Hopulist Issue 7

Once again this month, we have been incredibly 

lucky to travel the world in the name of craft 

beer. Singapore was our key destination and we 

have to say we were highly impressed. Asia is 

perhaps the lesser known or explored part of 

the craft beer world, with such a heavy focus on 

Europe and the USA. But hopefully you will see 

(and will have seen with our previous features on 

Japan and Thailand) that this is part of the beer 

drinking world that should not be overlooked. 

Enjoy it and we hope you manage to visit at least 

one of the venues we highlight. 

Elsewhere we have examined just how you can 

enjoy craft beer on a budget. We realise it’s an 

expensive passion to have – you can suddenly 

end up paying double what you would normally 

for a beer. But there are affordable craft beers 

out there, you just have to know where to look. 

Hopefully we can be of assistance. 

Thanks for reading. 

Cheers, 

The Hopulist team

06 

08 

10 

The latest craft beer 

news, now! 

Fresh new beer to 

get in your mouth. 

Our guide to craft 

beer events. 

20 

22 

36 

The best of gear 

based around beer. 

Take a trip to 

Singapore with us. 

Craft beer on a 

budget is possible. 

50 

52 

58 

More gear based 

around beer. 

Matthew Curtis spills 

the beans. 

All the g’s you need 

to know about beer. 

62 

66 

BBNo’s mosaic-based 

perfection. 

What have we been 

drinking this month?

VERDANT OPEN 

SEAFOOD BAR 

February saw the long-awaited opening 

of Verdant’s seafood bar. Positioned 

on the pictueresque waterfront at 

Falmouth, The Seafood Bar, is a crowdfunded 

project based around small seafood 

plates and fresh beer – the kind of place you 

go for a few beers and end up ordering the 

whole menu. 

Dishes include pan-fried gurnard with 

mussels and crab sauce, oven-baked salt 

cod with potato puree and a classic fish 

finger butty as well as eight taps to help 

wash it all down with. 

Opening hours are 12 til late, no bookings 

necessary. For more info check out 

instagram.com/verdant_seafood_bar/ and 

twitter.com/verdantseafood

NORTHERN 

EVOLUTION 

After a hugely successful crowdfunding campaign 

Northern Monk has completed a rebrand, undertaken 

by Leed-based strategic design agency, Robot Food. 

The logo has been given a refresh with a much cleaner, 

simpler look whilst the new can designs evoke the style and 

flavour of each beer with bold colours and illustrations that 

make them all very distinctive. 

Speaking about the rebrand, Founder of Northern Monk, 

Russell Bisset says: “The intention of our crowdfunding 

campaign was always to refresh, expand and reach more 

people in new places. We needed every element of our 

brand to be representative of how far we’ve come since the 

beginning our journey and give our supporters something 

to get excited about. Robot Food understood our vision, we 

trusted them to amplify what we saw as important for our 

brand and the end result is something that we’re both really 

proud of.” 

CORE STRENGTH 

Northern Monk’s 

rebrand also sees the 

introduction of two 

new core beers in their 

range. Origin, a 5.7% 

gluten-free IPA and 

Striding Edge which is 

a 2.8% light IPA.

WANT YOUR LATEST BEER LAUNCH FEATURED 

PILSNER POPPING 

Duration have not one, but two new 

spring beers on offer. Small doses, 

(pictured above) a low ABV pilsner 

and Deep Roots, a carrot saison. Both 

beers will be making their debut at 

Cloudwater’s Festival on 1 March. 

Excited much!? 

ET TU, BRUT? 

ORA have a brut IPA dropping as 

we go to press. Inspired by Gipsy 

Hill’s Fugitive this brut-style IPA has 

been loaded with bucket loads of 

blueberries and dry hopped with 

Olicana and an experimental hop! 7% 

ABV 

Release date: Preorders from 21 Feb 

Release date: Available to pre-order

NEW RELEASES WE 

CAN’T WAIT TO GET 

OUR MITTS ON... 

? CONTACT US AT INFO@HOPULIST.COM 

SATAN JUICE 

Mogwai Beer Satan is a limited-edition 

5.2% ABV New England pale ale 

brewed in collaboration with Mogwai 

and Signature Brew. This tropical, 

hazy IPA carries huge, hoppy flavours 

with subtle heat from chilli additions. 

HERE ENDETH THE LESSON... 

Northern Ireland’s Heaney Brewery 

and Boundary have collaborated to 

create a luxurious, chocolatey and 

robust cherry porter called Lessons 

Learned. It’s a limited run so keep your 

eyes peeled. 

Release date: On sale 

Release date: On sale

ALL PICTURES COURTESY OF ORGANISATIONS SOCIAL MEDIA 

SET A DATE WITH 

CRAFT 

CRAFT BEER – IT’S BEST ENJOYED WITH 

FRIENDS. WHETHER THAT’S SOMEONE YOU’VE 

KNOWN SINCE YOUR SCHOOL DAYS OR 

SOMEBODY YOU JUST MET, WHY NOT SHARE 

THE LOVE OF THE GOOD STUFF AT ONE OF 

THE UK’S THRIVING EVENTS IN 2019?

CRAFT BEER RISING 

BRICK LANE, LONDON 

21-23 February 

craftbeerrising.co.uk 

Self-billed as the largest craft beer gathering of its 

kind Craft Beer Rising is one of the big boys that 

you should definitely make an attempt to attend. 

It combines an almost unrivalled billing of brewers 

alongside street food, music and a raft of wellknown 

industry faces for three days of what we 

think is probably pretty close to heaven for craft 

beer lovers. The event takes place in London’s 

Brick Lane and this year will feature support from 

big names including Tiny Rebel, Fourpure, Goose 

Island, Yeastie Boys, Lost and Grounded and 

Mothership. But in total there will be more than 120 

beer names represented, which is… well, making 

us a little thirsty. But it’s not just beer (what else is 

there?), there’s cider, music from some of London’s 

hottest up-and-coming acts and talks from some 

real fountains of knowledge in the craft beer world.

MAGIC ROCK SESHFEST 

MAGIC ROCK TAP, HUDDERSFIELD 

8 June 

magicrockbrewing.com 

Huddersfield’s Magic Rock reckons that despite the 

plethora of craft beer events that have sprung up 

around the country, there is still a gap for a brewerled 

one that is organised for brewers by brewers. 

SeshFest is the first event of its kind and will be 

celebrating the roots of Magic Rock and its fellow 

local beer by only pouring session beer of 4.5%ABV 

and under. The vibe for this event is set to be 

relaxed and there will be music, a dedicated cask 

bar. Tickets are on sale now on the Magic Rock 

website, but you should be quick if you want to 

attend as it will be a limited number (quickly opens 

new browser window).

BRISTOL CRAFT BEER FESTIVAL 

LLOYDS AMPHITHEATRE, BRISTOL 

7-8 June 

bristolcraftbeerfestival.co.uk 

What could be better than sipping exquisite craft 

beer at the harbourside in Bristol? If your answer 

to that is ‘not a lot’ then you should be buying 

tickets to the Bristol Craft Beer Festival. Go on, stop 

reading this and get on with it. 

For those still with us in need of persuasion, how 

about considering that there will be brewers such 

as Brew By Numbers, Bristol Beer Factory, Dugges, 

Gipsy Hill, Left Handed Giant, Northern Monk, North 

Brewing Co, Siren Craft Brew, The Kernel, Verdant 

and Wylam there? Not enough? How about live 

music and enough food to ensure you can stay 

there all day? Those wise enough to attend will 

also get a free tasting glass and a programme.

