Eating isn't Cheating: Punk IPA 5.6%

Is Brewdog Punk IPA really the first canned "Craft beer" in the UK?

Neil, Eating isn't Cheating Monday, February 07, 2011

The subject of dispense is one that gets a massive amount of coverage in the beer blogosphere, never more so than last week when the friday blog "Session" was pointedly requesting those in the know to flex their literary muscles and wax lyrical about can vs bottle vs cask vs keg.

So it seems fitting that Brewdog would announce on their blog the following day that Punk IPA (the new 5.6% version) would be available in cans from the 10th of February.

Let's get this out of the way nice and early. I'm all for Brewdog being available in cans, I'm all for any craft beer being made available in cans provided the flavour isn't effected. It's environmentally friendly, economically sensible, and well lets face it, they fit in the fridge better (just a light 45-60 minute chill in there mind you).

We all know that the Americans love craft in a can, infact for a lot of companies over there it is seen as the standard way to contain beer - with glass bottles becoming less used every year. Mark Dredge has openly promoted it, and Melissa of 'Taking the Beard out of Beer' is also a big fan. So what's the problem?

Unfortunetly I think this side of the pond is going to take some convincing. Generally speaking it's just the macro lagers and smooth bitters that get a canning in the UK. I'd go so far as to say the fact that decent beer generally comes in a 500ml bottle over here (Brewdog again always have to be different don't they) is important to many craft beer drinkers, it keeps things simple - tat in cans, quality in bottles, easy!

I think this is why so many people are worried about cans. They are worried the beer will change for the worse. The Beer will move to meet the can, rather than the vessle being designed to accomodate the beer.

Brewdog have, as usual, done it differently. They've used the same light filtration as they did for their bottles, and have kept the beer unpasteurised. This is hugely important, and is made 100% clear by them on their blog:

"We will be sending the beer down all ready to package, to the same very lightly filtered specification we use on our bottled and kegged beers. We will also be bypassing the pasturization part of the process meaning the beer in the can will be not pasteurized and only very lightly filtered leaving all the amazing hoppy flavour to explode out of the can at you when your crack it open!"

So is Brewdog Punk IPA the first craft beer in a can available in the UK? Zak Avery wrote a blog post ages ago (yes Zak i've been reading your musings for some time now) saying that Badger were going to put their 'craft beer' in cans. This has now happened, I've seen the cans of tanglefoot myself in Morrisons. But is it craft? Or is it just beer in a can? Is there a difference? Badger make some nice beers, and tanglefoot in a can is a decent drop. But for me it's a different beast to Punk in cans. I can't quite bring myself to call Hobgoblin, Pedigree, London Pride or Tanglefoot, which are all available canned, Craft canned beer. Even though they are all perfectly decent beers, it just doesn't feel right.

For me it comes down to the filtration and pasteurisation in the first instance, but also the quality of the beers ingredients and production methods. The high amounts of hops, high quality ingredients, minimal filtration and lack of pasteurisation all come together to make beer that is fresh tasting and full of vibrant, multi-layered flavour. Ironically, the same reasons that mean when done well cask is hard to beat.

So the question is, if they've got it to this stage at such high quality why would they risk putting it in a container which would harm the flavour? The answer is that they wouldn't. There's nothing wrong with craft in a can provided the beer hasn't been changed to suit the container, and the can itself is properly lined (which they all are anyway nowadays). Brewdog have built a following thanks to some *cough* imaginitive marketing, and most importantly some amazing tasting beers that are completely different to those brewded by other UK brewers. So provided the beer remains awesome, who cares if it's canned?

Long live craft in cans!

Anyway, that's my two-pence worth. Please feel free to comment, and tell me how wrong I am.

Spicy Potato Wedges

Punk IPA with peppered steak and spicy wedges - a fitting fair-well?

Neil, Eating isn't Cheating Monday, January 31, 2011

Lots of beer fans have been talking about the fact Brewdog have decided to make the once experimental "Punk X" the new recipe Punk IPA.

If you've not seen the news then it boils down to this; Brewdog ran a number of test brews of a new recipe Punk IPA and called them Punk X, these were tasted and voted on by fans of Brewdog in their own bars and a few select outlets. They were also briefly available bottled through the Brewdog shop. Well when the votes were counted it seemed that the Punk X was the clear winner, and will now replace the old recipe Punk IPA as the new Punk IPA.

Confused? Don't be, basically they believe the new recipe is a big improvement and a much more 'rounded' beer all in all. Mark Dredge reckons the new Punk's better, and many other trusted names say the same. I just hope that the new Punk has the qualities that I love so much about the old, namely:
Smell: Slightly soapy, medicinal hops that become more spicy and piney as it comes up to cellar temp.
Taste/feel: Faint fruit/juicy malt bowled over by a mass of herbal, spicy hops and a huge lingering bitterness and mouth drying quality like fresh grapefruit juice.

Supporters are saying the new dog on the block isn't just a beer with that famous aggressive hop flavour and bitterness, but hop, malt, fruit, sweetness and bitterness all rolled in to a complex yet much more approachable IPA. At least thats the theory. I haven't tasted the new Punk, and as a big fan of the old Punk i'm reserving my judgement until I get a pint in Mr Foley's of the new 5.6% kegged brew.

So what better way to say goodbye to the current incarnation of Punk, than enjoying it with a charred and heavily peppered rump steak, homemade potato wedges with jerk seasoning and obligatory peas? Providing it's served with plenty of Dijon and no silly sauces, it's the perfect quick and simple dinner - the kind of thing I have when the other half has 'a work night out' and I can cook exactly what I fancy.

Personally, I think this 'old' Punk IPA (6%) has easily enough floral hops and spice to stand up to the pepper steak and jerk wedges, but it's also cleansing, bitter, and juicy all at once, and manages to hold it's own flavour whilst working to enhance the stronger flavours in the meal which are typically hard to couple with beer, such as the Dijon.

Plus, whereas a more traditional pairing to this meal such as a spicy Shiraz would be relatively heavy, the carbonation and light mouthfeel of the IPA helps the meal be carried along much better. An argument for beer with dinner i'm sure you'll agree, and a fitting tribute to our fallen comrade.