Follow Up. Beer Launch!

So the beer that I brewed at Quantum for Friends of Ham with head brewer Jay is almost ready to be unleashed into the world, it even has a date and everything so without further ado.

We will be launching Smoked Porker a toasted marshmallow porter a hefty semi sweet smoked porter weighing in at a not modest 7.3%abv on the 28th of this very month. We will be launching it on cask and keg to connect with everyone cask lovers, keg lovers, and just lovers of good beer period, Ive also somehow convinced Jay to give me some other beer a beer brewed with Colin Stronge from Black Isle Brewery called SK2(also in cask and keg) its big its bad and its has a massive tropical almost opal fruit flavour. On top of that we will have another brewer in attendance Brian the bitch behind Bitches Brewery out of Huddersfield will also be there and we will have his Graduate IPA as well as the collab with Quantum the Chocolate/ Chili Stout that won the hearts at the now UK famous IndyMan Beer Con and yes we will be running it through a Randell full of chilies and yes it will be great. Look out for the same beer next year as we are going to barrel age it in one of the same cask SWB did their KopiKat so it will meld with the flavours of Coal Ila whiskey and the excellent beer that was the Imperial Vanilla Coffee Stout.

Do check out the new Friends Of Ham website as well, its quite clean looking, our designer Ross kept it simple and easy to use just the way we like it.


So I do hope you guys come down for the launch and come back and sample more so I can go brew beer with other brewers

I AM MAN AND I BREWED BEER!!!!!!!!!!!

So last week I went to Quantum Brewery in Stockport, and brewed with the uber talented and easily persuaded Jay Krause owner, drayman, salesman, secretary, brewer, bottler, cask washer and all around nice guy to brew a beer that was concocted while he was hungover ( I don't think it was fair either) and while i was about 4 pints into my session at the Leeds International Beer festival. Needless to say it was talked about and discussed and then agreed upon then a date was set and before I knew it I was on a train way past the time he usually gets up to brew beer but I'm sure that he wasn't complaining about the lie in.  So there lie in the journey to Stockport at a modest 8 in the morning only to arrive at the station and meet Jay round the back, into the car I went and off to a unnamed store we went to pick up ingredients. Interesting wish list of items Marshmallows, Nutmeg, Vanilla, and Almonds were bought paid for and then joked about for about an hour. I mean come on think about it, 2 guys with homeless looking beards at 10 o'clock in the morning buying sweets and then getting into a van the jokes were endless and laughs were had. So onto what most of you are really wanting to read about the damned beer so here it is: its a Smoked toasted marshmallow almond, nutmeg, vanilla, and cinnamon porter/stout thing. I'm pretty sure I know what you are thinking while reading the ingredients out loud and that its not going to work and why the hell would Jay let an idea like that anywhere near his shiny brewery and to be honest I still don't have the answer but what resulted might actually work. Now I wanted to brew a beer that would be the Friend of Ham winter warmer and this could be it but all those little balls of sugar might have something different to say. So back to the beer the malt bill was epic with loads of Pale Malt, some Chocolate Malt, Peat Malt, Wheat, Cara malt, and I'm pretty sure I'm missing one or two. The hop bill was simple Magnum and Columbus very low quantities of both, Magnum in at 30 and Columbus in at what we will call 60ish. As the Magnum went in the mallows followed it and we patiently waited and hoped they would melt and not clog up the pipes. We hoped and prayed drank some SK2 and then looked and they were gone so in went Columbus and then the mixture of the almonds, cinnamon, and nutmeg followed closely by the chef's vanilla (which was crazy stuff, just go buy some and see for yourself.) Following this we cracked open a Pond Hopper from Odell/Thornbridge which was very nice but I'm glad I decided to bring it because I don't think I could have finished it by myself, the carbonation was thick and steady until the last swallow but it was nice and nothing to look down on. So we did a transfer to FV1 and I found out that I'm the damned best button pusher in the entire known universe and there I got to see what will become beer and it was thick and lovely and great and every other nice adjective you can think of. We were pushing for 6 percent drinkable cask beer but I think the yeast and the sugars had themselves a good time and they have pushed it up to a dangerously (hopefully) drinkable over 6.5 percent keg beer. So when the beer is ready you can come find it at Friends of Ham in Leeds and possibly if others are brave enough to take some in other great beer bars near you.

Thoughts and comments on the beer. Share them with me on Twitter or comment  @TKiley1

 

 



Its been a while and Im not sorry!

Please forgive the brashness of my title but Ive been a busy busy man trying to do my job and balance my home life. Tis a tricky thing to do when helping to promote a more than successful new bar in the booming and vibrant Leeds city centre. As my last post was almost a month ago and some of you've read it and some of you haven't but this new bar is Friends of Ham and business is good.
We have just launched the Season on Saison and Claire has picked some crackers to continue the season all the way until the end of Autumn. We started this week with a very well known gypsy brewer Mikkeller with his Saison Solstice a very refreshing saison brewed with elderflower and elderberries giving it almost a complete red colour and taste divine , there isn't much left so i figure you should get down there and get you some. We are following this with a plethora of great saisons including Saison Dupont, another one from Mikkeller and a couple of surprises that will soon reveal itself. We have a couple of exciting events line up for you lucky folks as well a tap take-over by Ilkley and possible MTB with the boys over at Magic Rock(details will be released sooner rather than later.)


