WEEK 17--The Bad Boys from Aberdeen--part 1/2

变革很多时候都起源于对现况的不满。

在撞意啤酒的世界中，有很多酿酒师都是因为同一个原因开始自酿，然后把小小的自酿发扬光大到很多不同城市去。

这期说的是两个男人+一只狗的故事。

尽管很多人对“酿狗”（BREWDOG）有各种不同看法，有一个情况是不容置疑的，那就是他们不按牌理出招的方式很大程度上掀起了英国本土撞意啤酒界的变革。

熟悉'酿狗“故事的会知道这期说的其实都是一些”陈年旧事”，不过，作为了解一个品牌的起点，“温故知新”一下也不错。

下期有跟“酿狗”灵魂人物之一JAMES WATT的简短聊天记。

This is the story of 2 guys & a dog.

Changes usually occur due to dissatisfaction with the "current" state of affairs(or the lack of it), that's how many brewers started, and some went on to supply beers to different cities in different continents. 

To some people, Brewdog is a name synonymous with controversial issues, but say what you like about the 2 guys who started and kept rolling the brand to world stage, the emergence of Brewdog and their unorthodox way of dealing with some traditional issues did brought big changes to  UK craft brew scene....

here's some QUOTES from the weekly column :-
THESE were some labels associated with them:-
1) born TV personalities( high profile, never afraid of being under the spotlight...)

2)the bad boys that don't give a damn about tradition( that they would challenge restrictions, rules, tradition with whatever ways they could..)

3)publicity "stuntmen"(the relentless chase of creating the world's strongest/highest abv beer) 

4) the hands that changed the 300 years old law( the world smallest protest with dwarf that brought in the new measurement of 2/3pint)

5) the guys who injected new life into the very dull UK beer scene( not just the sarcastic ways of blowing factory beers up the sky or using as bowling pins--the more important part is the beers brewed)

6)the kids who stand up to giant(the Diageo case where an already decided awards was given to someone else is well documented..)

"from the first big contract they secured with a supermarket chain where beers were filled by hands to the recent spanking new brewery---Brewdog has become a success story with beers available in many different cities around the world...."

"James & Martin--are they just bad boys who disregard and challenge & break traditions, set rules OR guys who are good at marketing & publicity?---i would say more the latter)

NEXT WEEK---chit chat with JAMES WATT

WEEK 16--BEERFEST 2014---some BEERS

三四天时间，400多种不同啤酒，扣除大厂啤酒，只是撞意啤酒也至少有一半以上不同类别选择，怎么喝才是？

这是在啤酒节面对的“幸福烦恼”。

三天下来，个人经验总结，喝的太少，完全不能全面客观的说喝过什么，有好多没提到的品牌啤酒都没喝到，与其说是今年新加坡啤酒节的啤酒介绍，更像是个人非常小量尝味报告。

明年啤酒节是不是应该要改变方式多点尝试小品牌，不那么盛名牌子啤酒？

This week we talk about some beers tasted during the 3 days at Beerfest Asia 2014. The beers mentioned in the weekly column were very much basing on personal taste.

The list is not a true reflection of the number of good beers available during the Beerfest as there were many other brewers beers that I did not mentioned nor tasted during the short 3 days period.

As per what's published in the weekly column, here's some of the beers tasted and mentioned:-

QOUTES:-

"Due to limited personal capacity, some beers that are available in KL from time to time, such as Hitachino Nest(Japan), Brewdog, Harviestoun(Scotland),Nogne(Norway), Mikkeller(Denmark), Rouge, Victory, Anderson Valley( USA) were deliberately skipped"

"De Molen(Holland) is a bit hard to come by here in KL, was a pleasant surprise to find  "hell & damnation" on tap---as well Blossom from TO OL(Denmark)---and low abv( 5.4%) "Punchline porter" from Magic Rock( UK).."

"Stone will be available in KL soon, selectively tasted "Smoked porter with chipotle peppers"  and "oaked arrogant bastard ale"

"Deschutes beers been made available here in KL, but not this limited edition "Mirror Mirror" barley wine---had a small sip courtesy of someone else's bottle( thanks bro)---to new friends who just started drinking craft---"handle with care" when faced with a barley wine though...."

"Lagunitas--lovely session beers---"Daytime" & "A little sumpin' sumpin'"----as for the newly introduced Heretic also from the US, tasted 2 porter---"Chocolate Hazelnut" & "Shallow Grave"--nice ones"

"it's been a long time coming that UK beers has got a reputation of being kind of dull--but this Beerfest showcase some interesting new brews from the UK...."

