Watford Beer Festival 2023

Last Saturday, I trekked to Watford in the pouring rain to the it’s annual beer festival organised by CAMRA. Now in its 27th iteration and the second year held at Halsey Masonic Hall, the new venue was an improvement on the previous venue (West Herts Rugby Club) given that it’s nearer to the town centre and nearby rail/ bus links. The building was quite spacious with enough space for the forty casks of beer and several boxes of cider and perry, there was also plenty of seating in the main hall as well as seating in two additional rooms at the back of the building. Without much hesitation I started my beer odyssey on a light touch and sampled some Tring Mansion Mild (3.7%) from Tring Brewery in Tring, Herts; as usual for a Mild, it wasn’t heavy on strength but it made up for its drawbacks through its flavour, it had a slight sour note that undercut the taste of the roasted malts, whilst a lingering bitterness helped disguise its low ABV. The drink was far from smooth, with notes of carbonation providing an unsatisfactory overall experience. Hoping to improve my fortunes, I carefully scanned the beer lists of my leaflet for my next drink, seeking a session level Golden Ale, I went for Good Day Sunshine (4.0%) from Vale Brewery in Brill, Bucks; described as straw coloured with tropical fruit flavours, I was able to detect hints of tropical flavours such as mango and passionfruit, however these were easily overtaken by the bitter and hoppy overtones that seemed to dominate the drink. Any enduring tropical qualities were quickly eroded, its drawbacks given its low ABV, perhaps the brewers should spend less time trying to an ape an IPA, and more time creating a decent quality Golden Ale. For my next drink I sought to go to the Bitter side, and went for some Riverside Red (4.2%) from New River Brewery in Hoddesdon, Herts; brewed with German malts it sounded promising, I was met with a fruity and biscuity aroma, it had a touch sweetness in the taste with hints of caramel running through it, that complimented its underlying sourness. The bitterness was quite balanced, allowing the smoked German malts to evidently come through, making it taste remarkably like a Rauchbier. Vivid red in colour like a sunset, this was a stunning effort from the Brewery. 

Next up I sought for a good drink of Porter and carefully made my decision, I eventually settled on Railway Porter (4.8%) from Five Points Brewery in Hackney Downs, London; one of the brewery’s premier drinks, it was quite popular with the punters at the festival and the barrel was nearly empty by the time I got to it. Described as jet black in colour, smoky with hints of raisins, plums and dark chocolate. It was everything it said on the tin, it was strong, fruity and profoundly bitter in flavour, it’s distinct smokiness helped underly it’s profound dryness that gave it an almost coal like quality, reminiscent of a steam train. Given that the brewery is stationed under a railway arch underneath the Lee Valley and West Anglia mainline, this drink was a touching reminder of the railway's heritage. It was a delicious, quaffable and a crowd pleasing drink, a fine example of a Porter. For my final beer of the day, I decided to up a gear and go into the strong ales category. Unfortunately there were very few ales of over 6% ABV at the festival and one of them had already gone. I eventually settled on Cassiobury Sunshine IPA (6.0%) by Paradigm Brewery in nearby Sarratt, Herts. Described as a hazy IPA, the beer was a dark russet gold that seemed to underly its strength. It was met with lip smacking fruitiness, with distinct notes of mango, grapefruit, peach that complimented its slight bitter qualities. The alcoholic strengths were clearly noticeable in the mouthfeel, but not too overwhelming. This drink was a true IPA and thoroughly delivered on its promises, so quite poignantly I was saddened to hear that Paradigm Brewery are closing at the end of August, it will be a sad loss to the illustrious brewing scene in Hertfordshire. With plenty of beer in my belly, I ended the day on a sweet note and sought a drop of Cider for my dessert course. After much deliberation I went for Pear Still Pear (4.8%) from Ascension Cidery in Polegate, East Sussex. Described as a sweet wild fermented cider blended with freshly pressed pear juice, this was a rare example of where Cider meets Perry. It was evidently sweet, with a distinct fruitiness that helped underly in smoky, slightly sour like qualities. Since the apples were fermented in the wild before processing, it gave the drink a distinct tart like quality that made it notably aromatic. A pleasing, and somewhat refreshing cider, it gave me a satisfying finish to my trip. 

