“Bringing It All Back Home”

“Bringing It All Back Home”, is not just the title of the new Nobel Literature Laureate’s 5^th studio album; a release which contains, amongst others, classics such as Mr Tambourine Man, Maggie’s Farm, Subterranean Homesick Blues and It’s All Over Now, Baby-Blue, but also the practice of bringing a few goodies back home with you, when you’ve been away somewhere.

Visiting new places, or reacquainting yourself with a few familiar ones, usually provides the opportunity to sample and enjoy a few local ales or beers. For me, this is an important part of any trip away; whether it is at home or abroad, although I do find now that regional differences here in the UK, so far as local breweries are concerned, are nowhere as distinct as they were when I started drinking over 40 years ago.

Wherever possible I like to bring a few bottles of the local brew back home with me, to either remind me of a good holiday, or as an opportunity to try something new. This is easy, here in the UK, especially when travelling by car; but even if  you are taking advantage of cheap rail deals, providing you have a decent-size rucksack or a suitable wheeled suitcase, then bringing a reasonable quantity of bottles back with you should not present too much of a problem

Boarding the Eurostar to Brussels

Take your car abroad and the same applies; with added advantage of cheaper beer prices prevalent in much of mainland Europe. You can even travel by train (Eurostar), and enjoy the same advantages. However, if air travel is your chosen method of transport, you come up against a number of hurdles. If you choose to travel with hand-baggage only, then I’m afraid you are stuffed due to strict limitations governing carrying liquids in your bag. The smallest size beer bottle normally available is 250 ml, two and a half times larger than the permitted100 ml; and let’s face it, what beer lover would bother with such small volumes anyway?

Despite these limitations, travelling with just cabin baggage has several advantages, particularly if you are travelling with a budget airline. There are no baggage fees to pay, no bags to check in and collect, meaning you go straight to security before boarding the plane, whilst at the other end, you pass straight through customs and immigration and continue on to your destination. This is my preferred method, when travelling alone and taking a short break, even if it means foregoing beer to bring home. However, if I am going away for periods in excess of five days, or my wife is travelling with me, then I will pay the extra and go for the checked-in hold-baggage option.

How not to pack your case

It’s still not all plain-sailing though, as there are two other factors to be aware of. The first is weight, and the second is how to safely pack your precious cargo without any of the bottles breaking in transit, soaking and potentially ruining the contents of your suitcase. Dealing with weight first; all airlines impose weight restrictions on individual items of baggage. Excess weight costs money in terms of extra fuel, but there are also manual handling issues to take into account. Spare a thought for the poor baggage handler who has to climb inside the hold of the aircraft and stow your over-loaded bag, whilst trying to avoid giving himself a hernia in the process.

As a general rule, the cheaper the airline, the less weight you are allowed to bring; unless you are willing to pay the not insignificant excess baggage charge. You need to box clever here, and work out exactly how many bottles your suitcase can accommodate (always assuming there’s sufficient space), without exceeding the limit. When checking in for the outward flight, I always make a mental note of the weight showing on the display, when I place my bag on the belt. I then know within a kilo or so how much weight I’ve got to play with. You then need to know the weight of any bottles you are planning to bring back with you. With the aid of Google you discover that an empty 500ml bottle weighs in at around 300g, whilst a 330ml bottle comes in at around 200g. You then need to add the weight of the contents, which is easy, as 500ml weighs 500g and 330 ml equates to 330g. (Weights are based on the density of water, which is 1.00 g/ml; but as beer is approx 95% water, and alcohol is actually lighter than water, you won’t go far wrong if you use this conversion).

Hard-shell case for better protection

So a 500ml bottle of beer has a gross weight of around 800g (0.800 Kg) and a 330 ml bottle comes out at 530g (0.530 Kg). If your baggage limit is 20 Kg (Easy Jet/Ryanair), and you have 9 kilos to play with, you can bring back 11 x 500 ml bottles or 17 x 330 ml bottles. A word of warning though; don’t take these figures as gospel as beer bottles can and do vary in weight considerably, depending on the thickness of the glass. Modern practice is to make them as light as possible, whilst still providing sufficient protection and resilience for the contents. Older style bottles, such as the heavy swing-top bottles used for the Kloster Mallersdorf beer I am drinking at the moment, are noticeably thicker, and therefore significantly heavier. Always be mindful therefore, of local variations, from country to country and even between regions within a country, and ere on the side of caution.

