Tryanuary - My Beers of January

January. Nobody likes January. Least of all the independent breweries and bottle shops that rely so greatly on their loyal customers' consistent spending habits. But with the unusual tradition that plagues the first month of the year, 'Dry January' is the dreaded ritual that could put the breweries we love into financial hardship. Of all months, why January? Why remove the only vice we have to get us through the cold & dark post-Christmas apocalypse, it makes no sense. That's why I'm subscribing to, and trying to spread the word of, a much more apt tradition. Tryanuary. This is what I've been 'bevving' this January.

Verdant - German Pilsner

Like a lot of people, my adventure into the beer world was started by the coveted German lager. A style that made me realise that all lagers don't have to taste like cat piss, but can actually highlight flavours of: crackers; bread; honey and light citrus. Delicious. So where better to start my 2022 than with this beaut from Penryn's own Verdant. Pouring pretty much completely transparent, I'm immediately transported to the peak of summer in a German beer hall with a salty pretzel. On the nose, muted lemon backed by a waft of sweet malts, fulfilling the 'describe any German pilsner' aroma profile. Holding a decent 3 finger foamy white head, as it should, the beer is only in the glass for a matter of moments before I wrap my thirsty chops right around it. Clean. The only word needed to describe it. Perfectly refreshing, soft citrus flavours, honey and a nice sweetness from the pilsner malts, all begging you to go back in for another gulp. A top tier lager from England's most sought after hazy-beer brewery. Nice!

Track - Sonoma

Being in my top 3 breweries of 2021, it was never going to be long before I was cracking one of their beers again in 2022. Sitting at a sensible 3.8%, I don't feel guilty pulling the ring top of this beer open at lunch time to wash down my ham salad sandwich. Pouring with a slight haze, a tropical fruit fragrance fills my nostrils, despite the low ABV, it's clear that the beer won't lack in character what it lacks in alcohol. As soon as the beer was in the glass, it was gone in 5 minutes tops, tangerine; mango; slightly piney and I even pick up a dainty bubblegum flavour. I don't think I could have picked a better beer to start my afternoon with, attested by the fact I was opening another one 10 minutes after my first.

MBH Mobberley Brewhouse - Summit

Being the most local of the breweries in this blog, I never have to go far for a freshly hand pulled pint of Mobberley's finest, and January was no different. Opting for their golden ale named Summit, partnered with the creaminess the sparkler delivers, a low to medium hop bitterness and malt sweetness makes for a very drinkable pint. Again, a drop that immediately teleports me to a beer garden at the height of summer, the refreshing nature of a good golden ale leaves you longing for another sip no matter how many times you dive back in. If you're reading this and aren't familiar with MBH, then get to know them. Probably best known for their one-off imperial stouts, MBH are a perfectly rounded brewery making top quality cask ales, and canning a range of different styles from stouts to pilsners. Check them out here: https://www.mobberleybrewhouse.co.uk/onlineshop

With that, just a quick outline of the highlights of my Tryanuary, something in which I encourage everybody to indulge in, especially after the economic disaster the last 2 years have been. There couldn't be a better time to support your local breweries and bottle shops, so do get down there and pick out some audacious beers to spice up your mundane January.