BrewDog Manchester: a laid back, quirky beer haven on Peter Street where the sounds of rock Gods and vintage pinball machines encapsulate you as you sip the night away on some beer with a bite.
MM’s night of boozy fun kicked off with an ice-cold half pint of BrewDog’s own pale ale, Dead Pony Club. Light, sweet and bubbly for the lover and non-beer drinker alike, it was an easy-sipping cold brew to break the ice for the evening – a definite recommendation for easing yourself into a heavyweight ale session.
As we got comfy on our American diner-style stools, BrewDog master gunner Sarah Warman talked us through the courses of crafted ales and BBQ foods that the BrewDog brains had meticulously paired together to delight Manchester’s beer fanatics this summer….
A starter of a warm roasted halloumi on a bed of sweet chilli salad was served alongside a glass of the complex and unique Tongue Tied ale. A slightly mustier, thick and stouty beer with the acidity of citrus and spices – the chilli flavours and crisp textures of the salad and halloumi worked perfectly with the thick liquid and strong hop aftertaste of the drink.
Tongue Tied epitomises why this bar is stand-out for the unconventional brew lover: lemongrass and coriander undertones and the bitter final kick as it leaves your mouth – a match made in heaven with Asian style cuisine dishes.
The aromatic smells of smoky barbecue spices wafted through the air as we eagerly awaited our second course of grub – succulent pork ribs with a rub of oriental spice which lay resting in harmony on a big chip potato.
The tender and flavoursome meat fell off the bone as we tucked in alongside the sweet, crunchy and oh so sinful indulgence of the deeply fried sweet potato crisp. The accompanying half-pint of an amber coloured Five AM Saint brew invited us to its burnt and rustic flavours of caramel and sweet malts to bring out the earthy flavours of the potato and Oriental spices of the meat. The true taste of deep South America washed over rainy Manchester!
The next ale conjured up some interesting responses from the crowd – a Belgium/Latvian style beer which is brewed for three years with various yeasts, the Gueuze has a soured, almost cider-like taste with overpowering apple/orange notes that reacted very differently upon everyone’s palettes.
When our course of macaroni and cheese arrived, it was clear that we had got acquainted with this beverage all wrong in our initial sips, the intense and dominant flavours of the cheese, both baked on in a crispy, hard layer on top and the gooey cheddar that seeped between the soft pasta was in fact heightened by the sour fruity flavour of the hops: the perfect beer to marry a cheeseboard or a rich, creamy dish.
However this combination definitely wasn’t for everyone. The sour flavour of the beer and the overpowering strong tastes of the cheese were a bit too rich and sickly. They may work well as a course on their own, but were a lot for the stomach to handle after everything else we’d consumed tonight.
As our bellies slowly started to reach their brims, the boozy treats and nibbles were not quite over yet.
We were presented with succulent soft chicken and crunchy, flavour-filled mango salad upon a crispy toasted bun: this little beauty BrewDog call the Punk Ass Chicken Sandwich. A crowd favourite of the night was the beer served alongside this dish which goes by the name Punk IPA – an explosion of tropical taste washed over the room as mango and lychee flavours climaxed with a dry, bitter kick at the final sip. A must try partnership for a Caribbean twist on the typical burger and beer combo.
A true feast is never complete without a unique sweet dish to tie together all the delights of the evening.
BrewDog’s parting gift to us was their ‘Cocoa psycho’ ice-cream float, and let us tell you… it was not as harmless as it first appeared!
The sweet treat features cooled down espresso and although it may appear as a nice final bite to sober you up before your taxi ride home, it in fact plays host to a river of 10% stout running beneath the innocent looking dairy ice-cream. The bitter aromas of the coffee and the stout melted into the luxurious vanilla ice-cream, making for a soup of sour flavours that had us all wincing at the whirlwind of tasted: definitely one for the boozy daredevil.
Despite enjoying it myself, the ice-cream float dessert produced the most negative feedback on the night, with quite a few people not finishing theirs. The stout liquid at the bottom was exceptionally sour and fizzy and had a fair few people wincing! Not for the faint-hearted.
As we made our bleary-eyed way outside of BrewDog, it definitely left a lasting impression that these guys are all about the individual experience – from the second you walk in it’s all about the social experience and journey through the beers and food.
BrewDog truly break the conventions of fine suds as we know it with their unique and innovative crafted beers, matched perfectly with rich and flavoursome dishes and an array of knowledgeable staff that truly get their kicks out of involving you in exactly what it is that makes beer a drink that goes far beyond a pint at your local.
Visit BrewDog Manchester, 35 Peter St, Manchester M2 5BG or find out more here.
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