Having determined the number of bottles you can bring back, you then have the task of packing them carefully, so that they don’t break in transit.  The really important points here are that bottles should be as immobilised as far as possible AND should not touch the sides of the case, or another bottle. Bubble-wrap is ideal for this purpose, but I often simply slide a couple of socks over each bottle and then partially wrap each one with a T-shirt, or similar item of clothing. Basically use whatever it takes to keep each bottle separate from its neighbour and away from the sides of the case.

A selection of goodies from a previous trip to Bavaria

By following these simple rules, and by taking a bit of care with my packing, I’ve successfully brought back dozens of bottles, without any breakages or leakage. Occasionally I’ve been slightly over the weight limit, but a sweet smile and an “Oh, so sorry” apology, normally means I get away with these slight transgressions. Downstairs in the cupboard I’ve got 14 bottles I brought back from August’s trip to the Netherlands along with eight from last month’s visit to Regensburg. So if you are prepared to apply a little extra time and effort, then you too can enjoy a few liquid memories from wherever you have been recently.
 

There is another way of acquiring exotic beers, and that is to order from one of the growing number of on-line beer agencies. It will cost you a bit more, as there are delivery charges to pay, and these can be quite steep. There is also the risk of breakages; although most agencies, these days, use reputable carriers to mitigate against this. Some beer agencies also welcome callers, and this is what I will be doing, next weekend when I make the journey to Norfolk, to visit my father. Beers of Europe have one of the largest selections of both British and foreign beers in the UK, at their warehouse, just outside Kings Lynn, and it will be well worth making a slight detour in order to pick up a few goodies for Christmas.

Cans can travel by air

One final point; I’ve been told that cans also travel without rupture in aircraft holds. Some of you may know I work for a company which is Japanese owned. We have regular visitors from Japan, and also have researchers seconded to us for lengthier periods of time. I count one of these scientists as a friend as well as a colleague, and it was he who told me about transporting cans of beer across continents.

Cans are very popular in Japan, for ecological reasons, so my colleague has been bringing some with him and taking others back with him on trips between Japan and the UK. I haven’t tried this yet, but my friend hasn’t experienced any problems. I would add here though, that cans are far more susceptible to crushing than glass bottles, so in this instance a hard-shell suitcase is essential.

The "Portergate" Scandal

Larkin’s Porter is definitely one of my all time favourite winter beers. I say “winter” because this rich, luscious 5.2% dark beer only makes its appearance during the period from November to February. I would go so far as to say that the beer is one of the few things I actually look forward to during winter, and the sight of a Larkin’s Porter pump-clip on the bar turns an average pub into a definite destination one for me.

I called into the Greyhound at Charcott this lunchtime (Friday); something which is becoming a habit, but as I desire to support this threatened pub as much as I can, it can only be a good one! Larkin’s Traditional and Green Hop Best were the two beers on, but the third pump had its clip turned round. Without any prompting on my part, the landlord announced that Larkin’s Porter was the beer which would be available on this pump, and he was mindful of putting it on sale that evening.

Disappointed that I would have to wait another week in order to sample this excellent beer, I expressed my surprise that the Porter was available so early in the season. I was referring to the fact that for the last 30 years or so, Larkin’s brewer and owner - Bob Dockerty, has always waited until Bonfire Night before releasing the beer. “Ah,” said the landlord, “You obviously haven’t heard about the Portergate scandal.” Slightly amused, I confessed I hadn’t, but it appears that a well-known local pub, which I won’t name - but it has won several CAMRA awards (both local and regional), broke with tradition by placing the beer on sale a fortnight early.