Taken from Brewdog.

These are exciting time to be a person of beer in Leeds with the ever so awesome North Bar and all there cool staff, the laid back atmosphere of Mr. Foleys, the greatness that has become Friends of Ham and a very diamonds in the rough like Dock Street and a new place called 26 Aire Street that pour Brewdog over a deers' head I'm sure this is something the crazies at Brewdog would love.
Speaking of those crazy Scots  they have been granted permission to open their bar in the city of Leeds and I for one think is a wonderful idea. The more exposure Leeds can get for great beer the better, for all of us and the more breweries from the south, the states and hell even The Aussies and Kiwis will send there beer over here so we all can enjoy what everyone else is.

Speaking of people doing good things with beer, how about Mr. David Bishop (@broadfordbrewer) winning yet another homebrew contest. Some people are grumbling that things might be fixed but I for one can assure the man loves brewing and makes fanfuckingtastic beer. If you don't believe me come see for yourself when we help launch the beer to the Leeds market that he and @brauker1 made for the Ilkley Brewery competition on the 10th of October.  The man himself should be there and I'm sure he will be more than happy to talk about it and shake hands with anyone that might have any questions for him. (Breweries take note of this man and give him a job). I've been given almost all of his homebrews and I think there has been only one that I haven't been absolutely blown away by so given this fact and my high expectations he has a pretty good track record.
Lastly lets say a big thank you for the organisers of the first International Beer Festival that was held at the Town Hall in Leeds, were there hitches and glitches that made the festival not run as smoothly as hoped yes, but the vast amount of people that showed up made it an instant success. There are plans afoot for next year and it should be bigger, better, and more organised than this year so if you had a bad experience they are promising to make it better. With the likes of Kernel, Hardknott, Magic Rock, Buxton, Quantum, Vertical Drinks and many more all slated to have an even bigger presence next year than this past year I can only assume that this will be a beer festival that you wont want to miss.


So that's my update and what the hell has been going on in my hectic life and the things I've enjoyed over the past few months, so remember get out there and enjoy this fair county(I almost put our fair county I'm sure Leigh from the Good Stuff will get a laugh from that ) and all the beery greatness in it.

A bittersweet goodbye but an enthusiastic Hello!!!!

Now then for those of you that might have missed it, I have left the place that gave me my start in the wonderful world of beery goodness Mr Foley's Cask Ale House on the Headrow in Leeds. I was given the opportunity to cook and attempt to make my mark while cooking some good US themed food and possibly start a cool little theme on the menu by cooking most things with the beer on the bar. I started out slow with just adding beer to simple things like gravy and adding more and exciting beers to the freshly made beer batter for our fish, adding what every pub should do home cut chips that were pretty good if I do say so myself. Time goes on and people move on and I almost did that towards the beginning of this year but circumstances came up and things got in the way so I was offered a position within the company that didn't involve being around the kitchen and involved me getting behind the bar this wasn't before the Brooklyn Lunch that I attempted to give a special group of people from in and around Leeds a taste of my home paired with some pretty awesome beers. Fast forward a couple of months and a couple came into the bar and started speaking about a new bar that they were interested in opening in Leeds and I saw an opportunity that I couldn't pass up, I asked them if they were interested in taking a chance on someone that had a passion for great beer and it seems to get the ball rolling. Enter stage right a relationship was formed and greatness was born in the new "craft beer" bar in Leeds which is known as Friends of Ham. Now this place gives a whole new meaning to different. A bar that combines hand carved meat, fantastic cheese, superb wine and a beer selection that can please more people than it will disappoint. So July came and I left Foley's and started with F.O.H and its been a helluva a ride since we started. With passionate owners and a great team we are looking to bring you something new and hopefully open some eyes to the fact that beer is more than just your everyday lager and boring cask ales. So come on down to 4 New Station Street have some pig we will have a place for you.




Sometimes you just know its going to be alright

So this past weekend was Leeds Loves Food when a lot of independent and bigger food and beverage type people takeover Millennium Square and get the locals excited about sunshine and good products and even better food.
My lovefest is coming to a close with this great festival but only after I wondered up to Kirkstall Brewery's stand and saw somethings that I know would make a match made in food heaven. Sierra Nevada's mustard were on show now if you haven't got a chance to sample any of the three mustard and are a mustard lover I suggest you get you ass in gear and find some of these beauties. They make 3 that I know of and here is a picture. Now on my initial wander up to the stall I spied the Stout and Stoneground but my i know that a porter would compliment a certain NY Style Deli sandwich that I have been wanting for a while so I bought the Porter and Spicy Brown. While I chatted away I noticed the Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale now this might be an ale reserved for the Winter months but I remember drinking it and I thought it was lovely so I made it mine and I was pretty damn excited about my food and beer matching. My sandwich consisted of a rustic knot bread, the porter mustard, pastrami, gherkins and a little bit of Philadelphia Cheese. Now this was an epic sandwich and one my taste buds just salivated over. So if you are in the market for a sandwich of epic tastiness and a beer to match this is your pairing.

