A new beer that puts malt centre stage is launching in London at Craft Beer Co, Leather Lane, 7pm, 2 December 2014
Good news – barley for malting is grown on every continent on earth (except Antarctica) and world malting capacity is 23 million tonnes – enough to brew nearly 270 billion pints every year! The UK is the third biggest producer of malt and Britain’s malted barley is renowned as being the best for brewing and distilling.
For beer lovers, malt is at the heart of the passion and it inspired Susanna Forbes founder of DrinkBritain.com, and Britain’s Beer Sommelier of the Year and founder of the School of Booze, Jane Peyton, to create a beer that focuses attention on the beauty, versatility and top flavour of malt. Jane and Susanna are hopheads too and particularly enjoy beers made with English hops for the subtle complexity they impart but they were keen to brew a beer where malt took centre stage.
In collaboration with Sara Barton, founder of Brewster’s Brewing Company and British Brewer of the Year 2012, they brewed Seven Heaven, a new 4.8% ABV beer containing seven different cereals generously donated by Crisp Malting Group that packs a balanced, elegantly malty punch.
Seven Heaven was also a chance to showcase why British malts have no peers. The recipe includes lager, crystal, dark crystal, a smattering of carafa for darkness without overly roasted notes, oats and wheat to soften and add smoothness, and aid good head retention, and a handful of rye to add depth to the flavour.
The beer is being launched in selected pubs around the country in early December 2014 and in London on December 2nd from 7pm at the Craft Beer Co, 82 Leather Lane, London EC1N 7TR. You are welcome to join us. Thereafter, you will find it on tap at the Craft Beer Co’s enterprising group of pubs (see Notes).
Susanna and Jane intend to go forth and multiply, and remember, the definition of beer is an alcoholic beverage produced by fermenting cereal sugars. So without malt there would be no beer!
Seven Heaven Tasting Notes
A rich dark copper brew with seven malts; pale & coloured, oats and rye, brewed to highlight the rich depth that malt brings to beer. The beer shows a complex flavour with initial roast notes and light crispness from the rye with a final smoothness from the wheat and oats; a real showcase of the best of British malts. English First Gold, Fuggles and a touch of Citra complement with light zesty notes but do not overwhelm the malt base. ABV: 4.8 %
Malts: Lager, crystal, dark crystal, carafa and rye malts, plus oats and wheat
Hops: English First Gold and Fuggles and a sprinkle of American Citra.
Notes to Editors
1 Malt facts compiled by Dr David Griggs of Crisp Malting Group
- There are three main stages to malting: steeping, germinating and kilning. During malting, the starch in the grains converts to sugars. Those sugars are fermented by yeast during the brewing process and convert to alcohol and carbon dioxide.
- Archaeological evidence proves that germinated grain has been used in alcoholic drinks for over 7,000 years
- The malting process increases the nutritional value of grains – including levels of antioxidants. Malted barley is a rich source of vitamins, minerals and other health beneficial compounds such as silicon.
- The UK is the 3rd largest producer of malt in the world – and exports malt all over the globe
- The UK produces around 1.8 million tonnes of malt per annum
- There are around 25,000 grains in every 1 kg of malt
- World malting capacity is 23 million tonnes; enough to brew nearly 270 billion pints every year
- It takes almost 2000 grains of malted barley to make one pint of beer
- If all the grains in 1 tonne of malt were laid end to end it would stretch from London all the way down the M4 to Cardiff (approx. 150 miles)
- Malting barley is grown on all continents except Antarctica
2 Craft Beer Co is one of the real ale pub pioneers in London.
7 Heaven will be in the original Cask Pub & Kitchen, in Pimlico, as well as the five London Craft Beer Co pubs: Brixton, Clapham, Islington, Clerkenwell and Covent Garden. www.thecraftbeerco.com/pubs
3 Digital media
www.drinkbritain.com, www.brewsters.co.uk, www.schoolofbooze.com
Twitter: @BrewsterSara @BrewstersBrew @SchoolofBooze @CrispMalt @theCraftBeerCo @craftbeercoEC1
#7heaven #maltmagic
4 Images of malt and barley, and the Brewday are available via Flickr http://goo.gl/Is1SlT
5 Contact details: susanna@drinkbritain.com
Seven Heaven Pump Clip