Let the Judging Commence

Having done the Advance Course at the Beer Academy, I thought I would give Judging Beer a crack. Obviously I am no expert, having just started, but more of a keen amateur. However, I thought it is worth jotting down what I have learned because it all starts with how to taste and appreciate beer – a useful skill to have even if you don’t get to officially judge beers.

There are lots of websites out there which tell you how to taste and judge beer. I suppose this blog forms my bluffers guide. Not surprisingly judging beer comes down to: Sight, Smell and Taste.

A Mid-life Journey

A few weekends ago I paddled down the Grand Union canal in a Canadian canoe garbed in a Native American headdress and war paint. This wasn’t on my agenda, it wasn’t something I expected to be doing in my middle-age but, then again, I hadn’t anticipated investing in a microbrewery.

The trip down the canal was to launch our new Totem AmericaPale Ale. We named the beer after Berkhamsted’s very own totem pole. This genuine totem pole, made by the Kwakiutl tribe from red cedar, can be found adjacent to the Grand Union Canal. We paddled to the totem pole and pulled up alongside to take a few photos; we didn’t have the courage to land or dance around the totem pole and we suspect it would have upset the elderly residents of Alsford Wharf (who now own the totem pole). 

The Mysterious Powers of the Totem

Another blog from George (in a drunken haze) ...

I don’t like Totem! … or do I? As a co-founder and marketeer from Haresfoot brewery it's a dangerous thing to say perhaps?

I’ve always been on the sweeter side… from a beer perspective. When we launched Totem , a 4.5% ABV American IPA secretly I was highly cynical. I like dark beers, I like a dominant malty taste and don’t most other people?  Isn’t this a Marmite beer – you love it or hate it and how many people are going to love it? It’s too niche I thought!  However a strange thing happened to me. It started on Saturday. I was in the Boxing Hares bar running the shop. No fewer than 10 customers came in and asked for Totem – a significant allegiance given the beer has just been launched. I tried a sip from our stock back in the cold room- maybe I’m wrong?  Way too hoppy, almost sour to my taste buds… who in their right mind would like that?

Eight Go Brewing

Guest blog by co-investor George also appeared in the Aldbury Outlook.

April 12^th 2014; a cold spring evening and a landmark day –Lock Keeper’s Launch Ale flowed from the pumps in the Valiant Trooper. It is hard to put into words the pleasure of drinking your own beer in your local pub.

Haresfoot Brewery was the idea of eight friends and local business men: Simon, Philip, Nigel, Nick, Martin, Keith and, from Aldbury, Scott Carter and me. You might call it our mid-life crisis. Rather than buying fast cars, taking up triathlons or donning lycra, we built a brewery. It’s been an incredible adventure. When you set up your own business you have to be prepared to do whatever is needed: leafleting in town, working in our shop, manning the bar for a party or jumping into the car to deliver a new firkin to a pub that’s run out on a Friday afternoon – oh and of course actually making the beer. I’ve learned about the science and art of brewing drawing on my background as a chemist and discovered that there are more varieties of hops than you’d every think possible.

Some Sommelier Course

A couple of weeks ago I attended the Advanced Course at the Beer Academy. It is the start of my journey into becoming a beer sommelier. The course promises to “equip you with the skills to communicate knowledgeably about beer with customers and consumers and will enhance your professional status in the beer sector”. So rather than simply say you like or dislike a beer, actually describe the beer and explain clearly why you like or dislike it. This approach to drinking certainly helps elevate your status from beer-monster to connoisseur.

The Naming of Beers

"The naming of beers is a difficult matter
It isn't just one of your holiday games"

B.S. Bellylot, Old Possum's Book of Practical Beers

Coming up with original beer names is almost as difficult as coming up with original beer recipes. I have shared the origins of the Haresfoot name previously but I will update this page each time we launch a new beer, in order to try and explain the reasoning behind the chosen beer name.

Brew Day Blog

Wednesday 14 May was the first time I brewed in our beautiful brewery. I thoroughly enjoyed the day and found it therapeutic as well as tiring. Rather than write down my thoughts, I captured them in a short YouTube videoblog aka vlog (as I am told it is called by my young son).