Bartrams Beers to Banquet on
There has been much written recently on the marriage of food and beer. Some time ago Bartrams Brewery embarked on a project with the help of a wine taster and some of the food orientated pubs I deal with on a regular basis. Working with a wine taster was an interesting experience for me as her approach to the synergy of food and beer was completely different to how I would approach the project as a beer 'flavour profiler'. Eventually we came up with a basic food and beer menu which we distributed to the pubs. The only difference being the 'Fox' at Burwell as his was a Mexican menu which needed an individual beer list. I reproduce these menus here and recommend you try them out at home or visit 'The Fox and Hounds' at Bradfield St. George, 'The Gardeners Arms' at Moats Tye, 'The Blue Boar' at Walsham le Willows, or 'The Fox' at Burwell
| Little Green Man | 3.8% | This mellow golden bitter lends itself to the vegetarian palate, excellent with light pasta, mushroom and pulse dishes. |
| Red Queen | 3.9% | A traditional India Pale Ale, this full bodied beer goes with full flavoured beef dishes, spaghetti or lasagne. |
| Green Man | 4.0% | Another golden bitter bursting with hop flavour, perfect with fish dishes. |
| Grozet | 4.0% | This tart bitter lends itself to pork dishes, whether sausages or ham, egg and chips it is the perfect partner. Also recommended with curries. |
| The Bees Knees | 4.2% | The dominant citrus tones of this honey ale helps wash down the trifle or fruit salad. Alternatively try with salmon or light fish dishes. |
| Jester Quick One | 4.4% | Perfect with pate or even anti pasti, also a good accompaniment for that steak and ale pie. |
| Captain's Stout | 4.8% | Ideal for red meats, whether beef, lamb or venison. If you are feeling indulgent try it with a chocolate pudding. |
| Suffolk ‘n’ strong | 5.0% | One to escort the cheese board, try with a mature Stilton or Brie. Also perfect with a pasta bake. |
| Mother in Law’s Tongue Tied | 9.0% | To be handed out after dinner instead of the Port, an explosion on the palate, a real Christmas pudding of a beer. |
If you are eating Mexican food ...
| Little Green Man | 3.8% | This mellow golden bitter lends itself to the vegetarian palate, try with melted goats cheese Tostadas or Quesadilla with cheese and refritos. |
| Red Queen | 3.9% | A traditional India Pale Ale, this full bodied beer lends itself to the full bodied red meat dishes. |
| Grozet | 4.0% | Counteracts the heat of the chilli peppers nicely or try with guacamole, also works well with goats cheese Quesadilla. |
| Cats Whiskers | 4.0% | With the subtle ginger and lemon in this light bitter another perfect partner for Guacamole but will also combat the heat of the stronger dishes. A good way to wash down your cheesecake. |
| Catherine Bartrams I.P.A. | 4.3% | A light I.P.A. style that marries well with dishes such as the vegetable burrito or chilli chicken fajitas. |
| Jester Quick One | 4.4% | The versatility of this bitter makes it the ideal accompaniment for the Poquito De Todo. Share with a friend with the shared platter. Also recommended with either the Tacos or beef fajita. |
| Coal Porter | 4.5% | This hoppy darker beer works equally well with the hotter chicken dishes and is perfectly at home with a burrito. |
| Damson Stout | 4.8% | A full bodied traditional ruby stout that goes well with the chilli dishes or the Macho Nachos. This is the beer to drink with your steak. |
and to take it to its illogical conclusion ...
