Ever since the invention of the light bulb, our perception of time has been significantly altered; we no longer live in a cyclical rhythm of the sun primarily governing when we work – but work can occur at any and every time of day.
Nor is our weekly shop dictated by what time of year it is or where in the world we live. Want strawberries in winters? Perhaps avocado and poached egg on toast is more your bad (hipster!).
We live in a 24/7 globalised digital age meaning we can have what we want, when we want it… which is usually now! But despite all this, our lives still revolve around seasonality, religious festivals, secular holidays, and the like.
Naturally, this translates into the beer we consume – spiced barley wines at Christmas, dry January after the December excess and – of course – everyone’s favourite annual festival, Oktoberfest.
But what about the ingredients native to our soil in this global age? Why are British brewers in particular turning their attention to hops grown nearly 7300km away? And, regardless of where in the world you are, how can we look what’s around us and use ingredients with less air miles?
These are some of the questions we explore with Craft Beer Channel co-host Jonny Garret as we discuss the content of his new book A Year In Beer (published by CAMRA Books – available here) from a brewing industry perspective.
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Since 1870, Crisp Malt has been producing the finest malt at Great Ryburgh in Norfolk. With 5 maltings located in the best barley growing areas in the UK, they produce a wide range of malts and non-malted cereals in 25kg sacks for craft brewers and distillers all over the world.
They still work one of the last remaining floor maltings in England and use it to make their pioneering heritage malts. They also craft roasted and crystal malts of unprecedented consistency on their vertical, all electric tower roasting plant, the only one of its kind in the UK. Check out their website for more information about their range of malts and also their educational blogs and webinars too.
Visit crispmalt.com to find out more
