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Latest NewsApril 2008: Now that April is here the days are getting longer and warmer. The two week half-term may also give you an opportunity to try some pubs you'd been meaning to go to or get back to. And of course, it wouldn't be April without the Maltings Beer Festival. We'll have six beers there this year and will be loitering with intent at various stages. Please come to the fest and have a chat if you see us.
March 2008: As much as I'd like to I won't go on about the budget. The people spoke and weren't listened to, enough said. Please just bear in mind that the pubs and breweries did NOT want to raise prices and need your support now more than ever. Please continue to enjoy the world's best beverage in the world's best surrounding as one of life's affordable luxuries. I've greatly enjoyed getting out and talking to people over the past couple of weeks. Beer tastings were held at the Royal Oak in Bath, the King's Head in Coleford, and the Knowle Inn in Bawdrip. All three were excellent evenings. Those that attended really enjoyed themselves and learned a bit in the process. These aren't poncy, wander around with glass in hand tastings. They are two hour long sessions where you learn about the history of beer, the brewing process, ingredients, beer styles, judging, food pairing, and generally good banter. Oh, and you get to taste some beer! So if it sounds like fun, it is. Keep watching the Events page or get in touch to book one at your local.
February 2008: If you love your beer, and your local, now is the time to get active! As we approach the budget, the government is looking yet again at increasing beer duty. Given the drastic rises in raw material and fuel costs, this will only put further pressure on large price increases, and will likely result in the closure of a number of breweries, and consequently pubs, throughout the year. Several breweries have already closed since the price rises hit at the end of last year. You can help prevent this by writing to your local MP. You can find your MP by going to: http://www.parliament.uk/directories/hciolists/alms.cfm Below is a draft of a letter you can use, or you can make up your own - just write now! 13 February 2008
Xxxxxx MP House of Commons London SW1A 0AA
Dear Xxxxxx
British beer is under serious and sustained pressure. The Government’s current tax policy is working against the interests of our industry, and we need your support.
The consequences of raising beer duty at this crucial moment are clear - many breweries will go out of business this year and many people will be out of work. Local and country pubs will also be threatened with closure as people stay home to drink heavily discounted supermarket alcohol.
Pressures on the British beer market are intense:
· Overall beer sales – through pubs and the off-trade - are now at their lowest level since 1969. · The total beer market has fallen by 22 per cent since its peak in 1979. That’s a loss of more than 2.5 billion pints – meaning 7 million fewer pints a day are being sold. · The volume of beer sold through pubs is now at its lowest level since the Great Depression of the 1930s. · Pub beer sales are 49 per cent lower than in 1979. That’s a loss of more than 5 billion pints – meaning today’s pubs are selling 14 million fewer pints per day. · Costs are soaring – the prices of malt, hops, glass, aluminium and energy have all risen sharply.
Over the last decade, because beer has been in the front line of tax increases, government policy has only served to increase the burden on brewers. That impact is plain:
Within the ‘traditional’ sector of the brewing industry – dedicated to the production of cask-conditioned ales and other distinctive beers – we strive to maintain the loyalty of British drinkers proud of their unique heritage. These are overwhelmingly responsible adults who enjoy our products in moderation in the controlled and monitored surroundings and convivial atmosphere of community-based public houses.
This comfortable image, which epitomises the finest elements of our way of life to so many foreign visitors, and in no way contributes to the issues raised by the anti-alcohol lobbyists, becomes more threatened with each duty increase. Unlike major off-trade retailers, British pubs are unable to absorb tax hikes. Thus there is a growing price differential between off-trade and on-trade, and more people choose to drink at home – or on the street.
We believe the benefits that have been enjoyed by other drinks from a tax freeze should be extended to Britain’s national drink – beer. We are calling for Government policy to encourage and support Britain's businesses. British brewers and beers are of world renown. Please join us in our call to the Chancellor to freeze beer duty.
