What a find this week! On the way to see an open-air movie-cum-mockumentary on troll hunting, I stumbled across a ‘meet the brewers’ event at Dulwich Vintners. And to think, I could have navigated my way straight to the Dulwich Picture Gallery’s cinematic setup without taking in the white picket fences and implausible bucolic imagery of Dulwich Village and missed the appearance by the London Beer Lab. Then I’d had to have filled this space with musings on the movie, which might not have been such a bad thing depending on how this post goes. Instead, it proves I clearly have a sixth sense for beer, so just call me BeerHunter.
Operating as an open source microbrewery and bottle shop in Brixton, London Beer Lab has some beautiful bottle conditioned brews. After wafting their hops right under my nose, brazen as you like in the middle of Dulwich Vintners, this booze hound got the scent and dived right in, purchasing two bottles of their Tip-Top Citra American Pale Ale right there and then. And for the second time that night I’d made a good decision. First I’d had the pleasure of enjoying the ‘London Cotswolds’ aka Dulwich Village and hit the London Beer Lab gentlemen in full flow, and second, I was about to drink my new Beer of the Week. Life, aye? Magical.
You can probably guess from the name that there’s going to be some citrus in this one and you’re not wrong. That name is no red herring; the Tip-Top Citra brings a whole world of sharp orange, grapefruit and pineapple punch without laying it on too thick. Yes, this is an American Pale Ale but it’s a smooth, soft, subtle flavour that doesn’t take over like some more robust, carbonated ales I could mention tend to.
You can – and should - go buy it at London Beer Lab, Brixton. The movie Trollhunter is available to rent and buy from all good Blockbuster Video stores.
