Bottled beer pt3

We've had some great feedback on the bottled beers - seems lots of people are really enjoying them and they're flying out of the fridge (not literally, that would be a bit strange).  So we've got in some more ones this week...

Kernel – Export India Porter (5.7% abv, £4.50)

As the nights draw in this beer pours dark brown like the winter evenings. Thankfully though it's not as miserable as the weather; it's got a nice aroma of roasted malts with a nice pillowy feel on the mouth.  Taste is a mix of bitter, pine resin hops alongside  hints of toffee, burnt sugar and caramel in the taste - perfect for the lead up to Halloween!

Kernel – Export Stout London 1890 (7.8% abv, £4.25)

Based on a recipe from a London Brewery in 1890, this might be a simple recipe but it's massive in taste.  Roasty and perfect for autumn with loads of rich dried fruit and alcohol warm with herbal hop bitterness and hints of smoke, vanilla and chocolate which lingers with an espresso aftertaste.  Plus it's won a couple of awards, deservedly so.

Summer Wine Brewery – Rouge Red Hop Ale (5% abv, £4)

Aptly named as this has a distinct red-hue which hints at how it might taste; forest berries, grapes and strawberry notes are as evident as the colour.  Underpinned by a complex malt body this beer has big hoppy flavours using Simcoe & Cascade varieties with a bitter sweet citrus finish.

Special guest bottled beers pt2

After the success of last week's special guest craft bottled beers, which were snapped up, we thought we'd get some more in!

Beavertown Neck Oil (4.3% abv, £4.25)  
The brewery reckon it goes well with Mac & Cheese, which is handily on Soul Food Project's menu. Fruity and earthy aromas and nicely balanced taste with notes of caramel, malt and bread.

Kernel Amarillo Pale Ale (5.5% abv, £5) 

We've brought this back after selling out at a spectacular speed last week.  Described by one blogger as the "beer equivalent of Cary Grant", this pale golden craft beer is made from American hops and has a fruity aroma with particular notes of citrus, which follow through into its taste.

Bristol Beer Factory – Exhibition (5.2% abv, £4)

Award winning beer brewed in Bristol this is a classic strong, dark English ale.  A rich, fruit beer made with chocolate malts this beer is packed with great heritage that brings a smile to the face. 

Summer Wine Brewery – Cohort Double Black Belgian Rye-PA (7.5% abv, £4.50)

Ever had a Double Black Rye PA?  This bottled beer is brewed with with Pale, Rye, Carafa and other speciality malts that marry together with a plethora of New World hops and a Belgian Yeast to create something entirely unique.

Special guest craft bottled beers

We've got some tasty very special guest bottled craft beers in at the moment. They're limited in stock so better head down sooner rather than later, but we'd love to know what you think of them…

Bristol Beer Factory Ultimate Stout (7.7% abv, £4) 
Strong black and delicious with hints of coffee, chocolate and dark fruits. Made using a Belgian yeast and roasted malts, this beer is a perfect after-dinner treat.

Arbor Ales American Brown (5% abv, £4.10)

A roasty dark brown ale, brought to life with armfuls of American aroma hops thrown late into the mix.

Kernel Amarillo Pale Ale (5.5% abv, £5) 
Described by one blogger as the "beer equivalent of Cary Grant", this pale golden craft beer is made from American hops and has a fruity aroma with particular notes of citrus, which follow through into its taste.

Beavertown Neck Oil (4.3% abv, £4.25) 

The brewery reckon it goes well with Mac & Cheese, which is handily on Soul Food Project's menu. Fruity and earthy aromas and nicely balanced taste with notes of caramel, malt and bread.

Summer Blues?

It’s easy to feel blue, what with the terrible weather, England’s disappointing performance at the Euros or lacklustre performances of iconic bands at recent festivals.  But fear not; why not raise your spirits with a blue cocktail?  ‘Blue?’ I hear you say, yes blue!

Sweet Freedom cocktail

Ever since most good bars left blue drinks behind in the eighties there has been a bit of a stigma attached to them, mostly due to the fact that most bartenders had to use a Blue Curacao of some sort which is essentially an orange liqueur with blue colouring added. Additives are generally classed as a bad thing and as so anyone with an ounce of self-respect ceased drinking or making drinks with them.

Today we are lucky enough to have access to many more exotic fruits and ingredients to turn drinks blue, but even if you cannot get your hands on them Blue Curacao need not be the enemy. Consider this; the additive is nowhere near as bad for you as the alcohol contained in the drink. There I said it, a staunch advocate for cocktails talking about the evils of alcohol but you are not stupid, deep down you have always known this. So as cocktails are, amongst other things, more fun than some other drinks we intend to have some fun with blue drinks, we will rise up and lead the blue revolution. If you fancy some fun- go blue!

With this in mind on Monday 17^th September at Island Bar we are hosting a cocktail competition between our sister venues to create the perfect blue drink.  Throughout the entire month we will also be donating funds to the urology department of the Heart of England NHS Foundation Trust Charity every time we sell a blue drink.  This month has been named internationally as Blue September with the aim to raise awareness of cancer affecting men of all ages, and with funds from the cocktails going directly to our local hospitals there’s all the more reason to get involved.

So come along and enjoy blue - responsibly of course.

Sweet Freedom

35ml light Scotch whisky

35ml blue curacao

35ml fresh pressed apple juice

15ml freshly squeezed lemon juice

Dash sugar syrup

Shake all the ingredients with cubed ice and fine strain into a coupette glass.

This article was first published in Brumnotes

We're top ten in the country!

The Vic and Soul Food Project have been voted in the top ten gastropubs in the UK thanks to ShortList magazine...the ONLY midlands venue to make it! Don't forget to pick up a copy on your way home.

Cocktail of the Week - week one!

Up this week is the lovely Lucy with her Sweet Home A' La Bourbon cocktail, combining Maker's Mark bourbon with amaretto, vanilla syrup and orgeat. Yum!

...and then ShortList

No sooner had we gotten over the excitement of being featured in everyone's favourite freebie weekly women's magazine, we were then featured in it's sibling publication ShortList!

Showing off our lovely back bar, the Pints and Pistachio column mentioned the lovely Soul Food Project's grub and our lovely cocktails - including the Bombphire created by our general manager, Julian.