At 32% ABV, Tactical Nuclear Penguin is probably the world’s strongest beer. And it’s a big statement from its creator, BrewDog, which is probably the world’s most provocative brewery.
BrewDog is certainly one of Scotland’s most adventurous breweries, and its high-profile tussle with responsible drinking lobbyists, the Portman Group, has given birth to a family of weird and wonderful ales. (Continued below).
Beer: getting penguins laid since 1924
In July, BrewDog infamously reported its own brand of beer, Tokyo — at 18.2% ABV, then officially the UK’s strongest pint — to the Portman Group for the irresponsible way it labelled its own bottle. Yes, very confusing. Co-founder of the brewery, James Watt, said on his blog: “Complaining about our own beer was intended to illustrate just what an elaborate and ridiculous waste of time The Portman Group really are”.
Many ale afficionados condemned this as a publicity stunt, and asked why BrewDog would shaft itself to make such a statement (Mark Dredge has a great take on his blog, Pencil and Spoon) . And the Portman Group has duly launched proceedings to ban the beer from sale in the UK.
BrewDog also makes Nanny State , a hoppy 1% ABV beer that would make a fine, responsible session ale if it wasn’t quite so harsh on the palette. The Silver Tankard detects more than a hint of irony.
So the latest offering, Tactical Nuclear Penguin, comes with a fair degree of badinage. According to the BBC, the 32% ABV ale will be sold at £30 per bottle and served in spirit measures.
A finger of beer indeed. And a finger to the establishment at that.
Filed under: Pub crawl
It’s been a long hiatus for the Silver Tankard.
I’ve been a busy bunny, but I won’t pretend I haven’t been guzzling a few glorious pints of real ale. Many adventurers remain unchronicled, but it’s about time for a comeback, and I’m about to embark on an expedition to the foggy city, San Francisco.
It’s got many names – Baghdad by the Bay being one of them, and if anyone knows why this is the case, please indulge me – but San Francisco is a cosmopolitan utopia. So surely there’ll be a scene for some high-quality ale quaffing, right?
San Fran is home to one of my favourite foreign beers, Anchor Steam, and the world famous Anchor Brewery. So it’s going to be a great experience which I hope to chronicle in a future post. Unless I end up in the gutter of course…
**Update (25 April) Enjoyed some stonking beers in San Fran — Anchor Steam, Liberty Ale, Sierra Nevada and Lagunitas amongst them — but I’ve not got round to writing a full review. If you’re looking for great beer in San Francisco, head to Magnolia in Haight Ashbury which brews its own ales, stouts and lagers on site. Lovely stuff! And then head to the Page for quite possibly the biggest selection of IPAs in the land. And a bloody good jukebox.
A few Saturdays ago, as snowflakes fell on the North East, wor lass, Gordy and I were cosied-up in front of a roaring fire at Wylam’s Boathouse Inn.
Tucked away in a sleepy corner of Northumberland, on the south banks of the River Tyne, the Boathouse Inn is the award winning brewery tap of the Wylam Brewery. We were there to take part in the Wylam Beer Festival, an orgy of real ales with 12 of the brewery’s finest tipples on offer.
Not too long ago, I had the pleasure of spending the weekend in Belfast, courtesy of the NUJ who were holding their annual conference there.
Blimey, journalists can drink.
I spent most of the weekend in the loving arms of a blonde in a black dress. Nope, I wasn’t doing the dirty on wor lass; I’m talking about the pure onyx nectar of the Emerald Isle.
I spent one memorable afternoon getting lost around Belfast’s gridlike backstreets, and couldn’t help spotting sights that reminded me of good old Jesmond…
There’s no escape from the flippin’ place!
This week, beer boffins, piss artists and gentleman alike will unite for the highlight of the Toon’s boozy calendar: the Newcastle Beer Festival.
Newcastle University’s Student Union is the venue for this ale fest, which takes place THIS WEEK! Between Wednesday and Saturday.
I have been salivating in anticipation of this year’s Beer Festi, but it turns out I’m being dragged whisked away to Belfast on Thursday by the NUJ… Thank heavens, then, that the doors open at 6pm on Wednesday night, phew!
Courtesy of my mate and fellow ale swigger, Gordy, here is a list of the beers up for tasting at this year’s festival; as well as ciders and perries (look out for the self-styled Twat in the Hat…).
Beer List – Newcastle Beer festi 2008
Cider & Perry List – Newcastle Beer festi 2008
I ‘m chuffed to see that Timmy Taylor’s Ram Tam (4.3% ABV) is making another appearance! This was the beer of the festival for me last year – dark and rich, a proper cockle warmer.
Hope you can make it!
Filed under: Pub crawl, Real Ale, Review, Uncategorized | Tags: the quest, toon pub crawl, Well aled
What better way to spend a bank holiday than guzzling quality ale in some of the Toon’s finest drinking establishments? It may have pissed it down for the best part of the day, but we weren’t too miffed…
Wor Lass accompanied me on a mission to visit as many pubs as possible, and sample some of the finest beer on offer. The rules were simple, one drink in each pub, North East ales only, and don’t order the same drink twice.
Now Wor Lass is a conscientious objector when it comes to drinking ale, but she was willing to offer her two-penneth on the beers on my list (which resulted in much condescending chuckling on my part).
Filed under: Real Ale, Uncategorized | Tags: lager lubbers, the quest, Well aled
In a time when the staple beers of a city pub are lifeless draught lagers and keg bitters, it makes a bloke wonder how the inextricable bond between man and beer was ever formed.
So funny how we aficionados of real ale seem to get fobbed off by lager twats lubbers as drinkers of piss and swamp juice…
Not that I’ve been a crusader for the real ale cause all my life though. I certainly had a mis-spent youth: guzzling pints of Fosters, and occasionally moving on to the JD and cokes when I was feeling flush. (The JD does still makes the odd appearance however.)
I probably didn’t discover the good stuff until I had a good few bristles on my chin. Maybe the palate must mature before a fine ale can be pleasurably quaffed? Hmmm……
So this blog is here to chronicle my quest through real ale culture. What is it? Where in the Toon can you get it best? Stay posted for an ale extravaganza…