This left several other regular Porter outlets slightly miffed; so much so that they too decided to break Bob’s unwritten rule by putting the beer on sale as well. This was why the landlord at the Greyhound, which is currently leased by Larkin’s, was also planning to join them.

You could, of course, argue that placing a seasonal beer on sale a couple of weeks early doesn’t really matter; and in the general scheme of things it certainly doesn’t, but embargoing Larkin’s Porter until after November 5^th, was something of a tradition locally, and it seems a shame to have broken it. With the exceptionally mild weather at present, it also seems a little absurd, as today I sat outside the pub, without a coat and with my shirtsleeves rolled up, soaking up the glorious warmth of the late October sun and my pint of Larkin’s Green Hop Best in equal measure.

There will be time enough when a warming pint of Larkin’s Porter will be just what’s needed, after a chilly walk up from work to the pub or, on a cold and frosty night, huddled in front of the fire this beer will taste all the better and will certainly be much more appreciated. There are reasons for these traditions, you know, as even if they only date back 30 years, you know full well they are mimicking the perfectly sound practices of our forefathers.

Castle Inn to reopen in November

There is some good news at last regarding the fate of the historic Castle Inn in Chiddingstone. The National Trust-owned pub closed its doors back in April, when the former landlord abandoned his tenancy, claiming that the combination of the high rent, levied by the Trust, along with restrictions such as lack of car-parking facilities, had made the business unviable.

The closure decision came out of the blue, and caught customers and local residents completely by surprise. The fact that the pub was closed all summer must have meant a significant loss in income for both the National Trust and surrounding businesses, so the news that it will reopen next month, will delight everyone who is familiar with this lovely old inn.

The new owner is Nick Naismith, a director of Westerham Brewery, and the person responsible, a few years ago, for rescuing the ailing Wheatsheaf pub, a few miles away in Bough Beech. Mr Naismith’s association with Westerham might not be such welcome news to local brewers Larkin’s Brewery, who are based just half a mile down the road from the Castle; especially as Larkin’s were known to have supplied around 80 per cent of the pub’s cask beer, prior to its closure.

According to the local Times of Tonbridge newspaper, which first broke the story, there will be some significant set-up costs involved before the Castle can reopen, as the previous tenant is reported to have stripped the pub of all its fixtures and fittings.

Speaking on behalf of the National Trust, Richard Henderson, Assistant Director of Operations for both the pub, and other NT owned buildings in Chiddingstone village, said “We are delighted to have found a new tenant for the Castle Inn, after a period of temporary closure. Our first priority has always been to find the right person to care for this historic building, as well as having a successful plan to turn the pub back into a thriving business again.” He went on to say, “We look forward now to working with the new landlord to prepare the pub for reopening and welcoming locals and visitors back in the near future.”

Although no firm date has been set for the reopening, the appointment of a new and experienced licensee will be a welcome relief to both village regulars and thirsty visitors alike; particularly as back in the summer there were all sorts of dark rumours circulating about the possible fate of the Castle Inn.

I look forward to the pub reopening its doors, although it will be interesting to see which local beer the new licensee opts for. I’ve a feeling it will be a good old British compromise, and we will see both Larkin’s and Westerham beers adorning the bar. I will, of course, continue to report on developments concerning the Castle, as soon as I become aware of them.

Under the clock with Meantime

Last Thursday, for the second time in a fortnight, I found myself on a London-bound train. My destination was the Clock Tower at St Pancras Station, where I had been invited to attend a special beer presentation organised by Meantime Brewery. A week on, and I’m still uncertain about the purpose behind the event. The number “6” played a prominent part, as did “Time”, and it is this latter concept which appeared to be the main driving force behind the presentation.

Given the company name, and its location in Greenwich, close to the Prime Meridian, Meantime place considerable emphasis on time; claiming that Time is their “5th ingredient”. It takes six weeks to brew their beer; six weeks in which to brew a beer which is full of flavour.

