Glass seeks out the best new beers at Craft Beer Rising

CRAFT Beer Rising is an annual mecca for beer fans as it welcomes an international range of breweries to showcase their collections alongside great food and entertainment. Based in East London’s beer hub, The Old Truman Brewery in Brick Lane, Craft Beer Rising spans two days of tastings, industry talks and flowing beer. The atmosphere was very much alive as breweries from all around the world served their beer to thirsty punters and beer snobs. With 155 breweries taking part in the gathering, we did all the hard work and sampled our way through all the beer in order to seek out the most exciting and innovative new beer releases in the scene for you to enjoy.

Cans of the Defender IPA

Brooklyn Brewery – Defender IPA

Brooklyn Brewery’s bottled lager has graced shelves for years acting as a beer staple however, there is so much more to discover than that iconic green label. With a core perennial variety of beers along with regular special edition releases, Brooklyn Brewery stand as beer giants in USA and are finally sharing the good stuff with us. They’ve upped their game in the UK by offering more of their range and even launched a series of new brews, all of which were previewed at Craft Beer Rising. The first beer I tried was the Defender IPA – which launches in April for all to enjoy. Trying it before the general public at Craft Beer Rising was a pleasure as it exceeded all expectations. Its assertive golden hoppiness took me by surprise as the Americans tend to hold back a bit more in that department when it comes to IPAs. At 5.5% the Defender IPA sits comfortably above the session line providing a well-rounded beer that celebrates hops with a crisp dry finish.

Special Effects non-alcoholic beer

Along with the Defender, Brooklyn Brewery have launched their first ever alcohol-free beer named Special Effects along with the return of the Bel Air Sour which saw its debut at Craft Beer Rising in 2017.

The Marini Sour

Brick Brewery – Martini Sour

South London’s Brick Brewery have ventured beyond their foundation range and delved deep into the world of sour as part of their Sour Series this year. Their new collection called the Heritage Sour Series explores sour beer taking influence from other popular drinks outside the beer world. The first releases in this series take inspiration from vermouth-based cocktails; Manhattan Sour and Martini Sour. As the name suggests, the beers infuse the tart and punchy elements of these cocktails into the beer, creating the perfect blend for a sour. If you’re not a fan of sour beer, the Martini Sour which is 3.7% could potentially be the gateway to the world or sour beer as its dry lemony nose is incredibly inviting.

The vibrant Manhattan Sour.

The Manhattan Sour (5.9%) on the other hand is a beer for hardcore sour fans as its addictive acidity comes from its cherry base. The sour is complex and strong much like its cocktail counterpart, and is best enjoyed when sipped slowly along with food.

The Hallogen artwork

London Fields Brewery – Hallogen

Hallogen takes it name from Hallon, the Swedish term for raspberry. This is very fitting considering London Fields Brewery have launched two new sour beers created with their Stockholm-based sister brewery called New Carnegie Brewery. The Hallogen is the stand-out beer of them all as its deep maroon colour comes from all the raspberries packed into the beer. Unlike other beers, Hallogen is particularly notable for not using any hops in its brew which sets it aside from the usual beer brewing practice. Its flavour is fruity and almost juice-like at 4.5%, which makes it the perfect drink for those warmer days coming up. Whilst drinking it I had thoughts of mixing it with prosecco or even wine as its flavours were so agreeable that it could easily work fused with other alcohol.

The close runner up for second place is I Heard It Brut the Grapevine, which as the name suggests is a Brut IPA. The beer is 6.5% and tastes very much like a regular beer but with a much dryer champagne-like finish. Citrus flavours fuse with the grape juice which gives the beer its bubbly character.

The core range of beers

With their on-site brewery reopening this summer, London Fields Brewery are expanding and moving further in the direction they’ve always dreamt of which is great news for beer fans. With head brewer Talfryn Provis-Evans at the helm of it all, make sure you keep up-to-date with London Fields as there’s a lot more coming.

Home 2.0 – Mango Milkshake APA

Home 2.0 – Mango Milkshake APA

When it comes to flavoured beers, it can be a bit hit or miss. Sometimes the stated flavour is so weak you’ll start questioning if you are drinking the right beer and sometimes the flavour is so powerful that the beer in undrinkable. Home 2.0 is based in Lithuania, and after four generations of brewers have decided to focus on more unique beers. Their newest creation is the perfect niche flavoured brew – the Mango Milkshake APA (5.2%). It’s very surreal drinking the Mango Milkshake APA, mainly because it tastes incredibly like a real mango milkshake in beer form. The mango flavours are fresh and mild, which complements the mild hoppy tones of the beer. This is certainly a novelty beer, however it’s extremely drinkable and moreish which means it’s worth stocking up on.

For something less exotic, the New England IPA has been 2.0’s best seller as it fulfills the duties of a staple IPA. If you want more from the beer, then try the Double Dry Hopped IPA (7.5%) which is alive and fighting with flavours of hops.

The 2am poet can

Beatnikz Republic – 2am Poet

Before drinking any of the Beatnikz Republic beers, it’s important to take a minute to admire the artwork featured on their cans. The light and chic illustrations are bright and appealing, each of which tell a story, and the 2am Poet can has a sign on it reading “I saw the best minds of my generation destroyed by madness”.  The beer is an extra pale ale with a modest abv of 3.8%. The lower alcohol percentage makes it extremely sessionable and really draws out the flavour as it’s heavier than an APA but easier than an IPA. The 2am saint is a true marriage of mildly tropical flavours and hops, making it a smooth pint.

Beach Bum can

The Beatnikz collection mainly focuses on ale, and another newcomer to the collection is the Beach Bum American pale ale (APA) which is 2am Saint’s slightly fuller sibling made with Mosaic & Azacca hops.

The Slurpasaurus label

Porterhouse Brewing Company –  Slurpasauras Tropical IPA

The Porterhouse Brewing Company are brewing giants with a big base in the centre of London’s bustling Covent Garden. Their pub is like walking into Narnia for beer as its three levels offers an extensive amount of beers all of which are brewed by Porterhouse. Their list of beers is longer than the food menu which is always a good sign if you’re looking to try a variety of drinks. Their newest release is the Slurpasaurus Tropical IPA (5.3%), which seem to be very in at the moment with those summer months lying just ahead.

The tropical IPA uses a mixture of Aurora, Galaxy, Mosaic, Simcoe and Eukanot hops which all work together to give it a full-flavoured finish. This IPA is built on a strong foundation of ingredients and the tropical element works i perfect unison with the many hops packed inside.

by Katrina Mirpuri