The main copper at the Peerless Brewhouse produce batches of between 4500 and 5000 litres, but with the adaptation of an old Grundy tank, some smaller batches are now available for Free Rein to access.  Brews will be between 800 and 1000 litres, meaning more experimental brews can be carried out to test demand for the styles they’ll be putting out there.  To date, there have been three styles brewed (Mocha Matari, Mama Loves Mango and Tectonic) but Steve is open to Imperial Stouts, Double IPAs and fruited sour ales being produced under the Free Rein branding.
 
When asked about taking the leap from small package 500ml glass bottles (for the more traditional market) into canned beers, Steve was again quite open to the reason for following that path:
 
“The market for craft beer is pretty well established now in kegs and definitely cans, so it seemed the sensible method to put small package there.  Currently, the canning will be carried out by Morrow Brothers in Preston who have also been doing the 500ml bottles for Peerless for some time now.  As a professional packager, they’ll provide comprehensive laboratory results to us for the ABV, dissolved Oxygen and a full suite of micro tests, so we can have more assurance on our product being treated right.”
 
Apparently the Free Rein brand and name came about to keep things simple, something of a case of ‘does what it says on the tin’ (no pun intended).  It allows the team to play about with recipes without being constrained with the conceptions of what Peerless Brewing is all about.  Peerless was started 12 years ago and at the time and Steve felt that there was a preconception from other more traditional brewing orientated marketplaces that it was a craft beer brand, but things move and evolve.
 
“I still personally prefer cask dispense as a go to beverage, but there is absolutely no doubt that is a massive thirst for beers that are outside the constraints of the cask beer marketplace.  The fact that we will only be brewing smaller bathes for canning and to go into kegs is the main difference in this.  You should be able to pick up some of the Free Rein beers in bars, pubs and bottle shops soon and they are available for both local and nationwide delivery through the website as well as direct from the brewery itself”.
 
You can order Free Rein beers online from here:
[ https://www.beersno42.co.uk/products/free-rein-mixed-case ]

In other news concerning Peerless Brewing, they have recently done some brewing under contract for an Aloe Vera beer.  The recipe apparently took some adjustment, but the end result is a pretty stunning Pink Guava and Dragon fruit flavoured Aloe Beer. 
​This is also available online, from here: [ https://aloebirra.co.uk ]
 
One final juicy bit of information that Steve parted on was alluding to another change of rein or perhaps, reign, with his ownership of Peerless Brewing and Free Rein:
 
“It’s no secret that Rose (Steve’s wife – ed) and I are getting older and can’t do this forever.  Both being in our sixties, we’re facing the inevitable that we’ll have to consider retirement at some point in the future.  So if anybody wants to come and run or buy a profitable and well established brewery with an excellent set up, kit and a fantastic staff then they should get in touch with us!”.
 
Bombshell.
 
Keep your eyes out for the Free Rein beers, which are landing on shelves and in fridges now!
 
The LBC.
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Follow Peerless on Twitter:  twitter.com/PeerlessBrewing
Follow Peerless on Facebook: facebook.com/PeerlessBrewing

 By marrying Indian vegetarian street food with the best of what the craft beer world has to offer, they have really created a unique place for themselves within the UK beer scene.
 
Bundobust has taken an admirable approach at each of their locations, choosing to augment their range of craft beers from the likes of Mikkeller, DEYA, Verdant and other heavy hitters from across the UK and Europe with a solid base range of beers from the region each brand is located in.  This confidence is their location and support for the local scene really does help create a diverse and stable scene for the UK.
 
This stability has offered Team Bundo some real confidence in themselves and their people, so much so that they have gone forth with launching their own brewery to produce tailored beers that are ultimately designed to go with their superb food.
 
The launch event saw the three sites in Leeds, Liverpool and Manchester simultaneously pouring three different beers brewed at their new site, located on Oxford Road in Manchester.  We were lucky enough that Committee Members Jack and Mike were able to head along and try these new beers and sample some food to test just how good the new venture is.
  
CHAITRO Is a 5% Nitro Chai Porter, creamy and full bodied from the nitrogen assisted pour.  The mouthfeel was very smooth, with roasty and chocolately notes from the malts and a generous floral and aromatic spice leading into a warm finish.  The team brews this with their own Bundobust chai massala and fresh ginger.
 