LONDON CRAFT BEER FESTIVAL 

TABACCO DOCK, LONDON 

9-11 August 

londoncraftbeerfestival.co.uk 

There’s something magical about London in 

the summer, and that can only be enhanced by 

attending one of its best craft beer gatherings, the 

London Craft Beer Festival this August. The event 

has a star-studded lineup including Amundsen, 

Anspach & Hobday, Brick Brewery, Five Points, 

Cloudwater, Lervig, Signature Brew, Thornbridge, 

Weird Beard and Wild Beer Co. The usual mix 

of music and food will also be thrown in and the 

venue of Tabacco Dock makes for an all-round cool 

experience.

FRIENDS & FAMILY & BEER FESTIVAL 

UPPER CAMPFIELD MARKET, MANCHESTER 

1-2 March 

friendsandfamily.beer 

When a beer giant like Cloudwater announces 

it’s going to run a beer festival, you better sit up 

and take notice. Especially when that festival 

is being run entirely not-for-profit, with charity 

getting all the takings and the general vibe of the 

event being a celebration of everything the brewer 

holds close to its heart. There will be a big array 

of what Cloudwater calls its family – brewers from 

across the UK, Europe and the rest of the world. 

There will be a wide range of styles, strengths 

and approaches of beer available to drink at the 

event including a large number of one-offs brewed 

specifically for it. We’ll see you there.

SHEFFIELD BEER WEEK 

MULTIPLE VENUES, SHEFFIELD 

11-17 March 

sheffieldbeerweek.co.uk 

For one week in March, Sheffield will become an 

even more awesome place than it already is when 

it hosts its fifth Sheffield Beer Week. As well as 

having the usual mix of great beer, music, talks and 

other events, the week also has a theme each year 

– with 2019’s set to be diversity and inclusion in 

beer. With International Women’s Day taking place 

just before the week starts, it’s awesome to see 

that the event will be celebrating women working 

in the beer industry. There’ll be a brewsters’ 

tap takeover collaboration with Norwich-based 

organisers Fem.Ale and much more. If there’s one 

thing beer does (or should do) it’s bring us together 

– something this well-regarded beer week has 

focussed on this year.

EDINBURGH CRAFT BEER FESTIVAL 

LEITH, EDINBURGH 

24-25 March 

edinburghcraftbeerfestival.co.uk 

Brewing north of the border is every bit as vibrant 

as it is in England, and that is perfectly showcased 

at the Edinburgh Craft Beer Festival in Leith. 

The lineup this year will include names such as 

Amundsen, Cloudwater, Fierce Beer, Firestone 

Walker, Marble, Pilot, Tempest Brew Co, To Øl, 

Whiplash and Wylam. If that doesn’t whet your 

appetite, then perhaps the excellent food and 

music offerings will help with that too? Quite 

frankly, if you are a fan of beer in Scotland, there’s 

absolutely no reason why you shouldn’t be here, 

making friends and drinking excellent beer.

LIVERPOOL CRAFT BEER EXPO 

INVISIBLE WIND FACTORY, LIVERPOOL 

27-30 June 

eventbrite.co.uk 

Beer festivals are so last year, it’s all about beer 

expos now. Well maybe not, but the Liverpool Craft 

Beer Expo should definitely be on your radar for 

2019. The modern expo will feature innovative 

brewers from the UK and Europe and will have 

afternoon and eveing sessions across four days. 

Entry to the expo will give you a commemorative 

guidebook and glass, plus you’ll be in Liverpool, 

which is a fantastic city that is well worth exploring.

LEEDS INTERNATIONAL BEER FESTIVAL 

LEEDS TOWN HALL, LEEDS 

6-9 September 

leedsbeer.com 

What’s not to love about Leeds? A four-day craft 

beer festival promoting craft beer brewed both in 

the UK and Europe is certainly not one thing. There 

will be a raft of brewers there complimented by a 

street food market, music across three stages and 

in the festival organisers’ own words ‘all sorts of 

lovely beer-related things’. We don’t know about 

you, but that sounds pretty great. Not to mention 

that we absolutely love Leeds and while you’re 

there you absolutely must visit Northern Monk’s 

taproom at its brewery in the city. Just trust us on 

this.

SWEET HARMONY 

The ‘Harmony’ Rastal bowl tapers to 

a smaller mouth which concentrates 

aromatics, making for a better 

drinking experience. Featuring a 

design from Northern Monk’s Patrons 

Project Skyline. 

A WILD ONE 

Wild Beer have, once again, produced 

the goods with this Teku glass 

featuring wraparound design. With 

a half pint capacity it’s a great 

accompaniment to use with your 

favourite nosh. 

W A N T Y O U R P R O D U C T F E A T U R E D ? C O

WE MAY HAVE 

BECOME OBSESSED 

WITH GLASSWARE... 

NECK OIL 

The Old Engine Oil 330ml glass from 

Harviestoun features understated but 

iconic Old Engline Oil branding, which 

really pops when filled with black ale, 

or an equally nice stout or porter of 

your choosing. 

IT’S A TRAPP 

The Orval chalice glass is iconic 

and an essential for any craft beer 

glassware obsessive. This trappist 

masterpiece was designed by 

Henry Vaes, who also designed the 

distinctive Orval beer bottle. 

N T A C T U S A T I N F O @ H O P U L I S T . C O M

ISLAND 

STATE OF MIND

Singapore is a fascinating place – from its colonial past 

to its financial superpower present – but when Hopulist 

visited town there was only one thing on our mind. And 

we were not found wanting on the craft beer front. 

By David Guest 

It’s hard to imagine just how Sir Stamford Raffles might 

have felt when he first arrived in what is now Singapore all 

the way back in 1819. A new, alien land filled with strange 

tropical wonders and near boundless opportunities – he 

must have been excited and apprehensive in equal measure. 

As I stepped off the plane into the cool, sharp blast of air 

conditioning at Singapore’s Changi airport, I was filled with 

a mixture of at least some of the emotions I imagine Raffles 

felt when he did the same (albeit from a boat and 200 years 

earlier). When he arrived, Sir Stamford quickly identified 

the island as an ideal port location for Britain in South East 

Asia and founded Singapore in February of that year, after 

brokering a deal with local people. Later in 1824, after further 

negotiation, Singapore actually became a British possession 

until as late as the 1960s when it gained independence. 

My motives for being here, however, are peaceful. The 

only trade deal I am looking to broker is how I can enjoy the 

best of one of Asia’s most vibrant craft beer destinations at a 

reasonable price. And it didn’t take long for me to realise that 

it would be a simple, engaging and rewarding process.

LITTLE RED DOT 

After a full day of sightseeing upon first arriving in Singapore, 

my feet had begun to throb and my throat had begun to 

crave the cool, refreshing and hoppy relief of a craft beer. I’d 

walked miles – literally – while exploring sights including 

the glamourous mega-luxury hotel Marina Bay Sands, the 

peaceful retreat that is Gardens by the Bay and the many 

historic, colonial-style buildings that line the streets pretty much 

everywhere you look in the centre of the city. And it was among 

some of this historic architecture that I stumbled across the first 

stop on my list of meticulously researched craft beer venues – 

Red Dot. 

