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26 BITE ‘n’ SLURP BEER THE CALIFORNIA COMMON Full steam ahead! It is not widely appreciated, but lager is a bloody difficult drink to make. Even the blandest commercial pish requires meticulous control of yeast and a constant cool temperature throughout the brewing process. This is one of the reasons why pilsner originated in Bavaria and the Czech Republic – regions with an abundance of cool, stone vaulted cellars. A commodity that was in short supply during the Californian gold rush. This posed a problem for the state’s breweries. After a 14-hour shift of hard labour in very dangerous and extremely hot conditions, the prospectors were hardly in the mood for a pint of mild or a bottle of porter. The solution hit upon was to brew using a bottom fermenting lager yeast, but at the warmer temperatures associated with heavier beers. The resulting drink had the light, zesty, refreshing character of a lager, but with the depth and creaminess of a pale ale. One of the downsides of this new beer was its volatility. New casks had to be vented with a great hiss and a blast of beery smoke. Thus the beer was christened Steam beer. The best known of Steam beers is produced by the Anchor brewery in San Francisco, but now an Edinburghbased brewer has introduced a Scottish interpretation of this American classic. The California Common is the inaugural release from Knops Brewing Co. It is a pretty, vibrant, golden beer with gentle effervescence and a fine head. Nicely aromatic with hints of wet straw and shortbread biscuit. The palate is light and zesty with a crisp finish and a quite definite citrus edge. It is by no means a complex or powerful beer, but it is poised, balanced, clean and refreshing. It is clearly designed as session ale and weighs in at a moreish 4.6% a.b.v. At £1.70 for a 33cl bottle it is reasonably priced and if there is any justice, it will be available at every one of this summer's barbecues. You can also catch it on tap at The Cumberland Bar, Kay’s Bar, The Filmhouse, The Windsor Buffet, The Malt & Hops, The Halfway House, The Blue Blazer & The Stockbridge Tap. James Wrobel is the proprietor of Cornelius Beer and Wine on 18-20 Easter Road, and can be contacted on 0131 652 2405. www.corneliusbeers.com
BEER SCOTTISH MICROBREWERIES In a former life working for a Scottish licensed trade newspaper, my biggest clients, apart from Diageo and Coke, were beer conglomerates. It was impossible to follow the wheelings and dealings of these monolithic companies who constantly merged, renamed and morphed in search of more mass market. Lager was big business whilst ale was a fuddy duddy drink for old men. How refreshing then to see the rise of the microbreweries which have been reporting year-on-year growth. Many started in the last 20 or so years, and one of the reasons for their success is an increasing interest in provenance. Just as the consumer increasingly wants to know the provenance of their food, so this desire extends to the beer and wine categories. Microbreweries are generally regional, artisan producers who produce less than 15,000 barrels per year and who employ relatively few people. We have come full circle as beer historically was produced on your doorstep or at the local monastery. So here is a quick guide to some Scottish microbreweries. Sadly we don’t have room to be comprehensive but this is a ‘pick of the crop’. Black Isle Brewery BITE ‘n’ SLURP Bottled beers produced using organically produced barley and hops. Range includes: Yellowhammer, Blonde, Red Kite, a wheat beer, a honey beer, a porter and much more. Food tasting suggestion: the organic porter is brewed with dark, roasted malts. It is excellent with oysters and crab or with some mature farmhouse cheddar and oatcakes. Old Allangrange, Munlochy, Rossshire. www.blackislebrewery.com. Est. 1998 The Cairngorm Brewery Co Ltd Permanent beers include: Cairngorm, Stag, Trade Winds, Wild Cat and Blessed Thistle in cask and bottle, but they also produce interesting seasonal cask ales. Black Gold won Supreme Champion Beer of the Year 2009 (SIBA Award). Food tasting suggestion: Trade Winds is brewed with elderflowers and is light and floral, a lovely summer ale with pork or fish dishes. Dalfaber Industrial Estate Aviemore, Inverness-shire, www.cairngormbrewery.com Est. 2001 27
Page 1: THE MONTHLY MINI GUIDE TO EDINBURGH
Page 4 and 5: More than just a wine store with a
Page 6 and 7: [\ AL DENTE RESTAURANT Feel the Tas
Page 8 and 9: Scottish Bistro FISH MEAT GAME POUL
Page 10 and 11: 10 WINE VINHO VERDE Wining with wee
Page 12 and 13: Joseph Pearce’s Crayfish Party A
Page 14 and 15: 14 OUT OF TOWN ROMAN CAMP HOTEL, CA
Page 16 and 17: 16 THE INSIDER THE PIERRE AND TONY
Page 18 and 19: 18 RAW FOODS WITH REAL FOODS Tips f
Page 20 and 21: 20 ETHICAL EATING LOVE FOOD HATE WA
Page 22 and 23: 22 BITE ‘n’ SLURP BEER WHAT IS
Page 24 and 25: 24 BITE ‘n’ SLURP BEERS A STYLE
Page 28 and 29: 28 BITE ‘n’ SLURP Harvistoun BE
Page 30 and 31: 30 BITE ‘n’ SLURP What follows
Page 32 and 33: BITE ‘n’ SLURP 32 constantly ch
Page 35 and 36: The Shore in Leith tends to be domi
Page 37 and 38: RESTAURANTS AMERICAN Hardrock Cafe
Page 39 and 40: in Scotland’ The Observer Food Mo
Page 41 and 42: POLISH Pani Solinska - Fully licens
Page 43 and 44: large selection on offer. Open Tues
Page 45 and 46: minds. We serve a lot of different
Page 47 and 48: Competitions Win some Puddledub Por

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