Overall the beer festival was quite a decent one for a low-level ‘local’ beer festival that seems to proliferate throughout the land on the yearly festival calendar. It had a good selection of drinks with a heavy emphasis on session ales, although there was a lack of stronger ales, such as barley wines, stout, old ale, IPA and strong ale, which I think the festival should improve upon in years to come, given the space of the building I think that would be eminently possible.

Beer Glasses: The Art of Flavour

= INTRO =

In his 1943 essay ‘The Moon Under the Water’, George Orwell notes how they’re very particular about drinking vessels at his pub and goes onto say how pints are only served in glass and pewter mugs, but never handleless. The 20^th century was an important time for the development of beer glasses as manufacturers across the country sought to design drinking vessels that not only made beer more attractive but more quaffable to the drinker. Choosing the appropriate type of beer glass is imperative to the quality, look and colour of a beer. The shape of a glass is important in how it affects the beer as it enters the mouth, as it can influence the flavours, aromas and mouthfeel.  Various types of beers suit specific types of drinking glasses. Here’s a guide to several different beer glasses.

 

= TULIP GLASS =

Beer styles: Golden Ale, Bitter, IPA, Stout, Porter

Glasswear in pubs during the early 20^th century generally consisted of conical thin-walled glasses, however these tumblers were prone to breakages; in 1948 the Nonic glass was introduced to the UK by Ravenhead, it had an inverted cone-like shape with a bulge at the top which helped prevent chipping when stacked and breakages when tipped over. This was later superseded by the Tulip glass, which although similar in appearance, it was smoother and conical in design. Since then, the Tulip glass has become one of the commonest glasses found in UK pubs. Indeed, its widened rim is useful in not only ensuring a better grip on the glass, but also in retaining the abundance of foam, which helps in maintaining the aromas and flavours of the beer; this is particularly suited to stouts and Northern beers.

 

= DIMPLE JUG =

Beer styles: Mild, Bitter, Stout, Porter, Brown Ale, Golden Ales

Pint mugs were originally made of Pewter or China, as glass pressing technology improved, manufactures sort to take advantage of this by developing glass tankards. The iconic Dimple jug was introduced by Ravenhead in 1938, its design was influenced by the 10-sided Lantern Pint Glass and the Turbinger Kugel. The Dimple jug has a stout and slightly curved like design with three horizontal bands of dimples stopping short of the fill line, due to its handled design a Dimple jug is useful in maintaining a cool pint. This type of glass is suitable for intensifying the luminance of lighter colour beers like Bitter and Golden Ale. According to Martyn Cornell, the light shining through pint of Bitter in a Dimple jug gives the appearance of a stained-glass window. It is also useful in maintaining a good head of foam which is convenient for capturing more flavour.

 

= PILSNER GLASS =

Beer styles: Blonde Ale, Wheat Beer, NEIPA, Lager

Tall and slender in appearance, with a conical shape that flutes out towards the rim. The Pilsner glass was invented by Josef Groll in the Czech city of Pilsen in 1842, for which he named after. During this time, advancements in filtration technology through brewing allowed for cleaner and lighter coloured beers, in turn these encouraged glassmakers to develop drinking vessels that would show off these beers to their best advantage. Due it’s long and slender form, the glass helps maximise the amount of the light going through, which in turn amplifies its colour. It also adept at persevering and strengthening the carbonation of the beer, as well as maintaining a good head, which allows for maintaining flavour and the aroma of the beer for longer.

 

= GOBLET GLASS =

Beer Styles: Strong Ale, Old Ale, Imperial Stout, Barley Wine, Scotch Ale

A Goblet glass is designed for beers that are stronger and richer in flavour, usually with an ABV of 5% or over. The glass has a flared rim with a stemmed bulbous design that expands towards the bottom, which has a rounded surface that allows for heat transfer whilst holding the glass. Due to the design of the Goblet, it helps intensify the aromas and flavour of the beer as it hits the mouth; it is also useful in maintaining a hefty and abundant head which adds to a smoother mouthfeel. This type of glass is generally only available in glasses that measure 13.1 fl oz, or 375ml. 

 

= CONCLUSION =

Beer glasses come in all different shapes and sizes, but when it comes to choosing a beer, whether it’s a Bitter, IPA or an Imperial Stout for instance, choosing the right type of glass can be imperative towards the overall quality of a pint, as the shape of the glass can influence the aromas, flavours and mouthfeel of a beer. As the old Czech proverb goes “a pint of beer may be judged with only one sip”, yet it only takes one glass to make all the difference.