Born and raised in a small town just south of Stockholm, Sweden, Mattias started brewing at home when he was 16 years old. He quickly became fascinated with the chemistry and biology of beer and this led him to apply to a degree course in Brewing and Distilling at the International Center for Brewing and Distilling at Herriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, Scotland.

Once in Edinburgh, he completely immersed himself in everything surrounding beer and whisky. As treasurer of The Water of Life Society, he started holding tastings, organising distillery trips and arranging talks by distillers and blenders from around Scotland. He also took up employment at Royal Mile Whiskies.

After graduating with a BSc(Hons), he secured a job at Munton’s Malt in Suffolk where he was involved with malt extract production, followed by a position at Scottish & Newcastle at their brewery in Reading. Working in the Quality department he was a regular member on their taste panel before he became a shift leader in the brew house.

Having wanted to set up his own brewery since he started as a home brewer, he got his chance in March 2009 when made redundant from the Scottish & Newcastle brewery due to its announced closure. Compass Brewery had been on Mattias’s mind for years and he set up the company in April 2009, first focusing on holding tastings in Oxford, and then launching the first brew, Baltic Night Stout, in November 2009.

In October 2011 the company doubled its staff — with Mattias plus one new partner now working full time in the brewery! Having initially set up as a cuckoo brewery, Compass is currently going through an expansion phase and obtaining their own premises and equipment.

As for the brewery name; Mattias says the compass is a simple tool that has been pointing people in the right direction since the 8th century, so what better name for a brewery that is dedicated to guiding you through the maze of beer flavours!

The Beers

So Mattias which 5 beers would you want to have with you if you were stranded on a desert island, and why?

Compass Brewery – Baltic Night (Oxford, England – 4.8%)

“Compass Baltic Night is a very light bodied stout with lots of flavours that would work equally well on a chilly night as on a warm evening. And it works well with shellfish, which would come in handy.”

Brasserie Dupont – Saison Dupont Vieille Provision ( Tourpes-Leuze, Belgium – 6.5%)

“The flavours in this beer make it work both as a beer nerd’s dream and as an enjoyable easy drink. The malt balanced with funky yeast flavours — awesome!”

Caledonian Brewery – Deuchars IPA, Cask! (Edinburgh, Scotland – 4.4%)

“This was the first British beer that I really fell in love with as a student in Edinburgh: a well balanced, not overly hoppy IPA. Unfortunately the casks don’t travel that well so it is hard to find a good one down south. So can I ask that we sort out some sort of wormhole to get the beer to the island in top condition, thank you.”

Brouwerij der Trappisten van Westmalle – Westmalle Dubbel (Malle, Belgium – 7.0%)

“This is a standard on many of my beer tasting dinners. Its sweet full flavours make it a great beer to have with sausage and meat, and on its own it does not let you down.”

Paulaner Brauerei (Schörghuber) – Paulaner Hefe-Weissbier (Munich, Germany – 5.6%)

“Sitting on a sun-drenched beach I can’t think of anything more refreshing then a wheat beer, and Paulaner does a great one.”

And which beer (of those selected) do you regard most highly, and why?

“The Dupont Saison. This blond beer is complex yet very drinkable. It offers challenge and relaxation at the same time.”

The Meal

You can also take one meal to go with your beers, what would it be and why? Is it a ‘last supper’ or a perfect pairing for one of the beers?

“Hoping that I could hunt some meat on the island, I would instead bring a large selection of sushi: simple food that is surprisingly difficult to get right yourself. And it works rather nicely with the Saison.”

The Record

You have a CD/MP3/long player but you can only take one album. Choose wisely! 

“Something a bit rock, a bit folk and a bit relaxing. Mumford and Sons, Sigh No More.”

The Beer Book

You might be waiting a long time on your lonesome on the desert island, so we will automatically allow you a few books to keep your mind busy. You can pick between two beer books and two tomes:

• ‘The Brewmaster’s Table: Discovering the Pleasures of Real Beer with Real Food’ by Garrett Oliver, or;
• Beer by Michael Jackson; plus;

• The Bible, or;
• another appropriate religious or philosophical work

“Rules are made to be broken: having already read both beer books above extensively, I am going to instead select Mr Oliver’s new book, ‘The Oxford Companion to Beer’, that I am currently making a dent in.

The philosophical work that probably has inspired me most is ‘The Blind Watchmaker’ by Richard Dawkins. His explanations of evolution can be applied to many fields including beer and especially NPD.”

The non-beery, non-philosophical book, you can also take a something a little less taxing on the brain, what would that be?

“It would have to be the complete 5 volumes of ‘The Hitchhikers’ Guide to the Galaxy’ by Douglas Adams — one of the few books that makes me laugh out loud.”

The Luxury Item

What luxury item would help make your stay on the island bearable?

“Being a trained diver it would have to be some dive gear, including a dive knife (sure to come in handy).”

Thanks Mattias. For more information on Compass’s beers see their website or to see what Mattias is up to follow him on Twitter.

Have you tried Mattias’s favourite beers? Let us know and many thanks to him for taking part and being our castaway for the week.

This article was simultaneously posted at Real Ale Reviews on 11th May 2012 as part of a collaboration on ‘Desert Island Beers’.

