Since it has opened, Oktopus has really hit it’s stride – a promising opening which I wrote about here [http://electrokemistcuisine.weebly.com/blogs/oktopus-preview] and then a very good review for Liverpool Confidential [https://confidentials.com/liverpool/restaurant-review-oktopus] was finally followed up by a great verdict from Marina O’Loughlin in the Guardian [https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2017/sep/08/oktopus-liverpool-restaurant-review-marina-oloughlin]. This event was in June and I am admittedly a bit behind the curve due to a combination of factors, but now, things are being caught up. This experience was simply one that had to be shared. The evening before the first day of the Liverpool Craft Beer Expo back in June, saw Oktopus host one of the UK’s most prestigious breweries in Somerset’s Wild Beer Company. Following on from the usual meet the brewer type introductions, Andy informed diners that the whole premise of Wild Beer was to pair beers with food and brew using the influence of various existing food sources and translate these into beer. The first pairing was one of Wild Beer Company’s flagship beers; Ninkasi (so named after the Sumerian beer Goddess) is a saison, made from blending 10% apple juice into the wort. The peppery, fresh and bitterly acidic apple notes with big carbonation that are perfect for cutting fattier elements of the food and it has a reminiscent perry-esque character at 9% abv. The dish is was paired with, a chickpea panisse with cheddar and celery was a pleasant combination and pairing all in all; a lot of contrasting elements and with the burnt apple, some complimentary notes. Following on from the panisse was peach, nectarine and goats cheese which was a superb and delicious salad and paired with the Evolver IPA. Evolver is a brettanomyces (a wild yeast strain) brewed IPA with very bitter notes, some coconut, hay, pineapple and nettles thanks to the use of Chinook and Sorachi Ace hops. The stressing of the yeast creates additional phenolic flavour compounds to really alter the flavour and aroma profile of this IPA. The notes from the Sorachi (some people get coconut, others get more herbal dill) really complimented the goats cheese, but otherwise some of the other elements (the sweeter fruit flavours of the food against the bitter and sour notes in the beer) clashed a little around an otherwise solid central pairing premise. The next beer and food pairing was the Squashed Grape, which is where white grape skins and then red grape skins are added to the brew to give various character in the fermentation from the various yeasts harnessed. At 5%, this juicy cordial like brew isn’t the strongest of the Wild Beer stable, but the beer is remarkably complex, albeit not for everyone. The supposed lactic character and citrus notes were not that prominent for me, with lots of raw, cidery, bubblegum and sour, if slightly tannin notes coming through. The mouthfeel was excessively thin and actually a bit flabby, however, the pairing was pretty good. Many of the food elements from the haddock and yoghurt worked very well with the brew. Following the very divisive pairing came the main course along with another of Wild Beer’s flagship brews; Beyond Modus (II). Beyond Modus is a series of barrel aged sour beers, and II is akin to red wine in many ways, making the pairing with the lamb all the more solid. The beer is aged in red wine barrels to up the tannic notes, topped up with a barley wine, molasses and caramelised orange peel. The 100 barrels used to age the beer are blended at the end of the aging period in order to gain a single uniform product. This time, notes of chocolate, sour cherries and some balsamic notes all work wonderfully with the lamb and marrow jus. Fresher notes work in harmony with the sweeter carrot and more brassic-sharp cauliflower. Into the dessert courses and an exclusive Liverpool Craft Beer Expo brew of Fixer was given. Fixer was a one off New England style juicy IPA with loads of aromas of pineapple and other tropical fruit, pairing it with pineapple and coconut was safe but very enjoyable. Loads of coconut, peach and a lovely soft-hoppy bitterness worked well with the dessert, with no real clashing of flavours or aromas. I’ve talked about Fixer elsewhere, so will spare you the waxing here. The final course was another of Wild Beer’s regular and more widely available brews, the excellent chocolate stout, Millionaire, paired with Claremont Farm strawberries, chocolate and meringue. Not much can really go too wrong pairing a chocolate beer with a chocolate dessert surrounded by fruit elements. Nutty notes, sweetness, a lovely silky body and elegantly structured stout went very well with a perfectly executed sweet course. The only struggle was finishing such decadence.
