Wallsend Brown Ale

I realised something the other day, for the first time ever it's the end of May and I've still not blogged my exclusive mild ale in May post. This year I didn't feel the need. Anyhow, aside from my liking for Mild, the close relative English Brown ale is another beer I like to frequent now and again and is especially good with things like roast beef or hard cheeses such as Comte.

When I first started at Mordue I seem to remember asking about Wallsend Brown Ale as I regarded it as one of the region's finest examples of the style. I was sad to hear that the smoked malt-influenced brew was not to be brewed again (same goes for Jarrow's world excellent version of the style), but it turns out they were wrong and the classic has indeed returned, this time slightly smokier than before. With all its bready malt, berry fruit and smoked malt depth, Wallsend brown ale is in pubs now, but get hold of it quick as there isn't much left.

Beer Mixology

Many people will find that there is something distinctly wrong with the above picture. Some might say almost, disturbingly wrong.

Beer mixology is basically about mixing beers with various liquers, spirits and other stuff to create what is more or less a beer cocktail. Across the beer blogosphere it's been given bits of coverage here and there but the blogger who really caught my attention with it was the Beer Wench. Now Beer mixology even has its own website. Something I've often noticed about beer trends are that what starts in the USA usually ends up over here. That's not to say that the concept of blending beer with other drinks or even other beers is remotely new but something that could arguably complement and enhance the current global craft beer scene.

Up to now I have only tried a few beer cocktails, mostly of them made up by ma main man Justin at Alnwick's local craft beer bar 3 Wise Monkeys. To be honest, I find them interesting though I can't see myself drinking them all night. But what do you think? Is beer mixology sacrilege of good beer? Just a fad? Or an art form in its own right?

Saying goodbye to Dave

That's right, the wing man is leaving and in just a couple of weeks.

It was about a year ago now that Dave joined the Mordue crew. I remember the whole chapter well. Mark's departure to Tyne Bank led to lots of long hours of work, and it was around then that I really got to grips with the Mordue kit and system of work. Then eventually former Cameron's microbiologist Dave came along, and a level of normality was restored

Dave will leave with experience of working in a small brewery. He will also have refreshed his memory of many of the lines from the film Scum, and some even from Commando (two of the greatest films ever made). I will miss his cups of tea, the finest the company can offer, but now he is moving on to a brew pub in York.

Below you can watch the video of Dave's initial job interview for Mordue, with Matt and Gary. Just remember that he did get the job at the end of it. If anyone wants to be the new wing man please don't hesitate to contact the office, we promise your interview won't be quite as bad as the one referenced.

Farewell Dave, and good luck with the brewing ventures.

Enter the Brew Star

It's been a while since my last brewery visit but last weekend I managed to get myself down to the outskirts of Morpeth for the official Brew Star opening day. Those familiar with Brew Star will know them as part of the North East's new wave of craft brewers. 

Unleashed only this year, Brew Star are known mainly for core products Sinistar (4.3%) with its grainy malt and hop kick and Blonde Star, their 4.1% clean textured blonde ale that's designed to convert the region's lager swilling masses to artisan beer. On top of these they have plenty of pending projects, including an approachable and sweet Rum & Raisin trial brew that was available on the day.

Pump's not to be touched till the mayor cuts the ribbon

You get the sense that everything about Brew Star is very neat, modern and with a subtle edge of cool, and after finally getting a proper meet with owners Simon and Dawn I discovered the place is run by friendly folk. Simon showed me round the very compact, well ordered brewery with its nice shiny yet simple 10 barrel brew plant. As he explained, not quite perfect yet but looking very 'made to measure'.

So overall a very pleasant afternoon filled with good beer, good food (especially the pies) and plenty of familiar faces of the region's brewing scene. Later on Justin from the 3 Wise Monkeys turned up to do some beer cocktails but we missed that one. But just like with Allendale, Brew Star, Rob's Beer Quest Salutes you.

3 Wise Monkeys

I can tell Justin Pringle is a guy who's taken a look at all the competition around him then decided to do something completely different. This is admirable. He's a beer geek entrepreneur, and maverick completely fascinated by flavour and that's not just in beer.

3 Wise Monkeys is a fairly maverick operation to say the least. 50% of it speaks of a very individual character with an eye for a certain style, the other 50% says 'Alnwick beer scene, welcome to everything you're missing from the 21st century'. The inside comes across quickly as dark, shady and atmospheric. A mixture of various old ornate armchairs and stools provide seating. The walls set the tone in a kind of deep crimson making the place look slightly smaller, more intimate. Combined with the decor and low-level lighting I got a slightly sinister feel to the place. You could easily imagine Jack Nicholson's portrayal of the Joker sat enjoying a few beers in the corner armchair. Yet at the same time it still doesn't fail to deliver a modern slightly European vibe (think more Italian craft beer bars) than anything close to a straight-forward pub.

Another thing you notice about the place is its more or less a work in progress. Most of the work  had just been done and all the draught beer is served by gravity from the large back bar area with the handpull situation not quite in place. Yet overall it has its own unique personality, worlds apart from anything else in this little old town of Alnwick.

Last Friday night was Cider tasting night with many offerings from the Thistly Cross Cider company on offer to sample. But behind the bar there's more than just cider in bottled form. Various bourbons, whiskys, liquors, mixers and artisan spirits, and not to mention bottled beers.

The cask beers available included three offerings, Blonde Star and Sinistar from Brew Star and the freshly tapped Mordue Panda Frog Pandazilla, the very first cask ever to enter Alnwick soil. Starting things off Brew Star Blonde Star was a beer worth checking out. Very clean textured, subtle citrus, quite elegant and quaffable.

Moving on I managed to get a try of some Tyne Bank Piccolo Black in bottled form for the first time. This literally black well-carbonated number offers roasty, grainy coffee and chocolate interluding into tropical citric hop notes over a fairly light-bodied frame. I can imagine this appealing to both fans of stouts and pale ales as a sort of hybrid style. Though despite all of Tyne Bank's more adventurous numbers, my favourite, Monument Bitter was still conditioning and due to replace the Blonde Star when it had finished.

Next up, a real curve ball of a beer. No, not Pandazilla. Tempest Unforgiven Ale (Oak Smoked Rye Juniper) is another 'upstairs downstairs mixup', like liquid smokey sausage straight from the fish and chip shop is what I got from the aroma. It's got sour notes, big smokey, peaty, grainy notes with rye spice, resiny hops and a juniper hit in the finish. I'm thinking, could this be a good beer for smoked blue Wensleydale? Now that would be a good experiment.

By the time I was ready to hit the Pandazilla, Justin had a certain trick up his sleeve he was ready to show me. This was a cocktail he had invented involving Pandazilla, stag cherry bourbon, illy coffee liquor and ice.

cocktail (left), Pandazilla (right)

As far as cocktails go I found it top notch and pretty interesting. Normally I only like cocktails that are either whisky or rum based, but this was both whisky and beer (my beer) which makes me even more biased. But really, it did rule. Try it alongside Pandazilla itself and it's a taste bud overload.

So for the rest of the night the discussion was mostly beer related, we handed out a few free Pandazilla samples and I even got to check out the home brew kit upstairs. I can tell any collaborative brew with this guy would yield fairly mental results. Macerated in 'X', matured with 'Y' then possibly even blended with something else. All in all it was a great night.

Some of the more reserved bottled offerings

In a nutshell 3 Wise Monkeys is about dark walls, ambient music pleasant company, knowledgeable staff and a great drinks selection. I for one will be there again without a doubt, and the Mrs seemed to enjoy herself as well - now that's even more reason to go back.