If you put a great beer in terrible packaging it’s not going to sell (as much). And similarly if you put a mediocre beer in great packaging, it will fly off the shelves (at least at first). And I don’t think this is necessarily a good or bad thing as I said last August when I posted an article on this subject under the title – Pump Clips, Beer labels and Branding.

Last week Tandleman posted about a new start up London Brewery, Weird Beard and ended by saying

“This to me looks like one of the most promising of the new London set ups, which are, to be frank, a mixed bag. The brewer knows what he is doing, he is tapping into a niche, his imagery is great and above all the beers will appeal to a certain geeky audience though I am sure there will be wider appeal too. This has all the hallmarks of success and I confidently predict a bright future.

A big claim I know, but this could well be the Magic Rock of the South. Remember. You read it here first.”

A big claim indeed but what also attracted me was the picture of one of their proposed beer labels, which I think is great; modern but different, sharp and which I think will stand out on the shelves from its contemporaries and burgeoning rivals. After reading Peter’s article I did indeed therefore as suggested have a look at their blogspot and their labels in all their glory.

I think the beer labels are very much of the age; promote a clear identity and the Tasting Notes and Food Match comments are exactly at the right level. As the guys say they already have a social media presence or two, T-shirts and hoodies available online and a basic website…but no beer for anyone to try but the imagery and logos etc. look spot on.

I have not tasted any of their beers but Tandleman was certainly impressed with the guys credentials and the beers so I hope these guys do well; all the signs are positive and I look forward to trying their beers in the near future.

But a word of caution though! One of the labels that stood out to me was that of the last one above, Fade to Black; this was because I recently tried Left Hand Brewing Co’s (From Longmont, Colorado) Fade to Black and was happy to discover that it was one of those rare–and wonderful–examples of… great packaging with a great beer inside!

Left Hand Brewing has been around since 1990 – they are committed to excellent beer and have earned themselves a loyal following and substantial growth in recent years. I can see the need therefore by Weird Beard for a re-think on this particular beer name!

Good luck lads!

For those who are really interested in beer labels and artwork I came across a blog last year that I can’t recommend highly enough, but which focuses solely on American craft beer label art. It’s called The Pour Curator. The site belongs to Greg Heller-LaBelle, who describes himself as being weirdly obsessed with the artwork produced by the craft beer movement. The site’s description pretty much says it all:

As the craft beer boom has introduced us to myriad and delicious flavours, it has also spawned a great deal of art and design work. Craft breweries are more than just sources of intoxication; they are community hubs for all types of creativity. So this Pour Curator will try and look at craft beer’s contributions to art, whether it’s through labels, posters, tap handles, or something even stranger, preferably with a glass or goblet of deliciousness in hand.

It’s a great site with interesting insight on the labels. Even non-beer people can appreciate the quality label art found on the many craft beer selections. Check it out here. 

Doug says he has always had beer around him, growing up, beer was what his family drank, although usually only with meals and apart from the occasional bottle of fortified wine or a Christmas treat of whiskey or brandy, it was only ever beer in their house.

He can’t remember how old he was when he first tasted beer but as with many others, it was a sip of froth offered from his fathers’ glass at a fairly young age. What he does remember is that he was spontaneously intrigued and has remained so to this day. His work life started in kitchens and around food and after leaving a cooking apprenticeship he moved out of food and into beverage, starting as a cellar-man for Millers Hotels in Sydney after acquiring some basic cellar training at Resch’s brewery in Sydney.

With his brother Matt he started home brewing around the same time and then moved into pub and restaurant management amongst other things until 1986 when Matt convinced him they should tour the USA. Whilst not going there for the beer, that’s exactly what they found, and Doug says their lives were changed forever.

On their return their home brewing efforts stepped up a notch and everything was then about beer and they set their sights on Europe, and next stop Germany. They had an extended motoring tour and nothing could have prepared them for Belgium so they returned to Sydney literally besotted by beer and eventually found themselves studying Food Science at Sydney Technical College and driving Taxis at night to support the construction of a 50 litre brewery in their garage and would occasionally buy food!

This lead to a position for both at the Hahn Brewing Company, Sydney in the early nineties. Chuck Hahn had given them both a start, Matt first and then Doug a few months later. Their plan all along was to learn as much as they could and then start their own brewery… Matt actually did this and still runs his own brewery, the St Peters Brewing Company in Sydney’s inner west. But Doug went down the company road in various positions, mostly new product and packaging development with Lion-Nathan after their acquisition of the Hahn Brewing Company.

The Hahn Brewery eventually ended up re-branded as the Malt Shovel Brewery as a start up business in 1998 and Doug was appointed Head Brewer and along with a great team developed the James Squire brand family which included the James Squire Brewhouses, which were themed brewpubs in Melbourne and Sydney.

After eight years in that role an opportunity presented Doug to take up the position of Chief Executive Officer of New Zealand Hops in 2006. So as Doug says he didn’t actually leave brewing, more to the point he now finds himself totally surrounded by it.

The Beers

Doug, welcome to the island! Which five beers will you be taking with you, and most importantly, why? 

Brouwerij Duvel Moortgat – Duvel – ( Breendonk-Puurs, Belgium – 8.5%)

“I love Belgian beer and could have selected all five desert island beers without wondering too far from Antwerp or Leuven. Duvel was an easy beer for me to single out of a Belgian line up as it is an all time favourite of mine…put quite simply it’s just really clever and I don’t think anything touches it.”