Yours sincerely
Xxxxxx
On a more chipper note, the first batch of JJJ IPA sold out in 6 weeks! We received emails from across the country from people that tried it at beer festivals and felt compelled to tell us how much they enjoyed it. The next batch is happily conditioning as I write this, and will be released on 1 March. Keep drinking it! Also, we held two very successful tutored beer tastings in January at the Hood Arms, Kilve and the the George Inn, Middlezoy. About 25 people attended each, and a few even made it to both (well done!). The next will be held at the Old Barn Owl, Westport on Tuesday 19 February. Three others are pencilled in for March / April. I'll post details when they're confirmed. We hope to see you at one or more of the tastings. And if you'd like to have one at your local, let us know and we'll try to organise it.
December 2007 / January 2008: Unless you've been spending the holidays on Mars, you will probably have heard of the JJJ IPA launch. To say it was fantastic is definitely an understatement. The pub was packed with locals and CAMRA members, who organised a bus so people didn't have to drive. As with everything at the Queen's Arms, the beer was served in top condition in appropriate glassware, the food was excellent, and a great time was had by all - even if some of it was a bit hazy towards the end! Many thanks to the entire staff at the pub for hosting such a wonderful event, and also to everyone who attended. I hope one day to get a photo on the site, as well as the hillarious video of the cask being tapped. The Western Gazette was even on hand to report on the event, which took up nearly a page in the paper a fortnight later. To view the article go to: http://www.thisiswesterngazette.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=164284&command=displayContent&sourceNode=164267&contentPK=19234743&moduleName=InternalSearch&formname=sidebarsearch
Another great upcoming event is a tutored tasting of our beers at the Hood Arms in Kilve on Friday 18 January. Rumour has it that someone is celebrating a birthday that weekend... And for those that can't make it to Kilve, we are having another tutored tasting at the George in Middlezoy on Tuesday 22 January. Another pub to be sure to visit is the Naval Volunteer in the historic part of Bristol. David and Sue have brought life to this historic gem by serving top quality ales and food alongside a very warm welcome. They've been gaining a lot of notoriety recently, with two articles in the current Pints West. Also, they hosted the most recent BADRAG (Bristol and District Rare Ales Group) meeting, showcasing Old Freddy Walker. Don't miss the Naval Volunteer when you're in Bristol. The new crops of hops and malt have begun to arrive in the brewery, which bring both good and bad news for all of us. On the positive side, the quality of the new season's hops is incredible. They are exceptionally fragrant and a joy to brew with (and drink). On the down side, global warming has played havoc with most crops, and hops were badly hit. There is a 30% global shortage forecast, with some varieties being completely unavailable. Consequently, prices literally tripled over night. Malt didn't fare much better, and prices have risen by 30%. I've read predictions of the £4 pint in 2008 from people across the industry. We haven't fully analysed the price rises on our business yet and will hold our prices as long as we can. However, while other breweries are reducing their hop usage to save money, we commit to brewing our beers as we always will - full of flavour and full of hops. We will not cut corners or alter our recipes to save money, so you can continue to enjoy our award-winning beers as you have come to love them. The British Guild of Beer Writers has been very kind and published an article about us and JJJ IPA. You can read it at: http://www.beerwriters.co.uk/news.php?x=1&showarticle=666&PHPSESSID=3fa8c2dd1f239a2a995fa4d688a39a57 Enjoy, and continue to Drink Moor Beer in 2008!