"Buxton's "Imperial Black Ipa" is very much comparable to the US brew's reputation of "heavy handed when using hops" , while the golden color "Axe Edge" ipa is plesant.."

"Beavertown---a bit of interesting back ground for rock music lovers---as the master brewer Logan Plant is celebrity in the UK with a even bigger name father( if you know LED ZEPPELIN--you would know who Robert Plant is)--as for the beers--"Gamma Ray" is a nice pale ale---the collaboration fruit beer"Rubus Maximus" with WILD BEER( also another new UK brew brand) is sour and refreshing,..."

NEXT WEEK--The story of 2 guys & a Dog.....

WEEK 15--BEERFEST ASIA 2014--WALK ABOUT

啤酒节是本地欠缺的活动。特别是以撞意啤酒为主的。

所以去了新加坡看看每年都举行的啤酒节。

新加坡啤酒节也有大厂啤酒，威士忌等等其他类别参与，不过，撞意啤酒占据了重要比例，也有很多人是冲着有什么新的，平时少见的CRAFT BEER而来，是可喜现象。

啤酒节当然是大卖场，也是大派对，个人觉得唯一问题是，三天时间说多不多，然而等待赏味的啤酒确实很多，就算个人喜好扣除一半以上，还是有至少几十种不同类别啤酒等着。

下篇会根据个人口味，说说三天内喝到什么比较有印象的啤酒。

This week is a very brief walk about, some observations about the recently concluded BEERFEST ASIA 2014.

Spending 3 days in a beerfest with more than 400 different kind of beers is hardly enough time to sample much of what's on offer.

Quotes:-

"drinking nice beers with plastic cup is hardly ideal..in a way not  SHIOK(fun) at all---but considering the number of people visiting, it is still acceptable."

"though most craft beers were selling for Sing dollar 10-15 per glass, in some cases cost even more, there were still many takers..."

"many who help out at the craft beer booth are basically friends of the owner---they pay to drink on normal day--and work for free for maybe up to 8-9 hours each day during beerfest---this is the beauty of craft beer spirit." 

"a daily scene--- he or she will be holding a cup full of beer--and then share it with friend/friends---people are literally "kissing"with the same cup of beer--but they just don't mind at all--craft beer is about sharing---because there's too many good beers out there to share..."

"there's many pretty girls representing big name factory beers or hard liquor brands roaming around the venue, trying to promote their line of products...but whenever the girls approach a table full of craft beer drinkers---the "reverse promotion" started....craft drinkers would be asking the promoters to try out craft....."

*the above photo is courtesy of Sharon Chan---whose name was accidentally left out, instead credited with another photo provider's name on the newspaper column print version.

NEXT WEEK---beers tasted during the fest.

WEEK 14--chit chat with TOBIAS--TO OL(PART 2/2)

对喜欢北欧啤酒（TO OL, MIKKELLER, NOGNE, AMAGER)的本地朋友来说，过去几天，还有至少未来一两个星期会是不错的日子。。因为这些酿酒师的啤酒都在本地以瓶子或啤酒泵“鲜啤”姿态出现着。

单单TO OL 来说，目前上了啤酒泵的是低酒精度淡啤HOP LOVE PILS。

上星期和TOBIAS聊了一些啤酒事，这期继续。。

This past few days and coming 1-2 week should be very good if you happened to be in KL and love beers from the Northern Europe--namely TO OL, MIKKELLER, NOGNE, AMAGER...there are some nice beers from these guys currently available here either on tap or in bottles ...

in the case of TO OL, the one currently on tap is HOP LOVE PILS.

we continue with last week's chit chat with TOBIAS:-

Q:-Do you like ASIAN food( fruits/local beverages included)?

TOBIAS:-We love Chinese dim sum fast food. We love everything fermented or aged food products, including beverages and food. We love most of the Asian cuisine as a whole. I think our IPA's and sessions beers are well suited for this fresh, honest kitchen.

Q:-Craft beer scene in ASIA as a whole is still very much lagging behind Europe/US market...anything you noticed that you would like to share with us?
TOBIAS:-I think the amount of passion is a big difference. Since the craft beer scene is so small in Asia, the people who are working with it now are really dedicated and first movers. I like to be in an environment where everything is new and inspiring.

Q:-Your beers are available here as well as other Asia cities, any words/message to drinkers who love your beers?
TOBIAS:-Well, a big thank you for supporting us and making our dream come true. I can guarantee them, that if you continue supporting Danish Craft beer like To Øl, Mikkeller or Amager, we will continue to make interesting beers for you!