Red Willow You need and want it in your BELLY!!!!

                                                                                  Now Ive been drinking Red Willow beers for the better part of a year now, since they hit the pumps at Mr. Foleys at first I didn't know what to think I wasn't a fan of IPA's and a DIPA known as Ageless hit the pumps and I was very skeptical, now to be completely honest the first time I had this beer I didnt like it but this was due to my inexperience of the greatness that is the brilliance of the IPA. Over the past few months of my full blown hophead graduation Ive come not only to like this beer but actually put it in the top beers that I actually look for in the pub. Now on to the second brew I tried to which is known as Smokeless a smoked porter that doesn't actually smell like sausages and has a smooth but a spicy aftertaste, probably due to the chilies that are added. These both hit the bar right around the same time and instantly created a stir with people wanting to know more about the brewery and more about the brewer, when we were going to get more in and how could they get there stomachs full of it again. Thankfully the reputation of the beers were stretched and other bars and bottle shops started to carry the beers that people were craving.

Ive seemed to fast forward a bit with the last couple of sentences but its hard to contain the greatness that has become Red Willow the brewery brews a wide range of beers from your standard session ale which is known as Headless a 3.9% fruity, bitter, but refreshingly smooth pale ale to the monster that is known as Ageless which I raved enough about. Some of the beers really push the boat out things like Fathomless a true oyster stout that uses all the greatness of 300 or more oysters to brew and chocolate stout known as Heartless a 4.9% Chocolate Stout that is almost guaranteed to satisfy your sweet tooth and make them submit is chocolaty goodness.

Experimental brews galore put their heads in with the Faithless Series things from a Thai Wheat beer or a Gin & Tonic Saison that just dance on your taste buds not quite pounding them into submission but making them think what the hell was that. The Faithless Series is something that can get a little silly but also make you think that you want more. The Faithless XI was stunning when drank fresh a big bad Black IPA coming in a hefty 7.2% but tasting like something weaker which puts it into the category of "Sneaky Ninja Beer" hopefully this beer will become a seasonal special but if it doesn't I'm glad I got a taste out of cask and bottle.

I got to make a small trip to the brewery the other day with a friend that also likes ham for a meet and greet/introduction to possibly supply a new bar with the superb brews. While there I was handed an unlabeled bottle that was one of 2 things it was a young version of Wreckless or superb sample of Ageless. Proud to say Toby it was a superb version of Ageless and Ive had nothing but this to drink while writing this blog so thanks for doing an awesome job at such a young age in brewery terms you are just a toddler, congratulations on the upcoming 200th brew looking forward to being a launch of it or just getting to pour the epic beer into a pint glass and throw it down my neck.


You can check out the Brewery Website at RedWillowBrewery.com
Or follow them on twitter @tobymckenzie

Johnny Fontanes

I was invited to a Bloggers Dinner at a new and upcoming restaurant in Leeds just off Great George Street. Now I'm a man of high standards when it comes to my burgers seeing that it is an American staple and something I have built a reputation on at my job. We will start with the positives the place is what you would expect big open dining area, red and white checkered table cloths, and condiments in the middle of the table that I would like to see spin a lot smoother for an authentic feel. Prices are fantastic as well the main selling point is the burger, side, and drink deal they have on all day every day. A good selling point for the beer drinker in all of us is a decent selection of beer that they do for a great price of £2.99 the list includes favourites and memories of easy drinking American beers such as PBR, Anchor Steam and Brooklyn Lager. Now Ghostdrinker and I were admiring the Bourbon selection which was simple yet impressive with your better known bourbons but they have some impressive tipples like a 1998 Evan Williams Vintage and a 18 year old whisky. 

Now this is where I point out some of the negatives and I'm sorry for doing it as this place has a great promise but some of the things need a bit more polishing. I don't know if the way that we ordered is going to be standard but I think a wait service on the tables would be a bit more sufficient even if its just taking your order, but the buzzer things for your table is a very nice touch felt like I was in a restaurant at home. The menu states that all burgers are going to be served medium now this I have no issues with because I prefer my burger with a little bit of colour on the inside but if stated that its going to be a medium burger that is what I expect not well done not medium rare but medium and with the company I was with we had 4 very differently cooked burgers to which is no good. Consistency is a must when cooking burgers, I did have an issue with the chips as well the menu states the chips are hand cut but the look and feel like they have been pressed out by a cutter if I'm wrong on any of the things that I've misread I don't mind to be corrected. So they have some kinks to work out and I'm confident that they will work things out I will be going back in a couple of months time and I have high hopes for this place.

A friend of mine has written a review on this dinner as well and here is his take. @EisntCNeil

A side note I was impressed that they had a veggie option as sometimes Vegetarians get over looked in this day and age but I gave up meat to live a Veggies lifestyle for lent and it refreshing to see the veggies get a look see on the menu so they don't feel left out.