Stay Ale and Arty on a Craft Beer Diet

Getting rat-arsed, rubbered, buckled or bladdered (in other words pissed) must be top of any stag or hen do itinerary. But let’s face it, this isn’t really that out of the ordinary, probably just what you do most weekends. Lads and lasses do like a dry sherry or two of an evening and why not.

However this is a special event, probably one of your last night’s of freedom, so you should be a bit more daring than just downing gallons of fairly tasteless lager and light ale.
So What’s the alternative to the offerings of the big brewing companies?

Craft beers.

Now I know what your thinking. Weird shit shoved in bottles bearing home-made labels like ‘Flannigans Flannel Underpant Ale’ or ‘Union Jack Off Celebration Cordial’ but it’s way more interesting than that.

Without boring you to death with stats there are 2400 plus craft brewers in the States with more appearing all the time. In fact there are loads more scattered around the globe and some great ones in the UK.

One of the UK’s biggest (and best) is Aberdeenshire-based Brewdog, who in the six years they have been in existence have already moved to bigger premises and also opened a chain of bars in all the major cities in the UK with more opening all the time. They even have one in Stockholm. Brewdog beer is exported around the globe and can also be found on all the major supermarket chains’ shelves.

So WTF is craft beer?

Essentially its beer produced in smaller quantities using only the best ingredients, none of the additives and stuff that ends up in all the big commercial
beers. The beers are full of big flavours, which comes as a bit of a taste bud bombshell for any long-term lager drinkers, plus they may also have in their ingredient list strange stuff like naga chillies or coffee beans or fruit.

The names are pretty weird though. American brands include Hopslam, Arrogant Bastard Ale, Lagunitas Sucks and Black Butte Porter. Back with Brewdog they have Punk IPA, Dead Pony Club, Tactical Nuclear Penguin and the now legendary 41% strength Sink The Bismarck.

It’s true that they are more expensive than the mass produced stuff  that the big brewers bung out but they are firmly focused on costs and profit making whereas Brewdog’s priority is great tasting beer. Go figure. And if by chance you have no idea what a ‘hoppy’ beer tastes like (you won’t if you lived a lager lifestyle) then trust me you will after your first Brewdog experience.

Brewdog bars can ease you into the world of craft beers with smaller measures so you don’t get lumbered with a pint you can’t face finishing….unlikely as that is!