Q:-To someone who is drinking craft for the very first time, what would be your "advise"?
TOBIAS:-That they should be open minded and forget everything they know about beer, because it's probably a standard lager which is their comparison. If you stay open minded, most craft beer should be just fine. But if you expect a lager while drinking a black ipa or something else, you would get disappointed.

Q:-To someone who is reluctant to try craft beer?
TOBIAS:-Try it out! nothing happens if you don't try it. And nothing bad happens if you try it, worst case is that you don't like the beer. Well, then try another craft beer and see if it suits you! 

Q:-Travelling to beer festivals, business trip or even just pure chill out trip, does it inspire you in any way?

TOBIAS;-: I think as a gypsy brewer, we need to travel and meet new people to get inspired about what's going on in the craft beer world. I we only stayed at home, we would never know what's going on in the big world and so we seek out a lot of new inspiration from other countries/breweries.

Q:-Looking back from where you started, any difficult moments?
TOBIAS:-After got a basic grasp of legislation, accounting and food regulations, it has been pretty easy. I like that in the craft beer community, most people started out as amateurs, home brewers or beer geeks. So we are all sort of in the same boat.

Q:-between a "crazy beer" & something more easily accepted by majority, which would be your choice of brew?
TOBIAS;-We still make beers that me and Tore like to drink ourselves. That's the centerpiece of our brewery. We don't brew for market shares or what's "hot" for the moment. So, depending on our mood, it can be a crazy beer or a session, balance beer. 

WEEK 13---chit chat with TOBIAS--TO OL--PART 1/2

TO OL 算是比较早期出现在吉隆坡这个撞意啤酒小沙漠的北欧品牌。

本地能喝到的不只是TO OL不同类型瓶子，也不定期会以“鲜啤”姿态通过啤酒泵出现。

撇开被普遍视为MIKKELLER得意弟子的直观，TO OL的啤酒是有趣，好喝的。

最近在新加坡啤酒节喝到他们的春酿BLOSSOM，是低酒精易喝淡啤中有丰富口感的类别，非常可口。

通过酿酒师之一TOBIAS的言谈可以稍稍了解，酿酒，卖酒，出名这些事对TO OL并不会造成什么捆绑或负担。。对他们来说，酿自己喜欢喝的酒还是最主要的事。

KL is a sort of small desert when comes to craft beer choices.

TO OL is one of few European craft brews available locally since the dawn of craft beer movement some 2-3 years ago...

Having tasted some of TO OL's varieties of craft brews, this week we talk to TOBIAS( one half of two young men who helm TO OL)

To many a beer geeks, Tobias & Tore started brewing with Mikkel( of Mikkeller) in the school kitchen and went on to the world stage is a well documented story. (that's not the topic here, but What's interesting from a Asian viewpoint is that brewing beers in SCHOOL is considered something outrageous and would never be condone by any "normal schools" here in Asia...:)

THIS is the chit chat ( part 1 of 2) with TOBIAS:-

Q;-some of your beers were given certain names( fuck art..bigger than yours...)--under what circumstances were the names given?

TOBIAS:-The name can come up as an idea and then we figure out which kind of beer it is. Or we get a really good idea for a beer and then we need to find a name. Some of our names trace back to old friends, some names are just purely invented for the process.

Q:-is brewing beers still a fun thing to you and your team?

TOBIAS:-Yes, brewing is still fun. My education is a master diploma Brewer. So you kind of like chosen a life where everything has something to do with beers. However, I would say that cleaning a mash/spent grains is the kind of work you don't miss all the time. Our "team" is still just me and Tore. We got Kasper Ledet doing labels and Mikkeller helps us out in the warehouse. 

Q:-any moment where adjustments needed mentally since your beers became internationally accepted?

TOBIAS:-I think i still don't understand the size we have grown to. I remember when we had homebrewed 2 cases of beer and tried to sell them. Back then, 2 cases of our beer was a lot. Today, we make a lot more but it still surprise me everyday...

Q:- is there any set time period for you, your team members that a certain new beer has got to come out within that time frame?

TOBIAS:-No, you can't force creativity. And that’s the beauty of gypsy brewing. We don't need to make a volume each month to pay investors or the bank. We are 100% independent and so we can make the beers we like when we want to do it. That's why that some months we make just 1 new beer where other months see a big release of new beers. We don't guarantee people a constant flow of new beer. It's like an artist, he makes a painting when he's ready to do it, not because someone commissioned a new painting.