The Mussel Inn – Captain Cooker Manuka Beer – (Onekaka, Golden Bay, New Zealand – 4.0%)

“Unique and just wonderful to drink….another clever beer which incorporates fresh green Manuka tips, Leptospermum scoparium (Tea tree) to the boil. This creates another level of flavours and aromas atop the balanced malt and hops including an odd likeness to rosewater and Turkish delight. It is what it is…..just brilliant.”

Malt Shovel Brewery (Lion Nathan Co.) – James Squire Four Wives Pilsener – (Sydney, Australia 5.0%)

“On its day there is not much that can top this Pilsener and I don’t say that just because I was party to its creation. It’s a real show stopper… Its upfront biscuity malt sweetness is tempered by a solid, balanced bitterness and spicy Saaz top notes, it’s the standout of Australian Lagers, and by design developed to be consumed icy cold…..and that’s just how I like it !”

Sierra Nevada Brewing Company – Sierra Nevada Southern Hemisphere Harvest – (Chico, California U.S.A – 6.7%)

“I have an extremely zealous view of American Pale Ales and of this brewer in particular, a view formed in 1986 in an epiphany during a brewery visit while based in Chico. At that time I was introduced to what we now call American Pale Ale, a style that changed not only my but the world’s beer drinking habits forever. I have chosen the Southern Harvest IPA as for me it is an honour to be associated with this brewer and supply them with freshly kilned hops for this big fruity beer.”

Paulaner Brauerei (Schörghuber) - Hacker-Pschorr Dunkle Weisse - (Munich, Germany – 5.3%)

“This brewery creates great beer and because I’m limited to five I wanted to get something dark and wheat driven into the mix as I run out of choices. The Hacker-Pschorr range is magnificent and when last in Munich I was in a bar that carried a huge Hacker-Pschorr range including fest beers and seasonals….I worked my way through the greater portion, (read all) one evening and didn’t have one disappoint me, all faultless and fantastic!”

“(I’m sure by now many of the Brits will be disappointed that something of theirs didn’t make the five. Had I been able to increase it to six then Worthington White Shield would have been next on my list).”

And which beer (of those selected) do you regard most highly?  

“Duvel is the beer I most highly regard and it goes with my food match.”

The Meal

You can also take one meal to go with your beers, what would it be?

“My meal is a last supper selection. Char grilled pepper sirloin with  pomme frits and a veal stock reduction, a simple side of rocket and reggiano salad served with Ciabatta, fresh extra virgin olive oil and a real deal balsamic. This would be as close to a favourite meal as I’d get; its simplicity contrasts the Duvel’s complexity, which is exactly what makes it such a great dining beer.”

The Record

You have a CD/MP3/long player but you can only take one album. Choose wisely!

“The Ozark Mountain Daredevils, “It’ll Shine when it shines”. The idea that I could single out one album was inconceivable for me so I just closed my eyes and picked an album at random out of my vinyl collection and up popped the Ozark’s …cool.”

The Books

You might be waiting a long time on your lonesome on the desert island, so we will automatically allow you a few books to keep your mind busy. You can pick between two beer books and two tomes:

‘The Brewmaster’s Table: Discovering the Pleasures of Real Beer with Real Food’ by Garrett Oliver, or ‘Beer’ by Michael Jackson; plus The Bible, or another appropriate religious or philosophical work.

“The Bible: No need to pack this, I didn’t like it the first time round, it actually put me off historical fiction for quite some time, at least until I read Forresters’ Hornblower series so would take Larousse Gastronomique: My favourite book, albeit that the well worn edition in my possession does include a rather comical French description of how beer is made; and secondly The Practical Brewer (MBAA): This text has been within reach throughout my career and a copy is permanently housed on my desk.”

The non-beery, non-philosophical book. You can also take a something a little less taxing on the brain, what would that be? 

“Robinson Crusoe: What else needs to be said ?”

The Luxury Item

What luxury item would help make your stay on the island bearable?

“My Ukulele”

For more on Doug  and New Zealand Hops Limited check out their website here.

Have you tried Doug’s favourite beers? Let us know and many thanks to him for taking part and being our castaway for the week.

This article is syndicated with Real Ale Reviews as part of our ‘Desert Island Beers’ collaboration.

March 2012

Rudgwick Brewery Limited, Rudgwick, Horsham. This short lived brewery first brewed November 2011 and closed in March 2012.

Closed. Thorne Brewery (Yorkshire) Ltd, Thorne, Doncaster.

April 2012

The Rough Draft Brewery a 6 BBL in Leeming Bar, North Yorkshireannounced its closure online in early April, after owner and spare-time brewer Jon Scandrett lost his full-time job when his employers’ business went into liquidation.

The Brewery won the Bitter category at The Doncaster Beer Festival in mid April with its last ever brew – Junction 51 – a 3.8 per cent brown bitter made with Cascade and Willamette hops – been a winner with the judges.

A professional brewer for more than 15 years, he is widely regarded as one of the leaders of the American Craft brewing renaissance. Tomme lives in San Diego County with his wife and two daughters. A native San Diegan, Tomme returned home to San Diego in 1995 after earning his Bachelor of Arts in English from Northern Arizona University where he cultivated his passion for brewing.