November 2007: We don't like to brag, but there are three more awards to report. The first was for Somerland Gold, which was beer of the festival at the Square & Compass, Worth Matravers. This pub is justifiably famous as one of only ten to have been in all 35 editions of the Good Beer Guide. It was quickly followed up by two awards in the same week for Old Freddy Walker. Both were CAMRA beer festivals where Freddy was joint runner up at Westmorland and overall silver at Barnsley. Thanks to all for their praise, and especially to the punters for enjoying it! This month we're releasing our winter beer, Nutty Niki. It was conceived at my friend Theo's BBQ during the Great British Beer Festival. As we sat around the table, Niki commented that we should name a beer after her, and she was nutty enough to convince me (perhaps it was the beer tasting we'd just done...). A few other adjectives starting with n were bandied about, but they will remain part of the private conversation. We decided to do it around Christmas time, and with Niki not being far from good old St. Nick, why not. As for Nutty (apart from the obvious descriptor), we decided on spicing the beer. Beer is often spiced with coriander seeds, which work very well, but we wanted something more. Nutmeg and cinnamon make a great addition to a mixed spice so we decided on those. On brew day I ground coriander seeds and whole nutmegs and added them along with giant cinnamon quills. The result is a mid-strength (4.5%) spiced wheat beer with a good hop backing. As all good wheat beers should be, this one is unfined and naturally cloudy. All the good bits are left in and the bad bits left out, making it vegan friendly. The cloudiness even complements the season, looking a bit foggy and snowy. It's a bit early for winter (technically 21 December) so we're continuing to run Avalon Autumn throughout the rest of the autumn so you can still enjoy both. The other beer we are proudly releasing this month is JJJ IPA. This is one big beer weighing in at a massive 9%. Forget the ABV, which is just a by-product of the passion. James and Josh from the Queen's Arms, Corton Denham, and I (hence JJJ) have a shared passion for great beers and were lamenting the lack of true IPAs in the UK. So we decided to brew our own version of heaven. Double IPA was just not good enough - we needed a triple IPA. Triple the gravity, triple the colour, and more than triple the hops. With nearly 700 kg of malt and over 11.5 kg of hops this beer is big in every sense. In fact, it was so big and hoppy that it broke our pump! Deep copper in colour, over the top in aroma and flavour, but somehow still remaining (somewhat) balanced, this beer is not for the faint of heart. And if you don't like hops, don't even think about it. But if you do, dare we say this may be the best beer you'll ever taste. We like it so much that upon racking we decided to make it a permanent part of the range. The beer is happily maturing as I write this. There will be a launch party at the Queen's Arms on 30 November. If you've never been to the pub before, it is more than worth the drive or flight - fantastic food, a great selection of beers from around the world, and some fellow beer geeks ensuring you have a great time. Come join us. Another pub we'd like to wish well is the King's Head in Wells, recently re-opened by Steve. The King's Head is a great building that had not lived up to its potential until he got in there to bring it back to life. As I spoke with people throughout Wells I quickly understood how much they were looking forward to Steve taking it over. It looks great once again and is busy serving a selection of 6 well kept ales to an eager public, including Merlin's Magic and a rotation of our other beers. Carnival is on the 16th so go along to see the lights and fight your way to the bar to welcome Steve and enjoy a quality pint. Also, we appeared several times recently in the local paper. Links to the articles are below. Happy reading. http://www.centralsomersetgazette.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=213920&command=displayContent&sourceNode=213911&contentPK=18633501&moduleName=InternalSearch&formname=sidebarsearch http://www.centralsomersetgazette.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=213920&command=displayContent&sourceNode=213911&contentPK=18698905&moduleName=InternalSearch&formname=sidebarsearch http://www.centralsomersetgazette.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=213920&command=displayContent&sourceNode=213911&contentPK=18436632&moduleName=InternalSearch&formname=sidebarsearch
October 2007: We've got some great news to share for October. At the recent Wessex Beer Festival held at the Bath & West Showground we won two gold medals - for Merlin's Magic and Old Freddy Walker. There were around 130 beers at the festival. Winning one medal would have been great but winning two golds was fantastic. The organisers are coming to the brewery to present the awards later this week. This year five of our regular beers have won awards at festivals across the country. We couldn't be more pleased, especially considering the new plant just went in this year. Speaking of which, we started a new tradition in the brewery - signing the copper. Those who have visited the brewery already know that the copper is clad in a white, fire proof material. Although very effective, it's not the most aesthetically pleasing copper in the world. So to help decorate it we are asking our visitors to sign the copper and leave a message if they wish. This will allow you to mark your place in our history and have some fun in the process. Give us a ring to organise a tour. Lucky readers in the local area will get a treat when they open one of the Mid Somerset Series newspapers as they are publishing an article about the brewery. It should be published in mid-October. The paper is also hosting a drinks tasting evening on the 21st at Andre's in Wells. Local drinks producers will be there. This event is by invitation only, so if you are interested in attending please let me know. Finally this month, we are launching the first of several upcoming specials. Already available is Avalon Autumn. It is intensely nutty, and at 4% is the ideal beer to watch the leaves change colour. A few lucky pubs are getting the limited edition Jack O Lantern, infused with spices and our own home grown pumpkin, weighing in at a respectable 5%. They will be followed shortly by our winter beer, which will be a Belgian inspired spiced wheat beer - think Hoegaarden for the holidays. There will only be one batch of each produced, so order now to ensure you get to enjoy these tasty treats.