The slogan “Make Time for It”, was therefore a very appropriate title for their recent advertising campaign, and as the ultimate tribute to the concept of time, they challenged six talented craftsmen from six cities to each create one element of a pop up bar. The craftsmen had six weeks to make something special and the brewery had six weeks to brew each of them a special beer; each inspired by the shared values of tradition, technology and time.

Meantime claim that this “pop-up bar” is the smallest in the world, with space for just two people, plus the barman/woman. The craftsmen contributed items like the pub sign, a specially-designed bench seat for two people, some elaborate screen-prints, plus several other elements. However, I wasn’t paying as much attention as I possibly should have, but the venue was packed, and we were hemmed in rather more than I would have liked.

The Tower Room

I mentioned earlier that the event took place at the Clock Tower at St Pancras Station, but we were actually in the tower itself; hence the crush! The Clock Tower is the apartment beneath the clock at St Pancras Station. The ornate Victorian building which fronts the station was originally constructed as the flagship hotel for the Midland Railway Company. It was designed by the renowned architect George Gilbert Scott as the accompaniment to the railway station shed, but the hotel only operated until 1935. It was then converted into railway offices and scandalously allowed to fall into decay; so much so that British Rail actually wanted to demolish it during the 1960’s!

Fortunately common sense prevailed, but only after a concerted campaign to save this iconic building, led by the poet, John Betjeman and a formidable lady called Jane Hughes Fawcett, who was the secretary of the Victorian Society. In 2005 the dilapidated former hotel was converted into a combination of apartments and a new hotel. The famous Clock Tower was included in this scheme, and the section we were in was the impressive Tower Room, with a ceiling rising some 10 metres above our heads.

After the crowds had left

This was originally a dark gloomy room, shut off from the outside world by sets of wooden louvres, mimicking those used in bell towers to direct the sound of bells to the streets beneath. However, the hotel clock never had any bells, and the bell chamber was a folly, designed by Scott to look like the tower on top of a gothic cathedral.Today the wooden louvres have been replaced by glass windows, and a number of other features have been added, including a gallery with its own small library.

The Clock Tower is now part of an apartment which consists of a Kitchen/Dining Room and two double bedrooms with en suite bathrooms. The latter are available to rent on an individual basis. The Clock Tower is available to hire for functions such as receptions, anniversary celebrations, drinks parties and special dinners and for events like photo shoots and beer presentations!

There were originally six beers scheduled for the evening’s presentation, but one wasn’t available. Again, I wasn’t really paying attention, so I can’t say what the beer was, or why it didn’t put in an appearance. I drank four of the other beers, and managed to blag a bottle of the fifth to take home with me. I haven’t opened it yet, but from the description it should be a cracker.

All six beers which originally featured in the “Make Time for It” project were brewed using Meantime’s pilot-scale plant. All were experimental in nature, which meant that some were better than others but, as with everything, it’s all a matter of individual taste.

First up was Luminor, a 4.5% ABV hoppy pale ale, brewed using a wild hop, harvested from a Sussex Hop Garden. This beer, for me, was the best of the evening. The 5.0% ABV Hourglass came next. This was a Pilsner with “fresh pressed apple notes”, designed as a sort of hybrid between a lager and a cider. Unfortunately, for me at least, it didn’t work at all, but I suppose combinations like this have to be attempted, even if it’s just to demonstrate that beer and cider aren’t meant to be mixed like this!

Next up was Time to Time; a 4.0% ABV “saison de nuit”, (black saison to you and I).  As with that bastardised stout/pale ale hybrid, known as Black IPA, this beer didn’t float my boat either (I’m a miserable old so and so, I know), but it did work a lot better than the Hourglass. I thought I heard someone say there were blackberries included in the beer, which would have been appropriate for autumn.

The last beer was The Tweedster, a 4.5% ABV wheat beer and passion fruit combination, packed full of “sweet and sour tropical fruit flavours”. Now somewhat surprisingly, this beer was really good; so much so that before the evening was out, I had a second glass.

There were some rather good pulled-pork, gourmet burgers to accompany the beer, and some not quite as good fish-burgers. There were plenty of people to chat to, including several luminaries from the world of beer and brewing. There were also several beer bloggers and writers I knew and it was good to catch up with them.