In 1996, he began his professional brewing career at the now defunct Cervecerias La Cruda (The Hangover Brewery) in downtown San Diego. After La Cruda closed its doors in March 1997, Tomme went to work for White Labs in San Diego where he spent his days selling yeast and developing product as he waited patiently for the right brewing job to become available. In 1997 he was hired by Pizza Port in Solana Beach where he remained Head Brewer until June 2005 when he was named Director of Brewery Operations.

In addition to promoting San Diego as a great beer city, Tomme is known for his bold experimentation and willingness to blur the boundaries between beer, wine and spirits; with his flavor-forward brews having inspired a new generation of brewers and consumers to re-think their notions of what a beer could and should be.

During the 8 or so years that Tomme was Head Brewer at Pizza Port the brewery won 13 Great American Beer Festival Medals, numerous medals at the Chicago Real Ale Festival as well as other regional and national competitions. And after joining Port Brewing in 2006, Tomme kept up his winning ways as in 2007 Port Brewing was named Great American Beer Festival, Small Brewery of the Year, and Tomme Small Brewer of the Year.

To cap it all  in 2008 he and Port Brewing were then named World Champion Small Brewer and Brewery at the International World Beer Cup. Since then he’s taken home a raft of further medals and been consistently noted as one of the world’s top brewers.

The Beers

So Tomme which 5 beers would you want to have with you if you were stranded on a desert island, and why?

Sierra Nevada Brewing Company - Sierra Nevada Pale Ale – (California, U.S.A. 5.6%)

“There are beers that I never tire of drinking and then there are beers that taste good no matter what mood I am in. This is one of the few beers out there which I could drink on any occasion.”

Alpine Beer Company- Nelson IPA – (California, U.S.A. – 7.0%)

” While Pat, Val and Sean make a host of amazing IPA styled offerings my favorite is the Nelson. Assuming that I can’t have any Sauvignon Blanc on this Desert Isle, I would most assuredly want to have access to some of those same flavors. Nelson packs a whole bunch of New Zealand love in every bottle.”

Brasserie d’Orval – Orval – (Florenville, Belgium – 6.2%)

“Notice the trend here? Hoppy and dry beers are the norm. The cool thing about Orval is that with a Brettanomyces component, the beer has great evolution in the bottle. Not all beers can say that but certainly this one can.”

Victory Brewing Company- Victory Prima Pils – (Downingtown, Pennsylvania U.SA. – 5.3%)

“Prima Pils would have to make the list. I would want something very easy to drink for when other castaways came to visit my island. Over the years, I have found all sorts of great beers to put on my list but I would never have a list that didn’t include at least one Pils styled beer.”

Cantillon – Cantillon Saint Lamvinus – (Brussels, Belgium – 5.0%)

“This would be the bridge beer between wine and beer world. I imagine how exceptional it would taste on a hot day and even a cold night. As sour beers go, this one has it all.”

And which beer (of those selected) do you regard most highly, and why?

“For everything the beer stands for and what the company has achieved in being a founding member of the Craft Beer Movement in the United States, my vote has to go to Sierra Nevada Pale Ale.”

The Meal

You can also take one meal to go with your beers, what would it be and why? Is it a ‘last supper’ or a perfect pairing for one of the beers?

“Give me an In and Out Double Double with a side of Animal Fries and I think I’d be just fine. Pretty much all of the beers on my list would be just as easily consumed with this burger so not a perfect paring but pretty much a great way to be stranded.”

The Record

You have a CD/MP3/long player but you can only take one album. Choose wisely!

“Ah Via Musicom by Eric Johnson- There are three instrumental tracks on the album that continue to amaze me every time I hear them. While I can’t play the guitar myself, I can appreciate his music and it’s always with me.”

The Beer Book

You might be waiting a long time on your lonesome on the desert island, so we will automatically allow you a few books to keep your mind busy. You can pick between two beer books and two tomes:

• ‘The Brewmaster’s Table: Discovering the Pleasures of Real Beer with Real Food’ by Garrett Oliver, or;

• Beer by Michael Jackson; plus;

• The Bible, or;

• another appropriate religious or philosophical work

“Beer & The Bible.”

The non-beery, non-philosophical book, you can also take a something a little less taxing on the brain, what would that be?

“I’d probably opt for The Entire Works of William Shakespeare. This way I’d get sonnets as well as plays. If I got bored, I could read the plays aloud and if I went bonkers on the Island I could channel my inner King Lear.”

The Luxury Item

What luxury item would help make your stay on the island bearable?

“My 9”6 Long Board. There would be hope that the waters around this island might provide surf from time to time and as such it would be a perfect luxury item.”

Thanks Tomme.  For more information on Port Brewing and The Lost Abbey beers see their website or to see what Tomme is up to follow him on Twitter and also The Lost Abbey on Twitter.

Have you tried Tomme’s favourite beers? Let us know and many thanks to him for taking part and being our castaway for the week.

This article was simultaneously posted at Real Ale Reviews on 27h April 2012 as part of a collaboration on ‘Desert Island Beers’.

Born in London and brought up in sunny Kent, he has had an interest in Ale since he could convince a barman he was 18 – but his real conversion to good beer came after a year spent living in Southern California in 1999-2000, when the craft beer revolution was just beginning to take effect. He also loves cricket and writes about the county game. He lives in South London with his wife and eight-month-old son.