Oktopus will be rolling more of these events out in future, so it is worth following their Twitter feed. Beer and food pairing really doesn’t get the press it deserves, even in the currently craft-friendly climate. Keep your eyes peeled for more, especially when Wild Beer are in town with their often abstract ideas about beer! Pedro. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Oktopus Hardman Yard, 24 Hardman Street, Liverpool. tel: 07565 299 879 https://www.oktopus-restaurant.com/ Wild Beer Co. Lower Westcombe Farm, Evercreech, Somerset, BA4 6ER. tel: 01749 838742 email: [email protected]
0 Comments
And so the season for some excellent beery goings on is hurtling towards us at a rate of knots! The Liverpool Craft Beer Expo looms on the horizon and there is much buzz about things and many other events taking place around Merseyside and Liverpool over the same period; as such I have made an attempt at trying to ringfence everything and corral the information into one location for you lovely people... just so there is an 'at hand guide' for the following weeks. The date spread is from the first weekend in June and through until just after the Craft Beer Expo finishes, so read on and see if there are any places that you think you need to be in June! Saturday, June 3rd Brewery Open Day and Tap at Connoisseur Ales, St Helens (12pm until 10pm). Over in St. Helens, the first Saturday of most months sees family run Connoisseur Ales open their doors for impromptu brewery tours and a chance to try reasonably priced and brewery fresh cask or bottled beers from their range. Entry is free and there is usually a range of up to eight cask beers on, only a 30 second walk from St Helens Central train station. [Wolverhampton House, 121-125 Church Street, St Helens, WA10 1AJ] [email protected] / www.connoisseurales.com Monday, 12th June Founders Love Left Hand - Summer of Love Event at Dead Crafty Beer Company will be taking place, with representatives from both Founders and Left Hand breweries present from 7pm onwards, ready to chat and with many of their beers for attendees to sample (2 are included in the ticket price). [98 Dale Street, Liverpool. L2 5TF] www.deadcraftybeercompany.com Tuesday, 13th June Dead Crafty will be hosting another round of the Dead Good Bottle Society, Ben from Top Rope Brewing will be presenting and talking through a selection of beers stocked in the Dead Crafty fridges. The event starts at 8pm prompt and includes at least 4 beers to try. Tickets are £15 per person and the more people attend the tasting, the more beers there are to try. [98 Dale Street, Liverpool. L2 5TF] www.deadcraftybeercompany.com Wednesday, 14th June The Wildly Different Dinner event - Oktopus will play host to Bristol’s Wild Beer Co.; there will be a paired dinner with beer from the brewery consisting of 5 plates and matched beers. The event takes place at Oktopus restaurant in Hardmans Yard from 7pm until around 10pm and costs £30 per person. Wild Beer Co’s Andy Gibson will be on hand to compere the event. The link for tickets: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-wildly-different-dinner-tickets-35015536412?utm-medium=discovery&utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&aff=esfb&utm-source=fb&utm-term=listing [Hardmans Yard, Hardman Street, Liverpool. L1 9AX] https://www.oktopus-restaurant.com/ The Dead Crafty Beer Company is hosting the Liverpool leg of the Juicebox500 tour from Fourpure Brewing Company. The event will launch the brewery's excellent IPA - Juicebox and there will not only be the beer to try, but merchandise and cans available as part of the event, which will coincide with the ever fun Dead Crafty Quiz night starting around 7-8pm. There will be a fee for participation in the quiz, to be confirmed. [98 Dale Street, Liverpool. L2 5TF] www.deadcraftybeercompany.com Also on the 14th June, Brewdog Liverpool have got a Tap Takeover and Meet the Brewer Event taking place at their bar featuring beers and representatives of Danish outfit, Dry and Bitter. The event starts at 6.30pm and runs all evening; admission is at the very agreeable price of... free! Beers likely to feature are the Christian Bale Ale, Citra Bale Ale, Body Pillow APA and many more! https://www.facebook.com/brewdogliverpool/ Thursday, 15th June - Sunday, 18th June The Liverpool Craft Beer Expo takes place at Constellations on Greenland Street in the Baltic Triangle area of Liverpool. Sessions include Thursday evening, Friday evening, Saturday day, Saturday evening and all Sunday. This event usually sells out (in fact at time of writing, the Saturday afternoon is full), so get tickets rather than chancing it on the door. The event is one of the best beer festivals around with a great atmosphere, excellent beers from around the UK, Europe and the US and a mix of indoor and outdoor areas means a chance to mix things up if the weather allows! [35-29 Greenland Street, Liverpool. L1 0BS] www.constellations-liv.com / www.liverpoolcraftbeerexpo.com Across the same range of dates as the Expo, Deva Craft Beer are hosting a four day Best of British beer festival at their Deva Taps in Chester. The festival will feature over 30 beers on keg and cask along with a range of ciders and gin. The event starts at 3pm on the 15th June. Keep an eye out for some newer Deva beers including a smooth mango IPA and also get ready for their new menu launch soon too with plenty of food at the festival! [121 Brook Street, Chester. CH1 3DU Tel: 01244 401777] www.devacraftbeer.co.uk The afterparty for the Expo will take place at Black Lodge for another Tap Takeover in Liverpool, this time