John Holl

The Olympics are coming up soon and as thoughts turn towards London you might conjure up images of Big Ben or the Changing of the Guards, and chances are you’ll think of the pub as well. 

The British drinking culture is revered and often imitated, but if you’re looking for the perfect pint of an original without crossing the pond. As I continue work on my upcoming guide to London Beer for NBC Publishing, I went on WNBC in New York to talk about some beers. Here’s some more info on the beers featured: 

Fullers ESB (Extra Special Bitter) 5.9%

One of the most common styles of beer you’ll find when visiting London or the UK is bitter. Despite it’s name, it won’t cause you to say Yuck. It’s more pleasing, it’s just not overly sweet and gets a generous amount of flavor from hops which are, you guessed it, a bittering agent.  At Fullers – the oldest existing brewery in London they took the style up a notch and created the Extra Special Bitter. You’ll get notes of pepper, grass, citrus – like lemon and orange –and because of the malts there is even a biscuty, toffee element.

Meantime Brewing Co.’s India Pale Ale 7.4%

At one time London was the brewing capitol of the world and with the empire traversing the globe, Britians living abroad wanted a taste of home. Pale Ales were popular, but something stronger was needed to make the sea voyage to outposts, like India. So a new beer style was created and eventually named India Pale Ale. Today, it’s one of – if not the most – popular style of ale. At Meantime, a craft brewery that is celebrated for walking perfectly walking the line between traditional and innovative, their IPA is dosed with a generous amount of hops. It comes in this attractive packaging and pairs wonderfully with Indian cuisine.

Samuel Smith Oatmeal Stout 5%

 Before you go thinking about the Irish, stouts got their start in Britian. Like it’s brother porter, it gets its dark color from roasted malts. This oatmeal from Sam Smiths in Tadcaster has a smooth taste, not too bitter, not too sweet. And what you’ll notice from drinking this beer is that it is not heavy. That’s something that should be addressed: dark beer does not mean it’s heavy. In fact, try this beer wit everyting from grilled tuna to pizza and you’ll find its quite refreshing. Sam Smith is a great, historic brewery, that also manages many pubs throughout London.

Adnams Broadside 6.3%

 Here’s a fun sipping beer. The strong bitter from Admans is red in color, has fruitcake aromas, tastes of  almonds, and some preserved fruits as well. It’s stronger in the bottle than if you travel to the U.K. and have it on cask. But it’s certainly tasty and perfect for cooler nights or relaxing on a back patio.

 All of these beers are available in the US and there are more out there as well. Check the international aisle of your local beer shop. Many places offer mixed six packs, meaning you can get a few bottles of different styles and see which you like best. Also, if you’re looking for an authentic British pint, Kegworks has your needs covered. 

 Want to learn more? Ask me a question on Twitter. 

Happy Drinking!  

I’m headed back to Chile this weekend for a week for beer tasting, brewery visits and lectures. This time it’s for the Copa Cervezas de América 2011  and I am excited to see many South American beer friends and to share the experience with some well respected US journalists, brewers and industry professionals. Expect a full wrap up upon my return, but meanwhile here’s a video interview conducted when I was in Chile last May for a separate contest.

When it comes to historic and authentic for New York City beer nothing beats McSorleys. Continue reading →

July is good beer month in New York City. What goes best with good beer? Good food. A few months ago I interviewed Jimmy Carbone from Jimmy’s no. 43 in the city to talk about perfect pairings. Seems appropriate to now post the video.  Continue reading →

A few months ago I was fortunate enough to spend an afternoon with Garret Oliver of the Brooklyn Brewery who was kind enough to highlight some of the big bottles they are producing, including one aged in bourbon barrels.  Continue reading →

Here’s the WNBC clip from June 18th talking about summer beers and food. As always it was a lot of fun and I hope people learned something new about the great American craft beers being produced and are willing to try something new. Cheers! Continue reading →

John and Nate were recently on a television station in Indianapolis promoting their book Indiana Breweries. With gas prices high and rising the duo talked about some easy Hoosier State road trips.  Continue reading →

Last Month, Nate and I stopped by a television studio in Kentuckiana to talk about our book, Indiana Breweries. We had a few pints as we helped wake up the good people of Kentuckiana. Cheers!

John and Nate stopped by the WISH-TV studios on April 29th to pour and talk beer with the hosts of Indy Style.  Continue reading →

On the morning before Thanksgiving, I was on News12 New Jersey talking about four beers that would likely go well with the big turkey dinner.

I chose:

• Infinium by Samuel Adams / Weihenstephan
• English Mild by New Jersey Beer Company
• Saison du Buff a collaboration by Dogfish Head / Victory Brewing Company / Stone Brewing Company
• Breakfast Stout by Founders Brewing Company

I traveled to Nashville right after the taping and personally enjoyed a variety pack (Pale Ale, Dos Perros, Sly Rye Porter and Hefeweizen) from Yazoo Brewing.