BrewDog AGM 2012

AECC queue for BrewDog AGM

What on earth is this. The sun. On a weekend. In Aberdeen... surely some mistake?

No, my eyes were not deceiving me, it was indeed a glorious day in the 'deen and I was about to spend it indoors drinking BrewDog beer. Woe is me.

I was wise to my impending situation today (or so I thought) so made sure I had a big hearty cooked breakfast to set me up for the day (tattie scones and all sorts). Up until this point in my shallow existence I'd never cooked for 4 people before and have realised in future I'll need a bigger kitchen and more crockery.

We arrive at the big tin shack that is the AECC (Aberdeen Exhibition and Conference Centre) and are met with the monster queue to register for the day. The guy in the checked shirt looks like he's had enough already, wimp. No matter, the sun is out and the queue dwindles away (with several bus loads going for a tour of the new BrewDog brewery up in Ellon. We decline this as it is right next to the ball and chains parents house and we've seen it umpteen times already).

Lisa and Daddy (note the happy face(s))

We are in. We have beer tokens. Happy days. What next? Well we've missed the first AGM presentation so I guess we better have a beer. Hello Zeitgeist! I then spy the beer shop and make the fatal error of attempting to purchase some beer. I stand for 20 minutes..... no movement. 40 minutes, I'm at the front. 60 minutes... no thanks, abort mission. This was the worst part of the day, a complete shambles. This is the UK! We do queues here. Not today it seems. This was a complete free-for-all and the staff looked stressed and were swamped from the word go. A simple queueing system would have made things a LOT easier.

I order my Dog-A beers on my phone instead in all of 5 minutes which is a pity as there were loads of beers I wanted to buy, Ballast Point in particular. Oh well, onwards and upwards. The troops (well, the old man) were NOT happy at the wait as you can see.

Gays

We meander up to the connecting tunnel between the main hall in the AECC and the conference area and relax in the sun with some more beer. As you can see here Souter and Smithy look very cosy (hello sailor) and I merely look slightly special, although I can't seem to find room for the photo....

It's time for all the AGM guff but to be fair Martin Dickie and James Watt put on a superb presentation to a BIG room of people. Entertaining, informative and at times bloody hilarious.

We get loads of stories, jokes, some facts and figures, schematics of the new brewery and more importantly, BEER! 3 tastings accompany the talk as follows:

The new 3.8% Pale Ale, which will be replacing Trashy Blonde apparently (to be called Dead Pony Club). A lovely easy drinking session beer, 8 and drive apparently.

We then sample Libertine Black Ale (7% if I remember correctly). I'd already tried this one previously but will most certainly sample more soon. Strong, aromatic and very moreish.

Sensational!

Finally, we come to Dog-A. I'd been looking forward to this (I loved the AB:04 beer) and it did not disappoint. Chocolate, coffee, vanilla and a hint of chili. Happy days. We even got a second bottle to pass around our row and at 15% I was a little 'light headed' en route back to the main hall.

The only slight niggle about the talk were the hipsters who loved the sound of their own voices and wouldn't shut the fuck up for 2 minutes. I don't profess to know a great deal about beer as I've mentioned before but some of these people were cringeworthy.

Some of the questions in the Q+A session even more so. Oh dear.

Back to the beer,  and music, and food.... lets not forget food. I'd had nothing to eat since 10am and it was now 6pm with our only option a burger van with a now enormous queue, this could get messy. This is another aspect I feel could be improved upon and have a greater selection of food available throughout the day.

Music time (should really get food too)

The music itself was a mixed bag with a selection of local bands / singer songwriters and headline act 'Kassidy' who I thought were wonderful (I was pretty pissed by then too). I also sampled a few more beers in form of:

• IPA is Dead Motueka
• Saison
• Zeitgeist
• Dead Pony Club
• and various Stone beers

Needless to say I don't remember much of the last hour or so and had a sore head the next day. I was dancing to the ska band though (which is unheard of for me).

Not to mention the fact I had to play football the following afternoon which was not entirely successful. As Danny Glover would say: I'm getting too old for this shit.

Overall I thought it was a fantastic day and was both informative and great fun. I also got the opportunity to meet some new friends and reacquaint myself with others I hadn't seen for years in some cases. The guys in BrewDog are obviously very passionate about what they do which was apparent in everyone from the bar staff to James and Martin themselves. Undoubtedly there were small issues and areas that could be improved on for forthcoming years but this was a damn good benchmark.

You can read the BrewDog review of the day here.

I'm off the booze for a while (well until Saturday).

Until next year....