Nestled in Boat Quay, a tributary that comes off the main 

marina, Red Dot is so named after the affectionate nickname 

Singapore has been known as for many years – the little red 

dot. The name simply refers to how this city state appears on 

maps due to its small size, but there’s nothing small about the 

ambition or grandeur of Red Dot Brewhouse. 

The venue claims to be the very first locally-owned, 

independent microbrewery in Singapore, with brewmaster Ernest 

Ng having become a home brewer and started the bar back in 

1997. All of the beer sold at Red Dot is brewed on site and the 

selection is impressive. There’s a core range comprising pilsners, 

wheat beers, IPAs, English ales, summer ales and lagers – and 

then a constantly rotating spectrum of seasonal beers too. Red 

Dot has a brewing capacity of 17,000 litres and its state-of-the-art 

facility meets the standards of the American Society of Engineers, 

but all that technical stuff aside, by just sampling one of the beers, 

I knew I’d started my craft beer adventure in a great place. 

I opted for a lime wheat beer from the seasonal menu that was 

a good steady start – made all the better by the fact I enjoyed it 

from Red Dot’s quayside terrace. Watching boats glide past on 

the water that sparkled with the reflections of the skyscrapers 

with colonial stonework surrounding them, I knew I was in for 

a great trip. 

“Watching boats 

glide past on the 

water that sparkled 

with the reflections of 

the skyscrapers with 

colonial stonework 

surrounding them, I 

knew I was in for a 

great trip.”

A NIGHT ON THE TILES 

My hotel during my stay was located in the Little India district 

of Singapore – which incidentally I cannot recommend enough 

as somewhere to wander around in the day time for incredible 

smells, sights and sounds – and as you would expect I’d studied 

where the nearest craft beer oasis was. Just a brisk (but warm) 

1km walk away from my hotel was probably one of Singapore’s 

most individual and stylish craft beer bars: Druggists. Don’t 

let the name fool you, it is so called because the building it 

lies in used to be a Chinese Druggists Association (basically 

a chemist), and the owners have kept many of the original 

features – the most striking of which are its blue and white 

patterned tiles on the floor. The tiles have become so locally 

famous that Druggists uses them as its own branding, featuring 

them on beer mats and the likes. The bar is small, humble 

and welcoming and reminded me of the type of place you 

would find in London – oozing cool and with knowledgable 

and passionate staff who were keen to help you choose from 

their fantastic array of international beers. Names upon the 

chalkboard over the bar included Mikkeller, To Øl, Magic Rock, 

Thornbridge and Amager. I enjoyed the farmhouse ale Nul from 

To Øl and sat back and breathed in the relaxed and friendly 

atmosphere. A group of young professionals spoke excitedly 

in English on some kind of after work social, while a Chinesespeaking 

family revelled in each other’s company over a board 

game I couldn’t quite work out the rules to. This place definitely 

had an ‘authentic’ craft bar feel and I spent the next few hours 

before bed enjoying the atmosphere. 

BUSINESS MEANS BUSINESS 

Singapore has a thriving economy – in fact it’s a world 

superpower – and at times you could be mistaken for thinking 

you were in London’s Canary Wharf. The banking and 

finance industry is huge here and there are plenty of affluent 

professionals in suits wandering the streets at any time of day 

MALAYSIA 

• Kuala Lumpur 

SINGAPORE 

Singapore is an 

island city-state 

in Southeast Asia. 

A global financial 

center with a 

tropical climate 

and multicultural 

population.

or night. Beach Road is one of the epicentres of trade and 

splendour in Singapore and the next bar I’d highlighted just 

happened to be right in that proverbial mixer. The Armoury 

described itself as a lively craft beer and gastro bar with exotic 

beers – I’ll be the judge of that, I thought. And so I was. 

The bar’s exterior impressed, boasting colonial-era heritage of 

its former life as an actual armoury. I dashed through the front 

door, narrowly avoiding a monumental soaking from a rainstorm 

that had just started as I approached the bar. It’s a common part 

of living in this part of the world, with the all-year-round warmth 

comes tropical showers that can soak you to the bone in seconds. 

Immediately I was struck by a definite ‘professionals after work’ 

vibe, but also a laidback ambience that made me feel comfortable 

to pull up to a table at the back and order a Freshly Squeezed IPA 

from Deschutes Brewery of the United States. 

The Armoury has a great range of American craft from names 

like Rogue and Stone and also some Japanese favourites like 

Hitachino. I tried one of the excellent burgers on offer 0and 

decided to make a hasty exit as a live band was setting up for the 

night – it was a Friday, so I envisaged things getting a little more 

rowdy than I was up for. 

Luckily the next stop was only a short (and thankfully covered) 

walk away – The Alchemist Beer Lab. The name sounded 

promising and when I learned while researching it that it only 

serves beer it brews in its own infusion beer towers, I was sold. 

The bar benefits from the inquisitive genius of award-winning 

brewmaster Steve Spinney, who together with owner Francis Khoo 

have experimented with making beers that are often curious and 

never dull. It seemed only right that I sampled as many beers as 

possible here, so I ordered a flight comprising of Sister Golden 

Ale, Whiter Shade of Pale Ale, Stars and Bars American IPA and 

Flaming Lips ginger beer. Each beer was a slight tweak on a classic 

and they were all made more enjoyable by the fact I sat outside on 

the bar’s patio and watched the seemingly never-ending world of 

Singapore high-flying business go by around me. 

“The international 

feel of Singapore 

is everywhere 

you go. It’s in the 

architecture, the 

wide range of 

languages spoken, 

the religions 

practiced and, 

thankfully for us, the 

beer drunk.”

“The bar also has 

its own chapter of 

Mikkeller Running 

Club, something I 

couldn’t resist buying 

some merchandise 

of, being a keen 

runner myself.” 

AN INTERNATIONAL FLAVOUR 

The international feel of Singapore is everywhere you go. It’s 

in the architecture, the wide range of languages spoken, the 

religions practiced and, thankfully for us, the beer drunk. Two 

particularly favourite examples of that I discovered during my 

stay were JiBiru and Mikkeller. 

JiBiru is a Japanese craft beer bar just off one of Singapore’s 

major shopping avenues, Orchard road. The name means ‘local 

beer’ and the range is pretty staggering. Avid Hopulist readers 

will remember our trip to Japan last year and the collection 

of Japanese beers here is worthy of any bar we visited there. 

Minoh is here, Hitachino is here, Echigo is here, even a good 

range of Sake is here if you get bored of the beer. And all of it 

can be served with accompanying delicious food. I didn’t stay 

long here as it was a busy Saturday afternoon, but it is a bar 

that should certainly be on your hit list. 

For a European flavour, the Mikkeller bar in Singapore is an 

absolute must. No matter where Mikkeller sets up its bars, it 

manages to perfectly marry its own style with the local feel. 

This bar is located not too far from the famous Raffles Hotel 

with its even more famous Long Bar (the birth place of the 

Singapore Sling cocktail), and is housed in a magnificent 

colonial-era building adorned with bright red shutters that 

really make it stand out. The building was in fact once a 

settlement for Chinese communities first arriving in Singapore 

years before. The bar had the usual excellent selection of beers 

and plenty of space to sit and enjoy good company and watch 

the world go by through those shuttered windows. As usual 

the staff were super friendly and genuinely fans of the beer 

they served, which always makes for a better beer drinking 

experience. The bar also has its own chapter of Mikkeller 

Running Club, something I couldn’t resist buying some 

merchandise of, being a keen runner myself.