As far as the purpose behind the evening, I don’t think any of us came away much the wiser. The question was put to Meantime as to whether any of these beers were destined to become regular brews, but the answer was "no". The opportunity to spend some time in the iconic Clock Tower though, was not one to be missed, and the evening was worth that alone. It was also good to meet up with other beer enthusiasts and sample these unusual and experimental beers in some equally unusual surroundings.

The bottle I brought home is Maison Hop 5.9% ABV; a “rich and smoky barrel-aged black ale, with hints of smooth vanilla”. Sounds pretty good to me!
 

Addendum: I stated in the post that I came away unsure of the purpose behind the Meantime presentation. I also mentioned that I wasn’t really paying attention to what was being said; but fortunately BryanB, who blogs under the name BeerViking was. I remember seeing him taking notes, and asking questions of the various PR personnel who were present on behalf of Meantime.

Bryan has produced an excellent write-up of the evening, which goes into detail about the six craftsmen (and women), whose work not only inspired the new beers, but which also formed integral parts of Meantime’s “pop-up” pub project. You can read more, by clicking on the link here.

Spa Valley Railway Beer Festival - On Camera

I’ve picked a different format for this post, which is basically a series of photos I took yesterday at the Spa Valley Railway Beer& Cider Festival.

The sequence starts off with a few shots I took whilst walking through Tunbridge Well’s historic Pantiles area, on my way down to the event. Apart from a photo taken at the entrance, there are none of the main festival which was held in the Engine Shed at Tunbridge Wells West station. Things were just too manic there, to allow any time for photos.

Consequently the remainder of the photos were taken at Groombridge station, where I spent the afternoon, and much of the evening, serving beer to festival goers; most of whom travelled there by train.

It was a glorious late October day, with the Kent and Sussex countryside looking its autumnal best. The festival is coming to an end, as I write. The signs all point to it having been a success.

I will let the photos tell their own story.

6th CAMRA Real Ale & Cider Festival and Autumn Diesel Gala

With just three days to go, here is a belated plug for my own local CAMRA branch’s Beer Festival. The 6th West Kent CAMRA Real Ale & Cider Festival, held in conjunction with the Spa Valley Railway (SVR), takes place this coming weekend (21^st - 23^rd October), at the Heritage Railway’s preserved Victorian Engine Shed at Tunbridge Wells West Station.

This year’s event will be bigger than ever, with 130 Real Ales, 27 Green Hop Beers, plus 15 Key-Key/Cask Beers and for the first time the festival will be featuring a number of Belgian Beers. There will also be 30 traditional ciders; most of them locally sourced from within either Kent or Sussex.

As in previous years, the beers and ciders will be spread out between the three stations at Tunbridge Wells, Groombridge & Eridge; although the majority will found at Tunbridge Wells. There will also be bars on two of the SVR’s train sets. To reach all the locations the organisers recommend a day rover ticket, which allows unlimited travel all day, up and down the line between Tunbridge Wells and Eridge. For CAMRA members there is a special CAMRA Day Rover ticket available for just £15!

I haven’t been involved with the organisation of this year’s event, but I will be there on Saturday, at one or more of the locations, serving behind the bar. So why not come along and treat yourself to a ride through the Kent and Sussex countryside, and stop and say hello.

Full details of the festival, including a list of all the beers and ciders, can be found by clicking the link here.

The rise of "Craft-Spirits"

Although not beer related, the following post is still about alcoholic liquor, but in this instance we will be looking at a class of alcoholic drink which is considerably stronger than beer. I am referring of course to spirits, and in particular gin; a type of spirit once looked down upon as “mother’s ruin”, but which has now undergone a complete renaissance and spawned a whole new drinks sector in the form of “artisan spirits”.

