Crisps and Beer Pairings

Brewers always lark on about what foods go best with their beers, whether a curry would be a suitable match for an IPA or a hearty stew provide the perfect accompaniment to a Best Bitter. Yet they seldom mention about crisps, which through thick and thin has been a constant companion to the humble pint, since the first flavoured crisps were introduced by Smiths back in the 1920's. Over the past 70 years as manufacturers developed new flavours for crisps, from cheese and onion in 1954 to salt and vinegar in 1967 and so on; the variety of crisps available to punters have vastly increased to hundreds of flavours and styles whether it is made out of potato, corn or wheat. So the idea about crisp and beer pairings should really be a particuarly pertient one at this moment in time as beers increasingly diversify. The old adage goes that crisps were intially introduced to pubs, since their fatiness and saltiness encourages drinkers to buy more pints, and in turn rake in more profits for the landlords, it is little wonder pubs like The Swan in Bushey has a mountain of snacks to choose from, as it has become a good source of encouraging profit. Yet it would be shallow just to dismiss crisps as a salty snack used to drive up drinking rates. There have been ongoing efforts from independent brewers to improve the quality of their beers, crisp manufacturers like Burts, Pipers and Mackies have striven over the years to improve the quality of their product, so aside from encouraging customers to drink more, their products also provide an ideal pairing to beers. But like cheese and wine pairings, different flavours suit different wines, the same should be said about crisps and beers. 

Indeed flavours like salt and vinegar particuarly go well with golden ales, as the acidity from the vinegar helps dovetail with the potent hopiness that is commonly found with this style. For instance I once tried a packet of salt and vinegar Squares with Bure Gold (4.3%) - Woodfordes and I found that the vinegar actually enhanced the flavour profile of the beer, and brought the hop forward flavours out. The same could be said for Smith's Scampi Fries, which I also find a good match with any blonde or Golden Ale; although in reality it's actually lemon flavoured, the flavour profile makes for a good pairing with this particular style of beer as it helps blend with the refreshing hoppy flavours from the beer rather than overtake it, which is little wonder why the British public voted it the 6th most popular crisp variety. Moreover, when it comes to the likes of Best Bitter which often known for its maltiness, dry mouthfeel and pronounced bitter backtaste, gamier/ meaty flavours should be considered. The smokiness from bacon flavoured crisps like Frazzles would make an ideal pairing for any pint of best, as the smokey tang helps undercut the bitter excesses from the beer, making it easier to drink. The same could be said for beef flavour crisps, when recently sampling some Pipers Longhorn Beef flavoured crisps with Orkney Best (3.6%) - Swannay, the gamey flavours from the crisps help exentuate the malty properties from the beer, thus improving its flavour, rather than detract from it. Now when it comes to darker beers like Stout, Porters and Dark Mild, careful consideration should be put into pairing crisps with this beer style, as quite often this style is known for its pronouced roasted malt flavour profile with notes of coffee, chocolate, caramel and even charcoal are often are detected. This can make it particuarly difficult to match up with any crisp flavour, especially when there are many substyles of stout for instance to choose from, such as Oyster, Milk, Dry Irish, Imperial, Oatmeal and Fruit to take in consideration, which further mudies the waters. Yet most stouts and porters are known for their medium to heavy bodies, especially when lactose and oats are thrown into the mix. Incidentally enough cheese has always been seen as a good flavour pairing with darker beers, as the creaminess from the cheese helps dovetail with the mouthfeel from the beer, and also help counteract the bitterness without overtaking it. Certain types of cheeses like red leicester and cheddar are especially common in crisps, as their relative mildness makes fir a suitable pairing with darker ales. Indeed a packet of Mini Cheddars would be an ideal pairing to the likes of Mena Dhu (4.5%) - St. Austell, as it helps exentuate the complex malt profile of the beer, which features up to six different malts (Pale, Crystal, Chocolate, Smoked, Malted Oats and Roasted Barley) in the mix. The flavourings from the cheddar flavoured crisps actually improve the overall drinking experience. Moreover the marmite style flavourings from crisps like Twiglets would also make a good pairing with darker coloured beers, which staringly obvious since these crisps were originally made from excess brewers yeast, as the strong, salty, earthy and unami rich flavours make an ideal pairing with the astrigent excesses of any Stout, Porter or Dark Mild. Moreover, on the other end of the ABV scale, beer styles like IPA and Strong Ale tend to have deeper and more pronounced flavours, for instance a traditional English IPA is known for their dinstinctly hoppy and aromatic flavour profile, with notes of citrus, spice, caramel and herbs thrown into the mix, along with a bready and biscuity malty mouthfeel to contend with. Indeed other styles like East Coast IPA's and NEIPA have even more hop forward flavours, particuarly when hops like Citra are utilized. Brewers often suggest spicy flavours are the ideal way to temper the beast, and none come more better than a curry, as the spiciness helps counteract the strong flavours that come through with IPA. Most crisps manufacturers usually go for milder types of curries when utilzing them for inspiration, as something like Vindaloo would be perhaps a step to far, unless you happen to be Dave Lister. I have frequently come across flavours like Chicken Tikka, Madras, Katsu Curry and even Currywurst on my travels, not only do curry flavoured crisps have aromatic qualities, they sometimes have a trace of lactose to help cut through the excesses of the spices, much like a real curry made with yoghurt would. So whether you sample a strong IPA like Green Devil IPA (6%) - Oakham, or Star of Eastbourne (6.5%) - Harvey's, the flavours from something like Chip Shop Curry flavoured McCoys is an ideal pairing with this beer style, as it helps pacify the strong flavours coming through from the IPA, yet at the same time it helps bring out the rich and varied flavour profile that is commonly associtated with this beer style. 