GETTING HIGH 

The final craft beer place I visited in Singapore was 

completely by accident but could also make a good case 

for being the most memorable. Wandering around the 

marina with all those iconic sights of Singapore within 

view, a quick search on my phone revealed a bar I hadn’t 

uncovered in my research beforehand. Experience tends 

to tell me that places in touristy areas are not always the 

best bets for authentic craft experiences, but Level33 

piqued my interest. The bar’s first line of description is 

‘the world’s highest urban craft brewery’… 

A bit of exploring and whizzing up 33 floors of a 

skyscraper later and I discovered the place – a genuine 

brewery, making its own beer on the 33rd floor of an 

office block with probably the best view of Singapore 

right there in front of you. Copper brewing towers are 

dotted throughout the bar, which also serves 

some pretty good food I’m lead to believe. 

But the pièce de résistance is the terrace 

– part of which is open air. The views are 

simply stunning and the beer isn’t half bad 

either. The styles are fairly plain and there’s 

nothing exceptional about what they are 

doing here in brewing terms (expect perhaps 

logistically), but the view makes up for it and 

more. It was a fitting end to a fantastic trip as 

I watched the colours change with the fading 

light across the marina with a cold beer in 

hand that was brewed just yards from where I 

was standing. Craft beer can take you to some 

special places – physically and emotionally.

ALL’S WELL THAT ENDS IN KL 

It would be remiss of me not to mention 

another eclectic and enthralling South East 

Asian city that I also visited on this same 

trip, especially seen as it is only a onehour 

flight from Singapore. The Malaysian 

capital Kuala Lumpur is somewhere else I 

would recommend anyone to visit. Many 

people had described it 

to me as a mini Bangkok 

before I went, but I have 

to disagree with that 

analogy. Malaysia is a 

majority muslim country, 

and because of that, you 

can’t expect every corner 

of it to be a booze-fest or 

party town. So when in Kuala Lumpur, 

my advice would be not to expect beer on 

every corner or in every restaurant – it 

just does not happen. However, there were 

two decent craft beer places I managed 

to find (almost by accident) that I would 

recommend checking out if you’re in KL. 

The first couldn’t be easier to find – it’s 

right at the base of Kuala Lumpur’s most 

iconic tourist attract the Petronas Towers. 

It’s a Delerium bar – yes that Delerium, the 

Belgian beer experts of pink elephant fame. 

The bar features large indoor and outdoor 

seating areas and has a very good selection 

of Delerium’s own beers plus many other 

favourites from Belgium. It has a slightly 

cheesy feel to it with lots of plastic pink 

elephants and tourists stopping in due to 

its location, but it is the best pour you’ll 

find anywhere around. Best of all, if you 

sit out on the terrace in the 

evening, you can watch the 

famous light show in the 

Petronas Towers’ fountain. 

The second bar I found 

was a real gem – Taps Beer 

Bar, located in the Bukit 

Bintang region of the city 

at the base of a skyscraper. 

You could instantly tell the people running 

this place were genuine craft beer fans. 

The walls are adorned with empty bottles 

and cans from all over the world and 

moodily-lit bar has an excellent choice of 

beers behind it. Brewdog, Hitachino, Siren, 

Thornbridge, 2Brothers, Amager, Yo-Ho, 

Rogue, Mikkeller and more were all here – 

either on tap or in the well-stocked fridge. 

There was also an international vibe in here 

as the western style of the place attracts 

people who are perhaps less confident to 

hit more local style places.

“MAY YOUR CHOICES 

REFLECT YOUR HOPES, 

NOT YOUR FEARS.” 

NELSON MANDELA

CRAFT 

BEER 

ON A 

BUDGET

UNTAPPD RATINGS CORRECT AT TIME OF PUBLISHING 

CRAFT BEER CAN BE AN 

EXPENSIVE HOBBY. IF YOU’RE 

SAMPLING BEERS THAT HAVE 

BEEN IMPORTED ACROSS VAST 

LANDS AND SEAS THEN IT’S NOT 

UNUSUAL TO PAY UPWARDS OF 

£10 TO SAMPLE AN INDIVIDUAL 

BEER. BUT IT DOESN’T HAVE TO 

BE THAT WAY. WE’VE ASSEMBLED 

A LINEUP OF AFFORDABLE 

CRAFT BEERS THAT PROVE YOU 

CAN STILL ENJOY COMPLEX 

AND UNUSUAL FLAVOURS IN 

YOUR DRINK-ING ON A MODEST 

BUDGET. MOST OF THEM ARE 

FROM THE UK, BUT THERE’S 

A COUPLE OF EUROPEAN 

NUMBERS TOO, PROVING THAT 

GREAT TASTES DON’T HAVE TO 

COAST THE EARTH.

GREEN MOUNTAIN 

BAkEWELL 

Style: 

NE SESS|ON |PA 

ABV: 4.3% 

Volume: 330ml 

UNTPPED.com 

RAT|NG: ●●●●● 3.72 

WHAT THEY SAY: 

A beautiful hazy 

Vermont Session 

IPA. We generously 

dry hop with 

galaxy, mosaic, 

citra and Amarillo 

hops, creating a 

hugely aromatic 

and juicy 

fruitbomb. 

WHAT WE THINK: 

We’re big fans 

of Thornbridge 

and what they 

do and this beer 

really ticks a 

lot of boxes for 

us. Medium in 

mouthfeel, but 

punchy in unique 

hoppy flavours, 

Green Mountain 

is a session ale 

that doesn’t feel 

like it’s been 

watered down. 

It’s also widely 

available in UK 

supermarkets – 

bonus.

FULL FATHOM 5 

BREW|NG CO 

LEEDS 

Style: 

PORTER 

ABV: 6.5% 

Volume: 330ml 

UNTPPED.com 

RAT|NG: ●●●●● 3.69 


This is a full 

bodied indulgent 

porter. Toasted 

coconut was used 

at the end of 

the boil, and ‘dry 

coconutted’ in the 

fermenter. Single 

origin Rwandan 

coffee beans from 

North Star coffee 

roasters. 


The lightness 

of coconut just 

goes so perfectly 

with porter, we 

can’t believe 

it hasn’t been 

done more often. 

Notes of coffee 

come through in 

waves as you sip 

this dark and full 

bodied porter 

that is, in our 

opinion, a perfect 

nightcap or beer 

to round off a 

night.

JUPA 

HACKNEY 

Style: 

|PA 

ABV: 5.5% 

Volume: 330ml 

UNTPPED.com 

RAT|NG: ●●●●● 3.57 


Hopped with 

simcoe in the boil 

and dry-hopped 

with citra and 

mosaic, this beer 

has bold juicy 

citrus flavours 

and a tropical 

fruit character; 

think cantaloupe 

melon or papaya. 

With a low 

bitterness and 

refreshing body, 

this beer feels like 

a good way to 

kick off spring. 


Five Points says 

this beer feels like 

a good way to 

kick off spring and 

when we sipped 

its hazy, orange 

goodness we 

had to agree. It 

had us dreaming 

of warmer days. 

The orange and 

lemon aromas 

are matched with 

a straw, biscuit 

and a subtle 

fruity flavour that 

is toned down 

well by a mild 

bitterness. Nicely 

balanced.

A PEELING PALE 

COPENHAGEN 

Style: 

PALE ALE 

ABV: 5% 

Volume: 330ml 

UNTPPED.com 

RAT|NG: ●●●●● 3.5 


Feeling yellow? 

