I (and a couple of mates) attended a beer festival on Saturday at my local craft brewer (Siren Craft Brew) the theme was "sessions and sours" meaning a selection of beer to try that were either "session beers" i.e. fairly low alcohol and light so you can drink a reasonable number of them over the course of a "session" (usually around 4% or less) or the beers were made to be sour, usually by the addition of particular microbes and possibly some kind of fruit during the brewing process. I think sour beers are quite a specialist thing; personally I'm not a great fan but on a hot day and in the right setting I can see the attraction.
In the picture I'm holding up a sample of "Blubus Maximus" which is a collaboration between Siren and a West Country brewer called "The Wild Beer Company"; it's a study on blueberries, they basically make a sour beer with natural wild yeasts and then dump a tonne (literally) of blueberries into the mix after fermentation. It's an interesting combination, slightly off-tart with a pleasing flavour and thirst quenching quality, wouldn't want more than a pint of it though.
All in all it was a good event, there were a couple of decent bands and a bewildering selection of beers to sample my only complaint was that there was nowhere near enough seating! (please note for next time Siren people)
2 comments:
Hi Steve,
Many thanks for coming along to the event and giving us a write-up. This is only the fourth big event at the brewery we've run and are always looking to improve, so your feedback is much appreciated.
It's a balancing act to allow as many people in as possible (this one sold out and we don't like turning people away), but also to make sure the experience is as good as possible for those who attend. Seating is one thing we'll definitely re-consider for the next party.
Hope to see you again soon.
Cheers,
Andy Nowlan
Siren Craft Brew
Andy, thanks for taking the time to reply to my comments; great to hear that you're considering future events and as a craft beer fan and a Finch/Wokingham local myself I'm very keen on the idea! I've been to 3 of the 4 events and always ended up arriving slightly later and having to stand in the car park for the entire duration - not a problem for an hour or so but beyond that the enjoyment would be greatly enhanced by being able to properly kick-back and relax. (maybe table reservations?)
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