and now for something different…& Union Beer
While it is true that I’m the Winesleuth, I have started to branch out a bit into the world of craft beers. I like beer but it’s never been something that I took a more than perfunctory look at. However, with the proliferation of craft and artisan beers, I’m giving them a go.
Recently, I was introduced to a rather unique brand, & Union. The brand was founded in 2007 in South Africa and quickly became the biggest craft beer in S. Africa. In 2010, they launched in the UK and now have 10 different styles of beer. The labels are clean and simple – as are the names, Unflt Lager, Beast of the Deep, Steph Weiss, Bern Stein, Brewers Union, Sundae and Handwerk.
& Union outsource their beer making to family owned breweries in Bavaria and Belgium. The first brewery they contracted was 500 year old and is run by the 6th generation of brewers. Like flying winemakers, & Union also contract brewmasters to create unique recipes for each of their brews.
The range consists of 10 different styles, from a lager to the newest IPA. All of their beers are unfiltered, unpasteurized and as they adhere to German purity laws, they are naturally vegan (if you’re into that sort of thing). They only use 4 ingredients and take 6 – 10 weeks to brew their beers which is unusual when compared to mass produced beers (2 weeks).
Their latest release is called Friday. It’s an unfiltered IPA that is their version of the American-style IPA, deep copper in colour, with a peachy palate and a hoppy dryness on the finish. They recommend it with spicy foods like Cajun, BBQ, Indian curries and Szechuan food. I was also able to try the rest of the range and I have to say, they were very tasty, unusually light and not bloat-y or gassy. I really liked these beers.
Their range is available at Wholefoods and specialty stockists. They are also the only beer on tap at Jackson & Rye and coming soon, they will be opening a bar/restaurant in West London, details to follow….