A citrousy pale 

ale with a warm 

orange peel and 

loaded up with 

the freshest citra 

hops. 


Besides the 

beautiful can, this 

beer is a great 

example of how 

to make citra work 

for you in an IPA. 

Very hazy with a 

small head, the 

beer has aromas 

of oranges (as 

you’d expect) and 

once you taste it 

you get the full 

fruity flavour and 

a fairly harsh 

smack of citrus. 

It can be a little 

tart and not to 

everyone’s liking 

– it is certainly a 

beer you wouldn’t 

want to have too 

many of in one 

sitting.

X TW|STED BARREL 

CULTURE SHOCK KVEIK 

LEEDS x COVENTRY 

Style: 

|pa 

ABV: 6.8% 

Volume: 440ml 

UNTPPED.com 

RAT|NG: ●●●●● 3.87 


Culture Shock 

has a complex 

malt base including 

wheat, 

rye and oats, 

and a substantial 

dry hop of citra 

and el dorado. 

It is the yeast, 

however, that is 

the protagonist 

of this beer. The 

beer uses the 

Sigmund’s Voss 

strain, which 

brings a light 

earthy spiciness. 


We’re not sure 

which culture is 

being shocked 

here by this collab 

from two of the 

UK’s brightest 

brewers, but we 

like it. A darker 

and more hazy 

IPA than many 

others, the beer 

has notes of 

tropical fruit but 

a much more 

complex flavour 

that marries those 

citrusy fla-vours 

with oats and a 

tiny drop of herb.

BERRY BERLINER 

LONDON 

Style: 

BERL|NER WE|SSE 

ABV: 3.5% 

Volume: 440ml 

UNTPPED.com 

RAT|NG: ●●●●● 3.54 


New Howling Hops 

beer klaxon! This 

berry Berliner 

Weisse is loaded 

with fresh berries 

to create a 

delicate, fruity and 

super sessionable 

brew which weighs 

in at just 3.5% ABV. 


A Berliner weisse 

that takes you to 

Berry Town and 

pushes you into its 

biggest berry lake. 

This is everything 

you’d expect 

from this kind of 

beer: tart, sharp, 

acidic and with 

a berry flavour 

that eventually 

gives way to 

more subtle notes 

like lemon and 

toasted grains. A 

real beauty.

SAUCERY 

HUDDERSF|ELD 

Style: 

SESS|ON |PA 

ABV: 3.9% 

Volume: 330ml 

UNTPPED.com 

RAT|NG: ●●●●● ??? 


A supernatural 

session IPA made 

for drinking all 

day long. Lightly 

sweet and malty 

Golden Promise 

malt, a balanced 

bitterness and 

layers of tropical 

fruit filled citra 

and ekuanot hops 

in a whirlpool and 

dry hop. 


It never ceases 

to amaze us 

how Magic Rock 

keeps putting out 

these ace session 

beers. This number 

has a hazy 

golden orange 

colour and an 

aroma that is 

mixed citrus and 

refreshing. The 

fermentation 

with London Ale 

II yeast gives an 

enhanced malt 

and hop profile 

against this fruity 

body.

SLEEPING LIMES 

CO 

SHEPTON MALLET 

Style: 

GOSE 

ABV: 4.6% 

Volume: 330ml 

UNTPPED.com 

RAT|NG: ●●●●● 3.3 


We have traversed 

the globe to 

Mexico where we 

celebrate Brett’s 

love of South 

American food 

and citrus zing of 

the mighty lime. 

Clean and crisp 

with refreshingly 

tangy limes and 

a moreish briny 

finish. 


If you’ve ever 

tried Wild Beer’s 

Sleeping Lemons, 

then this a 

cleaner, crisper 

version made 

with lime that 

takes the Corona 

and lime wedge 

and steps it up 

several notches. 

It has a sweet 

flavour and very 

tart finish that is 

complemented 

perfectly by a 

medium white 

head and clear, 

golden coloured 

body.

ELVIS JUICE 

ELLON 

Style: 

AMER|CAN |PA 

ABV: 6.5% 

Volume: 330ml 

UNTPPED.com 

RAT|NG: ●●●●● 3.81 


An American IPA 

with a bitter edge 

that will push your 

citrus tolerance 

to the brink and 

back; Elvis Juice 

is loaded with tart 

pithy grapefruit 

peel. 


A modern-day 

classic, we simply 

love this beer. 

Light notes of 

pine in the aroma, 

but the taste is 

nothing short of 

a smack in the 

face of grapefruit. 

However the initial 

tartness subsides 

to a more clean, 

sweet and hoppy 

finish. One of 

Brewdog’s best.

SESSION IPA 

LONDON 

Style: 

SESS|ON |PA 

ABV: 3.6% 

Volume: 330ml 

UNTPPED.com 

RAT|NG: ●●●●● 3.4 


A rich and wellbalanced 

IPA 

packing a load 

of summit and 

chinook hops. 

Another beer in 

our pursuit for 

the perfect pint. 


Another beer 

that is widely 

available in UK 

supermarkets, 

this session ale 

has the unusual 

addition of 

summit hops, 

which gives it a 

more grassy and 

piney bitterness 

than many beers 

of this type. It’s 

very well rounded, 

with no flavour 

particularly 

spiking.

STOUT 

BREWERY 

ZAGREB 

Style: 

|MPER|AL STOUT 

ABV: 5.7% 

Volume: 330ml 

UNTPPED.com 

RAT|NG: ●●●●● N/A 


A dark, milky 

breakfast stout. 

Full bodied with 

a low to medium 

bitterness and low 

carbination. 


This is a stout 

we really enjoy 

thanks to its 

bourbon aroma, 

and long lingering 

flavours of coffee, 

chocolate, dark 

caramel and 

bourbon barrel. 

The beer is made 

with chocolate 

and black roasted 

malts and you 

can re-ally tell. 

Quite a heavy 

mouthfeel, almost 

creamy at times.

BY THE NUMBERS 

When Brew By Numbers do something 

they do it with style and this ‘Kit’ 

t-shirt is no exception. Available in 

sizes small to doubleXL and grey 

(pictured), maroon or navy. 

GROUND CONTROL 

Saturn V is a limited edition screen 

print of the brewing process all done 

in the fantastic styling of Redwell’s 

Steam Lager can design. Don’t just 

drink it, hang it on your wall! 

W A N T Y O U R P R O D U C T F E A T U R E D ? C O

BECAUSE SOME 

THINGS YOU NEED 

IN YOUR LIFE... 

KEEP ON TRUCKING 

Harbour have knocked it out the park 

with these classic snapback trucker 

hats. Embroidered with the Harbour 

Brewing Company logo they are 

available in brown/orange, blue/white 

or black/silver. 

BAR BLADE 

Something a little different to the 

usual clothing merch, these Drygate 

branded bar blades really caught our 

eye, strong graphics and a robust 

useful tool. What more can you ask? 

N T A C T U S A T I N F O @ H O P U L I S T . C O M

WRITERS OF 

CRAFT 

MATTHEW 

CURTIS 

MATTHEW CURTIS IS A BEER WRITER 

AND PHOTOGRAPHER WITH SOME 

PRETTY IMPRESSIVE PROJECTS 

UNDER HIS BELT. WE FIND OUT HOW 

HIS HUMBLE BEER BLOG HELPED 

CATAPULT HIM TO BEER WRITER 

EXTRAORDINAIRE. 

How did you get into beer writing? What inspired you? 

