Vault City ~ Strawberry White Choc Crunch Doughnut 4.1% Pastry Sour
Vault City's Strawberry White Choc Crunch Doughnut is a symphony of dessert flavours in a glass, layering rich strawberry jam, creamy white chocolate, and a delightful crunch of honeycomb. This pastry sour is both bold and playful, offering a taste experience that mirrors a decadent, fruit-filled doughnut.
Interesting Fact: Vault City excels in transforming traditional dessert elements into complex beer experiences, using real fruit and creative adjuncts like honeycomb to achieve a remarkable depth of flavour that resonates with the nostalgia of favourite sweets.
Food Pairing: This beer pairs splendidly with light, creamy desserts such as strawberry shortcake or white chocolate mousse, which echo its primary flavours. It's also enjoyable with salty snacks like pretzels, which contrast beautifully with its sweet profile.
Vault City ~ Rhubarb Blackberry Swirl Doughnut 4.3% Pastry Sour
With a tantalizing mix of tart rhubarb and sweet blackberries topped with a swirl of vanilla, Vault City's Rhubarb Blackberry Swirl Doughnut offers a delightful balance of flavours. This pastry sour marries the zing of seasonal fruit with the comforting sweetness of a doughnut, creating a unique beer treat.
Interesting Fact: Vault City uses its distinctive house culture for fermentation, allowing for a layered complexity and vibrant fruit expression that brings out the best in the rhubarb and blackberry flavours, making each sip reminiscent of biting into a freshly filled doughnut.
Food Pairing: This vibrant sour is excellent alongside rich, creamy cheeses like Brie or Camembert, which will complement its fruity tartness. It's also fantastic with dark chocolate desserts, providing a lovely contrast to the chocolate's bitter notes.
Gweilo ~ Rainbow Sherbet Sour 4.5% Rainbow Sherbet Sour
Gweilo's Rainbow Sherbet Sour offers a delightful journey through layers of raspberry, lemon zest, and a sour base, achieving a balanced interplay between sweetness and tartness. This beer is like a scoop of rainbow sherbet, offering a refreshing, effervescent experience that invokes childhood delight.
Interesting Fact: Gweilo utilizes a combination of raspberry purée and lemon zest to craft a flavour profile that not only mimics the classic sherbet dessert but also enhances the natural tartness of the beer, making for an invigorating drink perfect for any season.
Food Pairing: Enjoy this vibrant sour with fruity desserts like a fresh fruit tart or lemon sorbet, which will complement its zesty character. It also pairs well with spicy foods, as the sweet and sour elements can cool down the heat.
Pastore ~ Spritz 2.5% Lemon & Lime Fruited Sour VG
Pastore's Spritz is a lightly alcoholic take on the classic soda flavours of lemon and lime, offering a refreshing and zesty taste profile that's both invigorating and thirst-quenching. This low ABV beer is crisp, with a spritzy carbonation that enhances its drinkability and appeal.
Interesting Fact: Emulating the light and refreshing qualities of Sprite, this beer integrates real citrus flavours, providing a natural zest that elevates the sour notes, making it a standout in the category of sessionable, fruit-forward sours.
Food Pairing: The citrusy crispness of Spritz pairs beautifully with light seafood dishes, such as grilled shrimp or a citrusy ceviche, where its flavours can truly shine. It's also a great match for a fresh garden salad or citrus-based vinaigrettes.
Full Circle ~ Short Circuit 4.2%
Full Circle's Short Circuit is a model of the classic dry stout, offering an intricate dance of Chinook hops with layers of roasted coffee and dark chocolate. The exclusive use of Chinook hops provides a unique, subtle bitterness that complements the robust malt profile, perfect for savouring.
Interesting Fact: Chinook hops are typically known for their pine and spicy aroma, but in this stout, they are masterfully used to highlight the malt's deep, roasty flavours without overwhelming the palate, a testament to the brewery's innovative approach.
Food Pairing: This stout pairs excellently with shellfish, particularly oysters, where its roasted flavours enhance the briny freshness. It’s also a great companion to rich, chocolatey desserts or a classic Irish stew, enhancing the meaty flavours.
Siren Craft Brew ~ Party In The Dark 4.6%
Siren Craft Brew's Party In The Dark is a silky Nitro Milk Stout, where the velvety texture meets a robust tapestry of expertly roasted coffee and chocolate notes. The high percentage of oats and the addition of lactose build a creamy body that carries the rich espresso flavours delivered by Origin coffee beans.
Interesting Fact: The use of nitrogen in this milk stout not only smooths out the texture but also subtly enhances the aroma and flavours of the coffee and chocolate, creating a more immersive tasting experience.
Food Pairing: The creamy and coffee-rich profile of this stout pairs beautifully with smoked meats or barbecue, where its smoothness will complement the smokiness of the food. For dessert, try it with a tiramisu, where it can play into the coffee and creamy layers.
RedWillow ~ Smokeless 5.7%
RedWillow's Smokeless is a chipotle smoked porter that offers a surprisingly approachable profile with a velvety texture and a robust malt backbone. The cherry-rich smokiness from the chipotles adds a unique layer, while a subtle hint of heat tickles the palate, making it an intriguing winter beverage.
Interesting Fact: The addition of chipotle peppers to this porter introduces a gentle heat and a distinctive smoky flavour, a technique inspired by traditional culinary methods to enhance complexity in the brew.
Food Pairing: This smoked porter is excellent with grilled or roasted vegetables, adding depth to their natural flavours. It’s also ideal for pairing with Mexican dishes like mole or smoked brisket, where its smoky notes and subtle spice can elevate the dish.
Pretty Decent x Mammoth ~ The Mammoth In The Room 5.0%
Pretty Decent x Mammoth's collaboration, The Mammoth In The Room, is a Peanut Butter Chocolate Bueno Stout that bursts with the flavours of hazelnut, chocolate, and a rich peanut butter undertone. It's crafted to mimic the popular candy bar, delivering a nostalgic yet sophisticated flavour profile.
Interesting Fact: This stout cleverly uses allergen-free peanut butter and hazelnut flavourings, making it suitable for those with allergies but still desiring the full, indulgent taste of nut-infused chocolate.
Food Pairing: The rich notes of nutty chocolate make this stout a delightful pair for vanilla ice cream or nutty pastries like pecan pie, where its flavours can intertwine with the sweet and nutty components of the dessert.