C loudwater
can direct from the brewery, we’ll be making our business an ever stronger platform upon which we can grow, develop, and progress (in pursuit of ever more excellent beer).
c o m m en t
Brewing Services
& Consultancy Ltd
2017 trends
S
teady now! I’m not going to lay out all of our ambitions and ideas just yet, but I will go into some of what I think will be rather more popular this year than last. 1. A distinct lack of off flavours: I think we’re all ready for a new era, where off-flavour perception steps up a notch, and everyone from beer buyers to bartenders to consumers picks out those rather off putting and nuance covering notes of butter, cardboard, baby vomit, green apples, corn, and more. Sour beers without baby vomit, cask beers without butter, imported beers without cardboard – bring it on. For the record, if you’re local to Manchester, and either work in the industry, home brew, or just do your bit to support good beer, and would like to join us at the brewery for off flavour training, please email us on info@cloudwaterbrew.co. 2. All the juice: I know there are plenty of bitter, high IBU beer lovers out there, but when I take a look at the depth of support still found in the US today, years after fruity, juicy IPAs became the norm in some regions, it’s pretty clear to me that fruity, juicy, low bitterness beers are going to still be a big hit here in 2017. The IBU arms race of yesteryear was a very niche endeavour, hooking what seemed like few new drinkers into modern hoppy beer. Strip the bitterness back, and put fruity aromas from hops front and centre and IPAs suddenly become super approachable to non beer drinkers, and dangerously crushable to beer lovers. 3. Mixed ferm: Saisons are pretty cool, but saisons from Burning Sky, and mixed ferm saisons from BBNo are next level. We were thrilled with Cosweisse, our Biere Brut series, and are pretty damn happy with some of the beer we have in barrel right now. I think we’ll see a lot more mixed ferm(entation) beers hitting bars and shelves this year. Vermont yeast fermented IPA finished on Brett C, and then dry hopped anyone? 4. Summer crushers: 3% mixed ferm dry hopped Berliner Weisses, 2% Peach Kombucha Radlers, 3.5% Pale Ales with all the mouthfeel and hoppiness of 2016’s IPAs. I think we’ll see a renewed interest in lower ABV beer with all the complexity we love when strength is unrestrained, but in beers that will get you (and everyone in throwing distance of you) round the disc golf course in one piece. We’re thrilled to be where we are in the industry after less than two years brewing, and are currently limbering up (ok, more like slobbing around still dazed and exhausted from 2016) for an even bigger and better 2017. Here’s to a healthy, happy, fun packed, and successful 2017 for us all. Cheers!
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Manufacturers of the finest Pale Ale, Crystal and Roasted Malts All Malts delivered ON TIME to your specification, crushed or whole Main products include: Maris Otter, Pearl, Propino and Golden Promise Ale Malts together with the complete range of Speciality Crystal and Roasted Malts including Wheat, Rye and Oat products
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January~February 2017 | The Brewers Journal 33