Author: Ian Webster

Dual Diamond sparkles at The Weighbridge

by Ian Webster -

Burton Old Cottage Brewery Company’s new old beer Dual Diamond is starting to find its way into pubs, one being The Weighbridge (in the Grainwarehouse / Travelodge carpark just off Derby Street). With the sun out on the hottest 19 April in seventy odd years The Beertonian needed no excuse to pop down for a sample and to canvas the opinion of those that really matter; the publican and his regulars.

George Lambert, the Landlord and owner of The Weighbridge is mightly impressed,

“It’s going down really well,” he says, then has to break off the conversation to pull another pint of Dual Diamond for a thirsty customer, in fact all of the pub are on the Diamond, except for one cider drinker and those who are driving. “I put one on last Wednesday night at nine o’clock and it had gone by Thursday at nine, and we closed at half ten on Wednesday and didn’t open until five on the Thursday! We sold a firkin in seven hours.”

In other words that is 72 pints, which is some going! The Weighbridge regulars are also in agreement.

“It’s an excellent brew,” praises Ed Morris. ” I was lucky enough to try a sample from a cask of the first brew; everyone who tried it liked it.”

“Beautiful,” surmises Barry Degg. “George keeps it very well, it’s a nice drink. Be good to have it on here all the time.”

Cliff Croft agrees, “This is my first taste of it, I did have Double Diamond but I can’t remember what it tasted like. This is really nice.”

“One of the better beers,” says Alec Chamberlain. “I am really enjoying it.”

The conversation then turns to the past and the original Double Diamond of which Dual Diamond is a modern day version of.

“Double Diamond was one of the first keg beers with Worthington E, Watney’s Red Barrel” says Alec.

“Double Diamond wasn’t very good!” Laughs George.

Ed drank a lot of Double Diamond in the 1970s, “It was part of the staple diet of pubs and Working Men’s Clubs,” he recalls. “I remember it being a little bit weaker. It was a good session beer.”

“I drank keg Double Diamond years ago, it was fizzier, gassy and sweeter,” says Barry. “It was nice; I used to put a Triple A in it at the end of the night!”

Triple A, Ind Coope’s infamous barley wine, is another beer in need of a comeback but for now the Diamond is sparkling nicely in The Weighbridge.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Brews of the World feature

by Ian Webster -

Situated at 159 Station Street, which is either opposite Sainsbury’s (if you are a youngster) or in the old premises of Byrkley Books (if you are not), is Burton’s first bottle shop Brews of the World.

Although the shop opened only five months ago, the idea was formed in the midst of time.

“We have been real ale fans for over twenty years,” says Robin Ludlow, the other part of ‘we’ is business partner Chris McCormack. “We have talked about having some sort of outlet in the town for almost as long, originally a bar or some such selling local and international beers and it morphed into Brews of the World over time.”

The first choice was the old wool shop in the Abbey Arcade, but there was a problem.

“That fell through. We took out a premises license for the place, paid solicitors etc., heard nothing for six months and then got the draught lease back; it stated that we could not sell alcohol on the premises! They could have told us six months beforehand…”

Disheartened but not beaten, the lads took evasive action in true Burton fashion, “We went for a pint in the Coopers.”

This journey took them down Station Street and was to prove pivotal, “We walked passed our current premises and saw it was to let. The landlord is a friend of a friend so we made a couple of phone calls and the rest is history…”

Brews of the World opened on Saturday 18 November although a few friends had a sneak preview on the Thursday. They are open seven days a week from 12:00 to 23:00, stocking over 400 beers and 60 ciders and perries. As the name suggests they stock beer from all over the world, from the local breweries Burton Bridge, Tower, Old Cottage, Town and Marston’s, to Europe, the States and even Australia.

“Our best seller is Worthington’s White Shield,” informs Robin. They sold the 500th bottle this week and the lucky customer was also given  free glass and a Toblerone to commemorate the landmark.

Other breweries stocked include: Titanic, Ashover, Bathams, Samuel Smiths, Buxton, Oakham, Wylam, Rudgate, Mallinsons, Saltaire, Wild Beer, Kernel, Track and Arbor. From Wales there is Tiny Rebel, Porterhouse and Boundary from Ireland, a good selection of Scottish beers Skye, Williams Brothers, Fyne Ales and Orkney. From Cornwall there is Coastal and Padstow. Further afield Sori Brewing and Pohjala (Estonia), Kiuchi (Japan), Birra del Borgo (Italy), Santorini (Greece), Thiriez (France), Nogne O and Haand (Norway), Super Bock, Coral and Sagres (Portugal), La Trappe, De Molen, Kees, de Kievit and Hertog Jan (the Netherlands), Jever, Maisels, Zum Uerige, Schneider, Ayinger, Schlosser, Berliner Kindl, Schlenkerla and Erdinger (Germany), Tailgate, Rogue, Saugatuck, Spencer, Arcadia, Firestone, Evil Twin and Oskar Blues (USA), Bosteels, de Koninck, Bush, Kasteels, Westmalle, Fantome, Rodenbach, Dupont, Palm, Lindemans, Liefmans, Bruge Zot, de Halve Maan, Chimay, Corsendonk, Brasserie {C}, Huyghe, La Chouffe (Belgium).

Cider and Perry from Olivers, Dunkertons, Gwatkins, Hogans, Dorset Nectar, Duddas Ton, Celtic Marches, Snails Bank, Gwynt y Ddraig, Tillingtons, Once upon a Tree, Oldfields, Little Pomona, Henneys, Angioletti, Newton Court and Sam Smiths. Craft breweries include Magic Rock, Black Iris, Marble, Twisted Barrel, Beatnikz Republic, Verdant, Cloudwater, Northern Monk, Abbeydale and Wild Weather. This is only an overview of their stock, you can access the rest via their Facebook page.

For the really adventurous there is Braeckman’s Oude Graan Genever; a gin-like Belgian spirit retailing at £31.35 for a 70cl bottle or perhaps Chimay Grande Reserve Blue Barrique? This barrel-aged Trappist ale from Belgium costs £29.99 for 75cl.

There are exciting future plans that The Beertonian can exclusively reveal, “We are definitely going to have an on-license at some point, using space to the rear of the premises. It is just a matter of getting the shop established first.”

If you haven’t visited Brews of the World yet and enjoy trying something new, get yourself down there. Both Robin and Chris are very knowledgeable and will be able to suggest beers that will suit any drinker’s palate. Oh and tell them The Beertonian sent you please.

You can contact them on 01283 749000, Twitter @BOTW_Burton or Facebook https://www.facebook.com/BOTWBurton/