The Beers

So Will which 5 beers would you want to have with you if you were stranded on a desert island, and why?

“Bitter but not aggressively so. I’m from Kent and this is my favourite beer from my home county: English hops need more brewers like Eddie Gadd.”

“This is really satisfying – its got an intense espresso flavour, you can tell it’s a strong beer without it necessarily tasting of alcohol. I admire what Evin and Co. are doing, I don’t think I’ve made any secret of that.”

And which beer (of those selected) do you regard most highly, and why?

Hard to say: it probably changes from day to day.

The Meal

You can also take one meal to go with your beers, what would it be and why? Is it a ‘last supper’ or a perfect pairing for one of the beers?

“Deviled kidneys are easy to make and they taste great. A lot of people are a bit sniffy about offal – but one big advantage of being on a desert island is that there would be no one there to turn their nose up. It would go well with The Kernel’s 1890 Stout.”

The Record

You have a CD/MP3/long player but you can only take one album. Choose wisely!

“The Rolling Stones – Exile on Main Street. I must listen to this at least once a month, I love it. It feels a little bit thrown together but it works, it‘s got an incredibly louche feel.”

The Beer Book

You might be waiting a long time on your lonesome on the desert island, so we will automatically allow you a few books to keep your mind busy. You can pick between two beer books and two tomes:

• ‘The Brewmaster’s Table: Discovering the Pleasures of Real Beer with Real Food’ by Garrett Oliver, or;

• Beer by Michael Jackson; plus;

• The Bible, or;

• another appropriate religious or philosophical work

“ The Brewmaster’s Table. Really approachable, not just for beer experts!”

“Beyond a Boundary by CLR James. It just about qualifies as a philosophical work (“What do they know of cricket who only cricket know?”). It certainly left an impression on me, and you don’t have to like cricket or the Caribbean to enjoy it.”

The non-beery, non-philosophical book. You can also take a something a little less taxing on the brain, what would that be?

“Parisians by Graham Robb. I love Paris and this book is as elegant as the city. Robb is a superb writer.”

The Luxury Item

What luxury item would help make your stay on the island bearable?

“A comfy bed. I really like sleeping.”

Thanks Will. To see what Will’s been writing about follow his blog here  and you can also follow him on Twitter.

Have you tried Will’s favourite beers? Let us know and a massive thank you to Will for taking part in Desert Island Beers and being our castaway for the week.

This article was simultaneously posted at Real Ale Reviews on 20th April 2012 as part of a collaboration on ‘Desert Island Beers’.

Simon started his career in Goole, but not even that hampered him. Cutting his teeth as a journalist in East Yorkshire and the Vale of Calder, Simon landed at the Yorkshire Evening Post in 1991 and never looked back, working for fifteen years at Leeds’ flagship evening newspaper.

Though now working at Leeds University, Simon still writes the Taverner column for the paper and in 2010 he won Best Writing in the UK Regional Press for his contribution to beer. It was an award which ultimately led to the deserved crown of 2010 Beer Writer of the Year, and the ominous duties of representing the beer industry (not to mention writing a speech for the following years awards do!).

In his spare time Simon follows both Leeds United and Oxford United and has recently penned his first book, The Great Leeds Pub Crawl, a ramble around the history and character of every type of pub the city has to offer.

The Beers

Simon, welcome to the island! Which five beers will you be taking with you, and most importantly, why?

Greene King PLC – Strong Suffolk (Olde Suffolk) – (Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, UK – 6.0%)

“There may be some who wouldn’t touch anything from Greene King – and I certainly have issues with a company which has grown its business through buying up rivals and switching production wholesale to Bury St Edmunds. But this is a genuine classic, and is a genuine GK beer, a blend of an undistinguished pale ale with the super-strong Old 5X, which is matured for two years in giant wooden vessels in a dark corner of the brewery. Strong Suffolk has bags of firm, wine-like intense fruity flavour – and a rich, soothing refreshing nature.”

Timothy Taylor & Co.Ltd -Landlord – (Keighley, West Yorkshire – 4.3%)

“I may suffer from a mild form of Tourette’s. The kind which often makes  me say “”a pint of Landlord please”, whatever competing attractions are facing me across the bar. It’s a refreshing, earthy, fairly unsophisticated pint of perfect Yorkshire ale – and a classic whether in the bottle or the cask. And it’s a little tart, which may be why Madonna
likes it so much.”

Budweiser Budvar Ceske Budejovice – Budweiser Budvar – (Czech Republic – 5.0%)

“That two so vastly different products should carry the name “”Budweiser” is a quirk of history, geography, commerce and law. No doubt the trade dispute between Czech Budvar and American Anheuser Busch – which rumbles periodically around the courtrooms of the world – has helped to keep Budvar in the public eye, and gained for them a ready sympathy which would not be afforded to, let’s say, Pilsner Urquell. But this Czech original lager would be the perfect pick-me-up after a long day building my log cabin in my new island home. Can I have a fridge please, too?”

