Steve Dunkley (aka Beer Nouveau) has done everything you can do in beer. From glass collector to cellarman, home brewer, commercial brewer, taproom owner, beer writer, critic and everything else in between. He is just a hugely respected grassroots beer expert... and I'm so grateful to have him as a guest on Nant Fawr Brews.
We cover a lot in this episode. First up, #LabelsOff, which is Steve's brilliant new initiative to bring the fun of blind tasting back to beer... but with a purpose. The aim is for everyone to be able to understand beer styles better and, as a result, be brave enough to move past the hype, bluster (and often confusing) label-speak that has gone a little over the top. Move beyond the hype and you find brilliant beers made by smaller breweries that will only survive with our custom.
Steve and I also discuss the overall state of the UK brewing industry. Few are better placed than Steve to comment. There is fascinating stuff here on what new beer duty rules mean for the industry and the kind of future they might bring.
Finally, Steve gives some lovely insights on what all brewers can learn from finding out more about brewing's incredible history. In particular, he makes a great case for seeing hop creep as an essential benefit of cask brewing, not something to be managed out of the process with modern methods.
...and his final sign-off advice for home brewers is one we all need to engrave on a sign and put up in our kitchens / sheds / garages... so make sure you listen all the way to the end for that one.
To find out more about Steve and Beer Nouveau, follow him on Twitter:
https://twitter.com/BeerNouveau
To learn more about #LabelsOff and to get involved, follow the project on Twitter:
