In celebration of Bookshop Day, we’ve once again collaborated with independent bookshop Forum Books in Corbridge (and now in Whitley Bay, too), to bring you their recommended book pairings for some of the North East’s best beers. All beers for the books ‘n’ beer pairings were purchased from Hydrology and sent on to Helen at Forum to match with her favourite books and take some photos. The links to buy all of the books and beers are below if you’d like to join in…we’d love to hear your thoughts!
The Books ‘n’ Beer Pairings
Panenka + Run Hop Run
Rigg & Furrow: Run Hop Run – Simcoe Pale Ale (4.2%)
Panenka: Rónán Hession
A slow build of Ronan’s magic with a finish to fill your heart. Back of the net! Paired with Rigg & Furrow’s Run Hop Run – with flavours of pine, citrus & tropical fruits a soft bitterness, brewed with a small proportion of oats for smoothness. Perfect after a long day when you can curl up with a book ‘n’ a beer.
Velvet Was the Night + Fortuna
Twice Brewed Brew House: Fortuna – Cappuccino Stout (5%)
Velvet Was the Night: Silvia Moreno-Garcia
Evocative and very noir-ish. An unassuming secretary and a hired goon join forces to track down a disappeared art student amidst the political unrest of 1970s Mexico. Pairs perfectly with Twice Brewed’s Fortuna – an indulgent stout packed full of coffee flavours with notes of chocolate (organic Cacao Nibs) and vanilla. Dark and delicious.
Godspeed + Heedbanger
By The River Brew Co.: Heedbanger – India Pale Ale (6.7%).
Godspeed: Nickolas Butler
‘My daddy always told me, if it looks too good to be true – then it probably is’. Glorious, gory – as lyrical as it is suspenseful – a goddamn good un. Down with Heedbanger – By The River’s core IPA and it is, as the name suggests, a banger. Finest Golden Promise forms the base with sprinkles of Oat, Chit and Wheat Malt lending great body to the mouthfeel. Carapils lends warmth to the hue. Double dry-hopped with Citra Cryo, Amarillo T90 and Simcoe T90 for maximum joose.
Burntcoat + Our Lawyers Made Us Change the Name of This Beer So We Don’t Get Sued
S43 Brewery: Our Lawyers Made Us Change the Name of This Beer So We Don’t Get Sued – Black IPA (7.2%).
Burntcoat: Sarah Hall
A dark, deft and brilliant novel – a dying sculptor reflecting on love, lust and lockdown in limpid, impeccably crafted prose. Delicious with S43’s ‘Our Lawyers Made Us Change the Name of This Beer So We Don’t Get Sued’. Technically we’ve got a double collab drop with the excellent Phantom Brewery. Both were keen to do a hop-forward beer, but something a little bit out of the ordinary so went with a Black IPA. Hopped with Chinook, Simcoe, Citra and Summit, with the extra addition of dark malts, the resulting beer is full-on hop bursts of classic pine and aroma, that turns into hints of chocolate and roast. Smooth and easy drinking with a bitter backbone.
My Heart is a Chainsaw + Snake Eyes
Two by Two Brewing: Snake Eyes – Pale Ale (4.7%).
My Heart is a Chainsaw: Stephen Graham Jones
‘Some girls just don’t know how to die’ Shirley Jackson meets Friday the 13th in this homage to slasher films that also manages to defy and transcend genre. On the surface is a story of murder in small-town America. But beneath is its beating heart, it’s a biting critique of American colonialism, Indigenous displacement, and gentrification – hell yeah! Sip Two by Two’s Snake Eyes – one of their house beers with a low, bitter, tropical hop juice.
The Ormering Tide + Once In A…
Errant Brewery: Once In A… – Wheat Beer (5.6%).
The Ormering Tide: Kathryn Williams
As bright and shiny as the beautiful shell from which this novel draws its title and as impressive and adventurous as Kathryn’s music. Irresistible with Errant’s Once In A … a heady and refreshing wheat beer with fresh orange peel and coriander seed. Columbus and Nelson Sauvin hops combine with fruity esters in this pale summer thirst quencher.
The Night Always Comes + Rotator
Full Circle Brew Co.: Rotator – DDH Pale Ale (5.2%).
The Night Always Comes: Willy Vlautin
Taking place in the margins, Lynette’s story throws us between hope and heartbreak. She has just two days and two nights in Portland, to fix everything in her life … you’ll need a drop or two of Full Circle’s Rotator; an all-day drinker, Idaho-7 and Citra combine beautifully to pack a juicy tropical and citrus punch that will have you picking a new flavour with each sip.
Keeping the House + Fuzzy Fruit
Play Brew Co.: Fuzzy Fruit – Cherry & Strawberry Fizzy Lace Sour (4.8%).
Keeping the House: Tice Cin
A sherbert fizzy debut that packs a punch and drops your jaw … enjoy with Play Brew Co.’s Fuzzy Fruit – their Cherry & Strawberry Fizzy Lace Sour – 4.8% ABV + vegan friendly. Untangle the fizzy fun from this fuzzy sour beer with cherries and strawberries galore … and no cabbages thankfully.
Bad Apples + Green
Almasty Brewing Co.: Green – Pale Ale (5%).
Bad Apples: Will Dean
“It only takes one …’ Perfect Autumn reading paired with Almasty’s Green – a single hop pale ale celebrating all that the Mosaic hop offers. On the nose and on the palate, this beer delivers mango and passionfruit all balanced off with a touch of berry to create a balanced beer that delivers above and beyond its ABV.
The Storyteller + Black Wave
Vaux Brewery: Black Wave – Oatmeal Stout (5%).
The Storyteller: Dave Grohl
A collection of memories of a life lived loud! From early days growing up in the suburbs of Washington, DC, to hitting the road at the age of 18, and *all* the music that followed, Dave shares his adventures! Turn it up + enjoy with Vaux’s Black Wave Oatmeal Stout – silky-smooth with notes of roasted coffee and dark chocolate, a jet black pour, plus scrumptious notes of roasted coffee and dark chocolate. Medium body and extremely drinkable. Like Dave.
Want to check out the first Books ‘n’ Beer Pairings we did? Click here!