Bottled beer recommendations.

[rik_uk3]

Well - the only bottled beer I have had recently is Speckled Hen - not as good as draught Hen but not too dusty!
I generally get what is on offer in Aldi and you can get some very good ones now and again
This thread had reminded me of my time in Belgium and I only wish I could easily get hold of Duvel, Kriek (made with cherries from the Commune I lived in for a while ) etc over here ... do not think of Stella as a typical Belgian brew!

http://www.tesco.com/groceries/Product/Details/?id=250108871

 

[Russell96]

Hobgoblin going down range right now!

 

[Trunks]

Taylor's landlord, copper dragon golden pippin, deuchars, a golden glory & a good nights sleep

 

[Chris the Cat]

Exmoor Gold.
The single malt of bottled beers!
da C.

 

[Rich83]

It's not bottled but I am really into Polish beer/lager at the mo. I have always liked a strong ale like Owd Rodger or even a barley wine but tonight I have a can of Debowe Mocne. These Polish beers are more like abbey beers and are a cheap alternative to Leffe and tast great with bread and cheese believe it or not, and pickle. I think it's the pickles it really works with. Directors Gold is a nice strong dark one with a high grain bill.

I used to make beer from scratch using a whopping boiler and worked on a cider farm who employed only two other people so I did the lot from picking the apples to mashing them up and then fermenting them pretty much exactly how it's always been done. Not massive relevant I know but it's easy to get into and you can make some really old recipes from the middle ages if you want to make your own bottles

 

[Torak]

Any Williams Brothers-Roisin-a tayberry beer and a second for the previously Fraoch. Recently have come across Anchor Steam beer,another really good American beer

 

[Elines]

We really do live in the golden age of beer - here is what has been mentionned so far (I think):

Dorsetpiddle brewery's "leg warmer" (ginger beer)
PeroniDoppio Malto
oldspeckled hen
Fruli,Belgian strawberry wheatbeer
BadgersGolden Glory
Wold TopBrewery - Wold Gold
PoachersAle
Rigwelter
GoldenFleece
TangleFoot
Hobgoblin
'Maguire'sStout
Duvel
RiverCottage Stinger
Rhymney Dark
Thwaites'Wainwright
JenningsSneck Lifter
Cumberland
BrakspearTriple
Kriek
cairngormgold
HoppingHare
Hobgoblin
Dark Lord
OldThumper
forty-niner
IlkleyBlack
GoldenSheep
Raj IPA
CarronadeIPA
SamuelAdams
Fraoch
SierraNevada
RussianRiver beers
Estrella
march ofthe penguins
Mcewen'sChampions
Broadside
Taylor'slandlord
copperdragon
goldenpippin
deuchars
ExmoorGold
OwdRodger
DeboweMocne
DirectorsGold
WilliamsBrothers-Roisin
AnchorSteam

 

[Weesi]

Nice one!... This list is getting printed and stuck onto the fridge with a magnet for reference:You_Rock_

 

[Elines]

...... Debowe Mocne. These Polish beers are more like abbey beers and are a cheap alternative to Leffe and tast great with bread and cheese believe it or not, and pickle. I think it's the pickles it really works with. .........

I've been moving into beer and food matching over the past year or so.

I used to go to the local wines circle - good for the social side but useless in terms of finding good wine - because of the change in vintage each year you can't just keep buying it when you have found a good one. Now, with beer ...... (apart from changes made when a big brewery buys up a small one and adulterates what it has bought....)

I had some friends round last night for a beer and food matching evening. I did the cooking and if you make clear the point of the evening is to see how the food and beer goes together it takes a of of the strain out of the cooking.

I tend to use 'An Appetite for Ale' by Fionna and Will Beckett as a starting point for recipes. You can get a second hand one off Amazon for less than £3.