Beer with Music and Literature
So, you have bought your bottles of beer and carefully transported them home, being careful not to disturb the sediment too much, after a couple of hours you deem them ready to consume so what is your preferred form of entertainment? You could watch 'Corrie' and check out Jack's pigeons or watch 'Eastenders' and see whether Phil and Grant have got it 'sorted'. Alternatively your mind might turn to more cerebral pursuits. What I have done here is to suggest reading and listening material which might lend itself to certain beers.
| Marld | 3.4% | A quintessentially English drink, perhaps listening to 'Ogden's Nut Gone Flake' by the Faces might be the ideal accompaniment, as to reading, 'As I walked out one Midsummers Morning', Laurie Lee conjuring up a bygone age. |
| Premier | 3.7% | Get in the mood with Winston S. Churchill's 'Great Contemporaries' ... can only be Elgar. |
| Little Green Man | 3.8% | Easy drinking, easy reading 'McCarthy's Bar' by Pete McCarthy, easy listening essential 'Crimson Moon' By Bert Jansch. |
| Red Queen | 3.9% | A little bit of John Mortimer, anything from 'Rumpole' alongside some Roy Harper, I am torn between 'One of those days in England' and 'When an old cricketer' ... you decide. |
| Green Man | 4.0% | Bursting with flavour this needs something bubbly to support it, try Terry Pratchett ... any Terry Pratchett, listen to some Ivor Cutler ... any Ivor Cutler. |
| Grozet | 4.0% | Complex, go with 'Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man' by James Joyce and try 'Guitar Soli' by Robbie Basho. |
| Cats Whiskers | 4.0% | 'Alices Adventures' ... alongside the whimsy of 'Man in a Bowler Hat' by Stackridge. |
| Pierrot | 4.0% | Lose yourself in this unique ale whilst reading Philip Jose Farmers 'To Your Scattered Bodies Go' and listening to the Ramones first album. |
| Zodiac Beers | 4.2% | Let's stay out there and read Moorcocks 'Dancers at the End of Time' and listen to 'You' by Gong, the original on vinyl or the wonderful remixed version. |
| The Bees Knees | 4.2% | Just that little bit different so how about reading Martin Amis 'Time's Arrow', listen to 'Dazed and Confused' by Led Zeppelin. |
| Catherine Bartrams I.P.A. | 4.3% | It has to be Graham Greene 'The End of the Affair' possibly, whilst listening to The Beatles 'Double White'. |
| Jester Quick One | 4.4% | Britain's Clown Prince, Spike Milligan's 'Puckoon', try listening to Frank Zappa's 'Watermelon in Easter Hay' ... just try listening to Frank Zappa. |
| Coal Porter | 4.5% | Enjoying a resurgence, so try something up to date, Irvine Walsh perhaps, 'Glue' even, listen to White Stripes 'Elephant'. |
| Beltane Braces | 4.5% | Dark and brooding, try 'Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep' by Philip K. Dick, set the atmosphere with Tom Wait's 'Bone Machine'. |
| Stingo | 4.5% | 'The Blue Lens' by Daphne de Maurier, 'Odd Ditties' by Kevin Ayers, just relax ... chill as they say. |
| Captain Bill Bartrams Best Bitter | 4.8% | Another English Experience but this time with a bit more bite, lets go with Will Self 'Great Apes', listen to 'Marjory Razor Blade' by Kevin Coyne. |
| Captain's Stout | 4.8% | Deep and satisfying try Anthony Burgess 'A Clockwork Orange', listen to 'Exile on Main Street' by the Stones. |
| Suffolk ‘n’ strong | 5.0% | A bit lighter on the palate why not go with Kurt Vonnegut 'Sirens of Titan' whilst listening to 'Harvest Moon' by Neil Young. |
| Russian Stout | 5.0% | Dark and brooding, Why not try Nikolai Gogols 'Diary of a Madman', suggested listening is John Fahey's 'O Tannenbaum/Russian Medley' from 'Christmas with John Fahey', Prokofiev as a blues man! |
| September Ale | 7.0% | Substantial yet easy to drink, try George Orwell 'Inside the Whale and other short stories' listen to 'Hadouk' by Didier Malherbe & Loy Ehrlich. |
| Mother in Law’s Tongue Tied | 9.0% | Robust, fulfilling ... that's my Mother in Law. It has to be Swift, re-read 'Gulliver's Travels'. As to music, only Carl Orff's 'Carmina Burana' has as much body as my Mother in Law! |
Favourite quotes to ponder whilst enjoying your pint of Bartrams Beer
