“Leave your pride in the cabinet // Pay the man and be done with it
Now we are not worthy of pith // Face the facts, we're back in luck
Turn on the light and wake me up // Now we are not burdened by love… ”
Future of the Left - Suddenly It’s a Folk Song
Tim : “Say folk, and two distinct flavours clash on the tongue: the firm, heavy "L" of an American accent versus the soft, cozy "fowk" of the British.
That contrast is what inspired Garrett Oliver when he set out to revamp the bold, punchy Manhattan Brewing Co IPA as inspiration to the beer that would inform the development of the iconic Brooklyn East India Pale Ale. Remembering his fond years sipping traditional cask ales in London pubs, he softened the loud, sharp American edges with rich British malts and earthy hops, turning a bitter shout into a gentle, harmonious song.
It’s the same magic at play in the music of mclusky and Future of the Left: taking the noisy, abrasive engine of American rock and breathing a dry, witty British soul into it. On "Suddenly It's A Folk Song," they tap into the roots of traditional folk, not for campfire nostalgia, but for its honest heart as an old-fashioned storyteller.
Storytelling, community, and sharing a craft, that’s what ISBF is all about. Homebrewer and volunteer Chris Airey takes over from here to tell the story of Brewday #4 with Elusive Brewing, brought to life by that exact same love for beer and camaraderie.”
Over to you Chris…
I first went to ISBF as a keen homebrewer wanting to learn about what makes a beer great, and how to brew a great beer. What I didn’t know or expect to find out was a statement of truth that has become a mantra that “Beer People Are Good People”.
Having been every year since (including “lockdown virtuals”) as a punter, a sponsor and more recently as a volunteer, I am fully on board with that statement, this is what makes great beers great! It is because of that, I now find myself back at home after a couple of days of tomfoolery with wonderful people that know lots more than I about the technical side of “great beer”!
On Thursday lunchtime, I packed up a few belongings (mini sausage rolls, a Japanese version of a Pot Noodle & 2L of fizzy VIMPTO [sic], a very large bag of nervous excitement), and set off south in my Campervan, eventually arriving at the Q-Park in Reading, where I was going to stealth-camp for a couple of nights.
This year’s mischief started the night before the Brewday in the Nags Head, as I met up with Chris, Tim & Steve (all of whom are more than ISBF Stalwarts). After our welcoming hugs, we had a pub tapas of all of the various crisps, Tims hiccup-inducing ‘Hot Sauce’ and some nice beers, some thanks to Jody, our host at The Nags.
We also discussed what we could do to make life comfortable for Jim (or not). And that was when something easier to predict than a Michael Fish hurricane happened and Tim began flaunting his hirsute belly to those with a stomach strong enough to look!
Having made a few strategic decisions apparently, we agreed I would transport us all to “a difficult to find brewery” down in Finchampstead early the following morn.
My earlier reference about nervous excitement was because of the brewday. For me as a homebrewer, the opportunity to brew with what I believe to be a “Homebrewers Hero” as renowned as Andy Parker, was a bucket-list opportunity, that as it turned out, was nothing to be nervous of because he does live up to his other tag of being “the nicest man in Brewing”!
We arrived at about 7:40am and were greeted by Andy, Ricky, Rachel & Ian from Elusive as they began setting up the Brewery & Tap ready for what I hope was a good night for them.
I’m not going to try to explain the heritage of the beer that was being brewed as it’s an homage to a ‘Manhattan project’ that arguably created a major shift in British brewing tastes but I can confirm that many 25kg bags of low colour Maris Otter were unpacked and fed through the grist auger & hydrator (?) into the Mash Tun. .
We helped mash in and then headed for a bacon & sausage baguette & some caffeine before heading back to play Tekken 3 between bouts of brewing, with Steve & Tim particularly competitive.
As the mash process came to an end, and the transfer of that sweet & sugary fermentable liquid was moved to the Copper we were able to unpack and savour the hops.
Much digging out of the mash tun then took place with us working like a well-oiled team of Celebrity Traitors where our version of James Blunt was in command, and we nearly filled the bags to a level of Rickys high standards. The bags were stacked and wrapped ready to be taken to a Cow Sanctuary where they will be gratefully received by said cows.
A bit more Tekken 3 was fought and a Brown Ale or two tried before getting to the boil. I was honoured to be asked to add the first hop addition and managed not to either spill any or steam-bend my forearm!
A bit more Tekken 3 was fought and a Brown Ale or two tried before getting to the boil. I was honoured to be asked to add the first hop addition and managed not to either spill any or steam-bend my forearm!
Shortly after this is where the brewday took a slightly less usual turn, insomuch as I then drove us all back to the Q-Park in Reading and we headed off via a train beer to Ascot for the CAMRA Beer Festival, and a bit of horsing around.
A few good beers were consumed for research purposes, and a wager or two earned some of us a ‘few bob’ before we headed back to Reading and a nightcap in RG1, The Alehouse (where my enthusiastic recount of Camper Van life led to a spilled pint shambles) and a final hurrah back at The Nags Head!
My summary of the last two days is that I am so lucky to have be a small part of a brewday with a hero of mine, lucky that I have been a part of something that means so much to a lot of people who come and become part of the Family at the ISBF festival, and lucky to be able to help raise money for the local charity, START Inspiring Minds.
A huge thank you must go to Andy, Ricky, Rachel, Ian, and the whole crew at Elusive Brewing for opening their doors and showering us with such incredible warmth and hospitality throughout the day.
Massive credit goes to Chris D for proposing the recipe, Chris Airey for gamely retelling the adventure, and Andy once again for skillfully reshaping it into what we know will be a fitting tribute to that original Manhattan Brewing Co IPA. Keep your eyes peeled: "Manhattan" (aka Mischievous Nephews) will be making its official Salford debut this November!
Cheers Tim - Just a reminder to everyone that there are very few tickets left (less than 20 for Thursday now…..) Link here if you want to come join us!