Also some good advice at:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/food/2012/01/how-to-pair-food-and-beer---pa.shtml

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/food/2012/02/how-to-pair-food-and-beer---pa-1.shtml

http://www.fullers.co.uk/rte.asp?id=148

http://www.leffe.com/en/what-food-pairing

http://petebrown.blogspot.co.uk/


Last night we had:

Caesar salad with Duvel

A lamb stew (Shearers Stew from the Beckett book) with Old Dalby - a local bottled beer

M&S chocolate (melting) pud - with this we had two beers to see which one people preferred:

- Mud city stout - a chocolaty beer
- Friuli Strawberry beer - think Black Forest Gateau
.​

Both matched with the pud really well. My guess is that the Mud City stout wins in winter and the Friuli in the summer.

The Becket book has a fantastic chicken casserole made (and drunk) with Sierra Nevada.(It has the really original name of 'Sierra Nevada Chicken'.)

If I had to choose one beer/food match though it would be........

Parish Brewery's Baz's Bonce Blower with a good Stilton (and no biscuits)

This is a barley-wine-type beer and is 12%. Each on their own are really good but together .... absolutely fantastic.

If you can't get the Bonce Blower you could try the Stilton with, say, Fullers Golden Pride or maybe one of their Vintage Ales.

 

[PhoorBks]

Had a Stinger earlier which was great. Now on the Blandford Flyer which is rapidly becoming my favourite beer..

 

[Mick w.]

I often like a nice dark beer with a cooked breakfast - often this combination can be found in Wetherspoons. Not usually a fan of chains of any kind of shops, but 'spoons do seem to make the effort to balance good beer, good prices and a touch of localism.
Last night I had a homemade stew and dumplings with a nice bottle of Marstons Oyster Stout, which struck me as a winning combo!

 

[Elines]

I often like a nice dark beer with a cooked breakfast - often this combination can be found in Wetherspoons. Not usually a fan of chains of any kind of shops, but 'spoons do seem to make the effort to balance good beer, good prices and a touch of localism.
Last night I had a homemade stew and dumplings with a nice bottle of Marstons Oyster Stout, which struck me as a winning combo!

I like Wetherspons - especially with the 50p off CAMRA voucher - and for basic cheap food they take some beating - I think their chips are especially good.

That combination - homemade stew and dumplings - sounds great, makes me feel hungry - lucky I'll be having my Sunday lunch in abouit 30 mins..

 

[santaman2000]

Any Williams Brothers-Roisin-a tayberry beer and a second for the previously Fraoch. Recently have come across Anchor Steam beer,another really good American beer

Which Anchor Steam do you like? One of their lagers? Their IPA? Or maybe their stout? Their wheat beer? Or perhaps oe of their seasonal specialties?

Same question to those who are posting about Samuel Adams. Both companies brew several beers.

 

[British Red]

My beer is suffering

I have eighty bottles to sterilise.....but its too cold to do it outside - they will freeze

 

[Torak]

Which Anchor Steam do you like? One of their lagers? Their IPA? Or maybe their stout? Their wheat beer? Or perhaps oe of their seasonal specialties?

Same question to those who are posting about Samuel Adams. Both companies brew several beers.

Only had the opportunity to try the Steam Beer-fairly expensive £2.19(currently about $3.50) for the 355ml bottle-but tastes good

 

[santaman2000]

Only had the opportunity to try the Steam Beer-fairly expensive £2.19(currently about $3.50) for the 355ml bottle-but tastes good

Yeah it's more expensive here as well although not that expensive. About $9.99 for a six pack. Interestingly I've never seen one that just says "beer."

 

[Torak]

Yeah it's more expensive here as well although not that expensive. About $9.99 for a six pack. Interestingly I've never seen one that just says "beer."

It's this one http://www.anchorbrewing.com/beer/anchor_steam

 

[Filterhoose]

Orkney Dark Island is a guid brew.

Windy

 

[santaman2000]

It's this one http://www.anchorbrewing.com/beer/anchor_steam

Thanks. I haven't seen that one. The ad certainly makes it look good.

 

[carabao]

Been supping from a brewery in Suffolk lately called Saint Peters good selection to suit most tastes, like em that much I'm about to serve the Indian, the Stout, and the Gluten free in my restaurant. I also like this small brewery in Hastings called Fallen Angel, I currently stock their Fire in the Hole and their Black Death, both are chilli beers the Black Death is a stout and the name speaks for itself. I would stock more of their brews but the labels are a bit How's Your Father so just a tad saucy for a restaurant.