I’ve been into beer for as long as I can remember. However, 

my first trip to the USA in 2010 turned fascination into 

something of an obsession. I started visiting as many 

breweries as I could, and tasting as many different beers as 

I could. It annoyed the hell out of my friends because all 

I wanted to talk about was beer. I’ve also always enjoyed 

writing, having done bits and bobs over the years, with a few 

blogs on various subjects, but nothing ever very good. Late in 

2011 my partner, Dianne, suggested I start a beer blog to try 

and vent some of my enthusiasm into something productive. 

So, I started my beer blog, Total Ales, in January 2012 and the 

rest is history.

Give us a brief overview of 

your experience and work in 

beer writing? 

Total Ales was where it all started, 

and it was the first time I’d started 

a blog that people seemed to be 

interested in reading! With that 

impetus acting as motivation, 

I started actively promoting 

my work through social media, 

and building a little audience 

on the way. I’m also pretty 

argumentative, and not afraid to 

stick my oar in if I don’t agree 

with things, so this started plenty 

of conversations — and still does. 

About 18 months after I started 

my blog I was contacted by my 

now very good friend Chris Hall, 

as he was looking for someone 

to collaborate on a project called 

100 Best Breweries In The World 

for Future Publishing. That was 

published in March 2014 and 

things started to snowball from 

there. I was picked up by the 

emergent Ferment Magazine 

which I’ve now contributed 

towards for over four years. My 

friends Jen Ferguson and Glenn 

Williams opened a cool shop 

called Hop Burns & Black and 

hired me to write their beer 

column, and a pub local to me 

called The Duke’s Head hired 

me to run beer events for them 

(which, sadly, I no longer do — 

but I do events with plenty of 

other folks). 

At this point my beer writing 

had become a little part-time job 

on top of my then full time job in 

musical instrument distribution 

I’M IMMENSELY 

PROUD OF THE 

AWARDS I’VE 

RECEIVED FOR 

MY WORK 

FROM BOTH 

THE BRITISH 

AND AMERICAN 

GUILDS OF 

BEER WRITERS. 

TROUBLE IS 

THEY’VE JUST 

MADE ME 

HUNGRY FOR 

MORE! 

(which was very boring for me). 

I wanted to do more and more 

beer work, and in July 2015 I was 

offered the opportunity to work 

for Chicago-based beer site Good 

Beer Hunting (GBH). Things 

shifted fast after that, I felt I was 

finally beginning to cut my teeth 

as a professional writer. So, after a 

lot of thought and a little saving, 

I quit my job and went freelance 

in Feburary 2016. I carried on 

working for several publications, 

eventually being made an Editor at 

GBH in late 2017. This year though 

I made the decision to concentrate 

on my freelance career and get 

my byline out there, so parted 

ways with GBH. I’m still writing 

for plenty of other folks though, 

and always hunting for new and 

interesting commissions. It’s a really 

exciting time to be a beer writer! 

How did you carve your niche 

as a way of helping beer brands 

say what they want to say in a 

better way? 

I don’t do a huge amount of 

consultancy if I’m being honest but 

it’s something I want to do more 

of as I expand my repertoire. But 

when I do, it’s always a brewery 

that’s really keen to hear my insight 

into their business or the industry 

as a whole, and conversations 

over a pint can blossom into a 

little work, typically helping them 

getting their voice heard by a wider, 

or more specific audience. It came 

about very organically, it feels like a 

natural extension of my writing and 

photography.

What has been your proudest moment? 

Working on the editorial team at GBH, and building a 

strong UK team featuring the likes of Claire Bullen, Jonny 

Garrett and Lily Waite gave me a real sense of achievement. 

Initially being the site’s sole UK contributor could be a little 

intimidating at times. Being asked to build that team felt 

like a real vote of confidence at the time, and I’m proud to 

leave such a strong team of writers behind as the site goes in 

its own direction. 

I’m also immensely proud of the awards I’ve received for 

my work from both the British and American guilds of Beer 

Writers. Trouble is they’ve just made me hungry for more! 

Hopefully there’ll be a few more in my future. 

What has changed most in the 

beer/craft beer industry since 

you’ve been writing about it? 

It’s way more corporate – which isn’t 

really a bad thing – this is the natural 

order. It’s a young industry that’s 

maturing but the important thing to 

remember is that it IS an industry. 

There’s a lot of folks desperate to cling 

to that convivial, pally feel the industry 

had when it was in its infancy, and 

that’s getting to be more difficult, 

which I know some find frustrating.

WHAT ARE YOUR TOP THREE TIPS FOR BEERS LOVERS TO 

GET MORE FROM THEIR EXPERIENCES? 

1. TRAVEL. 

Travel everywhere. Go to Chicago and Auckland and 

Prague and Tokyo and wherever you can find beer – 

which is everywhere! Immerse yourself in other beer 

cultures as this is the best way to give you increased 

perspective on your own. 

2. CARRY A CAMERA WITH YOU. 

It doesn’t need to be an expensive one, but pictures are 

a wonderful way of helping you to recall highlights of 

a trip. I’m also a professional photographer and for me 

one photo can be as valuable as several pages of notes. 

3. WRITE ABOUT YOUR EXPERIENCES. 

Nothing crystallises your perspective more. I love to 

see new beer blogs appear on the scene, and I feel that 

there’s room for plenty more. Oh, and a bonus tip, tell 

people about your blog. You might just experience a 

similar journey to myself.

My work takes me to the USA a lot, 

and this gives me great perspective 

of where I think the UK industry 

is heading. The US beer industry is 

way larger and far more corporate 

than much of the UK. But it’s still 

edge-of-your-seat exciting, which 

gives me the same excitement 

about how the UK beer industry is 

maturing. I just hope those working 

within it can mature as fast as the 

industry itself. 

What are your favourite kinds of 

beer and why? 

A classic American IPA in the 7% 

range will always be right in my 

wheelhouse. I like bitter, citrus 

flavours, confident malt notes and 

a tantalisingly bitter finish. Think 

Odell IPA, Russian River Pliny the 

Elder or something like Magic Rock 

Cannonball in the UK. I love the 

way the extra weight of a 7% or 8% 

beer adds definition to bold hop 

flavours. 

I’m a huge fan of mixed 

fermentation sour beers, particularly 

saisons from the likes of Burning 

Sky or Mills at home, or folks like 

Allagash and New Belgium in the US. 

For me, these beers are getting to be 

as complex and interesting as some 

of the best wines. I love sharing big 

750ml bottles of these with friends (or, 

sometimes sharing a whole one with 

myself,) and would like to see more of 

these styles packaged in this way. 

I also really love lagers from the 

Bavarian and Bohemian regions of 

Germany and Czechia, something 

with soft bready malts and snappy 

herbal hops. Sometimes it’s the 

I REALLY NEED 

TO MENTION 

CASK, BECAUSE 

I LOVE MY 

CASK BEER, 

ESPECIALLY 

RED ALES AND 

STOUTS AT 

THE MOMENT. 

I’D LOVE TO 

SEE MORE 

BREWERIES 

BACKING 

DARKER STYLES. 

only style of beer I want to drink. 

Finally, I really need to mention 

cask, because I love my cask beer, 

especially red ales and stouts at 

the moment. I’d love to see more 

breweries backing darker styles. So 

basically, I like everything. 

On the future of beer – what 

excites you the most? And what 

worries you (if anything)? 

