May was a pretty busy beer month for us as we started the month with a trip to Wales, attended the North Leeds Food Festival mid-month, and finished the month celebrating Alex’s birthday with a family meal and a day out and about in Leeds. Our New Brew Thursday’s involved a couple of great beer battles, and we managed to fit in a visit to Northern Markets for a couple.
This month’s top five new brews
Here’s a rundown of our favourite new brews for May 2024.
Midnight Bell by Leeds Brewery (Leeds)
Premium Dark Ale 4.8%
We’ve walked past The Midnight Bell plenty of times since living here and it’s long been on our list of places we want to try, but we’ve just never gotten around to it before (the list is long).
As Alex’s birthday falls in May, we decided it was the perfect time to go with his family for a Sunday roast. The food was absolutely delicious (and they had sticky toffee pudding which is one of my favourite desserts). They also had a decent range of beers on cask and draft.
The Midnight Bell is the flagship pub of Leeds Brewery. I’m not sure whether this beer was named after the pub or the pub was named after the beer, but either way, it would have been a crying shame not to try it on our first visit. And I’m glad we did as it was fantastic (it went down so well, I ordered a second pint before we’d finished eating).
Brewer’s note: Premium dark ale. First Gold and Willamette hops combine with roasted chocolate malts and our unique strain of Yorkshire yeast to create a smooth, rich beer.
Brewer’s website: Leeds Brewery
Celebration IPA by Sierra Nevada (USA)
IPA 6%
Sierra Nevada is widely credited with sparking the craft beer revolution. Back in 1980 when American beer was all pretty samey, they took a risk and brewed a pale ale with cascade hops. It was a hit.
After that, more and more breweries started experimenting with styles and hops, and American beer got way more exciting. Given their impact on the beer industry, we decided it was about time we gave some Sierra Nevada beers a go.
We tried the OG – Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, followed by the California IPA, and rounded off the session with this 6% Celebration IPA. It’s only brewed between October and December, so there’s a new iteration every year. This version was delicious. It was similar to a barley wine, with rich fruit cake flavours. And it was definitely our favourite of the three.
Brewer’s note: Freshly picked hops, rushed from farm to brewery, fill Celebration IPA with powerful citrus and pine flavors. When you’re on the slopes with friends or building a backyard campfire for the fam, you need a beer as fresh as fallen snow. Pure hops, balanced with rich caramel malt, make this a celebration in every sip.
Brewer’s website: Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.
Faith in Future Smug DDH IPA by Northern Monk (Leeds)
DDH IPA 6%
We love Northern Monk and usually have a few of their beers in the fridge. This month was no different and we happened to have three of their Faith in Futures beers so we decided to compare. While they were all great beers, the 6% Smug DDH IPA came out on top. It was just the right amount of fruity and sweet with a lovely finish.
Brewer’s note: Faith in Futures is our mission to positively impact our community from our team to our local communities, our customers and our planet. We’re aiming to donate £150k to community causes by 2025, be carbon zero in our direct operations by 2030 and are committed to being the best real living wage employer we can be.
The Faith in Futures Foundation donates grants up to £5,000 to a range of community focused charities, causes and support groups. The Foundation raises funds for these grants through various channels including donations, fundraising events, merchandise sales and sales of the Faith in Futures range of beers, which are available in supermarkets, the Northern Monk website, and Northern Monk venues.
Brewer’s website: Northern Monk
Another World from North (Leeds)
Hazy IPA 6%
This 6% hazy double-dry-hopped IPA from North was a standout beer (as so many North beers are). It had a lovely yoghurt, mangoey sweetness that left me saying several times “this is a really good beer” and it was.
It was a contender for our beer of the month, but a different North beer just beat it to the top spot.
Brewer’s note: Introducing Another World, a super crushable Hazy DDH IPA. The grist includes flaked and naked oats, creating a pillowy base for the hops to shine. Mosaic Cryo in the whirlpool delivers invigorating grapefruit and lime aromas, cutting through the softness, accompanied by a zesty, refreshing light sherbet fizz. The dry hop features Citra, El Dorado and Sabro, producing mouth-watering tropical fruity tones of pink guava, overripe mango and tangy tangerine. It all concludes with a light bitterness and a smooth coconut finish that you wish would never end.
Brewer’s website: North Brewing Co Online Shop
* BEER OF THE MONTH *
Eight Times Around the Sun by North (Leeds)
Quadruple Triple Fruited Gose 4.5%
Something North does brilliantly is the triple fruited gose (TFG). We’ve tried plenty of them over the years, and if you like a fruity beer, I’d highly recommend them.
However, they outdid themselves with Eight Times Around the Sun – their first quadruple fruited gose. The cherry and strawberry flavours really came through. It had a lovely thick mouthfeel. And it was just the right amount of sour. It was delicious and we both agreed it was our beer of the month.