My Favourite Pubs - Aberdeen

The Pub. Your pub? Saturday afternoon? Sunday session? Tuesday night? (don't be silly, I'm WAY too responsible for a midweek marathon these days).

Old pub? New pub? Trendy pub? Dive? So many options. So little time. So without a do, my favourite pubs in the Aberdeen (and not just for their drink selection).  

10. Blackfriars - www.old-blackfriars.co.uk

Location: Castlegate

Belhaven pub. Occasional decent cask beers / reasonable food. A haunt back in my student days. Not much more to add.  

9. The Archibald Simpson - www.jdwetherspoon.co.uk

Location: Castlegate

Wonderful architecture. Littered with the of the scum of the earth. Farm foods bags galore (not that I'm associating Farm Foods with the scum of the earth of course). Good range of beers, especially when their beer festival is on. Harviestoun, Houston and Williams brothers regularly feature. Terrible food. 3 mile camel trek to the toilets. Only visit occasionally.

8. Atheneum - www.theathenaeumaberdeen.co.uk

Location: Union Street

Great little place situated just off the castlegate in Aberdeen. The kitchen has recently been taken over by those behind the successful La Stella and Courtyard restaurants in Aberdeen, so you are guaranteed a good feed. Modern, quirky interior with a great range of cocktails / spirits and beers. Definitely not an establishment frequented by old men.

The Snafu venue downstairs also has a range of gigs / nights on during the week (if that's your thing).

7. Prince of Wales

Location: St Nicholas Lane (Just beside M&S)

Ah, the faint smell of urine, must be the Prince of Wales. I jest, the gents used to have a very 'pungent' whiff in here. Thankfully things have improved of late. This is another great old pub. Loads of nooks and crannies to sit with a quiet drink or if you are feeling adventurous, try and drink every beer along the bar (no thanks). Massive portions of food at reasonable prices. Good selection of ale on rotation. They even have some of their own brews (I really must find out who they contract these out to).

6. The Pittodrie Bar 

Location - King Street 

A purely sporting entry here. No exciting beers. I go here before the football. I go here after the football (a must after watching Aberdeen). I suppose this is my local (being in the next street from my flat). Decked out in AFC colours with football memorabilia all over the walls and framed cartoons of past and present stalwarts. The place was recently up for sale due to the impending relocation of AFC, and thankfully has been bought over. Take it in as part of the King Street pub crawl.

5. Amicus Apple - www.amicusapple.com

Location: Justice Mill Lane

I don't really do trendy pubs / bars. I don't like getting dressed up to go to the pub. I've been in this pub in past incarnations and didn't think much of it.

I was in recently for a christmas party. What struck me this time round was the stylish decor / great food on offer and the range of beers available. From Harviestoun and Innis & Gunn to Brooklyn Lager and Dixie its safe to say I was pleasantly surprised.

I could see myself eating here with friends / family ... purely from a selfish point of view for the beer.

4. The Grill  - www.thegrillaberdeen.co.uk

Location: Union Street

Like whisky? Then this is the place for you. Whisky from ALL over the world, some more expensive (read... holy shit that's expensive) than others.

I enjoy this pub simply for the amazing cornice work on the ceiling. Not to mention the potential broken neck trying to navigate down a cramped stairwell to visit the bathroom facilities.

A selection of rotating cask beers and bottles from Innis & Gunn / BrewDog et al are also on offer. Great for a quick pint before a gig at the Music Hall across the street. Oh, and they have pies for sale in a little grill (no pun intended). Old. School.

3. The Moorings - www.themooringsbar.co.uk

Location: Trinity Quay

Rock and Roll. The End.

A permanent fixture in the history of Aberdeen with undoubtedly the best selection of tipples in town.

You want beers from all over the world. Check.

You want spirits from every corner of the globe. Check.

You want full frontal male nudity. Chiizeck.

I don't really need to go into much more detail, this place speaks for itself. Awesome artwork on the walls, pirates everywhere, assorted nik-naks on the walls, a great jukebox, bands on the weekends. Hell, you can even treat yourself a gourmet toastie if you are so inclined. Not one for the hen / stag parties who undertake the harbour pub crawl. A must!

2. BrewDog - www.brewdog.com

Location: Gallowgate

Situated across from the majestic Marschial College, this local mob need no introduction. You all know the score.

Minimalist interior. Great staff. Amazing beers (from both themselves and around the world).

The bar itself is pretty small and cosy and is ALWAYS busy (testament to the good work they are doing).

Personally, I enjoy a few games of jenga with a cheeseboard and selection of beers to sample. As you do.

Aberdeen could do with more bars of this ilk. There are WAY too many Belhaven and chain pubs scattered around and not enough specialist / different / quirky places. Hopefully I've highlighted a few in this post that do something a little different.