Thornbridge Brewery Ltd. – Jaipur – (Bakewell, Derbyshire, UK – 5.9%)

“A desert island would be the perfect place to escape the swamp of learned debate and name-calling which surrounds the past, present and future of India Pale Ale. Sitting under my palm tree I could happily content myself with the thought that whether the recent crafty crop of new IPAs is faithful to the genre is an absolute irrelevance particularly when I am
drinking this beautiful, tangy, passion fruity IPA from Thornbridge in Derbyshire.”

Liefmans (Moortgat)- Kriek – (Oudenaarde, Belgium - 4.2%)

“I have a lager, an IPA, an easy-drinking bitter and a lovely strong English ale. So my final choice is something a little different – this sweet, intense cherry lambic from Belgium, which would offer colour and variety amid the intense boredom of island life.”

And which beer (of those selected) do you regard most highly? 

“It would have to be the Greene King Strong Suffolk Ale, simply because it is a beer for all occasions. It would be as much at home in my cabin on a raw winter’s night as it would be beside my barbecue at the height of summer. If I could only take one beer, it would be this – but I’d like rather a lot of it please.”

The Meal

You can also take one meal to go with your beers, what would it be? 

“My meal is more of a last supper, and is so rich and full-flavoured that I would most likely pair it with the Strong Suffolk ale. I’m a sucker for black pudding, so my starter would be a green salad in a mustard dressing, dashed with slithers of smoked bacon, and maybe some chunks of grilled chicken – and three big fat juicy discs of fabulous black pudding; from Bury.

The main course would be a big smoked haddock fillet with creamy mashed potato and spinach, all topped with a runny poached egg – and perhaps a small drizzle of a thin, slightly cheesy sauce. A one-plate festival of colour and flavour.

I’m not big on desserts, but on my desert island my just deserts would be to indulge myself with something chocolatey, or an old-school crumble or toffee pudding. Mind you, after all that full-flavoured fish, maybe a palate-cleansing raspberry sorbet would be just what I need.

Cheese and biscuits would follow – Camembert, Stilton, Wensleydale, Castelo Branco and really mature Cheddar – plus a double espresso of heroic strength. Dark chocolate, and a long satisfied sleep.”

The Books

You might be waiting a long time on your lonesome on the desert island, so we will automatically allow you a few books to keep your mind busy. You can pick between two beer books and two tomes:

‘The Brewmaster’s Table: Discovering the Pleasures of Real Beer with Real Food’ by Garrett Oliver, or ‘Beer’ by Michael Jackson; plus The Bible, or another appropriate religious or philosophical work.

“Beer by Michael Jackson”

And a non-beery book? 

“I would like to give Stephen Hawking’s “Big Bang to Black Holes” another try. I lost patience with my own slowness when I tried to read it last time. The relative infinities of time with nothing to do on a desert island should afford me the space I need to plod my way through it again. And I’m told Daphne Du Maurier’s Rebecca is very good. I am 19 pages in and enjoying it so far; so that can be my non-philosophical pleasure.”

The Record

You have a CD/MP3/long player but you can only take one album. Choose wisely!

“One record. This is perverse. I’d rather have three records and three beers. Clearly it is going to have to be a double album – though whichever I choose it would drive me nuts after hearing it, and nothing else – for months on end. So after debating the relative merits of The Turin Brakes, The Beatles, Steely Dan, Genesis, Pink Floyd, Everything But the Girl, LedZeppelin, Cat Stevens, U2, REM, Mike Oldfield, Muse – I have eventually settled on a great double live album which has the twin additional benefits that I was at the concert (so it will bring back great memories) and my son is pictured on the cover (albeit as part of the crowd shot). It is the Blur Live at Hyde Park 2009 album.”

The Luxury Item 

And finally, what luxury item would help make your stay on the island bearable? 

“Kate Beckinsale” (We thought you wanted a fridge Simon?!)

Thanks Simon! You can read Simon’s weekly Taverner column online and in the Yorkshire Evening Post or follow him on Twitter here. His book ‘The Great Leeds Pub Crawl’ is available on Amazon.

Have you tried Simon’ favourite beers? Let us know and many thanks to him for taking part and being our castaway for the week.

This article is syndicated with Real Ale Reviews as part of our Desert Island Beers series.

Welcome to the latest episode of Desert Island Beers which this week features James Kemp (JK), Head Brewer at Buxton Brewery, who is also known as the ‘ping pong pom’ and for very good reason…for James was born in England and moved to New Zealand when he was 12, then came back to the UK a few years  later, then went back to NZ and finally back to the UK again. (I’m glad he did because Buxton are definitely one of my favourite breweries at the moment; their Axe Edge is just superb). 

James was educated in New Zealand and ended up working for their Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry. He then moved back to the UK after a few years where he worked for Fuller Smith & Turner PLC in the Quality control department. He then upped sticks & moved back to NZ and worked again for the Government writing animal product importation policy for Bio-Security New Zealand; and in the meantime was crowned NZ National Home-brew Champion (2008).

James says he originally got into brewing at the tender age of 14, under an arrangement with his Dad; who got him into Home-brewing , James brewed it and his Dad drank it!

Finally deciding that he’d had enough of government policy work and fancying brewing beer for a living he packed his bags once again and moved back to the UK, firstly brewing at Thornbridge Brewery and then in 2010 moving on to become Head Brewer at Buxton Brewery.

The Beers

Hi James; welcome to our Desert Island. Which 5 beers would you want to have with you if you were stranded on a desert island, and why?

