1/3/2018 0 Comments Brew Toon x Smoke & SoulSTREET FOOD COMES TO THE BLUE TOONWhat's better than craft beer & street food? Not much right? This past weekend saw Smoke & Soul, one of Aberdeen's newest up & coming street food vendors combine forces with Brew Toon at their cafe/micro brewery site in Peterhead for a day of awesome food, quality beer & some great tunes. The folks behind Smoke & Soul are friends of mine & while I have tried some of Brew Toon's beer before, I'd never visited the brewery - so we decided to head up on Saturday afternoon to check it all out. Brew ToonFirst up, the Brew Toon micro brewery & cafe is a great set up. The brewery area itself is very impressive, and the cafe is very well decorated & features a window that looks into the brewery - I can imagine this being awesome on brew days! They had a selection of their beers & draft with them also available in bottle, along with a selection of coffee's, tea & soft drinks. The food menu also had lots of good looking offerings ranging from cakes, pies & nachos (definitely a reason to come back!). Having only previously tried the Raspberry Carronade Cream ale, I was eager to try more beers, especially their latest release - M'ango Unchained, a mango IPA. After taking our seats, that was the first beer I ordered and wow, it was awesome! The first thing you notice is the smell - it is pure mango! It doesn't disappoint on taste either, with the sweet juicy mango complimenting the slight bitterness perfectly - this beer is so enjoyable to drink. Whilst ordering our drinks, I got speaking to Callum from Brew Toon who was a very nice guy & who kindly offered to sort me out with a beer flight so I could sample the range of beers on offer. I gladly accepted his offer & before I reached the end of my M'ango Unchained, the beer flight was brought over to our table. It was a flight of five different beers & the waitress took the time to explain each one of them; Northern Sinner, Purple Reign, Raspberry Carronade, Loose Cannon & Weekend Hooker. The beers themselves were all very tasty, with each of them offering something different. If I had to rank the beers that I tried on the day, then it would be something like:
I've already spoken about how awesome I found M'ango Unchained, however I just wanted to say a few words about Purple Reign; this beer is amazing, I really don't think I've ever tasted anything quite like it. Whilst I'm not saying it's the best beer I've ever tasted, the flavours are just so complex & they work together perfectly to make this one enjoyable beer. They have just announced that this week they have started barrel-ageing their Holy Smoke Chilli and Coffee Stout in a Jack Daniels 190l barrel for a small batch release that will be ready in December. Smoke & SoulSmoke & Soul are an Aberdeen based smoked meats vendor, ran by two friends of mine. They believe in using locally sourced ingredients to deliver the very best smoked & grilled meats to food lovers wherever they can. They are available to hire for private events, festivals & functions & will bring along a tasty menu of smoked goodness with them. At their collaboration with Brew Toon, they had smoked pulled pork served in brioche buns, a beef brisket wrap served with sour cream, tomato, feta cheese & coriander and also mac & cheese that could be topped with any of the smoked meats. So, pretty much something for everyone! I opted for the pulled pork topped with South Carolina style BBQ sauce (from Sauce Shop), while Kerry opted for the beef brisket wrap. The pulled pork itself was awesome; it was tender, smoked to perfection, with the perfect amount of char on the ends and the South Carolina sauce paired perfectly with it, adding just the right combination of spice & sweetness. I don't think you could ask for anything else when it comes to pulled pork? And while I can't speak personally for the beef brisket wrap, Kerry assured me that she loved it & that it tasted fantastic. They have also recently announced a "Smoke to Order" service where they will prepare, smoke and shred pre-ordered pulled pork meat packs, which can be reheated and enjoyed at home. This sounds like a great idea to me, and take my word for it as a lover of all things pulled pork - their pulled pork is special! Overall, we had a great afternoon up in Peterhead. Unfortunately we couldn't stay for the live music in the evening but we would definitely hope to go back sometime for another visit. I also look forward to seeing Smoke & Soul pop up at more & more events - street food is a fast growing trend in Aberdeen & these guys are going the right way about making an impact! You can keep up to date with all things Smoke & Soul by following them on their social media channels:
Also, be sure to follow all things Brew Toon to keep up to date with their awesome selection of beers: Website