1. Ma Camerons

Location - Little Belmont Street

And after me saying there are too many Belhaven pubs, my favourite is one of them. The shame.

This has been my pub since I was a student. Nothing to do with the beer (although I'll happily admit I don't mind a few pints of Belhaven IPA of a Saturday afternoon). The food is pleasant enough and there is a big main bar (with wasabi peas in half pint glasses, hurrah). I try to avoid the main bar however.

This is one of the oldest pubs in Aberdeen and I drink through in the 'snug'. All the old men are initially hesitant to welcome you in (bloody youngsters). Over the years I've gotten to know them however and it's a fantastic place to drink, not to mention socialise.

Football coupons / cartoons of the regulars plastered all over the walls (see Pittodrie Bar) / fantasy football leagues / golf outings / free pies at halftime of sporting events on the small television (no projectors and flatscreens here). All present and correct. This place is so much more than a pub to me.

Which reminds me, I haven't been yet this year. Roll on Friday evening.

Variety is the spice of life

I went to the Belmont Cinema last night with the better half to see Pearl Jam Twenty. And a damn fine film it was too. En route we had some time to kill so popped in past the Aberdeen BrewDog pub for a quick drink (or two).

I do love BrewDog. I was somewhat obsessed with them a couple of years back. They helped get me into beer and appreciate small companies striving to do something different. Everyone loves an underdog after all (no pun intended). Increasingly when in their pub however, I find myself drawn towards their guest offerings on draught.

I used to love the old recipe Punk IPA (I was devastated when they changed it), that was the foundation of my BrewDog journey. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy some of their other beers in equal measure too; namely their one off brews, 77 lager, Alice Porter and Zeitgeist. New Punk IPA I just cannot get into, each to their own though.

None of these beers were on draught last night so I plumped for a couple of guest treats. I love sipping on a new beer, trying something new and different. One observation I do have is the spiralling cost of these guest beers in recent months however. I understand they must cost a pretty penny to import but last time I was in there I can't remember a half of Stone IPA costing £3.50! Crikey. Similarly, they have a cracking selection of guest bottled beers, which unfortunately suffer the same fate. I do enjoy heading in with some friends to share a few exotic bottles occasionally (read: pay day), but for the vast majority of the punters these treats will be quite simply out of reach.

The BrewDog beers themselves on draught are very reasonably priced though, so all is not lost for the students and skinflints (myself midway through the month).

Where am I going with this? To the cinema! No, variety. That's what I'm meant to be talking about. Not just variety of drinks on offer, variety of pubs.

My other regular haunt in Aberdeen is the Snug Bar in Ma Camerons on Little Belmont Street. A proper old mans pub, awesome. This is where I go to watch the football, to speak to old mannies about football, to retire to after watching Aberdeen lose at football. I don't go here to drink over priced guest beers or indeed for top quality beers (I'll happily admit I don't mind a pint of Belhaven IPA at all though). I go here for the atmosphere and conversation/banter with friends, regulars and staff, and partly through habit. I love the place.

Do I find BrewDog bar has this same atmosphere? No, it can be full of complete tools, the staff are always top notch though and really make the place. Do they serve great beer, a resounding yes! I guess that is the beauty of drinking in different establishments. I love that BrewDog have no TV's (that way I can't see news filtering through regarding Aberdeen's latest defeat at the hands of some no-mark second division team). I also love that I can sit there, play Jenga for hours and sample a range of beers on a rainy Saturday afternoon.

I don't really know where I was going with this post, but felt the need to write it down. I'm looking forward to visiting the Snug bar on Saturday afternoon. I may even pop in past BrewDog on the way home.... well it IS on the way.

#BrewBake

Friday night. Pissing down with rain (I love summer, or is it autumn now?). What's this in my beer cupboard? A bottle of BrewDog Riptide that is approaching its best before date. And it just so happens BrewDog are having a little cooking contest! Good job I'm a budding Masterchef (chortle).

From Twitter: It's The Great BrewDog Cook Off. Yes, you cook something using a BrewDog beer & the top 5 will win a batch of the beer they used! #BrewBake

Looking round the kitchen.... what do I have: some flour, sugar, fruit and spices. I have little option. It's going to be some cakes for this cooking extravaganza, muffins I think. A little internet research later and I've cobbled together a recipe (of sorts) for BrewDog Riptide fruit muffins with flaked almonds:

Ingredients:

1 banana
Dried strawberries
Dried blueberries
Dried cranberries
250g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
100g caster sugar
2 eggs
80g of butter
Flaked almonds
Icing sugar to dust
1 bottle BrewDog Riptide

Method:

MAKE SURE YOU HAVE PLENTY OF BEER TO DRINK TO KEEP YOU ENTERTAINED WHEN COOKING! FOR THE PURPOSES OF THIS 'EXPERIMENT' I USED BrewDog 77 Lager.