Emersons Brewing Company – Emersons Pilsner – (Dunedin, New Zealand _ 4.4%) 

“New Zealand brewers are the absolute kings of the New World pilsner and this one in my opinion is the best of them all, so crisp, so fruity, so refreshing. This is one beer that I do really miss living in the UK and easily one of my top 5 of all time.”

Fuller Smith & Turner PLC – Fullers 1845 – (Chiswick, London – 6.3%)

“This is just a fine example of classy brewing and a lesson on how to use amber malt in a beer, I love it, it always puts a smile on my face. It’s my ‘go to beer’ whenever I’m depressed by the rubbish quality of some bottled beers, it’s just so tasty!”

AleSmith Brewing Company – AleSmith IPA ( San Diego, California USA – 7.25%)

“Once upon a time when living in NZ I had a friend in San Francisco who very kindly went out of his way to buy me this beer and airfreight it over to me…cost me about $60 but was worth every cent!  AleSmith are awesome, ex home brewers making it big and making the best IPA in the world, fantastic.”

Hair of the Dog Brewing Company – Hair of the Dog Adam – (Portland, Oregon USA -10%)

“I was blown away by this beer, I’ve only ever had it once but I can’t get it out of my mind. A big 10% mass of complexity with a good hit of smokiness…divine!”

Buxton Brewery Company Limited –  Imperial Black IPA – (Buxton, Derbyshire, U.K. -7.5%) 

” I’ve been wrestling with my last pick, I wanted to include one of my own beers but I thought that it would be a bit egotistical…then I thought dammit, this is my list so my number 5 pick is Buxton Imperial Black IPA. A nice session able strength at 7.5%, elegant malt bill, grapefruit and Seville orange flavours and it has an aroma reminiscent of a tropical fruit salad that has gone for a light jog round the block. Yum!”

And which beer (of those selected) do you regard most highly, and why?

“The beer I regard most highly is probably Emersons Pilsner because it’s just so damned tasty, perfection in a bottle and everything I want from a beer and a pilsner, It’s an iconic beer in New Zealand.”

The Meal

You can also take one meal to go with your beers, what would it be and why? Is it a ‘last supper’ or a perfect pairing for one of the beers?

“Definitely a last supper for me; a good curry would be great, a lamb bhuna with a cart load of poppadoms. Any type of curry is my favourite food so what better thing to have as a last meal!”

The Record

You have a long player but you can only take one record. Choose wisely!

“Hmmm tricky one, I have so many albums that I love…I was going to go a bit crazy and say Avenged Sevenfold but I think I’ll stick to a classic and say Live After Death by Iron Maiden.”

The Beer Book

You might be waiting a long time on your lonesome on the desert island, so we will automatically allow you a few books to keep your mind busy. You can pick between two beer books and two tomes:

• ‘The Brewmaster’s Table: Discovering the Pleasures of Real Beer with Real Food’ by Garrett Oliver, or;

• Beer by Michael Jackson; plus;

• The Bible, or;

• another appropriate religious or philosophical work

“1. Beer by Michael Jackson

2. You know what, I think I’ll just stick to the one book; I have zero interest in fairy-tales.”

The non-beery, non-philosophical book. You can also take a something a little less taxing on the brain, what would that be?

“Dune by Frank Herbert.”

The Luxury Item

What luxury item would help make your stay on the island bearable?

“You know what, I’m going to be cheesy and say my family, they would make my stay bearable!”  Sorry James but the luxury item must be inanimate so you will have to come up with something else.

Thanks James. For more information on Buxton Brewery beers see their website or to see what James is up to follow him on Twitter and also BuxtonBrewery on Twitter.

Have you tried James’s favourite beers? Let us know and many thanks to him for taking part and being our castaway for the week.

This article was simultaneously posted at Real Ale Reviews on 6th April 2012 as part of a collaboration on ‘Desert Island Beers’.

Fellow tarmac God Jason Hall used to attend barbecues at Denzil’s sprawling estate in Great Heck and took his very nice home brewed ales with him. One balmy summer evening talk turned to what use could be put to the part of Denzil’s manorial holdings which was then used as a workshop for his fleet of state of the art racing motorcycles. “Let’s turn it into a brewery.” quoth Denzil and within a few short years, in May 2008, this had come to pass.

Thankfully the disappointment engendered in the hard core of regional club road racing spectators by their idol’s disappearance from the scene has since been more than offset by the delight of those stalwarts who consumed the 435 batches of ale which were produced in the original Great Heck brewery before production was moved, in March 2012 to a new facility on the opposite side of the road.

“My only regret is that I didn’t realise how awesome I was sooner, ” says Denzil.

The Beers

Which 5 beers would you want to have with you if you were stranded on a desert island, and why?

Odell Brewing Company – Odell India Pale Ale (Fort Collins, Colorado USA. – 7.0%) .

“This is probably the best bottled beer I’ve ever tasted. Its clean character belies its strength and its lovely low level of bitterness allows the generous palate of hop flavor and aroma to balance the rich, yet clean, smooth, yet dry malt. Not too gassy! The high ABV and easy drinking nature of this beer means I’ll be able to get blitzed very pleasantly before drowning myself in a bizarre swimming accident.”

