#beyondtheale

A previous blog post, about a trip to BrewDog Manchester, detailed my experience of trying two typical BrewDog inventions: an ale aged in red wine barrels (Ron and the Red Ryan) and the 35% ABV Watt Dickie.

The folk at BrewDog are renowned for pushing the boundaries of ale brewing, but I wondered if their experimentation with such high ABV ales might be more commonplace than expected – and it seems that 35% is fairly tame compared with some of the offerings out there.

The data for the following infographic (produced using Infogr.am) come from Beertutor.com.

  As the above map shows, these top 10 strongest ales are brewed exclusively in Western countries: four come from the UK, two each from the USA and Germany and one each from Belgium and Denmark.

Yet there is a problem with the data: as high ABV ales are, by their nature, likely to be experimental, the list is not exhaustive. As the sharper amongst you might have noticed, the 35% ABV Watt Dickie fails to make the list, despite the fact that two ales with a lower ABV are present.

Therefore, this list can be said to refer only to those ales that have achieved a certain level of fame. Yet the fact that there are so many different types of ale in the world, and so many breweries willing to experiment, we consider to be both exciting and potentially beneficial to the future of the global ale industry.

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Are there any strong ales, other than Watt Dickie, that the list misses? Do you like ale with such a high ABV? Please let us know by commenting below.

For a breakdown of BrewDog’s ales according to price per unit, see our previous blog post here.

Summer is just around the corner and that can mean only one thing – festival season has arrived! And there’s no better way to kick things off than by announcing the latest annual Brodie’s Bunny Basher, which takes place at the King William the Fourth bar and hotel in East London from 18th – 21st April. The lovely folks at Brodie’s Beers promise over 50 different beers – as well as a BBQ and live music in the evenings.

And with expansion on the horizon, this may be the last ever Basher in its current format, so make sure you come along!

Brodie’s Beers was founded by Jamie and Lizzie Brodie in June 2008. Their very first IPA, based upon a family ‘bathtub’ recipe, was born two months later and soon became a hit with punters at the King William. Following an auspicious start, Brodie’s has become one of the leaders of the East London brewing scene.

Click here to download the beer list for the event.

How to find

King William IV Pub and Brewery

816 High Road Leyton, London, E10 6AE

(On the corner, opposite Tesco.)

When?

18th – 21st April 2014

How to get there

Underground: 15 minute walk from Walthamstow Central

Overground: 6 minute walk from Leyton Midland Road

Bus: 1 minute walk from Leyton Green bus stop (69, 97, N26, W16). 30 second walk from Lea Bridge Road Bakers Arms bus stop (20, 55, 69, 97, 230, 257, 357, N26, W15, W19).

Parking

Limited parking available outside.

Follow Brodie’s Beers on Twitter at @BrodiesBeers. Ales are brewed on the premises at the King William the Fourth Bar and Hotel in East London, the home of Brodie’s Beers. Visit their website at williamthefourth.net.

The 2013 Good Libations ale festival, held at The Snooty Fox pub in Islington.