Pre-heat oven to around 190C.

Melt butter in a pan and allow to cooooooool.

Put all the dried fruit in a bowl, and mash the living daylights out of the banana.

In yet another bowl sift in the flour, sugar, spices and other fun dried ingredients and give them a massive stir.

NOTE: I just found a bottle of hardcore IPA in the fridge.... these muffins could turn out horrific... onwards!

Where is the melted butter? Ah, in the sink. Add the eggs and Riptide and mix it all together then fire all the fruit in there, and have a little taste....

Gradually add the beer/fruit/butter/egg mix into the dry ingredients, and stir until mixed thoroughly.

I only have 1 muffin tray so had to make in 2 batches. Lightly butter the tray and fill up each compartment until almost full.

Bake for 20 odd mins. I tested them with a knife, if it comes out clean you are good to go.

Get them cooled. Sprinkle with flaked almonds and icing sugar and get stuck in.

This recipe made 12 of these. I don't really eat cakes.

Anyone for a muffin and a beer? I think I'll try them again with Alice Porter!

I'm a bit pissed.

JOCKTOBERFEST!

BEER, BRATWURST & BANDS!

What more could you possibly require I ask myself? It would seem nothing. What am I babbling on about?

The Black Isle Brewery of course! I love the Black Isle Brewery. And all their beers (especially the organic blonde. I do love a good busty blonde... erm, I digress). So when I ventured up a few weeks back to visit the brewery and stock up on supplies I heard about this mystical jocktoberfest and was immediately hooked!

From the website:

***
Jocktoberfest will undoubtedly be the 'Greatest Scottish Beer Festival in the World'.

The princely sum of 'not a penny' will gain you entry and camping to live bands, organic food and unique beers from some of Scotland's finest breweries.

We are the Black Isle Brewing Co. and this is Jocktoberfest! Jocktoberfest at the Black Isle Brewing Co. on Friday 9th and Saturday 10th September 2011.
***

Sounds pretty great eh? And with special German brews from Tryst Brewery, Highland Brewing Co, Tempest Brewing Co, Fyne Ales and the Black Isle themselves it's certain to be a winner.

I'm banking on it pouring down with rain all weekend mind you, so I'll be bringing my wellies. See my T in the Park school boy error previously for details.

The brewery itself is located just over the Kessock Bridge in Inverness and with a recently opened shop, is a wonderful wee place to visit. Not only do they provide free tours and tastings they also have a range of beers / chutneys / glassware and merchandise for sale and a very friendly dog guarding the premises when a tour is in progress.

One thing that immediately struck me is how clean and pristine the whole place is. Especially in comparison with some other breweries I've visited recently! (who shall remain nameless).

Needless to say, I bought pretty much everything on offer and Jocktoberfest will be a good excuse to stock up again. I've already convinced several others to join me for the weekend and can't wait to be heading along the A9 (in the rain) to get the tent set up.

Oh, and don't forget to register to attend.

SAVE THE PLANET DRINK GERMANIC!

A step too far!

Ok, hands up, everyone has done it. What am I talking about? Getting WAY too drunk of course. I didn't mean to. How did it happen?

These past few weeks I'd been taking some well deserved time off the beer (I know, scandalous). I'd started a 3 week detox using Dr Joshi's highly recommended book. All good so far.

This plan bans all dairy / alcohol / red meat / wheat / gluten / fruit (except bananas) and a whole lot more. Did I find it difficult? No, not really. I enjoy cooking and eat pretty well as it is so loved whipping up some tasty new meals each night. What I did not enjoy was the weight loss and side effects I found myself experiencing.

I'm not exactly the biggest guy around, so to lose 3/4 of a stone in little over a week was a bit worrying. I also started to look pale, yellow, had no energy (played havoc with my already limited football prowess) and developed uncontrollable shakes in my arms and legs. My reaction. FUCK THIS! Two weeks is more than enough. I got right back on my usual, more balanced diet and have since felt my old self (whether a good thing or not remains to be seen).

Have I taken anything out of this exercise? Most certainly! I will be cooking far more balanced meals from scratch and keeping up the breakfast routine of water with a slice of lemon, a matcha tea shot (no this is not green cocaine despite how it may look) and a healthy balanced breakfast.