I’m an optimist, so I find the 

evolution of the industry as a whole 

very exciting, despite the challenges 

it faces such as consolidation and 

things like cask being in slow decline. 

However, I think the consolidation of 

cask could be turned to the brewers’ 

advantage. Less cask on the bar could 

be an opportunity for better cask 

on the bar. I’m glad to see young 

brewers like Cloudwater and Verdant 

deciding to back the format, however 

hyperbolic you may feel this to be. 

I’m also fascinated where the 

world of beer starts to blur, as it 

meets fellow industries like wine, 

cider and coffee. These industries 

are so very different, but at the same 

time share an immense amount in 

common. I’m excited to see what 

happens at the fringes of these 

industries as they, hopefully, begin 

to look more alike. I feel this is 

where beer’s future is. And that’s the 

one thing that worries me, at the 

moment, beer’s distant future, so 

10 or 20 years, feels very blurry to 

me. There is an immense amount of 

uncertainty ahead, but hopefully we 

can work together and chart strong 

routes through any choppy waters 

that may block our path.

IS FOR, WELL, 

LOTS OF THINGS. 

THAT’S WHY WE 

HAVE DEVISED 

OUR OWN BEER 

GLOSSARY 

FOR YOU TO 

DRINK IN. 

IMPROVE YOUR 

KNOWLEDGE OF 

WHAT MAKES 

BEER SO GREAT 

AND IMPRESS 

YOUR FRIENDS 

IN THE BAR. 

WHAT HAVE YOU 

GOT TO LOSE? 

GROWLER 

What would craft 

beer be without the 

faithful growler? 

Well, probably a lot 

less interesting for 

people who like what 

they like. Growlers, 

usually sized in 32oz 

or 64oz, are often 

sold by craft beer 

taprooms as a way 

of beer lovers to 

take away a decent 

sample of their 

favourite tipples to 

enjoy at home. They 

are also a great way 

for transporting 

your own home 

brews. Whether 

glass, ceramic or 

aluminium, a growler 

is an essential 

bit of kit for any 

discerning beer 

lover. 

A

GALAXY HOPS 

A long time ago 

in a galaxy far, 

far away… Okay, 

so it was actually 

Australia and that 

galaxy reference 

was pretty cheap, 

but galaxy hops is 

a killer flavour that 

is worth the big 

entrance. The hops 

is largely grown 

down under and 

offers punchy notes 

of passion fruit, 

peach, pineapple 

and other tropical 

fruits. The hop is 

very often used in a 

dry hopping method 

to really emphasise 

the powerful punch 

it packs. Good 

examples of beer 

with galaxy hops 

include Beyond 

the Pale by Point 

Brewing Co and 

Walkabout Pale Ale 

from Flat 12. 

GOLDEN ALE 

Anything golden has 

to be good right? 

Well, in the guise of 

golden ale then that 

is certainly true. A 

ray of sunshine in 

the drinking world, 

golden ale is usually 

pale, well-hopped 

and light on the 

tastebuds. Naturally 

pale or straw 

coloured, these 

beers normally have 

citrusy hop flavours 

and don’t weigh 

in too strongly on 

the ABV scale. You 

can count Hika by 

Maule Brewing and 

Bombay Honey by 

the Indian Brewing 

Company as two 

of our favourite 

examples of good, 

honest, clean golden 

ales. 

GRAVITY 

No, we’re not talking 

about how much 

you weigh on the 

moon here, we’re 

talking about 

a brewing term 

that refers to the 

amount of dissolved 

solids in the liquid 

you are drinking. 

Within beer, that 

usually refers to 

sugars. Gravity 

is measured in a 

pretty complicated 

way with lots of 

numbers, but all 

you need to know 

is that the higher it 

is, usually means 

it has a higher ABV 

too. It tends to mean 

different things to 

different beer styles 

too. We won’t lie that 

it is one for the more 

serious beer geeks, 

but it definitely can 

improve your beer 

tasting experience 

getting to know it.

GRIST 

It may look a bit 

like regurgitated 

porridge, but grist is 

an essential part of 

the brewing process. 

The term refers to 

the substance you 

are left with after 

grinding the malt 

and cereals for a 

brew – it is one of 

the very first stages 

in the glorious 

process of creating 

beer. These malt 

and cereal grains 

can be ground (or 

milled) either dry or 

wet to offer different 

outcomes and can 

also be milled to 

different levels of 

fineness. 

GERMINATION 

This term might 

sound like it doesn’t 

belong in beer, but 

it actually plays a 

mighty important 

role. When barley 

grain goes through 

a process known as 

malting, germination 

refers to when 

the grain begins 

to sprout when 

submerged in water. 

This process can be 

halted at any stage 

by simply drying 

the barley out – and 

different levels of 

germination equate 

to different kinds 

of beers. Bet you 

wished you’d paid 

more attention in 

chemistry classes at 

school now, eh? 

A 

GOBLET 

Before your inner 

Harry Potter fan 

gets too excited, 

these goblets are 

not of fire, but of 

beer. A goblet (or 

chalice) is one of the 

larger types of beer 

glass around and is 

often characterized 

by a large, goldfish 

bowl-shaped 

drinking vessel 

mounted onto a 

thick and sometimes 

long stem. Normally 

they are used for 

European style 

beers like Belgian 

ales (particularly 

Trappist ones) and 

German bocks. Their 

grand nature can 

often be perfectly 

complemented by 

a gold rim – so you 

can still feel like a 

wizard, even though 

it has NOTHING to do 

with Harry Potter.

WE’RE GROWING... 

WANT TO BE PART OF OUR STORY? 

SINCE OUR LAUNCH OVER A YEAR AGO, HOPULIST HAS ATTRACTED 

OVER 32,000 VIEWS AND GROWING. WE HAVE ATTRACTED 

READERS FROM AROUND THE GLOBE – AND NOW WE WANT TO 

SHARE OUR SUCCESS. 

CONTACT US TODAY TO FIND OUT HOW YOU COULD USE OUR FAST- 

GROWING PLATFORM TO REACH AN EXPANDING AUDIENCE OF 

DISCERNING AND GENUINE CRAFT BEER DRINKERS. 

COME RAISE A GLASS WITH US… 

INFO@HOPULIST.COM

11/03 

UN|TED k|NGDOM 

Style: 

SESS|ON |PA 

ABV: 4.2% 

Volume: 440ML 

Brew By Numbers is one 

of those brewers that 

represents the core of what 

craft beer is all about and 

this take on a session IPA is 

a thing of sheer perfection 

in our eyes. It’s a blast of 

mosaicy goodness.

You know you make 

good beer when you 

don’t even have to give 

your brews fancy names and 

slogans, you just number them. 

Okay, so the guys at Brew By 

Numbers, based in Bermondsey 

in London, are nowhere near 

that arrogant to put it like that 

themselves. But the fact that its 

beers are named with a simple 

numbering system shows that 

their hearts and minds are in 

the right place: focused on 

quality brewing. 

BBNo is the brainchild of 

Tom and Dave, who met on 

a rock climbing tour around 

Asia. After discovering their 

mutual interest in craft beer, 

the two joined up on their 

return to London along with a 

third party, Tom, and created 

a microbrewery they hoped 

THE 

GOLD 

CLUB 

IN THIS SERIES 

WE EXAMINE THE 

BEERS THAT WE 

THINK HAVE TOUCHED 

PERFECTION. JUST 

HOW DO THEY DO IT?

would deliver IPAs and Pale Ales that did things 

differently and did things well. And so Brew 

By Numbers was born. The ethos is to create 

forward-thinking beers that focus on quality 

and drinkability – whether that’s perfecting 

traditional styles, or creating new ones entirely. 

