flip

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.

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.

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!