Anyway, where was I? Ah yes, getting too drunk. End of detox = celebration. Let's go for a Friday evening beer, shall we... shall we? Yes, why not. Why not indeed! Having forgone having an evening meal as I was only venturing out for 'the one' I sat myself down and proceeded to have a few sociable drinks and a few rounds of pub Jenga.

Several hours later I find myself a little confused in the little boys room wondering why my legs won't work after a lovely 'single fish'. Strange? I struggle my way back to my perch swaying around into people and decide immediately I must leave (wise move on my part). My head was fine, my body had given up the ghost. Does it end here? Of course not.

I use the beer compass to navigate my way home, then decide the ideal place to spend the evening would be snuggled up next to my friend the bathroom mat. In all fairness, she was very welcoming. Damn girlfiends and their iphones.

The moral of the story? Don't stop drinking. Your body will make you pay for it. Oh, and make sure you don't skip any meals. And no snacking in between.

I think I need a detox.

Dessert and Beer!

Following on from my virgin blog post here I decided to try and match beer with desserts. I am a big fan of dessert wines especially those from the Hunter Valley region in NSW. Sadly I don't get to visit often and can't take many bottles home to the uk so thought I'd turn my hand to dessert beer as an alternative!

As it happens, an ideal opportunity arose, a meal with my parents. They would provide the starter and main courses (with accompanying wines, naturally), and I'd bring dessert(s) and appropriate beer(s) (with some help from the girlfriend).

After tasting the Young's double chocolate stout previously I imagined it would work wonderfully with brownies and ice cream. Disaster struck when I ventured out to buy a couple of bottles however. 'No longer stocked by Morrisons' was the response, boo and indeed hoo! I quicky got in touch with an employee at Young's who informed me it will be picked up by Tesco in August. She did however propose an alternative (Erdinger Dunkel), of which I duly snagged a couple of bottles (thanks Becca), along with a Cain's raisin beer for good measure!

I also picked up some Young's banana bread beer, to go with some banana bread (I know, ground breaking stuff). I didn't say this would ever be refined and classy. I then had the misfortune of having to slave over a hot stove for hours on end.

[Of course I didn't, I left that to the good lady friend while I attempted to play football. A womans place is in the kitchen after all. I made sure she did the laundry and dishes too].

So how did these combinations fare?

Starter
Prawn cocktail with Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc

An old classic, especially with fresh prawns from the local fish market. Alongside a fruity well balanced sauv b with lots of tropical notes, a surefire hit.

Main
Special cut Pavé Rump Steak with handmade wedges, onions and mushrooms. Served with a big meaty (no pun intended) Rioja from Spain.

First time I'd had Pavé steak and it was a sensation. Tender like a fillet but with all the flavour of rump. A good red always compliments a nice bit of steak too (that's as far as I'll go as I am not a massive red fan and have limited knowledge on the subject).

Dessert 1
Banana Bread + Young's Banana bread beer.

This was a winner from the off. Soft, sweet banana bread with a little butter washed down with banana bread beer? What's not to like? (unless you despise bananas). I have to say the Young's beer packed a good fruity hit but wasn't sugary sweet and cloying like Mongozo beer for example. You could still easily distinguish the malty aftertaste and it had just the right amount of sweetness.

7/10

Intermission
Cain's Raisin Beer.

I thought we'd better drink something a little darker before dessert number 2! This beer confused me a little however. The raisin / prune / fruit cake aromas and taste are all present but they seem almost like an afterthought to mask an otherwise dull beer. Pleasant enough, but nothing to write home about. I'll leave it at that.

5/10

Dessert 2
Triple chocolate brownies with local ice cream + Erdinger Dunkel.

Onto dessert number 2. As much as I enjoyed the Erdinger, it wasn't a patch on the double chocolate stout for the purposes of this tasting (as I had feared). Don't get me wrong it's a perfectly palatable beer, but one which is far more malty and biscuity as opposed to the luxurious smooth chocolate which I had hoped for. Curses.

As for the brownies? They were magnificent. Crispy on the outside, soft and gooey in the middle. If I'd had the double chocolate stout I'd have mixed some with the ice cream as it melted for maximum impact. Definately one to revist when I can get my hands on some more. I'm hungry now.

Beer: 6/10
Brownies: 9/10

All in all a fun experiment and one I'd like to improve on at a later date!

Some other beer / pudding combinations I'd like to try? Off the top of my head BrewDog Punk IPA would go well with fresh fruit salad and ice-cream i'd imagine. Or maybe BrewDog Alice Porter with apple pie? There must be some other beers out there other than BrewDog...

Anyone have any other favourite combinations?

UPDATE: I've since found Youngs double chocolate stout in Peckhams! Hurrah!