Brixton Beer debut

[Helen CF]

I know I gave a short update earlier but I have more info now so I thought I'd share! For those of you who are not familiar with our project, over the course of the last year we've been growing hops in gardens, parks, pots and community areas across South London, centered around Brixton (ish). We harvested the hops and had a community brew day at the micro brewery in the Florence. Now all that is left to do is drink the stuff!

Our first beer is a Pale Ale called Prima Donna (after the variety of hop) and it will be available at the Florence from the 6th October until it sells out. You'll also see it in other pubs across South London. Once we've finalised exactly where we'll make a map. The official 'launch' will be at the conveniently timed East Dulwich beer festival where we're chuffed to say all three pubs will be serving it - the Bishop, the East Dulwich Tav and the Drafthouse. I'll be at the Bishop on Saturday 6th October from 7pm with a map and some beer if you fancy saying hi. I'd also like to do a meet the brewer/grower evening at a pub actually in Brixton over the coming months.

For pics and more info here is a short blog post http://city-farmers.co.uk/?p=438

Hope you like the beer and the story behind it We need more growers next year! All growers get some free beer, naturally

 

[editor]

I think urban75 should get a free barrel for testing purposes.

 

[Monkeygrinder's Organ]

I think it sounds like a great project but the Florence?

 

[Helen CF]

What is wrong with the Florence? Peter is a talented brewer who really knows his shit. Besides it isn't like there are millions of micro breweries in the area...

ETA @editor grow some urban75 hops and you'll get some free beer next year

 

[snowy_again]

I suspect the neighbours of the Florence might not share such an enlightened view of the chain, Peter's brewing skills aside.

 

[Badgers]

The Florence?

 

[snowy_again]

Well they have an existing micro brewery there, so I guess it was an easy option. But it's not exactly Brixton.

 

[Helen CF]

Well many apologies for not setting up my own micro brewery on the George IV site with a tenner and a ball of string, hehe. I'll be home brewing to my own recipe as well but I suppose I live nearer Camberwell than Brixton :O

 

[Monkeygrinder's Organ]

Sorry - I didn't read the OP properly so hadn't realised you'd actually brewed the beer at the Florence. I do think there are issues involved in using that pub and the ED ones mentioned for something like this but I appreciate that you do need to have somewhere to make it work at all and how tricky that might be.

 

[twistedAM]

What is wrong with the Florence? Peter is a talented brewer who really knows his shit. Besides it isn't like there are millions of micro breweries in the area...

ETA @editor grow some urban75 hops and you'll get some free beer next year

Why not call it Herne Hill Beer?

 

[editor]

Why not call it Herne Hill Beer?

Who'd want to drink that?

 

[twistedAM]

Who'd want to drink that?

Brand Brixton > Herne Hill

 

[Helen CF]

Well, because the project is about more than just where it is brewed. Brixton is a big part of Lambeth's vibrant food activism culture. In any case, as I said above the beer is called Prima Donna after the name of the hop. It is the project that is called Brixton Beer which I chose when I started it - before we knew where (or how) we'd grow hops or brew our beer. I've just come back from picking hops on the Cowley Estate (Vassal Road, resident run, surely Brixton enough?) for our final green hopping of the brew tonight before the stuff gets put in kegs tomorrow.

Instead of geographical hand-wringing about the name of our frankly fucking awesome little project, how about you come meet us and drink our beer - we are planning a meet the brewer/grower evening at the Crown and Anchor in the next month for those of you that don't like Herne Hill or Dulwich. We would LOVE to sell it in other places so suggestions of places to hit up to buy a barrel would be gratefully received. Or if that's too mainstream you could even club together and buy a 72 pint keg for a squat party. I'll deliver it and set it up myself for a couple of pints (the keg, not the party - those days are behind me).

 

[RaverDrew]

The Crown and Anchor ? But that's practically Kennington ffs

 

[editor]

Instead of geographical hand-wringing about the name of our frankly fucking awesome little project....

I like the cut of your jib

 

[Helen CF]

And the beer is expensive - surely only Tories drink there! Fuck it, let's all just go to the Prince, drink weak carbonated imported lager, smoke roll ups (american spirit if you want to be ethical) and whinge about capitalism and gentrification.

 

[marty21]

The Crown and Anchor ? But that's practically Kennington ffs

The guvnor there likes to get in local ales - I'd say he'd be interested

 

[Helen CF]

The guvnor there likes to get in local ales - I'd say he'd be interested

He is. I spoke to him today. He just sent me a very excited email and I'm chuffed to bits

 

[editor]

Oh, and give us a shout when it gets in stock and I'll stick something on BrixtonBuzz.

 

[RaverDrew]

And the beer is expensive - surely only Tories drink there! Fuck it, let's all just go to the Prince, drink weak carbonated imported lager, smoke roll ups (american spirit if you want to be ethical) and whinge about capitalism and gentrification.

It's ok, I think the Beehive usually keeps one local ale on tap

 

[marty21]

He is. I spoke to him today. He just sent me a very excited email and I'm chuffed to bits

I'm off to one of his other pubs tonight - The Jolly Butchers in Stoke Newington - tell him to sell the Brixton beer up there ! If I see him I'll tell him too.

 

[Helen CF]

I would like to say for the record that it will be the micro brewery selling the beer not us - we are getting some delicious free beer in exchange. So, if our small growing project can be accused of cashing in on 'brand Brixton' it is only so we can get drunk. Maybe I'll call the next beer Brixters or Brixopolitans to really piss you all off, haha!

 

[Rushy]

Well done! How many pints did you manage to brew?
If you need any more there are hops growing behind Neilson Terry Court on Bright Terrace. Someone was complaining to me about the rampant ivy growing through their fence but it was the neighbours hops!

 

[twistedAM]

I would like to say for the record that it will be the micro brewery selling the beer not us - we are getting some delicious free beer in exchange. So, if our small growing project can be accused of cashing in on 'brand Brixton' it is only so we can get drunk. Maybe I'll call the next beer Brixters or Brixopolitans to really piss you all off, haha!

Only when you rename it Village Ale and sell it there

 

[qosno1]

Helen, it sounds like a great project and really worthwhile. I'm not mad about The Florence but I'll defo head up to the Crown and Anchor when they get it in.

 

[snowy_again]

It's probably lucky that the pub co. that bought the Florence / Bishop chain didn't get rid of their microbrewery really...

 

[shakespearegirl]

Our hops were grown in Brixton Look forward forward to sampling the beer.

 

[Helen CF]

Well done! How many pints did you manage to brew?
If you need any more there are hops growing behind Neilson Terry Court on Bright Terrace. Someone was complaining to me about the rampant ivy growing through their fence but it was the neighbours hops!

It's all over now for Prima Donna but how about trying to homebrew with them? It's easier than you might think! I'm not sure exactly how many pints we brewed but I think Peter was saying about 16 firkins at about 72 pints a firkin = a respectable 1100 or so.

And @shakespearegirl - I can't wait either! It is really very exciting

 

[wemakeyousoundb]

when is the lager coming?

/forget coats, goes through the door

 

[eroom]

This a great thing. I can certainly tolerate the Florence - briefly, in the evening - in return for local beer.

Been enjoying the Pale Ale this summer. Meantime do a nice one. (wemakeyousoundb - Pale Ale kind of is lager really, but don't tell anyone I said so)