Brewer’s note: We’re celebrating 8 years of brewing! And what better way to commemorate our birthday than taking one of our signature styles to the next level. Introducing our first ever QUADRUPLE Fruited Gose! We’ve taken our well-loved slick, saline base and loaded it full of more fruit than we’ve ever used in a beer; a delicious and mouthwatering combination of cherries, blackcurrant and strawberry makes our first-ever QFG smooth, juicy, tangy, jammy, and down-right delicious. All finishing with a sharp, sherbet, salty finish that makes your mouth water and leaves you wanting more.
Brewer’s website: North Brewing Co Online Shop
Honourable mention
These new brews didn’t quite make it into our top five, but we still feel they are worth a mention.
Cold Coast by Mash Gang
West Coast Pils 0.5%
This month, we attended the North Leeds Food Festival. There were so many food vendors that we couldn’t get around them all (although we gave it a good go). And in between stuffing our faces with Greek meze, Arancini, Gyoza, Rocky Road and Tiffin, we did manage to get a few brews in.
Although the weather forecast predicted thunderstorms, it actually turned out to be a beautiful, hot, sunny day. We were conscious of not going overboard with the beer so we rounded off with a 0.5% beer from Mash Gang.
Mash Gang specialise in non-alcoholic beers and they do a fantastic job. Lots of AF beers are a bit crap, but Mash Gang’s taste like proper beer because they use real hops. We went for their Cold Coast – a west coast pils – and it didn’t disappoint.
Brewer’s note: A west coast pils with a double dry hop of Citra, Centennial, Chinook, Cascade, and Amarillo.
Brewer’s website: Mash Gang
Revisited
Not a new brew but a beer we’ve revisited recently because it’s one of our favourites.
Ales from the Crypt by DMC Brewery (Leeds)
Ginger Beer with Pineapple and Chilli 5.5%
DMC Brewery is a local brewery located under the railway arches, just off Marsh Lane in Leeds. We first visited back in February (read more about our visit here).
They specialise in alcoholic ginger beer and Ales from the Crypt is a ginger beer with pineapple and Carolina Reaper chilli.
When we first tried it at the taproom we were expecting this to be ‘blow-your-mouth-off’ hot, but it wasn’t. It was a lovely well-structured beer. It had a bit of heat from the chillies but the pineapple flavour really came through and balanced it out.
When we saw it on tap at the North Leeds Food Festival, I just had to give it another go.
Brewer’s note: Our collaboration beer with Dean of the Dead’s Horror Hot Sauce is as crazy as you would expect a tag-team of a heavy metal and pagan-flavoured Ginger Beer brewery and a horror movie-obsessed spice slinger to be! Combining ginger, pineapple and Carolina Reaper chilli to create a beer that is like nothing you’ve tasted before – spicy yet refreshing!
Brewer’s website: Alcoholic Ginger Beer DMC Brewery
Midnight Bell by Leeds Brewery (Leeds)
Premium Dark Ale 4.8%
We’ve walked past The Midnight Bell plenty of times since living here and it’s long been on our list of places we want to try, but we’ve just never gotten around to it before (the list is long).
As Alex’s birthday falls in May, we decided it was the perfect time to go with his family for a Sunday roast. The food was absolutely delicious (and they had sticky toffee pudding which is one of my favourite desserts). They also had a decent range of beers on cask and draft.
The Midnight Bell is the flagship pub of Leeds Brewery. I’m not sure whether this beer was named after the pub or the pub was named after the beer, but either way, it would have been a crying shame not to try it on our first visit. And I’m glad we did as it was fantastic (it went down so well, I ordered a second pint before we’d finished eating).
Brewer’s note: Premium dark ale. First Gold and Willamette hops combine with roasted chocolate malts and our unique strain of Yorkshire yeast to create a smooth, rich beer.
Brewer’s website: Leeds Brewery
Celebration IPA by Sierra Nevada (USA)
IPA 6%
Sierra Nevada is widely credited with sparking the craft beer revolution. Back in 1980 when American beer was all pretty samey, they took a risk and brewed a pale ale with cascade hops. It was a hit.
After that, more and more breweries started experimenting with styles and hops, and American beer got way more exciting. Given their impact on the beer industry, we decided it was about time we gave some Sierra Nevada beers a go.
We tried the OG – Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, followed by the California IPA, and rounded off the session with this 6% Celebration IPA. It’s only brewed between October and December, so there’s a new iteration every year. This version was delicious. It was similar to a barley wine, with rich fruit cake flavours. And it was definitely our favourite of the three.
Brewer’s note: Freshly picked hops, rushed from farm to brewery, fill Celebration IPA with powerful citrus and pine flavors. When you’re on the slopes with friends or building a backyard campfire for the fam, you need a beer as fresh as fallen snow. Pure hops, balanced with rich caramel malt, make this a celebration in every sip.
Brewer’s website: Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.
Faith in Future Smug DDH IPA by Northern Monk (Leeds)
DDH IPA 6%
We love Northern Monk and usually have a few of their beers in the fridge. This month was no different and we happened to have three of their Faith in Futures beers so we decided to compare. While they were all great beers, the 6% Smug DDH IPA came out on top. It was just the right amount of fruity and sweet with a lovely finish.