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26/5/2017 0 Comments Peterhead MotorsKeystore MoreCraft beer...in a petrol station?! It might sound crazy to some people. But not if you live in Westhill, or more recently; Peterhead. Gary Haigh, retailer at Peterhead Motors has recently started to build the craft beer scene in the recently re-branded Keystore More at the garage. Fitting out the shop with a new 1.3m fridge, he has started stocking some of the biggest names in UK craft beer such as:
Not bad if you ask me...You can pick up some pretty good beers from that selection of breweries! And if you're just getting into craft beer & looking to try something new, then you can't go wrong with the likes of Beavertown, Northern Monk & Magic Rock. Gary has big plans for craft beer at the garage, and plans to keep expanding on his current stock. With the help of Brewdog, he is also mid way through the Cicerone Certification Program. This is fantastic as he will be able to offer advice and tasting notes on the beer - perfect if you are new to craft beer or looking for something new to try (you don't get that kind of service in the supermarket!). There are also future plans to launch a craft beer club at some point. To mark the recent re-branding of the store - there will be an open day on Friday 2nd June. Brewdog will be on site holding a tasting session, of not just Brewdog beers but various other beers that you can find in the store. There will also be some beers from Brew Toon Brewery available to sample. Gary will be having giveaways and prize draws throughout the day. Everything is scheduled to kick off around 10am, and run until about 5pm, with Brewdog being there from 12.30pm. The adjacent coffee shop also offers a range of hot food and drinks for breakfast and lunch; ranging from breakfast rolls, soups, burgers, chips, pizzas, curries, pies & pastas to name but a few. They change their specials every week and post these on their Facebook page. You can phone up to pre-order your food beforehand, or take away (along with your craft beer carry out of course). The coffee shop is open between 6.30am-2pm. It's exciting to see places like this taking such an interest in the craft beer market - this will be great for the local beer lovers, and anyone who wants to get into craft beer. Westhill Service Station has played a huge part in my beer influences, and I really think that this will have the same effect for some in Peterhead.
So next time you fancy picking up some beers in Peterhead, don't go to Tesco - pop in by Keystore More at Peterhead Motors instead and check out their excellent selection; many of which you wont find in the supermarkets. You can keep upto date with the latest from Peterhead Motoros on their Facebook page, so go ahead and give them a like & share. https://www.facebook.com/keystore123/ 9/5/2017 0 Comments Brew Toon BreweryCraft Beer Comes To The Blue ToonIt seems we have new craft brewery in the North East...craft beer has arrived in the Blue Toon! Brew Toon Brewery are a micro brewery based in Peterhead, Aberdeenshire. Formed earlier this year, they have spent some time kitting out their HQ with brewing equipment and brewing their first batch of beers. They will also be opening a café bar; scheduled for this month, that will serve cakes, speciality coffees and locally sourced deli food. They currently have 3 beers listed on their website: Loose Cannon - Indiana Pale Ale (4.6% ABV): "Our American IPA is fully loaded with a juggernaut of hops that will send earthquakes crashing through your taste buds. Its strong floral and herbal aromas and sharp grapefruit notes are well balanced by its rich malt base. Its finish is edgy and uncompromising and leaves for an expressive, almost spicy palate... This IPA is a loose cannon!" Raspberry Cannonade - Raspberry Cream Ale (5.0% ABV): "Our Raspberry Cream Ale is jam-packed with locally sourced Scottish Raspberries, combined with a sweet malt base making for a smooth, creamy finish. When you first open the bottle there is an explosion of raspberry aroma...and the blend of citrus hops paired with the raspberries creates an intense palate that really pushes your tart tolerance to the brink!" Weekend Hooker - Lager (5.0% ABV): "Get hooked on our new craft lager! Reinvented with a bold variety of malts and left to condition until the optimum moment to ensure a smooth head with a soft, refreshing finish. Earthy in aroma, expect a full bodied malt character, with citrusy undertones and an assured bitter finish." It's great to see new breweries popping up in Aberdeenshire and hopefully Brew Toon Brewing can follow the trend of producing quality beer.
I'm definitely looking forward to trying out these beers; especially the IPA & the raspberry cream ale. Hopefully Westhill Service Station will get their hands on some 🍻 https://www.brewtoon.com/ |
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