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We’re all becoming used to the price of beer in London getting a bit obscene. But a pint that costs £80? What’s it made of? Liquid gold? Diamond dust suspended in the bottled tears of BTS?
Whatever, it had better be good. The beer is currently being sold in a pub in Brixton – Craft Beer Co – one of the Brewery’s seven rather well-appointed hostelries, six of which are dotted across London with the other in Brighton. (Oh, and check out our list of London’s 100 Best Pubs while you’re at it.)
The beer, or rather the speciality ale, in question, is the Reforged 20th Anniversary Ale, created by the American AleSmith Brewing Company. Care has undeniably been lavished on it. It’s been aged in a bourbon barrel for 18 months which produces a dark sticky syrupy yet sour ale with competing notes of chocolate, coffee, barley wine, vanilla, and malt. The resulting 11% ABV concoction retails at £105 for a 750ml bottle, equivalent to 1.3 pints. Punters, however, have not exactly been flocking to purchase it. Those that have forked out the better part of a ton for it have said that they found it too syrupy and strong in taste for a whole pint, though one you’d be reluctant to leave once committed to, we imagine.
Craft Beer Co is known for offering a selection of unusual draught and keg beers, as a quick survey of its daily draught list reveals, with highlights including the alarmingly named Das Ist Techno Sex – Upfront (which has ‘passionfruit and key lime gose’ overtones, and is a less heart-stopping £7.05 a pint, in case you fancy a refreshing drop of upfront techno sex in this hot weather) so there’s bound to be something that does wet (and whet) your whistle there.
Whether this mash is actually worth the moolah is one is for you to decide. In a straw poll of the Time Out office (who, let it be said, do enjoy a half on special occasions) people appeared rather reluctant to dig that deep for a solitary glass of speciality ale, preferring instead to spend the cash on 12 pints of Neck Oil and splash out on très fancy dry roasted cashews instead of peanuts.
Craft Beer Co, 11-13 Brixton Station Rd, SW9 8PA.
Frustratingly but inevitably, the House of Commons bar serves one of London’s cheapest pints.
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