September 2007: We hope you enjoyed your summer, or at least the few days we had of it in the UK. At least the weather was fine inside Earl's Court and those pubs that didn't suffer from flooding. Those that attended the Great British Beer Festival will have certainly enjoyed themselves, especially those that attended our tutored tasting. The room was fully packed with 70 thirsty enthusiasts. The line up of brewers was quite impressive. In fact we were the only micro brewery there. The tasting kicked off with Woodfordes, followed by Hook Norton, Okells, Titanic, myself, and finally Fullers. It was a real treat for me to share the stage with such fantastic brewers. I presented Confidence, which seemed to go down very well with the tasters. One person asked if I thought there was a market for extreme beers in the UK. I think Confidence, and several of our other beers, have extreme flavour, but I wouldn't label them as extreme in the way American craft brewers do - i.e. extreme alcohol, bitterness, etc. However, I was recently in discussion with an esteemed landlord about a double IPA, so you never know... But back to the question. I do think there is a market, in the UK and globally, for well crafted beers, whatever their outstanding attributes are. Interest in flavourful, fresh food and drink continues to grow as people demand better than mass marketed, bland products. Long may it continue. Just because holiday season has ended doesn't mean an end to beer festival season. There are a number of excellent festivals this month, large and small. Check out our events page regularly for a few ideas. Also, we added a merchandise page with photos of our new garments. Wear them with pride.
Tribute to Michael Jackson There have been a number of important losses in the beer world over the past year, but I was particularly saddened to learn of Michael Jackson's death this week. It's probably not much of an overstatement to say that without his pioneering work in print, television, and online, the beer revolution that occurred at the end of the last century would not have happened. It was Michael who toured the world, hunting out great beers and educating us about the numerous styles and flavours to be found in the corners of every country. Writers and travellers have followed in his footsteps, some gaining a reputation for their knowledge of particular countries or styles. But none of us would have known to make the effort had Michael not led us there first. I still have my Dad's 1982 copy of Michael's Pocket Guide to Beer - the bible as I was growing up, along with a number of his other books. Of course, no self-respecting beer lovers bookshelf would be complete without his Great Beers of Belgium and New World Guide to Beer. But it's a simple piece of paper that holds pride of place to me. I was fortunate enough to hear Michael speak and meet him on a few occasions at the Great British Beer Festival. The first was on 7 August 1998 when he gave us a fantastic tutored tasting on Lambics. Following the talk I (sadly) asked him to sign my tasting notes, telling him that his books were an inspiration as I was growing up. So he signed it, "To Justin - stay inspired!" His inspiration led me to live in several countries, hunting my own favourite beers and finally brewing some that I hope inspire others. I am particularly sad that I was never able to host him at the brewery. I wonder what beer Michael ordered first when he arrived at the great pub upstairs. As a fellow beer lover I encourage you to raise a glass of your favourite beer in honour of the man who brought the world of beer to all of us.
August 2007: August means school holidays, family holidays, and working holidays. Those in the know combine them all to volunteer time to work at the Great British Beer Festival (GBBF), or at least spend some time there enjoying the hard work. We will have three beers available at the festival, all in different sections. For sale to the general public will be our heavy-weight former Champion Winter Beer of Britain, Old Freddy Walker (7.3%). For those looking for a more studious approach to beer, you can attend the "This is My Brew" tutored tasting session on Friday the 10th, where 6 brewers will each present one of their beers. Our co-owner and head brewer will be presenting Confidence (4.3%), so you can learn about the details that make up this innovative beer. Finally, for those people spending their hard-earned holiday time working at the festival, we are providing Revival (3.8%) to the Staff Bar. This beer is definitely a thirst-quencher, and more than a good reason to dedicate some of your time to the cause. We hope to see you there and look forward to hearing your reports back. The weather may have finally turned for the better, allowing us to spend more time outside at parties and BBQ's. If you're organising or attending one might I suggest ordering a polypin of beer. They are drawn by hand from the range of beers we have in stock, providing 36 pints of beautiful beer to enjoy. As we fill each to order we usually require 48 hours notice, but will endeavour to get them to you quicker in an emergency if possible. Ring or drop us an email for details. We've had a lot of demand for merchandise, so previously made available our pump clips and beer mats for purchase. We just received in our new range of garments and will upload pictures and prices shortly. Styles include t-shirts (both men's and women's), rugby shirts, and team shirts. Get in touch if you can't wait to sport the new look.
