewing rules. But, it's not all kitchen sink, barmy bevs - we're also delighted to have a litany of funky, easy drinking delights this week. NZ Hazy IPA Everstone delivers wave after wave of stone fruit juice, while West Coast IPA Madness dials up the fresh bitterness. That's not forgetting a few sour slammers in the zingy, tropical Sucker Punch and Tepache plus limited sharing bottles in Pressed For Time and Coolship 2021. The former is a spontaneously fermented beer aged on locally grown Chardonnay grapes, and the latter their highly-anticipated annual barrel aged blend. As usual don't sleep on their experimental output, you never know what you're going to get!
S T A R I N G
I N T O T H E
A B Y S S
Our inaugural drop from Abyss was a runaway success, and thankfully there's no sign of that tricky second album here, with another roll call of pale perfection. Piney fan favourite Dank Marvin rejoins the line-up alongside the latest entry into their NEIPA series, Zen Level 3. For those jonesing after something a little more sessionable, New England Pale Dreamz offers a super soft mouthfeel, low bitterness and lashings of Equanot and Simcoe for big pineapple notes at just 5.0%. Similarly highlight Pale Deluxe, is a top-tier, sluggable Simcoe and Mosaic pale boasting oily, sweet berry and grapefruit flavours. Rounding things off is Ekuanot single-hopped IPA Road Trip #6, canned just on Wednesday, alongside The Future Part 7, a West-East Coast IPA hybrid full of clean tropical notes with bright, floral undertones. Affordable and accessible while aiming for juicy new heights these are fridge fillers and must-haves in equal measure!
M A N A G E R
P I C K S
T H I S W E E K
OSCAR - CLAPTON
🍺 AUGUSTINER-BRAU 🍺
Weissebier - Apricot, banana & bubblegum-tinged creamy classic.
Helles - An absolute essential, the OG crispy boi & lovingly referred to as 'liquid bread'!
Edelstoff - Rich, malty, yet impeccably refreshing Export Lager.
ELLA - WOOD ST
🍹 VAULT CITY 🍹
OJ IPA - Spiked juice brilliance, backed up by punchy Mosaic & Simcoe hops.
Blackcurrant Kir Royale - Elegant, yet stupidly succulent sour w/ white grapes.
Pies In The Skies - Tart strawberry & fresh raspberry pastry perfection.
MEL - WALTHAMSTOW
💯 DROP PROJECT 💯
Sliced - Mango, passionfruit & pineapple Sour smoothie banger.
Crispy - Clean West Coast Pilsner w/ a tantalising, zingy citrus aftertaste.
Straight Up Simcoe - Tangerine peel & ripe stone fruit packed IPA.
DAVE - BALHAM
💦 PRESSURE DROP 💦
Catamaran - Fluffy, pithy, grapefruit-filled Pale. Another tangerine dream from the Tottenham team!
I Just Wanna Go To The Pub - Verdant NEIPA Collab! Layered stone fruits flavours with a zippy pineapple finish.
LARA - FOREST HILL
🏝 POLLY'S 🏝
Make A Movie - Talus-hopped Pale bursting w/ tropical & herbal complexity.
Kyra - Another hop-forward Pale from the cult faves, slick citrus sunshine!
Totally Not Enormous - DDH IPA loaded with a quintet of different hops.
FRANKLIN - KENTISH TOWN
🙏 WESTMALLE 🙏
Extra - Hit thirst-quenching Golden Ale full of fruity, noble hop aromas.
Dubbel - Rich, dark Belgian Ale w/ a soft mouthfeel & a long, dry finish.
Tripel - A classic! Deep, spicy fruit w/ banana bread-like flavours.
HANNAH - FINSBURY PARK
🐺 HOWLING HOPS 🐺
Push Push - DDH Pale launched originally in N4, this is a silky cocktail of pineapple & passionfruit Pale goodness!
Killer What - NEIPA supercharged w/ Galaxy hops for radiant gooseberry, orange & peach flavours.
W E B S H O P
H I G H L I G H T S
T H I S W E E K
🌿 VERDANT 🌿
(AVAIL. ALL SHOPS NEXT WEEK!)
Roy I Want A Hilux - Straight juicy tangerine in a portable Pale package.
Marylou - Silky, lipsmackingly peachy New England Pale.
Neal Gets Things Done - Smooth, umami-filled NEIPA, a true Cornish classic.
Remembering Things... - West Coast IPA singing w/ dank, bitter citric harmony!
✨ FLOC. ✨
Whisper - Pillowy soft Pale hopped w/ copious amounts of Simcoe, Citra & Mosaic.
☁️ CLOUDWATER ☁️
Don't Go Where... - Lush, vibrant DDH IPA w/ gooseberry Nelson & tropical Citra hops.
Over The Tops... - Clean, resinous & overwhelmingly fresh IPA.
🔥 RIVINGTON 🔥
Tales From The Crypt - Mammoth, showstopping DIPA hopped w/ Galaxy & Citra!
The Guy Was An… - Thick & juicy DDH Pale, think pina colada fun.
Just Waking Up - Impeccably balanced, clean, tropical IPA w/ floral Loral hops.
We hope you enjoyed this week's mega low-down, have a great weekend!