BBQ Spring 2017 | Page 36

Top 5 ‘must try’ craft beers

Now I am no beer expert but I like to sample many, obviously just for research purposes. Here are some of the beers that have been really memorable and have awesome flavours!

1. BrewDog - Punk IPA

Now who doesn’t love BrewDog! If you haven’t heard of them then where have you been? They have quickly become one of the leaders of the UK’s craft beer revolution! Punk IPA is their beer that got me hooked on BrewDog but they have quite a few that I can’t get enough of now too including Dead Pony Pale Ale which has a zesty passionfruit and mango bitterness. All the BrewDog range seem to just get the balance between hops and malt spot on!

2. Angus & Oink - Tomahawk Red Indian Pale Ale

I was so excited when we had Scott from Angus & Oink on the UnitedQ podcast and he announced they were releasing some beers that were paired with their amazing sauces!
They have three in the range and they are each very different and truly are paired perfectly with the sauces! My favourite had to be the Tomahawk Beer. The Rye and Tomahawk hops give the beer amazingly deep flavours and it is finished with a bourbon hit from actual Jim Beam wood chips!

3. Red Rock Brewery - Pilsner

Red Rock Brewery is my favourite local brewery. It is home to the location of this years QFest BBQ Competition. They have lots of classic ales that I love but have recently delved into the world of craft ales too! The Pilsner is brewed to perfection using rich flavoured lager malts, this delicious craft beer is clearly a winner as it was awarded Gold in SIBA's Small Pack lagers Category in 2016!

4. St Austell Brewery - Proper Job

Another shoutout to a local brewery, St Austell. They also have many great ales but you can’t go wrong with a Proper Job! It’s an IPA and the hop flavour is unmistakably American, with luscious citrus tones and a hint of grapefruit. Something I love about many of the St Austell ales is that they also use local produce to make the beers. Cornish-grown malt in a perfectly balanced beer!

5. Goose Island - Goose IPA

Finally I thought a shout out to a beer from across the pond was in order. I went to Florida last summer and the craft beer scene was massive! I tried so many that I had never seen before which were amazing but I am recommending the Goose IPA because you can get it in most good supermarkets in the UK! It is a lovely amber colour with grapefruit and lemon tones and also has a hint of something floral. The hops come through nice and strong yet there isn’t too much bitterness!