July 2007: It's been a great month so far (except the weather!). Having just announced our two new beers last month I am extremely pleased to report that they are now both award winners. Revival won beer of the festival at Devizes and Confidence was runner up at Ashcott. We could not be happier that people are enjoying our beers. There are several other pieces of news to keep you interested. The first is about Cyclops - not the mythical creature but a new system to describe beers. The brewing industry and CAMRA have come together to provide a simple way of introducing beers to people. Each beer is rated across five areas: See, Smell, Taste, Bitter and Sweet. The first three areas are "Simply Stated", in about five words each using everyday language (not beer geek speak as I would normally be accused of!). It is more difficult than you think to describe the unique character of a beer in so few, simple words. How do you distinguish between straw, golden, copper, and amber? Bitter and Sweet are rated in intensity from 1 - 5. Six of our core beers were assessed by Master Brewer Adrian Wood of Wadworth and approved by CAMRA. We had a very enjoyable session with Adrian and he really seemed to like all the beers. In addition to the fun, some great work managed to get done. Some comments that didn't make the Cyclops descriptions, but you might find interesting were:
Once the Cyclops artwork is together we'll post it on the site. It will also go on the back of our bottles, and eventually our pump clips. Speaking of bottles, we're commissioning new labels and hope to have bottles in your hands within the next few months. The other piece of interesting news regards the evolutionary status of our brew plant. I am happy to report that Big Momma is now in the house - not drinking the beer but helping make it. Big Momma is not a person, but our new-to-us mash tun, with a whopping 20 barrel capacity. Considering we only have a 10 barrel brewery, why would we want such an oversized mash tun? To bring you bigger beers, of course! Our old mash tun just could not take the strain of brewing Old Freddy Walker (and we know how much you like Freddy), let alone the even stronger beers we want to bring you. So after a lot of hard work and expense, the brewery is now back together. During the down time we had a huge demand for beer and sold out of more than we expected, so we ask you to be patient for a couple weeks while we restock. Changing topics, we want to thank everyone who attended, and worked, at the recent Ashcott Beer Festival. It was a huge success, helped by the amazing break in weather we had during the fest. We ran several brewery tours during the event, which was a real behind-the-scenes look at the brewery and gave me an opportunity to get on my beer box about finings. Several people suggested I open the debate up to a wider public audience, so stay posted for more on this topic.
June 2007: Our two new beers have been going down a storm. Of Revival, people have consistently said, "I can't believe there is so much flavour in a 3.8% beer." It is definitely one for hop-heads, with a good backing of malt so it doesn't become one dimensional. Regarding Confidence, I was exceedingly pleased to hear this response from one drinker, "Wow! This is the best beer I've ever had. It really is, I'm not just saying that." Try it for yourself and see what you think. Details of both are on our Products page. The great news is that we will be presenting Confidence at one of the tutored tastings at the Great British Beer Festival on Friday 10 August. The tasting is called This Is My Brew, during which 6 brewers will present one of their beers. I've helped with these tastings for about the past ten years and can say that they are extremely worthwhile and sell out quickly. Details for booking can be found here. We just wrapped up the Bath and West show. Again, Revival was very well received, with people coming back the following day specifically for that beer. Coming up we have a number of local festivals, including the annual Ashcott Beer Festival July 6 - 8. It's a great day out for the family and a great evening for entertainment and socialising. We hope to see you there.
May 2007: The weather has certainly changed, allowing us to emerge from hibernation to enjoy sunny afternoons in the pub garden. Beer festivals are also becoming more frequent. This month we'll be at the big one in Cambridge, along with several smaller ones. Speaking of which, Bridgwater had it's first beer festival, held at the rugby club. It was a great event - hopefully one that will be repeated annually. Don't forget that May is Mild month. What better way to celebrate than with Milly's, our SIBA National Bronze Medal winner. We brewed an extra batch this month to ensure you don't run dry. Enjoy! The intrepid real ale riders, Tom and Sam (see April news), will be stopping by the brewery on Tuesday June 5th around 1430. Stop by if you'd like to cheer them on.