At the end of the day when it comes to crisp and beer pairings it really comes down to personal taste. Indeed it would be a pretty obvious choice just go for ready salted as drinkers have done for over a century, but this particular flavour adds nothing to the beer. Today, we are spoilt for choice when it comes to the wide array of flavours out there to choose from, and this allows for more oppertunity to expand our horizons and try out different flavours of crisps with various beer styles.  After all, it is well known that the fatiness from crisps coats your tongue, making you drink more, so choosing the appropriate flavour pairing is imperitive for improving the overall drinking experience whether it would be a sessionable and malty Best Bitter or a dry hopped and citrussy Double IPA. Indeed, there may be plenty of trial and error involved, but hopefully this brief exploration into flavour town will help educate your tastebuds and encourage you to open up a pack of crisps when you next have a pint down the pub or at home. 

Beer Review: Thornbridge Lord Marples

Name: Lord Marples

Brewery: Thornbridge

ABV: 4%

Style: Bitter

Location: Bakewell, Derbyshire

Aroma: Malty, fruity, hints of grassy hops and a dash of maramalade. 

Colour: Deep red with a fluffy one finger off white head.

Taste: Bitter, fruity, malt is clearly apparent in the foreground, giving it fruity and tart elements. The hops give it a bitter undercurrent that helps ground the flavours together. The mouthfeel is dry to cloying, overallit is medium bodied, not too heavy on the carbonation. 

Verdict: A decent session bitter with malt forward flavours, with a fruity overtones and a undercurrent of biterness that helps makes this a classic take on the time honoured style. The range of flavours help make up for its lack of strength and make it rather quabable. The use of bottle  conditioning adds to the development of the taste profile.

Rating: 8/10

TV Themed Beers

There are countless beers out there named bird species, fighter planes, famous historical persons, iconic films and popular songs. Yet more elusive is the connection between the brewing industry and television, which tends to be harder to find. For several decades, there have been a slew of beers released that have been inspired by notable TV shows, characters and catchphrases. Some shows are more commonly used than others like 'Dad’s Army', 'Only Fools & Horses' and 'Peaky Blinders' for instance. Occasionally a release has featured an iconic catchphrase from a character in a TV show like Cupid Stunt (in 'The Kenny Everett Television Show') best remembered for the line “it’s all done in the best possible taste”. Moreover, memorable episode titles and scenes have also been the subject of attention such as the legendary Goodies episode 'Kitten Kong' for instance.  The inspiration is not just limited to British TV shows, a number of US TV shows have frequented in beer titles as well, the likes of 'Star Trek' has particularly been a regular source of attention, appearing in several releases. And yet whilst most of these beers tend to be limited one-off releases and are seldom known outside their locality, some breweries have gone even further and have released entire ranges of beers dedicated to the television shows, such as Falstaff Brewery’s series of beers released under the Catchphrase banner, or the more recent slew of monthly releases from Hydes Brewery during the 2024 season. The range of beers named after or influenced by TV shows is vast.

