For the uninitiated a brief history of brewdog, they started out as a small micro brewery in Scotland 6 years ago and have grown into a chain of bars with a difference, brewing there own beer and celebrating beers from other brewers they deem worthy.
Upon entering the industrial looking building almost on Newcastle quayside the first thing you may notice is the lack of signage no fosters amstel or coors taps to be seen just plain black taps with a brewdog logo on. above the bar is a menu 4 beers that tend to be ever present then 3 or 4 limited run beers all made in brewdogs Scottish brewery and 2 or 3 from other brewers. At this point i would strongly advise actually shock horror speaking to the bar staff by which i don't mean grunting larger please i mean speaking as they have some knowledge behind them and will find the right brew for you.
On my recent visit i sampled there 5am saint containing 5 hops 5 malts and 5% this is a beer that packs loads of flavour more on which later and a chocolate beer brownie that is produced locally by pet lamb patisserie using brewdog beers. Aside from cakes there are cheese and meat platters and more usual bar snacks of nuts and homemade scotch eggs available.
Newcastle brewdog also offer a beer masterclass at £20 per person that includes 6 drinks and food platters and is a highly recommended eye opener to initiate you into the world of craft brewing.
I asked a few questions to bar manager Helen Davison
In just six years brewdog has come so far what would you put this down to ? The general interest in craft beer has boomed over the time we've been establishing ourselves. Over the past few years, the increase in bars offering a craft beer selection, nurturing their real ale offerings, and generally taking more pride in their product range has encouraged the buyer to be more experimental. I also think that people are becoming more conscious of what they spend their money on. They want to know what they are consuming, and who they are supporting. I think Brewdog's popularity comes down us providing people with a range of ethically produced, trustworthy products. Every beer is individual and exciting, and our staff are knowledgeable and passionate about each one.
With the motto beer for punks its not your typical boardroom could you tell us about the people behind the company ? James and Martin decided to set up the Brewery because they were frustrated by seeing the same boring brands saturating the beer industry. Our motto 'Beer For Punks' stems from the guys adopting the punk ethos and attitude, protesting against the corporate beer scene, and rebelling against the mainstream. James and Martin make beers they want to drink, uncompromising and full of attitude. Although the company has rapidly expanded in such a small space of time, they are both very much involved in the daily running of both the brewery and the bars. They and are still extremely passionate about what they do and this enthusiasm is evident throughout each aspect of the company.
So what makes brewdog so different to other Newcastle bars ? As soon as you walk into BrewDog Newcastle, you can seeaesthetically, it is differs from every other bar in the city centre. Our bars are visually recognisable and possess lots of structural similarities. It was important to me, to encorporate some local art into the decor to give our bar some locality, as well as it's own identity. Newcastle is a city full of diversity and immensly talented people- and so all the varying degrees of art work you see around the bar, have been provided by regulars and residents of the city. The main obvious difference between ourselves and every other bar- is we do not compromise on our drink selection. We do not sell any commercial brands, everything we stock: spirits, soft drinks, ciders, wines and beers, are all craft. We boast an immense bottle selection, stocking beers from all over the globe, and an ever changing draft offering, both from BrewDog and guest breweries. We provide Beer Schools for people who want to learn more about craft beer. We often stock beers that other bars can not get access to, and we are the only bar to feature a full Beer Cocktail menu. When customers come into the bar, and don't recognise any of our products, they are immediately stepping out of their comfort zone; we pride ourselves on giving everybody great customer service, and encouraging people to try new things!
i see on a local level you have worked with pet lamb patisserie how did that come about ? We met the girls from Pet Lamb when they participated in a DIY day we held in the bar. The day was a celebration all things DIY curated by Laura Sheldon; supporting local companies, artists and musicians who possess the same ethos as BrewDog. We paired some beer and cake together on the day, then later approached the girls to incorporate some of our beer into their brownies. Since then we've experimented with different styles, and now stock a range of beer infused cakes as part of our food offerings. We have hosted beer and cake pairings in the bar, and will happily put together beer and cake flights for any customers who want to experiment with pairing themselves!
what is your favourite brewdog beer? It's very difficult to pick one favorite as we stock such a wide range of different styles, and so it really depends on your mood. My 'go to' beer would more than likely be 5AM Saint, it's a really well balanced amber ale-brewed with 5 different malts and 5 different hops. I'm also a big fan of Jack Hammer at the moment- it's incredibly sharp and hoppy, but still refreshing, and Pradox Isle of Arran- a 15% imperial stout, barrel aged in Isle of Arran whiskey casks- we've had it on draft lately and it tastes amazing.
what can we expect from the future of brewdog in newcastle and as a whole? Brewdog as a whole is still growing. Although we have grown rapidly, and our popularity has risen we are still a very small company, and have only just dented the beer scene. Craft beer is on the rise, and it's great to see over the past year more bars in our region offerring a much wider selection, which is great for us. Plans for this bar include, more events, more live music, more tap-takeovers from exciting breweries, food and beer pairings, beer cocktail competitions, beer tastings and loads more Brewdog beers. It is our AGM this weekend, so expect some exciting announcements.
Brewdog can be found at 16 dean street
12-12 sun to thurs and 12-1 fri and sat
Well that's my first addition hope it wasn't too painful , feel free to leave a comment and if you put your email in the box at the top of the page you can receive my blog via email.
Its been a busy few days so you can expect 2 more posts in just over a week
thank you for your time
geordie gourmet
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