And we just happen to believe one of their very 

best beers is the one you see right before you. 

Brew By Numbers describes 11/03 – its 

session IPA created only with the single hop 

mosaic – as a beer with “all the hop character 

of an Indian pale ale, crammed into a low 

ABV beer. Mosaic hops take centre stage 

here.” Now, before we go any further, we must 

unashamedly admit that one of the reasons we 

THE ETHOS IS TO CREATE FORWARD- 

THINKING BEERS THAT FOCUS ON 

QUALITY AND DRINKABILITY. 

love this beer so damned much is that mosaic 

is among our top three hops in brewing. But 

that aside, we simply have to share this beer 

with you due to its all round quality. 

The hazy golden colour when poured 

is only the beginning of the pleasurable 

experience that is drinking this beer. When 

you bring it to your nose, you’ll enjoy those 

oh-so-familiar notes of lemon, mango 

and other citrus fruits as well as a grassy, 

piney undertone. The taste packs a similar 

punch with those citrus flavours perfectly 

complementing a mild bitterness and 

essence of malt. But the punch does not 

leave you on the floor, the beer has a light 

finish and a relatively light mouthfeel, which 

reminds you that this isn’t some heavyhitting 

DIPA, it’s a session beer, that you can 

enjoy several of without losing your senses. 

Quite frankly, this is a beer that is just so 

ridiculously drinkable it kind of summarises 

exactly what Brew By Numbers is about. It 

doesn’t rely on a witty name or some crazy 

pyschadelic artwork on the can (although 

just for the record and with our designer’s 

cap on, we absolutely love these latest slick 

and clean can designs) – it simply relies on 

a beer that will get you telling your friends 

about it and desperately trying to remember 

the number combination that is it’s name. 

Brew By Numbers makes several of these 

types of beers in its 11 range of session 

IPAs, and many of those combine mosaic 

with other well-suited hops – but for us this 

is mosaic at its purest, mosaic at its finest 

and mosaic delivered in a no frills way that 

is hard to resist. And it’s important to pay 

homage to this hops, as it was one of the first 

major hops to be picked up by American 

and British craft brewers to start developing 

beers that offered some real punchy flavour 

with citrusy twang. And we all have a chance 

meeting on a rock climbing adventure in 

China to thank for a beer that us at Hopulist 

couldn’t imagine being without. Cheers.

OUR FAVOURITE 

CRAFT BEERS OF 

THE MOMENT. 

SO GOOD WE 

ARE DRINKING 

THEM AT HOME.

WYLAM 

THE SHAPE 

DDH IPA 

A limited edition IPA 

packed with hops 

giving a powerful citrus, 

orange peel aroma with 

traces of pale malt. The 

taste is an explosion 

of ripe mango, orange 

and pineapple. Overall 

an excellent IPA, well 

balanced and as packed 

with fresh hop flavours 

as you would hope and 

expect from a drink of 

this style. 

ABV: 6.7% 

Colour: Hazy gold 

Aroma: Malt/citrus 

Taste: Orange/citrus

MAGIC ROCK 

THE WAVE 

PROJECT 

DDH SESSION IPA 

The wave project UK 

supports 1,000 people 

every year through surf 

and beach therapy to 

help young people feel 

less anxious. So when 

you buy this satisfying, 

tropical fruit flavoured, 

session IPA you will 

also be supporting a 

worthwhile cause as 

part of the proceeds 

is going directly to the 

registered charity. 

ABV: 5.2% 

Colour: Yellow 

Aroma: Tropical/pine 

Taste: Tropical/pine

DURATION 

TURTLES ALL 

THE WAY DOWN 

AMERICAN PALE 

It’s been a long time 

coming, but the wait 

to sample some of 

Duration’s fine work 

has been worth it. This 

supremely balanced 

and well-rounded 

American pale has a 

full arsenal of different 

hops including magnum 

and mosaic, hallertau 

blanc grist that cast a 

spell on the tastebuds. 

We can’t wait for more. 

ABV: 5.5% 


Aroma: Tropical/citrus 

Taste: Tropical/citrus

NORTH BREWING 

ORIGIN OF 

WATER 

BRUT IPA 

This is a beer that is 

right on trend, perfectly 

showcasing the German 

Hallertau Blanc hops. 

The aroma and the 

taste of this beer are 

clear and clean and 

almost a little wine-like 

in places. The mouthfeel 

is incredibly light and 

bubbly and it ends with 

a slight biscuity malt 

flavour, but the overall 

impression is crisp and 

light 

ABV: 6% 

Colour: Pale gold 

Aroma: Fruity, wine 

Taste: Wine, biscuit, 

malt

GARAGE 

LEFT SAIGON 

SESSION IPA 

Spanish stalwarts 

Garage have done it 

again with a juicy IPA 

brewed in collaboration 

with Civil Society and 

3 Stars. A New England 

style loaded with hops 

give a definate citrus 

burst along with some 

mild maltiness. Well 

made, very sessionable 

and incredibly hazy. 

ABV: 4.8% 


Aroma: Citrus 

Taste: Citrus/malt

EVIL TWIN 

KEY LIME PIE 

IPA 

A beer like this is always 

going to attract our 

attention because it’s so 

unusual. Evil Twin has 

pulled it off though, with 

an outstanding aroma 

that carries lime and 

other citrus notes that 

gives way to a punchy 

sour flavour that 

delivers on all fronts. 

Forget about desert, 

have this instead. 

ABV: 7% 


Aroma: Limes 

Taste: Limes

CIB 

SHELL SHOCK 

IPA 

Unless you are 

fortunate enough to 

find yourselves in the 

Cayman Islands it is 

unlikely you will get hold 

of this, luckily we know 

a man on the island who 

supplied us with a few 

bottles of ‘The Island 

IPA’. A Crisp tropical 

fruit aroma and flavour 

with a slightly bitter 

aftertaste. We just wish 

we were drinking it on 

Seven Mile Beach... 

ABV: 5.2% 

Colour: Copper 

Aroma: Tropical/citrus 

Taste: Tropical/toast

BURNT MILL 

GALAXY FOG 

IPA 

The first in a series of 

single hop beers being 

produced by Burnt Mill, 

fermented with London 

Fog yeast. Galaxy hops 

bring huge peach and 

passion fruit aromas 

to this strong IPA. The 

taste is big on grapefruit 

with a real chewy hoppy 

aftertaste. We can’t wait 

to try the others in the 

range. 

ABV: 6.4% 

Colour: Gold 

Aroma: Peach/tropical 

Taste: Grapefruit

OUTER RANGE 

NATURE SHAPES 

DDH IPA 

Outer Range Brewing 

Company are based in 

Frisco, Colorado and 

from the few beers we 

have tried from their 

range we think they 

are well worth keeping 

an eye out for. This 

IPA is a straight up 

fruit juice fest with 

prominent citrus aroma 

and flavours. Orange, 

grapefruit, lemon... you 

name it, it’s in there. 

ABV: 6.2% 

Colour: Hazy yellow 

Aroma: Tropical fruits 

Taste: Tropical/malt

NEXT ISSUE READY FOR CONSUMPTION 

SUMMER 2019

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EDITORIAL: DAVID GUEST 

DESIGN: MARK GRAFTON

Hopulist Issue 7

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