PEELA is a 4% Pale Ale. Designed for easy drinking, Peela is a hazy pale which is brewed with Azacca and Ekuanot hops. The mouthfeel was soft and fluffy and the hops impart massive fruit aroma and loads of tropical fruit flavour, such as peach, mango and pineapple.
 
Finally, DHANIA PILSNER  is a 4.8% Coriander Lager. Clean and crisp Czech-style Pilsner with a hit of
citrusy toasted coriander seeds.  The malts give a doughy and grainy malt base which works perfectly with the hopping and use of coriander to impact floral acidity.

​Fingers crossed for some more amazing beer and ongoing marvellous food output from the team at Bundobust; the Bold Street site in Liverpool is the perfect place to go and check!
 
Cheers!
​
#toomuchspicy
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Bundobust Liverpool is located at 17-19 Bold Street, Liverpool
Web: https://bundobust.com/locations/liverpool/
Tel: 0151 705 1688
Follow Bundobust Brewery on Twitter
Follow Bundobust Liverpool on Twitter / Instagram / Facebook

A few of us from the Committee went out over the Spring Bank Holiday weekend and visited not only some of our favourite pubs, but brewery taps, bars and restaurants, as we are gradually able to start socialising and supporting our favourite places with our custom once again.  Rather strikingly, depressingly and concerning were the reports both verbally and on social media channels of repeated no-shows to places which can ill afford it.

Superficially it might seem a small issue, which would be rectified by a couple of walk-ins and a few customers just staying for that one extra drink.  However, it’s a repeat problem and the thoughtlessness actually costs the sector millions and even billions of pounds a year through lost revenue.  Attribute some of this deficit to our small, local businesses and you’re exacerbating an already disastrous situation for them.  When someone books a table for six people at the moment, our local businesses are counting on that to boost the money coming into the business, which has potentially been haemorrhaging due to a lack of government support, shifting sands for trading on when and how they can open and the lack of confidence present in the general public not yet comfortable in entering public spaces during the pandemic.  By not showing up, the table is reserved and more often than not, other potential customers are turned away due to a lack of availability.  By not showing up, this is depriving the business of valuable and possibly business saving incomings.
 
Back of the cigarette packed time.
 
If a bar loses out on a table booking, which is worth £100 (lets say each person have 3-4 drinks at £20 each person on average for a party of 5 people) over 2-3 hours, then this happening in a night probably at a rate of 2-3 no shows means £200-300 of lost revenue.  A week this can add up to £1,200 (opening Thurs-Sun), a month this will be nearly £5,000.  That can build into an even more significant sum over a year.  Around £60,000 based on these assumptions.
Industry estimates show that somewhere in the region of up to £16 billion was lost due to no shows over a year: https://sales.resdiary.com/no-shows-costing-uk-hospitality-industry-16-billion-year/.  This is a startling figure and the cost to small businesses for a share of this hits very hard indeed.  It’s not fair is it, when these businesses are desperate for this money to come in to help them pay rent, rates, cover wages and other overheads which are required?
 
So what can people do?
​
The simplest answer is to stick to your booking, make good on your promise to attend a venue and resist the temptation to abandon plans or intentions on a whim.  If you can’t make the booking, then contact the venue as soon as possible via telephone or social media to let them know if plans need to alter or be cancelled; it’s not what they want to hear, but they’d rather be able to make alternative arrangements and need as much time as possible to do so.  If you’re not completely sure what your plans for a day or night out will entail, then don’t book a venue in advance; chance the walk in or ring ahead shortly before you plan to visit instead.
 
We continually repeat this in our output, but we’re going to do so again; the small, local and independent business that make up the bedrock of Liverpool and Merseyside’s hospitality need our help.  They need it at the best of times, give how tight things are for them; they need it more than ever given the context of the last year and ongoing uncertainty.
 
Honour your bookings.

For the inaugural videocast/podcast, we have a bit of discussion between LBC Chair, Pedro and fellow Committee Members and Brewers Mike Corbett (Handyman Brewery), Jack Walker (Love Lane Brewery) and special guest, Ade Burke from Carnival Brewing.

​We chew over pubs reopening on the 12th April (as things stand!), the state of the beer scene in Liverpool, how are venues are going to proceed with opening and how they’ve faced a bit of difficulty over the last few months in balancing output and preparations.
​

• Find the videocast here on our YouTube Channel (or below).
• Here's our new Podcast homepage: liverpoolbeercollective.podbean.com
• Find the audio download here: click and save to listen later.

 
We hope you enjoy and hopefully we shall find the time to do some more of these interviews and discussions!