Q:-if you were to picked any 3 cities for beers and beer alone, which cities would that be and why?

TOBIAS:-Of course, Copenhagen, We really like Copenhagen and the craft beer community. We have a lot of friends here. Besides that, Stockholm, Sweden, is a really vibrant city with a lot of focus on good beer. Lastly, perhaps Malaysia and the other south-eastern Asian countries. I can feel that the craft beer movement has just begun and there is still place for a lot of new beer geeks to start drinking good beer. 

NEXT WEEK---chit chat with TOBIAS--part 2/2

WEEK 12- STOUT is not the only BLACK

一说到“黑啤”，有常去咖啡店的，大概都会看到很多人在喝 “黑狗”。

在本地，基本来说，很多人的认知是，黑狗就是黑啤。

事实上，黑狗当然不是黑啤的全部。

这一期就很浅显的聊下，黑色啤酒有什么其他选择。

AS the title suggested, this week's column is about black beer.

From a local point of view, the term "black beer" has always and only been associated with a big factory beer that is the most popular drinks at coffee shop, as well at some bars.

In reality, that is not the whole truth.

This week's column is a brief intro about what other "black beers" are available, in particular locally here in KL..

Quotes:-
"In the world of craft beer---black beer can be in the form of a stout, a porter, an imperial stout---or a black IPA, dunkel German beer, Belgium strong dark ale...but we shall keep it simple and just talk about STOUT, PORTER & IMPERIAL STOUT( also referred to as Russian Imperial Stout due to historical reasons)

"A stout, porter, imperial stout would mostly have roasted malt, dark chocolate, coffee influenced as "base", but then the variations from there on can be so out of this world with so so many different taste..."

"Of the many many different taste a stout, a porter or an imperial stout can produce----peppery, chili, vanilla, bread, smoked salmon, salted bacon, soy sauce, vinegar, nut, pine, various types of vegetables & fruits....not to mentioned those more complex beers that went through the process of whiskey/bourbon/wine barrel/cask aging"

"Be it black beers from Europe, US, New Zealand or Japan, we have some nice selections here in KL...including bottles and on tap...so just go out there and find something that suit your taste"

NEXT WEEK---TO OL & chit chat with Tobias Emil Jensen

WEEK 11-local craft movers---Ales & Lagers

延续上期本地撞意啤酒文化推手介绍，这期跟小小瓶子专卖店ALES & LAGERS 聊聊。

有去过的朋友会知道，本地渐渐可以喝到比较多很不错的美国瓶子，基本都来自这里。

对喜欢选择的朋友来说，瓶子小店渐渐自成一格，能找到更多不同啤酒是件好事。

本地撞意啤酒文化是还在起步阶段，不过，星火可以燎原，多一个人欣赏/赏味，撞意啤酒文化的散发就会加快一步。

This week we talk to Ales & Lagers, the only craft beer dedicated bottle shop in town(it kind of felt like treasure hunting for those who try to find the tiny shop "hidden" within the row of shop lots linked to Publika mall)

Here's the main content of this week's column:-

"I think we Malaysians don't know much about taste, we always brag about our food but not many can describe what they like( when it comes to beer selection), due to the dominance of commercial beers which don't have much taste"

This is the word of Kennhyn Ang, owner of ales & lagers.

And this is the challenge facing many cities where craft revolution is taking place, Kl is no exception.

In contrast is the passion for food where we locals would drive a long way out just for a meal or two, but when it comes to beer selection, it's almost non-existent, people are very happy with a cold glass of any beer so long it's cheap, and better still if the place is "happening".( drinking beers is about different taste & selection? never heard of it...)

As well not surprisingly, the other challenges facing the local craft scene is price factor and brand recognition issues where the big boys been pushing so hard on marketing and branding for all those commercial beers which sort of drown out the senses of many who thought the world is beer is only such...

The growth of Ales & Lagers during the last one year plus has proven that all is not lost, according to Kennhyn "there are many locals who know their beers and would happily pay good money for good beers which they perceived as more value for money"

One of the observations from him is that "female drinkers are more adventurous compared to guys as they are more willing to try new beers as guys would mostly go for higher abv"

As for communicating with new craft drinkers, Kennhyn is of the opinion of "sometimes the less said the better, just pick up the beer and drink..."(his favorite line---don't think too much)

for those who somehow reluctant to try new things? " i  won't try to convince them, maybe just sharing some beers...:)

In a nut shell, maybe this is what spreading the love for craft beer is needed...the simple act of sharing & drinking.

Don't think too much....


NEXT WEEK--brief intro to Black liquid