When it comes to beer names, a sizeable number of TV shows have been utilized for inspiration. Yet some are more borrowed from than others. Rather surprisingly, 'Dad’s Army' comes out at the top of the list with the most examples linked to show, some of these are named after characters from the show like Mainwaring’s Mild (4.3%) – Firehouse, and a good deal more take after many of the show’s iconic catchphrases like Don’t Panic! (4.6%) – Hydes, uttered on a number of occasions by Lance Corporal Jones, or Don’t Tell Him Pike (4.2%) – Vale, which comes from the memorable line uttered by Captain Mainwaring in the episode ‘The Deadly Attachment’ when he accidentally reveals Pike's name to the U-Boat captain. Uniquely for a British TV show, one brewery has gone to even the lengths of producing a range of beers inspired by the show. In 2018, Drenchfoot Brewery was launched by Paul Foot in Thetford, the town is notable as most of the exteriors for 'Dad’s Army' were filmed there. Sensing a potential marketing opportunity, he went onto produce a range of beers inspired by the town’s most famous claim to fame, including the likes of Don’t Panic (4%), Stupid Boy (4.4%), Home Guard Bitter (3.7%) and Captain Stout (4.1%) for instance, markedly since their release, beers like Stupid Boy (4.4%) have even been sold at the town’s Dad’s Army Museum. Another TV show that has frequently fallen under the brewer’s radar is 'Only Fools and Horses', frequently rated highly in a number of polls, it is easy to see why it is so popular among the general public. There are a host of well-known catchphrases commonly spoken by Del Boy that have featured in beers including This Time Next Year Rodney (4.1%) – VOG, You Plonker (4.2%) – Morgan’s Ales, and Lovely Jubbly (3.8%) – Bowman Ales, the latter example being a collaboration with Mr Whitehead’s Cider Company, sold on limited edition at 60,000 bottles. As well as memorable scenes like One More Turn (3.9%) – Hydes, as uttered by Del in the episode 'A Touch of Glass' prior to dropping the wrong chandelier, to Trigger’s Broom (4.4%) when Trigger announces in the episode 'Heroes and Villains' that’s he’s been given an award for using the same broom for 20 years, despite it having 17 new heads and 14 replacement handles. Whilst many of these examples tend to be one-off releases, Diamond Geezer (4.9%) – By the Horns Brewing Co., bucks this trend, since the Wimbledon based brewery launched operations in 2011, this hoppy red ale with flavours as bold as Del Boy’s fruity character has become one of their most popular semi-regular releases. In more recent times, the likes of 'Peaky Blinders' have become a popular subject for brewers, in 2019 Dancing Duck Brewery produced Beaky Blinder (4.5%) a wry take on the show’s name that also plays reference to the brewery’s range of Duck themed beers. The former Saldler’s Brewery developed a range of ales dedicated to the show including Peaky Blinder Pale Ale (4.3%), Peaky Blinder Black IPA (4.4%) and Peaky Blinder Christmas Pudding (6%) for instance. Such was the popularity of the show, the show’s producers even approached Thornbridge Brewery and commissioned them to create a beer. After a period of development, in February 2020 they released Shelby (5%), a traditional English style IPA, it was produced in a style that would have been drunk in the 1920’s, (where the series is set) and would have likely being supped by the infamous Shelby brothers which the beer is named after. At the time of its release, the show’s creator Steve Knight proclaimed it as “the first and only legitimate Peaky endorsed beer,” perhaps to put it more clearly, it is the only British beer (as of 2025) with direct involvement from the makers of a television show.

 

