With a rainbow of autumnal colours adorning the trees right now, and winter edging nearer, hibernation mode starts to set in. So we’ve teamed up once again with independent bookshop Forum Books to bring you their recommended book pairings for some of the North East’s best beers. The change in weather brings a change in priorities when we look for cosier experiences to escape the world around us, and nothing beats good books and beer to help do precisely that.
All beers for the books ‘n’ beer pairings were purchased from CentrAle by us and sent on to Helen at Forum to match with her favourite books and take the pics.
You’ll find links to buy all of the books and beers below if you’d like to join in (if any are out of stock as you’re reading this, check with your local bottle shop which may be able to help). Or why not pick up a paperback and take yourself off to a welcoming pub to try some beers and while away a couple of hours?
As always, we’d love to hear what you’re reading and the beers that enhance those books…you can share your story with us over on Twitter.
The Books ‘n’ Beer Pairings
A Heart Full of Headstones + Hera
Alpha Delta: Hera – Southern Hemisphere Pale (4.2%)
A Heart Full of Headstones: Ian Rankin
Orange and melon on the nose. The taste is a hit of lime and melon with a peppery build in the aftertaste. Both with a penchant for vengeance. And a heart full of headstones…The truth will come out.
The Rising Tide + Summit
Talking Tides: Summit – Session Pale (3.8%)
The Rising Tide: Ann Cleeves
Life’s not always a beach, and luckily we have some stunning countryside and hills around us to enjoy, too. There are not many better experiences than wandering up Roseberry Topping and having a pint straight after – which is why Talking Tides created Summit! Just hoping Vera won’t be up there too checking a body … Talking Tides – Summit (3.8%) Session Pale Ale is a bright, light, sessionable pale with serious stone fruit notes from a generous hop addition and New England style yeast which will have you coming back again and again (and again).
Mercury Pictures Presents + Silver Dollar
Tyne Bank Brewery: Silver Dollar – Pale Ale (4.9%).
Mercury Pictures Presents: Anthony Marra
This pale ale features a glowing amber colour, robust malt base and West Coast American hops. The solid malt backbone allows the team at Tyne Bank to use more of these hops, which feature a higher alpha acid content, giving a bold citrus fruit flavour and a piney character quintessential of this style of beer. And for our dollar, ‘Mercury Pictures Presents’ is equally packed with flavour, depths, plot turns and characters to sigh for.
Meantime + Cushty Cushty
Brinkburn St. Brewery X Steam Machine Brewing Co: Cushty Cushty – Hazy Session IPA (4.2%).
Meantime: Frankie Boyle
One of Brinkburn St. Brewery’s most popular beers, this session IPA collab. with Steam Machine has been generously dry-hopped with Citra & Moutere™ to create a wonderfully flavourful, easy-drinking beer that really punches above its weight. And so does Frankie in Meantime – yes, we came for the colourful swears but man, this one is on the nose brilliant.
The Midwife + Alnwick Gold
Alnwick Brewery: Alnwick Gold – Golden Blonde Ale (4.2%).
The Midwife: Tricia Cresswell
The Midwife is all gold. And from Alnwick, too! Alnwick Gold is a brilliant blonde ale with clean refreshing flavours and aromas. An especially pronounced hop character at a smooth 4.2% abv. which pairs perfectly as you devour the pages of Tricia Cresswell’s alluring debut novel.
Lessons + Post Exam Clarity
Stu Brew: Post Exam Clarity – Pilsner (4.5%).
Lessons: Ian McEwan
A crisp, clean pilsner with a subtle sweetness. Brewed with W34/70 yeast and traditional European lager hop, Tettnanger. Take it as read that the new Ian McEwan is pretty top-notch – an intimate yet universal story of love, regret and a restless search for answers. We can’t say it clearer than that.
The Voids + Club A’Coco
Hadrian Border Brewery: Club A’Coco – Stout (6.1%).
The Voids: Ryan O’Connor
A luxuriously smooth, dark stout with a delectable chocolate aroma. Rich and well-balanced, with flavours of roasted malt and a light hint of black coffee, finishing with a distinctive and moreish chocolate note. We don’t judge beers or books by their covers but these two just go together, right?
The Book of Goose + Gorseflower
First & Last Brewery: Gorseflower – Foraged Pale Ale (5.0%).
The Book of Goose: Yiyun Li
Brewed with gorse flowers foraged from Northumberland. A light-bodied and refreshing pale ale with a beautiful floral aroma and rounded flavour profile with notes of lime, coconut and gooseberry. We forage for the best shimmering, beguiling, resonant and ravishing reads too, and celebrated author Yiyun Li’s latest book gives us that in droves.
Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow + Pacific
Firebrick Brewery: Pacific – West Coast IPA (6%).
Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow: Gabrielle Zevin
A refreshing splash of hoppy deliciousness … This book will make you want pizza and will take your heart – we LOVE it!
The Satsuma Complex + Heatwave
Twice Brewed: Heatwave – Orange Wit (3.5%).
The Satsuma Complex: Bob Mortimer
All the vitamin C goodness we can handle in a great book + beer! A light and fruity Belgian wheat beer with flavours of orange and grapefruit. Conditioned on orange juice and peel for maximum flavour. Brewed in collaboration with No Club Running Club Heatwave, Orange Wit, 3.5% – contains sediment, as well as real orange juice. Reading this book in the pub just makes sense.
Go read!
Want more? Check out the links for past Books ‘n’ Beer Pairings from 2020 and 2021.
Look out for our brand new Buy Local guide coming up next month, to help support North East independent businesses this Xmas.