The LBC Committee.

Of course, there's always an option to not drink alcohol at all, maybe soft drinks... or even perhaps look at some zero-alcohol beers (admittedly scope is limited for this)...  but that's not me, certainly when I love nothing more than to enjoy a few drinks with friends for the social aspect.  The time spent with friends at a pub is exactly what I've been missing and craving for a year (as have we all, I'm sure).  This got me thinking about what styles of beer could be a good choice to enable me to enjoy the drink, get a little merry but not have a hangover the following day, especially as it's a school night when we are finally able to get out to the pub (outdoors, of course).  There's obviously lager; I'm not talking the mass produced metallic tasting lagers that you may see adverts for on the TV, I'm talking craft lagers.  Picture the scene; sat in the beer garden, the aroma of sun block rolling across the beer garden, familiar faces surrounding, sun shining and a nice crisp craft lager.  Yes, this could be a good choice, but the abv could still be a little high with an average of around 4.5%.  Admittedly, I do love an IPA too; a nice juicy hoppy IPA in the beer garden with friends is the life.  Again there's an issue however, the average ABV of IPA these days can be around 6% and I cant see this doing me any favours with so little practice in having a beer around people over the last year.  

This then got me to thinking about what lower ABV beers are available and during a conversation with friends over Skype, I was reminded of Table beers.  What is a Table beer? I hear some of you ask.  A Table beer is essentially a lower abv beer which is typically around 2-4% in strength, designed to be refreshing, easy drinking and to be enjoyed by most palates.  Historically, it was enjoyed by all the family (including children - do an internet search for 'small beer') with an ABV of less than 1%, mostly in Belgium and France in the 16th Century, literally at the table with the family meal.  Table beers also take in a range of brewing styles; including mixed fermentation, wheat beers, wits, sours and pale ales.  There is no one size fits all, just a low alcoholic content.

Since the rise of craft beer in the UK over the last 8 years or so, with experimental flavours and ever new and diverse hop variants, not to mention influence from over the pond, the more hearty 6-8% ABV beers have proven popular, with the ABV rising further in some Double IPAs.  Though this is gradually shifting.  Given that most people will be out of practice of drinking out, I think now might be the time when table beers and session beers will shine, they're not lacking in flavour but allow you to have a few more so you can stay out just that little bit longer to try to claim back some lost time from the pub with friends.  

2021 will be the year of table beers (I think). 

So, what will you be drinking on 12th April?

- Angela.

​More on what Global Scouse Day is about can be found on the official website, here: Global Scouse Day
 
You can follow the Global Scouse Day Twitter feed right here at this link: 
​https://twitter.com/GlobalScouseDay
 
With a few weeks to go until the big day, we’ve decided to pick out some beer pairings you can try out with your Scouse – be it blind, with lamb or even with beef.  Ultimately, you can drink whatever you like best with your Scouse, but in the spirit of all things Liverpool, we’ve picked some options out for you all.  It just so happens that many of the Liverpool Beer Collective’s member breweries make some superb beers to go with Scouse and we’ve listed a few of them here and places where you can pick them up.

Craft Taproom
Haul Beer Shop
Hobo Kiosk
Londis, Penny Lane
The Ship and Mitre
Dead Crafty Beer Company
Tap and Bottles
The Black Toad
Hop House

Have a boss Global Scouse Day everyone!!

In the face of this and rumoured to be a while in the making, the Black Lodge team decided to turn their yard into a market place for the day on Saturday, 17th October and again on 5th December (it would have been in November, tier 3 lockdown allowing...).

Invitations were handed out to other Liverpool region based breweries to come along and sell their small packaged beers directly to market goers.  No one was really sure what to expect at the first market, but queues to get in at 11am and most breweries having to rush more stock across to Black Lodge's yard in the early afternoon was a welcome blush of success for the Market and a great indicator of people's will to support our local beer scene.  The second market was much steadier, but still saw lots of beer, gin, gifts and pickles being taken away from King's Dock Street.

Members of our Committee also picked up a few beers, including the excellent Lekker Brew #Merseyfest Box, which went down a treat at their online festival the following weekend!  The crew have decided to put together a special Christmas pack too, which is available from their site, here: ​lekkerbrew.com.

It was announced recently that there will be another Liverpool Brewer's Market before Christmas at Black Lodge's Tapyard, giving people a chance to get hold of some beers as the nights draw in and to throw together Christmas presents and stocking fillers for the beer enthusiasts in their lives.