Another area of interest for brewers is catchphrase, those memorable lines that stream into the nation’s subconsciousness like flypaper. The sitcom 'Gavin & Stacey' has a number of iconic catchphrases including “oh” and “what’s occurring?” as commonly stated by Nessa for instance, both of these phrases have featured in beers like Oh! What’s Occurring (4.1%) – VOG Brewery, which is incidentally based in Barry where much of the show was set and filmed, along with Wat’s Occurring? (3.9%) – Great Oakley, the latter is a session level golden ale that is regularly produced by the brewery, notably since it release, it has become one of their flagship products, winning a slew of awards including Silver in 2013 from the Society of Independent Brewers (SIBA), 2010, 2012 CAMRA champion beer of Britain finalists and a Gold in 2011 at the Derby City Charter Festival. Well known quotes from other TV shows have also made appearances in beers like Survey Says (4.2%) – Hydes, which comes from the quiz show 'Family Fortunes', Beam Me Up (4.2%) – Bristol Beer Factory, derived from a frequent phrase uttered in the original 'Star Trek' series, Rock On Tommy (3.8%) – Morgan’s Ales, a line frequently uttered by Bobby Ball in 'Cannon and Ball', Boom! Boom! (4.3%) – Vale, a phrase commonly used by Basil Brush and Best Possible Taste (3.9%) – Vale, derived from a quote commonly spoken by the character Cupid Stunt in 'The Kenny Everett Television Show'. Falstaff Brewery went a step further and launched a series of beers under their catchphrase brand, featuring notable characters from television shows who are known for their catchphrases, including the likes of Meldrew (4.3%) derived from the central character of ‘One Foot in the Grave’ known for his frequent outburst “I don’t believe it”, Peggy (4%), based on the former landlord of the Queen Vic in 'Eastenders' who frequently uttered the line “get out my pub”, Blakey (4%) derived from the bus inspector from 'On the Buses' whom commonly shouts “I’ll get you Butler!” and even examples from US shows like Sheldon (4%) from 'The Big Bang Theory', a character well known for his tagline “Bazinga!” The brewery has even featured real life personalities like Cooper (4.3%) that pays tribute to Tommy Cooper with his trademark phrase “Just Like That”, to Bowen (4.3%) based on the common line uttered by Jim Bowen, presenter of the darts based quiz show 'Bullseye' who would often state “let’s see what you could have won.” 

 

Various breweries have reguarly got into the act and named beers after well known television characters and real life personalities, such as Greengrass Old Rogue Ale (4.5%) – Daleside, based on the Claude Greengrass, the roguish farmer from 'Heartbeat'. This notable golden ale is made from four different hops and has gone onto become one of the brewery’s flagship core-brand products. Moreover, Mighty Oak Brewery have a habit on pun-filled names for their beers, when it came to the Christmas season, they named one of their seasonal offerings Elf Garnett (4.1%) based on Alf Garnett, the irascible protagonist of 'Till Death Us Do Part' and 'In Sickness and in Health'. Likewise, Muswell Hill based brewery Muswell Hillbilly Brewers whose name is based on a song by The Kinks, have produced a number of beers with connections to Kinks songs and hillbilly culture. On one of their releases, they unveiled was called Uncle Jed’s Best Bitter (3.8%), its name is based on the family patriarch Jed Clampitt from the US sitcom 'The Beverly Hillbillies'. Likewise, Salamander Brewery once used the likeliness of former TV fitness instructor Diane Morgan, whom used to grace our screens on 'BBC Breakfast' between 1983-7, she featured in the pump clip design for Green Goddess (4%) which features a salamander dressed in her trademark green leotard costume. Manchester based brewer, Robinsons have also got into the act, with Magnum IPA (4.1%) a golden ale based on the titular protagonist in 'Magnum P.I.', even the pump clip featured the likeness of the character, replete with bushy moustache. Titles from TV shows seem to a popular draw among brewers, such as The Man From D.U.N.K.E.L (5%) by Nine Elms based brewery Mondo Brewing; a traditional dunkelweizen made authentically with Hallertau & Saaz hops and a Bavarian yeast strain for added flavour, its name is a reference to the 60’s spy series 'The Man From U.N.C.L.E.'. This name has proved so popular, several other breweries have also utilized its namesake, including Battersea Brewery, Ayr Brewing and Bowland Brewery to name a few. Likewise, VOG Brewery produced Barrywatch (4.5%) a wry take on 'Baywatch', quite appropriate given the brewery’s seaside location. A number of other TV show titles have also featured in beer names including 'Black Mirror' an anthology series set in a dystopian future, in October 2018, Kent Brewery released a beer under the name, Black Mirror (4.5%) a stout dry hopped with US and NZ hops. More recently, Siren Craft Brew marked their 11^th anniversary with a series of celebratory releasees. These included another beer featuring the name-sake Black Mirror (8%), an imperial pastry stout flavoured with cocoanut, cocoa and Belgian chocolate, based on their early release Candour (7.8%). Moreover, in 2010, J.W. Lees (one of Manchester’s largest brewers) developed Coronation Street (4.2%) in order to commemorate the 50^th anniversary of the soap set in nearby Salford, sticking to the local theme likewise earlier in 2003, Black Sheep Brewery released Emmerdale (4.2%), notably when its ABV was reduced in 2006, the brewery invited Chris Chittel (who played Eric Pollard in the progam) to pull the first pint. Indeed, the brewery have produced a number of beers with names derived from TV shows including All Creatures (4%) and their long running series based on the Monty Python franchise which began in 1999, when the brewery was approached by Python to produce a beer to mark their 30^th anniversary, where they subsequently developed Monty Python’s Holy Grail (4.7%), subsequently they have produced a mixture of titles based on their films and TV show including Flying Circus (4.5%) which was initially released in Easter 2018 and brought back the following year due to popular demand, and  Monty Python’s Dead Parrot (4.1%) that debuted in October 2021 and is based on the iconic sketch, involving a recently deceased Norwegian blue parrot A number of other episode titles have appeared on beer names, including Kitten Kong (4.1%) – Vale, which was based on the award-winning Goodies episode involving a gigantic kitten rampaging across London, and more obliquely May Day May (4.3%) – Burton Bridge, it was sold as part of their Gold Medal Series featuring historic persons, this release celebrated the career of Tony Hancock, and recreates the scene from the 'Hancock's Half Hour' episode 'The Radio Ham' (1961), when the lad acquires a ham radio set.