by Beavertown; the event is free to attend and the Black Lodge will be open for business until 3am. Brave and thirsty? To make that time you will need to be! [4 Kitchen Street. L1 0AN] http://www.blacklodgebrewing.co.uk/brewery/ Dead Crafty Beer Company will also play host on this evening to Hawkshead Brewery for a Beers with the Brewer event. A six-tap (allegedly with some special kegs) takeover will be launched at 7pm, with the representatives from Hawkshead talking through their beers and brewery. Tickets are £5 per person and includes a beer on arrival for the event. [98 Dale Street, Liverpool. L2 5TF] www.deadcraftybeercompany.com Friday, 16th June The Black Lodge Tap Takeover part two is hosted by Firestone Walker; as ever, loads of their beers will be on and the venue will host an afterparty and be open til 3am. No door tax either. [4 Kitchen Street. L1 0AN] http://www.blacklodgebrewing.co.uk/brewery/ Saturday, 17th June Red Star Ales host a Brewery Open Day and Tour at their site in Formby. The brewery tour will start at 1pm and runs until 4.30pm, the tour costs £20 per person and includes food and unlimited cask beer to go at, brewery fresh. [54b Stephenson Way, Formby. L37 8EG] www.redstarbrewery.co.uk Black Lodge will host its final Tap Takeover afterparty event for the Expo, with the lines being handed over to The Kernel for their beers to be poured. As ever, Black Lodge will be open late and entry to the event is free. [4 Kitchen Street. L1 0AN] http://www.blacklodgebrewing.co.uk/brewery/ Sunday, 18th June This Father's Day Brewdog Liverpool will be hosting a Stone Berlin Beer and Whisky Pairing with Zippo from Stone Berlin. The tasting will include 5 Stone Berlin beers, 5 amazing whiskys, and lots of paired German-style small plates. All that, with a branded glass to take away as a memento for each attendee. Tickets are limited and on sale at £31.85 per person. The event runs from 7pm until 10pm approximately: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/beer-whisky-pairing-with-stone-berlin-tickets-34321388196 [8 Colquitt Street, L14DE.] https://www.brewdog.com/bars/uk/liverpool Good luck to everyone planning on attending all that – physically impossible as it may probably be, but there is something to whet your appetite for beers going on thick and fast over the coming weeks around Liverpool and the Northwest (including some things over at Manchester Beer Week – post-Expo). Hope you found this guide useful! Pedro. Oktopus has finally opened its doors on Hardman Yard; an unassuming location and a fairly unassuming launch given it has had a bit of a run as a pop-up on the premises of the Baltic Triangle's Black Lodge Brewery and also hosted the kitchen for two Meet the Brewer events at The Clove Hitch. Hardman Yard, for those not familiar, is the location of Buyer's Club and Wild Loaf, formerly playing host to live music venue, The Picket. Stand by the Old Blind School or opposite the Flute pub on Hardman Street and you're about there. This is a venture put together by the minds behind the Black Lodge and showcases Head Chef Chris Ineson's skills in the kitchen; the preview along with previous Meet the Brewer food hints at that being quite considerable. The premise is quite simple; 'Sea and Shore' is the motto, with ingredients and inspiration being taken from quality produce taken from the environs of the motto. The focus on small plates for sharing, snacking and especially pairing with the Black Lodge beers (amusingly dispensed from a bespoke and garish Welsh-dresser) were all lovingly prepared to please the eye and tastebuds. Elementary but complimentary combinations are presented in a contemporary fashion and the flavours do indeed point to an additional caring on the source of the individual parts of each dish. The popcorn mussels are dangerously addictive; crisp, meaty, savoury and sweet and a I firmly believe a gateway for those who usually shun shellfish to partake in good way to showcase mussels. The carrot was a spin on the dish tried at the Hawkshead Brewery Meet the Brewer event [http://electrokemistcuisine.weebly.com/blogs/meet-the-brewer-hawkshead-brewery-the-clove-hitch-liverpool] and was every bit as good as it was then - an exercise in how to make the simplest of ingredients sing by sourcing good produce and providing complimentary plate-mates. The cabbage dish was a bit too drenched in caper berries, any brassic character was drowned out a bit, although this made for a good palate refresher. The lemon sole and beef onglet with purple broccoli dishes were both splendid too; cooked perfectly and prepared in an unfussy manner and will pair very well with quite a few of Black Lodge's beers. The final salvo for the preview was the chocolate nemesis, which was incredibly rich and screaming to be paired with an equally robust and characterful stout. There will be some follow up visits to look into the rest of the menu (shown on the Oktopus website) and some scrutiny from other media outlets to come, but this is a very, very welcome addition to Liverpool; finally a restaurant which provides a fairly diverse menu which is simplistic, well thought-out, well prepared and much to many people's pleasure; puts pairings with beers at front and centre.
Until next time! Pedro --------------------------- OktopusHardman Yard, 24 Hardman Street, Liverpool. L1 9AX Web: https://www.oktopus-restaurant.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/hello_oktopus Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Oktopus-1101343593327705/ |
Archives
April 2022
Archives
April 2022
Click ^ the RSS Feed to follow me
Categories
All
|