The Brew Company – Hoperatic (Sheffield, Yorkshire U.K. – 4.6%)

” Typical excellent English ale with the American influence using Australian hops. Cask ale is my favourite drink and this is one of my favourite ones from one of my favourite brewers, and one of my bestest mates. The beauty of these English cask ales is that they have very light, natural carbonation. I love that when it’s just right and it always is in this brewery’s beers. That’s why there are no keg beers on my list.”

Fyne Ales – Jarl (Cairndow, Argyll, Scotland – 3.8%)

“Similar to the above. This beer demonstrates the quantum shift in brewing which has taken place in Scotland in recent decades. For my money this is the best Scottish beer I have ever tasted, probably even the best British beer I have ever tasted. I first tried it at The Guildford Arms, Edinburgh. My way to pretty for me girlfriend and I had just had a bottle of the iconic Sierra Nevada IPA each, followed by a Goose Island IPA, both of which only a few years ago would have seemed radical in comparison to anything from Scotland. Next stop, a pint of a 3.8 session ale: Jarl. Jarl completely blew the American beers away in terms of flavour, and the fact it is a cask ale meant it blew them away in terms of drinkability too. Awesome!”

Dark Star Brewing Co. – American Pale Ale – (Horsham, England – 4.7%)

“Another English brewer whom I really admire. I find Dark Star inspirational in that they have become so successful and produce significant volumes of beer whilst not compromising on quality and the intrinsic joy of brewing and beer. This brewery proves that you don’t need to be a flashy enfant terrible to be a success in brewing. They have achieved it by simply brewing and marketing perfectly, great ales. Sweet!”

Great Heck Brewing Co. – Slaughterhouse Porter – (Great Heck, Yorkshire – 4.5%)

“Not really my favourite Great Heck beer but it’s a great dark beer and there weren’t any in the list for those days when I fancy a change from hoppy beers. This is more or less the beer that started us of brewing back in the day. Developed from one of co-founder Jason Hall’s homebrew recipes, silky smooth, viscous and lush, it really satisfies my dark beer needs.”

And which beer (of those selected) do you regard most highly, and why?

“Fyne Ales Jarl. I rate cask beer above all other forms of packaging and I think Fyne Ales Jarl is the best cask ale I’ve ever drunk. Plus the first time I drank it I was with my gorgeous girlfriend Karine so it’ll remind me of her on the desert island. MWAH!””

The Meal

You can also take one meal to go with your beers, what would it be and why? Is it a ‘last supper’ or a perfect pairing for one of the beers?

“Cream of cauliflower soup as served at The Bay Horse Inn, Great Heck, followed by a huge Sirloin steak from Rowland’s Butchers in Snaith with Karine Krimm’s hand made chips and salad, followed by an English & French cheese board with toast and butter.”

The Record

You have a CD/MP3/long player but you can only take one album. Choose wisely!

“AC/DC Powerage. Best album by the best rock band ever!”

The Beer Book

“You might be waiting a long time on your lonesome on the desert island, so we will automatically allow you a few books to keep your mind busy. You can pick between two beer books and two tomes:

‘The Brewmaster’s Table: Discovering the Pleasures of Real Beer with Real Food’ by Garrett Oliver, or;

Beer by Michael Jackson; plus;

The Bible, or;

another appropriate religious or philosophical work

“1. Michael Jackson 2. The Bible. It has some good stories in it.”

The non-beery, non-philosophical book

You can also take a something a little less taxing on the brain, what would that be?

“The complete works of PG Wodehouse.” 

The Luxury item

What luxury item would help make your stay on the island bearable?

“A huge collection of pornography.”

Thanks Denzil! For more information on Great Heck’s beers see their website or to see what Denzil is up to follow him on Twitter.

Have you tried Denzil’s favourite beers? Let us know and many thanks to him for taking part and being our castaway for the week.

This article was simultaneously posted at Real Ale Reviews on 30th March 2012 as part of a collaboration on ‘Desert Island Beers’.

We had a fabulous weekend; with two great host clubs, at Droitwich & Stafford, some great rugby including a win, watched a cracking Premiership Rugby Match at Kingsholm; Gloucester v Exeter Chiefs, with six tries to include a last minute winner, plus great company. In the process we made it onto ITV’s Premiership Rugby Highlight’s Programme and had a bloody good laugh. Other than that all I can say is “the coach drivers name was Richard.” What goes on tour stays on tour!

However all weekend in the hotel I tolerated a beer which was once good and was at this hotel; well shite! Keg Boddington’s! The only other choice was a number of lagers. It was worth a great deal less than the £3.25 per pint I had to pay for it and it made Asda Smartprice Bitter taste like Duvel. It smelt of corn and farts and tasted like the bath water in the rugby changing room after the whole of the Fylde U13’s team plus replacements had been in it, after a particularly muddy encounter. On the Saturday evening I was lucky because the dishwasher was faulty for part of that night so at least then it tasted of Jif detergent.

All it was effective at doing was keeping my rugby weekend inclusive diarrhea runny and making me burp. I think I would have been better off drinking some of the Captain’s grog! So in actual fact, I suppose in part it did me a good turn at least serving to remind me of how good, great beer really can be.

Anyway, as I sat on the hotel loo, sweating, holding my stomach and crying for my Mum I resolved never to drink the stuff again, which resolution I followed up with a celebratory Imodium!