April 2007: Everyone in the Southwest is gearing up for the big event - the Maltings beer festival, which starts on the 12th. We will have six of our beers on offer at the festival - Revival, Milly's, Merlin's Magic, Somerland Gold, Old Freddy Walker, and our new innovative speciality beer - Killer Kiwi. Stop by, enjoy the festival, and let us know what you think. Our updated brochure gets released this month, along with the much anticipated arrival of Alfie. Check out the new page dedicated to him, along with our updated Products page. On a more worthy note, two people are indulging their passions for beer and bikes by riding the length and breadth of the land for charity. The aim of this trip is to raise money and awareness for their two chosen charities - the Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance and the British Heart Foundation. Have a look at their site and follow them on their journey. If you feel compelled you could even offer to help out in some way.
March 2007: It's a great month for news. We are very pleased to report that we won the Bronze Medal at the national SIBA competition with Milly's in the Mild category. This was our 3rd brew on the new plant, which proved that our emphasis on flavour, quality and consistency has been carried forward. It was especially pleasing to see a Southwest brewery win a category that is traditionally dominant in the Midlands. Long may it continue. A full story is now available on the SIBA website. The story has also been run in the local press. Also, we've got a new mascot coming to join us at the brewery. You'll get to meet him next month. In the meantime, go to your favourite pub, and Drink Moor Beer!
February 2007: Lots of good news to report over the past few weeks. We are very happy to announce that the new brewery is on line and the smell of malt and hops is wafting over Ashcott once again. Several of our old brands have been hitting the road and a couple new ones are in the works. Stay tuned for more details.
Speaking of hitting the road, if you've been to any of the premier beer festivals recently you would have had the opportunity to sample some of our delicious beers. Once again we were in the finals for the Champion Winter Beer of Britain with Old Freddy Walker, which we won in 2004. The competition was held at the National Winter Ales Festival in Manchester last month. Competition was fierce, and congratulations go to Green Jack Ripper for winning the award. Still, I must say Freddy was tasting quite nice and you can see our name on the shortlist below.
We also hit Battersea last week. Major upcoming festivals include the SIBA National Competition in Leeds in March, where Milly's is in the competition having won SIBA Southwest. Also, in April we have the Maltings, where several of our beers are competing in various categories. Work has also begun planning the Ashcott Beer Festival, which will be in July.
January 2007: This is traditionally the time when people wish each other good things for the New Year. A good friend sent a text on New Year's Eve that I thought was worth passing along to you. "To all those who sent me best wishes for the New Year last year they didn't work, so this year please send money, drinks or gift vouchers." We still wish you all the best, and will be bringing you some of the best beer throughout the year. You can't ask for much more than that. Pictures of the new brewery will be up soon. Don't forget to go to the National Winter Ales Festival in Manchester this month (see below).
December 2006: The holiday season is upon us, so I suspect you are busy fitting in the next party and wondering how you will possibly cope with another night out (I'm sure you'll manage!). While you're out, try our seasonal special, Santa Moors. We are putting the finishing touches on the new brewery, which we are planning to commission in the middle of December. It's been a long 3 weeks! For those who are chomping at the bit to taste the first run of beers on the new plant, get up to CAMRA's National Winter Ales Festival in Manchester, 17 - 20 January 2007. Three of our beers will be there - Withy Cutter, Peat Porter, and, of course, Old Freddy Walker, which was Supreme Champion of the festival in 2004. We hope to see you there. For more details go to: http://www.camra.org.uk/page.aspx?o=222427
November 2006: Exciting times are ahead for Moor Beer Company. We are expanding based on our track record of producing and wholesaling a range of award winning beers. A ten barrel plant is being installed by Ted Bishop, and will be run by new partner, Justin Hawke. Justin has lived and travelled extensively through Britain, America, Germany and Belgium since 1993, and brings with him a wealth of new ideas. “It’s a great opportunity to join such an established and well respected brewery. I’ve lived all over the world pursuing beer and look forward to brewing new beers as well as old favourites. I like my beers strongly flavoured and hopped, so get ready for some challenging beers.” |
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