Pressure Drop Spectacular, Gift Boxes, Siren Stouts, Gipsy Hill Greats & Super Sake
H E L L O
C L A P T O N C R A F T
F A N S !
As we hurtle headlong into the festive season, it's only right we ramp things up a notch once more with a flurry of boozy brilliance. And, this week truly reads like a who's who in the UK beer scene right now, with freshies from Gipsy Hill, Siren and our featured pals Pressure Drop leading the way. There's also gift ideas in the form of those wonderful Tida Boxes and delectable Sake. Not forgetting of course a raft of beer from absolute favourites like Wylam, Cloudwater, Vault City, Brew By Numbers and so much more. So get those trees up and we'll have the merriment at the ready...
B R E W E R Y O F
T H E W E E K
P R E S S U R E D R O P
It's no secret that we've been ardent supporters of Tottenham's finest since day one, and after their shift into slinky cylindrical form this team have become real world beaters in the haze department - their mantra being pretty much, “we brew what we would like to drink”. It's a great thing then we share the same taste! Of course the beer that started it all, Pale Fire, might still be our favourite. We simply can't get enough of it, and it's no surprise to hear that it's been our top selling product across the year. A true desert island beer, meant to be enjoyed again and again this has been brewed every week since their earliest days, and is their "shining, hazy gold, North Star of a beer". Sessionable, with citrus and tropical aromas from Mosaic and Amarillo hops it's a juicy pale with a crushable, balanced, bitter finish.
Of course we've also got a few new bangers in, and boy are these top tier. Semi-Precious Stones sports designer candied tropical fruit notes, thanks to floral and fresh El Dorado and Huell Melon hops. Softly sweet, with delectable aromatics it's Pressure Drop to a T. The brilliantly titled Donatella's Disco Night is a DIPA born into the world just on Monday(!). Here, Idaho 7 brings sharp tropical fruits with old school pine and resin notes, while Bru-1 provides that fresh pineapple zing with a sprinkling of Mosaic to round it out for savoury dankness. We've also got the last of their coffee submerged in vanilla decadence, the Affogato impy, Slumber, juicebomb Behind Door Number Three and crispy Pale N.S.P. And, you'll bet we've got some fan favourites joining at the start of next week...
As always, there's double loyalty points in store on all the latest Pressure Drop beers (and of course Pale Fire), so get that juice fridge filled!
B E E R
G I F T B O X
B E A U T I E S
We know how hard it is to get gift-ready, so we're more than happy to do some of the work for you! The best advice we've found is to buy what you'd like 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 for £35, and be sure to ask what's currently in the box to find out all the treats in store for you or your recipient!
S I R E N ' S
S T O U T
C I R C U S
Way back in 2015 Siren's taproom was being torn apart for rejuvenation - unable to fill bottles, casks or kegs they turned disaster into opportunity and an order was placed for a shipping container full of barrels from Kentucky. The start of their barrel project proper, they could now design their aged beer from adjunct and oak up. Building upon all-time favourites like Bourbon Milkshake their fairground trio aims to turn this playfulness to eleven. Here, the base beer combines muscovado sugar for burnt honeycomb notes alongside rolled oats and lactose for a thick, luscious mouthfeel, with each effort then given it's own unique twist.
Worth admission price alone, Haunted House is saturated in sheer chocolatey fun with further cacao husks added alongside toasted coconut for creamy, Bounty-esque brilliance. Helter Skelter opts for confectionary fun of another kind with Terry's inspired chocolate orange joy with and-peeled zest swirled into additional oak providing subtle vanilla wafer notes. Finally, Waltzer amps up the coffee factor with additions of their own rum barrel aged coffee beans, a collaborative project with Quarter Horse roasters. Biscuity notes, cherries and dried fruits coalesce with those heady roasty overtones for an intoxicating treat.
G I P S Y
H I L L
G R E A T S
Gipsy Hill took one look at the festive brewing schedule and probably thought let's go big or go home, as this week we have four mega bevs from the South London crew including Scalatrice, arguably their biggest DIPA to date. Fermented with Voss Kveik massive over-ripe sticky pineapple notes remain super drinkable with succulent stone fruit esters woven in. Waffler, inspired by their favourite comfort food, somehow manages to be even more decadent still. Their first pastry stout boasts 100% Canadian Grade A maple syrup, black coffee, and rauch malt for smoky-sweet, vegan friendly, maple bacon kicks. Meanwhile, they dabble in drinkability with Seasonaire, a session pale laden with Azacca and Citra hops, as well as oat-packed, tropical easy drinker Recliner to round off some major holiday beers indeed.
I T ' S A L W A Y S
S A K E
S E A S O N
Though often referred to as Rice Wine the brewing process for Sake is far more akin to beer, hence maybe why it stands out as both an accessible, yet daringly drinkable Christmas option. For those new to the game Okuden Kantsukuri from one of Japan's most respected brewers is wonderfully approachable. A blend of two local rice varieties results in a creamy texture with soft peachy notes alongside a welcomingly dry, savoury edge. While, Tobiroku, a dry, crisp sparkling sake is perfect for Belgian beer or champagne aficionados and can be paired with just about anything you can throw at it. If you're looking for something to match with that unnecessary but definitely desired final cheese board, Tamagawa’s Red Label is the one. Rich with amino acids for a robust, umami pop, this is bottled without intervention for those chasing maximum flavour! Don't forget we have more in the shops, all chilled and waiting to be drunk...
M O R E
H I G H L I G H T S
T H I S W E E K
🌦 CLOUDWATER (WEB, N4, E5) 🌦
Dank Is Short For Danke - DIPA w/ juicy fruit flavours and sweaty hop goodness.
The Little Pumphouse... - Fresh and clean DDH Pale, a CW specialty.
The Realest - Hand-selected hops feature in this mammoth NE Triple IPA.
🔢 BREW BY NUMBERS (WEB, N4) 🔢
Winter Fruits Gose - Jammy sour featuring red grape & blackcurrant w/ fresh seasonal spices.
Canadian Breakfast Stout - Maple syrup meets roasty coffee and deep, heady cacao.
Chocolate Orange Imperial Stout - Citrus peel, vanilla and lactose make for indulgent fun.
🍒 VAULT CITY (WEB, N4, E5) 🍒
Double Crust Raspberry Pie - Biscuity pastry heaped with 550g/l of tart, rich, sweet filling.
Tropical Sour - Caramelised mango and fresh passionfruit finished on decadent coconut.
🔥 WYLAM (WEB, N4) 🔥
Horizon Line - Soft IPA with ripe, sunny tangerine notes & watermelon squash refreshment.
A Summer Of Drowning - Dank IPA saturated in wonder hop, Strata.
The 44th Line Of Code - DIPA hacking the tropical fruit mainframe. Stealthily smooth.
Of course there's even more in all six stores, and online this week so be sure to take a look!