Cause I Try and I Try and I Try...
Mar 14, 2025
What's up? Well I guess I am with some jet lag! - annoying everyone again - having had some time out checking in on eldest child who is in Taiwan studying Chinese.
I have spent a fair bit of time in Taipei in a former life but not rural Taiwan which is pretty lovely but also feels like end of the earth in some ways. Their main beer is the imaginatively named Taiwan Beer - a 5% lager that generally tastes of well, nothing much. They also sell (in cans) Taiwan Beer, Draft. The difference is that the draft has not been pasteurized, well that is the technical difference - the real meaningful difference to folks like you and I is the taste. Massive difference. Huge. Pasteurization really knocks the soul out of the beer. Had never seen it as clearly illustrated as in these 2 cans of identical product...
Meanwhile, back here where Graham, Jack, Alex, Pete, Cal, Ethan, Simon, Nick and team were hard at work - it seems that after a tough couple of months, conversations this week have been quite a bit more upbeat in the trade. Optimism breaking forth like the daffodils... [worst simile ever]?
In terms of our own data - lots of Moondance, though Sundown also understated because we ran out in Feb... And Old Dray and Numb should probably be grouped together as one came in for the other... My take-away on this though would be look at Jagged Little Pilsner. It's a thing for sure. Have you tried it? Need a couple of cans to be convinced? Let me know. It is damn good.
What's On?
A couple of points here - first Old Dray - wow it has flown, and we're pretty much out - we'll have Numb back soon as another Strong Ale. Second - the subject line - Satisfaction 3.4% Session Golden Ale - so new it isn't even on the poster, but we're going to be into our 4th Brewing of it very shortly - really popular... Third - also new and not on the poster yet is Back Velvet oatmeal stout - recipe slightly adapted (stolen) from what was Snow Blind this winter because it has sold so well we wanted a year round name. We have a bit of that if interested?
What's about?
Well we are next week - four of us off Wednes- Thurs to Liverpool to Beer X - part knowledge gaining, part meetings with wholesalers, part because Alton's Pride is in the final for basically best bottled beer in the World UK! The final is down to the last 8 - a winner from each region - so exciting even if statistically that means there is an 87% chance we won't win! Oh yeah - it is part jolly as well - we'll likely have a couple of beers with suppliers and customers... At the same time, we'll have phones on, the office will be manned - we are 100% delivering as usual - but in terms of being organised the sooner we can know any orders the better... Of course, we want to bring you beer next week!
Wishing you a fffabulous weekend and hoping we can bring you loads of beer next week... Ideally to celebrate England winning the 6 nations thanks to Scotland (my guys) helping them out by beating France!
Xen
P.S. On the note of Scotland doing England a favour...
An Englishman, an Irishman and a Scotsman were each left 5,000 pounds by a rich man on condition that after his death they would each put 100 pounds into his coffin in case he needed it in the afterlife. The Englishman and the Irishman duly put in their hundred pounds. The Scotsman took out the 200 pounds and put in a cheque for 300 pounds...
Did you hear what the English, the Irish and the Scots did when they heard the world was coming to an end? The English all went out and got drunk. The Irish all went to church. And the Scots had a closing down sale.
Sorry, not sorry!
Yours with short arms and deep pockets and the unusual aspect of being a Scot who actually supports England against most folks... Xen