From looking at this selection, there are enough TV themed beer names out there to fill nearly a week’s worth of networked programs. Whilst many borrow from iconic catchphrases, a vast number of fictional characters and real-life television personalities have also been under the radar of the brewery’s marketing division such as Falstaff’s extensive range of limited-edition cask ales under their catchphrase brand. And although the worlds of television and brewing are normally separate, occasionally there have been spillovers such as Shelby (5%) when the makers of 'Peaky Blinder’s' directly commissioned Thornbridge to produce an official beer for the show, and most notably the ongoing collaboration between Monty Python and Black Sheep Brewery that has been going strong since they first collaborated in 1999. A number of TV titles have also featured in beer names although some brewers like VOG Brewery have bended the boundaries and gone for the likes of the pun-filled titles like Barrywatch (4.5%). Although breweries across the UK tend to concentrate on British made TV shows, occasionally US produced shows have also frequented attention. Common examples include the likes of 'Star Trek', and more curiously Fonzie from 'Happy Days' who has featured in several releases including Fonzie (4.5%) – The Goodness Brewing Co. and Three Little Fonzie’s (7.2%) – Siren Craft Brew, respectively. Relating to the subject of TV show that frequently influence breweries, the likes of 'Only Fools and Horses' and 'Dad’s Army' rule the roost on this matter, indeed likes of Thetford based brewer Dredgefoot have devoted part of their range towards celebrating the town’s famous claim to fame. Yet the most of these TV themed beers were predominately limited-edition one-offs, and in the words of John Cleese, they have ceased to be. However, there are few regularly produced examples still avaialble out there like Greengrass Old Rogue Ale (4.5%) - Daleside and Wat’s Occuring (3.9%) – Great Oakley that have been appeared in both cask and bottle. The roll sheet of TV themed beers developed by breweries over the years has been an intriguing and fascinating one full of illustrious and imaginative titles that honour their erstwhile influences, hopefully in the years to come there will be more exciting beer names that will take influence from our extensive television landscape.

Beer Review: Morland Old Midnight Hen

Name: Midnight Hen

Brewery: Morland (Greene King)

ABV: 4.2%

Style: Stout

Location: Bury St. Edmunds, Norfolk

Aroma: Bags of roasted malt, along with a chorus of coffee, liquoriche and chocolate, accompanied by hints of caramel and a dash of maramlade thrown into the mix. 

Colour: Deep black with a one finger tan coloured head, that takes a while to dissipate after pouring.

Taste: A sharp bitterness assaults the senses, followed by background of roasted coffee beans, dark chocolate, vine fruits and a dash of caramel, perhaps a hint of pipe tabacco. The mouthfeel is creamy yet close to biscutty, though the medium bodied depth of the beer helps maintain the head, which keeps the beer smoother for longer, even in bottle form. It is best to sample this beer cool not cold in order to appreciate the complexities of the flavours.

Verdict: A recent addition to the growing range of releases under the Old Speckled Hen banner, there is a lot going for this beer, despite its low ABV, the use of malt undercut with the bitterness from the hops helps create a deep and complex flavour profile that helps give it character. Although it may lack the complexities that stronger beers allow, it is far from being a push over, and its kaleidoscope of aromas and flavours help make it memorable. The beer is profoundly on the bitter side which may dissuade some from trying, and at times it seems a little overbearing. This beer is the ideal drink to have by the fireside, on a cold winter's night and it sessionable enough that it won't leave you worse for wear afterwards.

Rating: 8/10