Brewer’s note: Faith in Futures is our mission to positively impact our community from our team to our local communities, our customers and our planet. We’re aiming to donate £150k to community causes by 2025, be carbon zero in our direct operations by 2030 and are committed to being the best real living wage employer we can be.
The Faith in Futures Foundation donates grants up to £5,000 to a range of community focused charities, causes and support groups. The Foundation raises funds for these grants through various channels including donations, fundraising events, merchandise sales and sales of the Faith in Futures range of beers, which are available in supermarkets, the Northern Monk website, and Northern Monk venues.
Brewer’s website: Northern Monk
Another World from North (Leeds)
Hazy IPA 6%
This 6% hazy double-dry-hopped IPA from North was a standout beer (as so many North beers are). It had a lovely yoghurt, mangoey sweetness that left me saying several times “this is a really good beer” and it was.
It was a contender for our beer of the month, but a different North beer just beat it to the top spot.
Brewer’s note: Introducing Another World, a super crushable Hazy DDH IPA. The grist includes flaked and naked oats, creating a pillowy base for the hops to shine. Mosaic Cryo in the whirlpool delivers invigorating grapefruit and lime aromas, cutting through the softness, accompanied by a zesty, refreshing light sherbet fizz. The dry hop features Citra, El Dorado and Sabro, producing mouth-watering tropical fruity tones of pink guava, overripe mango and tangy tangerine. It all concludes with a light bitterness and a smooth coconut finish that you wish would never end.
Brewer’s website: North Brewing Co Online Shop
* BEER OF THE MONTH *
Eight Times Around the Sun by North (Leeds)
Quadruple Triple Fruited Gose 4.5%
Something North does brilliantly is the triple fruited gose (TFG). We’ve tried plenty of them over the years, and if you like a fruity beer, I’d highly recommend them.
However, they outdid themselves with Eight Times Around the Sun – their first quadruple fruited gose. The cherry and strawberry flavours really came through. It had a lovely thick mouthfeel. And it was just the right amount of sour. It was delicious and we both agreed it was our beer of the month.
Brewer’s note: We’re celebrating 8 years of brewing! And what better way to commemorate our birthday than taking one of our signature styles to the next level. Introducing our first ever QUADRUPLE Fruited Gose! We’ve taken our well-loved slick, saline base and loaded it full of more fruit than we’ve ever used in a beer; a delicious and mouthwatering combination of cherries, blackcurrant and strawberry makes our first-ever QFG smooth, juicy, tangy, jammy, and down-right delicious. All finishing with a sharp, sherbet, salty finish that makes your mouth water and leaves you wanting more.
Brewer’s website: North Brewing Co Online Shop
Honourable mention
These new brews didn’t quite make it into our top five, but we still feel they are worth a mention.
Cold Coast by Mash Gang
West Coast Pils 0.5%
This month, we attended the North Leeds Food Festival. There were so many food vendors that we couldn’t get around them all (although we gave it a good go). And in between stuffing our faces with Greek meze, Arancini, Gyoza, Rocky Road and Tiffin, we did manage to get a few brews in.
Although the weather forecast predicted thunderstorms, it actually turned out to be a beautiful, hot, sunny day. We were conscious of not going overboard with the beer so we rounded off with a 0.5% beer from Mash Gang.
Mash Gang specialise in non-alcoholic beers and they do a fantastic job. Lots of AF beers are a bit crap, but Mash Gang’s taste like proper beer because they use real hops. We went for their Cold Coast – a west coast pils – and it didn’t disappoint.
Brewer’s note: A west coast pils with a double dry hop of Citra, Centennial, Chinook, Cascade, and Amarillo.
Brewer’s website: Mash Gang
Revisited
Not a new brew but a beer we’ve revisited recently because it’s one of our favourites.
Ales from the Crypt by DMC Brewery (Leeds)
Ginger Beer with Pineapple and Chilli 5.5%
DMC Brewery is a local brewery located under the railway arches, just off Marsh Lane in Leeds. We first visited back in February (read more about our visit here).
They specialise in alcoholic ginger beer and Ales from the Crypt is a ginger beer with pineapple and Carolina Reaper chilli.
When we first tried it at the taproom we were expecting this to be ‘blow-your-mouth-off’ hot, but it wasn’t. It was a lovely well-structured beer. It had a bit of heat from the chillies but the pineapple flavour really came through and balanced it out.
When we saw it on tap at the North Leeds Food Festival, I just had to give it another go.
Brewer’s note: Our collaboration beer with Dean of the Dead’s Horror Hot Sauce is as crazy as you would expect a tag-team of a heavy metal and pagan-flavoured Ginger Beer brewery and a horror movie-obsessed spice slinger to be! Combining ginger, pineapple and Carolina Reaper chilli to create a beer that is like nothing you’ve tasted before – spicy yet refreshing!
Brewer’s website: Alcoholic Ginger Beer DMC Brewery
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