• Saturday 19th December 2020 // 11am until 5pm

Further details are yet to be released, but you will be able to get more by following Black Lodge and ourselves on social media for updates as details are added.

Further to this, we have some more exciting news for you all.

THE #LIVEBEERPUB WILL BE BACK!!!

Participants of the #livebeerpub initiative that we ran from March until July earlier this year can look forward to a session that will take place following the Brewer's Market on Saturday 19th December.  To give everyone time to get home and allow the brewers to demobilise, we'll be looking to start the #livebeerpub at 7.30pm.

As ever, we'll have some kind of playlist ready for your aural pleasure.  We shall also look to hold a quiz and hopefully get some contributions from brewers for the event to talk about those awesome beers you'll have picked up during the day!  

We want you to get involved too - get on Twitter and share pictures of your Christmas beer haul from the Market or from any local Merseyside bar, pub or bottle shop, making sure you tag us at the Collective in!

Stay tuned - we shall update the details for this event as we get things sorted!!!

Take care everyone and #LIVEBEER xx

It's that time of year again, despite the terrible distancing we are having to endure.  Hopefully the new year will bring better times, especially for our friends in hospitality.  

But for now, we can do our bit by continuing to support our local and independent businesses over the festive period!!

We've compiled a list of places across Merseyside, including our members, that are putting together gift packs and beer boxes to bring some cheer to your Winter days!  We'll endeavour to keep this updated as we're made aware of places getting involved, but do drop us an email or contact us via our form on the website with any tip offs of places doing gift packs we're not aware of.

​Cheers!!

Where: crafttaproom.myshopify.com/products
Other info: Delivery and collection available, contact the team for details. ​

So last week, our Government declared that they will not be providing meals for children during the school half-term holiday.  We're not even going to attempt to figure out how they came to this decision, but one thing we do know is that the people of Liverpool won't stand by when a cause is there to be fought! 

So many businesses in Liverpool are literally fighting tooth and nail to survive at this current time, yet so many of them are helping the children of Liverpool, whether it be providing free meals, organising food banks or a pay it forward scheme.  It has also recently been announced that Liverpool City Council too will be providing meals to children of our city.  

We were going to write up a list of the many places that are helping out, but there are so many lists already in circulation.  So many businesses are helping out, so instead of this being a list of where you can go to support those children in need, this is a list of businesses that we're proud to have in our city, a huge well done and thank you to each and every one.  

Everyone is in a different situation, but everyone can help out here, whether it be to simply share posts, like/comment on posts, make a donation, buy an item or a full 3 course meal, dine in/takeaway, ask friends/family to buy from your local for Christmas presents, it all helps.  Let's do our part to help the children and the small businesses.  It's no longer a just case of 'buy from a small business and you pay for their kids dance/sports lessons' it's about keeping food on the table and a house warm over winter.  

Here are the ​Liverpool Echo, The Guide Liverpool and The Daily Struggle lists of businesses.

Thank you all!!

Uncertainty is a killer. 

It's harming our businesses; the restaurants, the bars, the pubs and all the businesses involved at various levels of the supply chain to each of these.

Sadly, the only thing we can do during lockdown is to share information and try to support these businesses by ordering gear for delivery or collection in lieu of being able to go out for a pint, a glass of wine and some nibbles.

That's what is needed from you - the beer enthusiasts and people who love the independently local Liverpool (and surrounding areas!) flavour, to buy beers from our beloved pubs and breweries.

We're doing our best here at the Liverpool Beer Collective to help in this, sharing information about venues which are still selling beer for collection or delivery via online or social media ordering.  There's no one-size-fits-all approach for businesses at this time, so we will endeavour to update the Beer Availability Page and share information on how to get hold of great beer and support our local and independent businesses.

The next bit is for bars, pubs and breweries...

• If your business is based in Liverpool, wider Merseyside, West Lancashire or Wirral you fall in our catchment and we would be happy to help (message us if you're not sure).
• You need to be committed to supporting our local breweries or small and independently owned breweries around the UK we can include you on our website.

What we need from you as a Pub/Bottle Shop/Bar/Brewery:
We need you to give us information and contact information regarding how you intend on continuing to operate during lockdown.   Are you doing online orders, telephone orders, online menus for the beers you stock? Are you allowing collections or doing deliveries to people locally and deliveries via shipping or courier further afield?  Send this information to us via our contact form, HERE.

Stay strong, support local and #LIVEBEER. x