Month: November 2020

28
Nov
2020
The Gin is (Nearly) Dead: Long Live the Gin!

The Gin is (Nearly) Dead: Long Live the Gin!

Some readers may be distraught to hear that our Limited Edition Hopped Gin has nearly sold out. If you love it get your last orders in quick before we completely run out of stock! But, never fear – this week was a very exciting one for Beerblefish because our second batch of hopped gin was distilled!

Our Second Edition Hopped Gin will be coming very soon – it needs bottling and labelling, and then it will be ready for release into the wild. We’ve kept the base recipe the same as for our first edition, but we’ve used different hops.

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Do you remember when we found the hops growing up the gates of the industrial estate where the brewery is back in September? We had planned to put them in a green hop beer, but we never quite got around to it so we changed tack and decided to put them in the new gin instead. They’ve been safely stored since we picked them, so they were ready and waiting for their mission.

Beerblefish's James picking hops at the brewery

There were two plants growing – one of them had the spicy, minty aroma of a Fuggles variety and the other smelled more like a hop from the Goldings family. We think that this combination gives the new gin a slightly different character from the first edition.

We’ve also listened to customer feedback on our first edition and we’re going into three sizes of bottle this time. So you’ll be able to get the second edition in our standard 70cl bottles, as well as a smaller 50cl option and a dinky 20cl size – the perfect stocking filler.

As soon as we’re able, we’ll be putting all three sizes up on the online shop, so keep an eye on our social media for news. And get in quick if you fancy comparing our two editions – there should be a small overlap before the first edition runs out!

Posted by Bethany in Gin
21
Nov
2020
How to Have a Beerblefish Christmas

How to Have a Beerblefish Christmas

There really aren’t all that many sleeps to go now until Christmas day! For many people, this is likely to be an odd festive season, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try to make the best of it. At Beerblefish HQ, we’ve been planning what we’ll be offering in the run up to Christmas so that you can get all the beer and gin you need in plenty of time.

Gift Ideas

We’ve just added a load of extra gift ideas to the webshop. There is a variety of gift packs to choose from, with both gin and beer options available, and why not add a t-shirt? Don’t forget that we can send Christmas gifts direct to your loved ones – just tick the “ship to different address” box at checkout and put in their details. If you’d like us to put a message in with the gift, please leave us a note in the free text box. We don’t usually put prices in our packages unless you ask us to, so there’s no worry on that front.

  • Two Bottle Wooden Box with Gin
  • Beerblefish Grey Gift Pack
  • Beerblefish Cashmere Brut IPA in wooden gift box

Markets and Fairs

We’re going to be busy over the next few weeks to give you as much opportunity as we can to get your hands on your festive beer! Here’s the calendar (so far) in the run up to the big day:

  • Sunday, 29 November – 10-14.30 – Stroud Green Market (Stroud Green Primary School, corner of Perth and Ennis Roads, N4 3HB)
  • Saturday, 12 December – 10-16.30 – Forty Hall Christmas Fayre (the courtyard at Forty Hall, Forty Hill, Enfield, EN2 9HA – ticketed event, please book in advance)
  • Sunday, 13 December – 10-14.30 – Stroud Green Market (Stroud Green Primary School, corner of Perth and Ennis Roads, N4 3HB)
  • Sunday, 13 December – 10-15.00 – Forty Hall Farmers’ Market (Forty Hall Farm, Enfield, EN2 9HA)

We might add one or two more in if we get the opportunity but, as with everything these days, it’s all subject to COVID-19 restrictions, so keep an eye out on our social media and our events page for all the latest information.

Brewery Shop

The brewery shop will be open as usual on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays from 12 to 5pm for takeaways of beer and gin. The last day we’ll be open before Christmas is likely to be Saturday, 19 December – keep an eye out for more info nearer the time.

Special Events

On 30 November, our friends at The Little Green Dragon Ale House in Winchmore Hill are running a virtual Christmas Beer Tasting with renowned beer judge, taster and writer Christine Cryne which will feature our 1820 Porter. To register and buy a tasting pack, go to the pub’s webshop – packs will be available for collection on Friday, 27 November or delivery to postcodes local to the pub.

Surprises

We’ve still got a few exciting products up our sleeves (no, not literally) that we’re hoping to get to you before Christmas – watch this space in the next couple of weeks!

Posted by Bethany in Beerblefish HQ News, Event, Stockists, Taproom and Bottle Shop
07
Nov
2020
Gingerbeerble Flip: Mulled Beer, Beerblefish Style

Gingerbeerble Flip: Mulled Beer, Beerblefish Style

We’ve got a new beer in our range and it’s just perfect for this time of year! Our Gingerbeerble spiced beer has three different preparations of ginger in it, along with a blend of other spices, and is just the drink for cosying up by the fire on a cold, dark night.

Now, what if we said you could get even cosier? Right from the start of developing Gingerbeerble, we thought it would be great for mulling. Yes, mulled beer. In the UK, it’s not that popular these days (although it is undergoing a little bit of a renaissance as we brewers look for ever more interesting things to do with beer), but it was very popular at least as far back as the 17th century and is still popular in some other European countries to this day – that’s particularly true in Belgium, where Kriek is turned into Glühkriek (the beer equivalent of Glühwein), as well as in Germany and Poland.

Gingerbeerble Flip Ingredients

At one time, drinking warm beer, or “flip” as it was known in the UK and the USA, was so popular that various different tools and vessels were made to help in its quick preparation, including flip irons, which were put directly into the beer to warm it and it had a reputation in the UK for being a drink of the lower classes or ne’er-do-wells.

These days, we think everyone should at least try flip. In mulling our Gingerbeerble, we’re going to be making use of modern technology, relatively speaking, and we’ll be leaving our flip irons in the museum. There are lots of different things you could put in flip, and the proportions are certainly not set in stone – if you like it sweeter, put more sugar in; if you don’t like brandy, try rum or bourbon  instead.

Pouring Gingerbeerble into a pan at the beginning of making Gingerbeerble Flip

Ingredients:

  • 2 x 500ml bottles of Beerblefish Gingerbeerble spiced beer
  • 5 tbsp dark brown sugar (or more or less to taste)
  • 1 cinnamon stick (or ½ tsp ground cinnamon)
  • ½ tsp ground nutmeg
  • 4 tbsp orange juice
  • 90ml brandy (or another dark spirit if you prefer – rum works well, so does bourbon) (optional)
  • Orange slices to garnish

Method:

  1. Heat the Gingerbeerble in a 1.5 to 2 litre saucepan on the hob.
  2. Stir in the sugar and add the cinnamon stick, nutmeg and orange peel.
  3. Bring the mixture to a simmer for 2-3 minutes (do not boil it!) and stir the mixture to help the sugar dissolve.
  4. Remove the mixture from the heat and add the brandy if you want to.
  5. Serve in mugs with an orange slice, a mince pie on the side and cosy slippers on your feet!

You can keep the pan simmering on the hob for as long as you need before serving (but keep an eye on it, of course!) – remember that the alcohol will decrease and the spice intensity will increase the longer you leave it.

If you try this recipe, please show us what you made using #beerblefish – we love seeing how you get on!

Gingerbeerble Flip and Mince Pies
Posted by Bethany in Beer & Food, Beer Styles and Recipes