THE JOURNAL
Raise a pint glass (or bottle) from these top brewers in celebration of London’s Craft Beer Festival .
Next week (12–14 August), the annual London Craft Beer Festival returns to the Oval Space in east London, with more than 30 breweries showcasing their wares – from London favourites The Kernel Brewery, through to award-winning Swedish creative brewers Omnipollo and Australians Stone & Wood. To decide what to sup on while you’re there or to sample in advance – and what better time to drink beer than today (International Beer Day) – we asked Mr Greg Wells, co-founder of the Craft Beer Festival for his five favourite brews. Cheers.
Omnipollo, Mazarin Pale Ale
“Based in Stockholm, this is one of the most sought after brewers in Europe. Its pale ale, Mazarin, is packed with hops, but so well balanced that it leaves a deep yearning for more. Each of the beer varieties has a unique bottle-art design – look for the melting candle in this case. This will be available at Brewdog bar.”
To Øl, LikeWeisse
“Another gem of a brewery from Scandinavia, Denmark’s To Øl was set up by two college friends. LikeWeisse is their take on Berliner Weisse – perfect for summer drinking, like a tart, fresh lemonade ready to make sunny days better and longer.”
The Kernel Brewery, London Sour Raspberry
Gipsy Hill, Hepcat session IPA
“Another great beer from south London, this session IPA has a little more body than most, but a higher malt content does let a great fruity hop hit sit nicely. A well balanced, supremely drinkable beer.”
Wiper and True, Pale Ale, Australia
“A small but very exciting brewery from Bristol, Wiper and True are making people sit up and take notice with their very palatable brews and constant stream of new releases. Their pale ales, including this Australia batch are special, and look out for their Kaleidoscope pale too.”