This post was sparked by an article in the local press which alerted me to the recent opening of a gin distillery at a location just to the north of  my home town of Tonbridge. The Greensand Ridge Distillery, is the brain-child of Sevenoaks entrepreneur Will Edge, and is launching a range of different gins with the theme of “sustainability”. This will be achieved by using quality fruit, which has been rejected by supermarkets owing to issues of size and shape, and this will be enhanced with locally sourced “botanicals”, including such diverse items as cobnuts, gorse flowers and oak moss.

Mr Edge, formerly worked in IT, marketing and finance, took a Masters Degree in Brewing & Distilling, before going ahead with the plans for his gin distillery. Right from the start he was keen to promote the concept of “sustainability”, so much so that the company’s distillation plant is powered by 100% renewable electricity. In addition and the distillery is committed to using no chemicals (hot, recyclable, high-pressure water is used for cleaning), and zero non-recyclable waste. The company is named after the sandstone ridge which lies just north of the village of Shipbourne, where the business is located.

Greensand Ridge Distillery becomes part of a rapidly growing group of companies, as the number of gin distilleries in Britain has doubled in six years. Last year alone saw 49 new plants opening, after a huge growth in demand for “artisan gin”. The increase, up from 116 gin producers in 2010, is said to have been driven by "boutique distilleries" that are making small batches of the spirit.

“Artisan gin” first hit the market back in 2009, with the opening of the Sipsmith Distillery in London. The firm’s traditional copper distillery was the first such example in London for nearly 200 years, and it took a change in the law for HM Revenue and Customs to be able to grant the company their licence. Prior to this, gin tended to be produced on an industrial scale, rather than in small batches. The government said the quantity of gin the company was producing – 300 litres from the original still – was so small it was technically classed as "moonshine". It took two years of lobbying by Sipsmith, for the law to be changed.

It is not just gin which is undergoing a revival; other spirits such as vodka and whisky are also seeing a renaissance. The opening, in late 2006 of the English Whisky Company’s operation at Roudham, in the Breckland area of Norfolk; the first English whisky distillery in over 100 years proved the catalyst for a number of other distillers to set up shop.

Like Sipsmith, the English Whisky Company also fell foul of HMRC, who wouldn’t consider granting a license for anything smaller than an 1800 litre set-up. Unlike their gin compatriots though, the Nelstrop family, who own the business, decided to go for broke, and set up an operation which met the Custom and Excise people’s requirements.

I have driven past the turning to the English Whisky Company’s site many times on my journeys up to Norfolk and back, but as the turn-off is close to the end of my outward journey, and I am usually in a hurry, I have never found the time to stop there. Looking at the company’s website, it seems a visit would be well worth while, as along with a well-stocked shop, daily tours of the distillery and bonded warehouse are also available.




I said at the start of this post that it was not beer related, but in a number of ways it is. The initial stage in the production of malt whisky involves malted barley being mashed in a very similar way to making beer, with the extraction of sugars from the malted barley. Unlike beer there are no hops, or other flavouring ingredients added, and fermentation of the sweet wort is the next stage, followed by distillation and maturation.

In the case of malt whisky, the young raw spirit produced, must undergo maturation in oak casks for a period of at least three years, so setting up a malt whisky business from scratch is both costly and time-consuming.

The raw spirit used for both gin and vodka manufacture, is produced from a number of different and often diverse sources, including barely, wheat, rye and potatoes. There may be a maturation process, particularly if the end products are flavoured, and the production of enhanced gins and vodkas is another strong growth area of the market.

On a more general note, the massive rise in numbers of micro-breweries, followed by that of the craft-beer movement, not only proved the demand for more locally sourced and hand-crafted products, but also provided the perfect role models for distillers of artisan spirits to follow. The world of spirits then, finds itself owing much to the world of beer, and the rise of these distinctive and flavourful drinks is something to be valued and applauded, in the same way that the rise of so many diverse beer styles has.

I obviously welcome this new trend as even though I am not much of a spirits drinker, the increased variety of distilled beverages available is to be applauded. Speaking personally, the occasional glass of single malt whisky, Irish whiskey or Cognac is about my limit, although spirit-based cocktails are also enjoyable.