Mr Beer Nouveau On Labelspeak, Beer Duty & Hop Creep

06/09/23 • 35 min

Steve Dunkley (aka Beer Nouveau) has done everything you can do in beer. From glass collector to cellarman, home brewer, commercial brewer, taproom owner, beer writer, critic and everything else in between. He is just a hugely respected grassroots beer expert... and I'm so grateful to have him as a guest on Nant Fawr Brews.

We cover a lot in this episode. First up, #LabelsOff, which is Steve's brilliant new initiative to bring the fun of blind tasting back to beer... but with a purpose. The aim is for everyone to be able to understand beer styles better and, as a result, be brave enough to move past the hype, bluster (and often confusing) label-speak that has gone a little over the top. Move beyond the hype and you find brilliant beers made by smaller breweries that will only survive with our custom.

Steve and I also discuss the overall state of the UK brewing industry. Few are better placed than Steve to comment. There is fascinating stuff here on what new beer duty rules mean for the industry and the kind of future they might bring.

Finally, Steve gives some lovely insights on what all brewers can learn from finding out more about brewing's incredible history. In particular, he makes a great case for seeing hop creep as an essential benefit of cask brewing, not something to be managed out of the process with modern methods.

...and his final sign-off advice for home brewers is one we all need to engrave on a sign and put up in our kitchens / sheds / garages... so make sure you listen all the way to the end for that one.

To find out more about Steve and Beer Nouveau, follow him on Twitter:

https://twitter.com/BeerNouveau

To learn more about #LabelsOff and to get involved, follow the project on Twitter:

https://twitter.com/LabelsOffUK

...and his final sign-off advice for home brewers is one we all need to engrave on a sign and put up in our kitchens / sheds / garages... so make sure you listen all the way to the end for that one.

To find out more about Steve and Beer Nouveau, follow him on Twitter:

https://twitter.com/BeerNouveau

To learn more about #LabelsOff and to get involved, follow the project on Twitter:

https://twitter.com/LabelsOffUK

Previous Episode

The Step Change Improvement In Low and No Alcohol Beer

Do you dismiss no and low alcohol beer as something you'd only have as a last resort? This episode may convince you that it's time to change your mind...

A recent concussion left me off the booze for a while (and also partly explains why there hasn't been an NFB episode in a few weeks). But in a way, I'm grateful. It made me look again at low and no alcohol beer... and that led me to an old friend and a new episode.

A Glimpse Of A Better Future

Years ago, I was one of Dry Drinker's early customers. I was training for a marathon and wanted to lay off the alcohol for a while. I searched online and found a local company - Dry Drinker - specialising in low and no alcohol beer. I ordered a box and the owner himself - a guy called Stuart - turned up on my doorstep to deliver the beers. We got chatting and he shared his vision for a future where low and no alcohol beers would be comparable in range and quality to traditional beers... and that we would all be drinking a lot more of them.

Fast forward 6 years and that guy Stuart is chatting to me again, this time on the Nant Fawr Brews podcast. Things have gone brilliantly for DryDrinker.com in the intervening years and it's all turned out pretty much as Stuart hoped. That's something he deserves some credit for because he showed belief early and made it possible for UK drinkers to access the higher quality low and no alcohol beers that previously only existed on the continent.

Now the "no and low" scene is thriving and the UK brewing community has embraced the opportunity. Tastes, behaviours and attitudes to alcohol are evolving and the market is responding. In this episode, Stuart Elkington (CEO of Dry Drinker) tells his story. There's the lovely tale of what made Stuart first move toward low and no alcohol beer and how that initial pivot turned into a vision and a business that would change his life. We also talk about some fascinating innovation in the industry as relaxation-encouraging ingredients other than alcohol start to appear in completely new types of drink.

Time To Try Again

My recent reconnection with low and no alcohol beer was born of necessity. But the step change improvement in quality I found has already changed the way I drink. One particular brand of beers - Insel Brauerie's Alcohol-Free range - I've found to be so good (honestly better than some traditional beers I've had) that I will look forward to drinking them regularly. My plan is to drink them on a Sunday night so I can try to stick to a 5-2 plan (5 days no alcohol, only drink on Fridays and Saturdays) more regularly.

"My brain doesn't care whether it's got alcohol in it or not, it's the combination of those ingredients, nice and cold... the "Aaah" moment on a Friday evening" - Stuart Elkington, Dry Drinker

Low and no alcohol beer is now good enough that it can deliver what Stuart called the "Aah moment" when you crack open your first beer of the evening on a Friday night. That wasn't always the case, but I genuinely think it is now. What that means for the beer drinker is choice... and an opportunity.

Stuart says that 80% of his customers are drinkers of alcohol, which means they are using low and no alcohol beers as part of a mixed approach. It doesn't have to be binary. I don't think the dividing lines between drinkers and teetotallers are especially useful. We all know it is good to drink less, but that doesn't have to mean giving up entirely (though I understand and respect that approach is the right choice for some).

Have A Drink On Us - A Discount Code for Dry Drinker

If you'd like to have a try of some low and no alcohol beers, then NFB and DryDrinker have got you covered. Use this exclusive discount code and get 15% off at DryDrinker.com. The code is: NFB15

Resources:

Here's a link to the Dry Drinker - https://drydrinker.com/

For a closer look at Insel Brauerie - https://insel-brauerei.de/en/All-beers/Alcohol-free-Series/

My Twitter handle is @ProducerAndy

Next Episode

Beer & Mental Health with Emma Inch

1 Recommendations

There's a contradiction at the heart of beer, drinking and pub culture. Sharing a drink with your mates, or even just with the people you only ever see down your local... is great for your mental health. Support, community, conversation and laughter are all good positive things.

And yet...

Alcohol is dangerous. Sadly it is that simple. It's too easy to drink to self-medicate or attempt to ease anxiety is a non-healthy way.

All of which makes this episode about beer and mental health absolutely fascinating. Emma Inch is a highly regarded beer writer and critic... and also a mental health professional. She is about to launch a podcast called 'Same Again' which will explore this exact subject, so I wanted to talk to her about it and support the discussion she is trying to enable.

As well as mental health, we discuss Emma's beer writing (she has written with some legends in the game, let's put it that way) and she has some cracking recommendations on beers to try from near and far.

Plus, as an industry expert, Emma has some insightful thoughts on the current state of the UK beer scene.

Get comfortable, grab a beer and enjoy listening to this one...

To find out the latest about 'Same Again' and all of Emma Inch's other work and projects, follow her on Twitter (@fermentradio)