AWARD WINNERS, CORONA VIRUS APOCALYPSE AND WHAT'S NEXT AT TURPIN'S?
TIME TO CRACK OPEN THE CHAMPAGNE (OR MORE APPROPRIATELY, A BEER) AS WE ONLY WENT AND WON OURSELVES SOME MORE AWARDS!
IF YOU KNEW MUCH ABOUT TURPIN’S BREWERY BEFORE, OR YOU’VE HAD A LITTLE SCROLL OF OUR WEBSITE, YOU’LL PROBABLY KNOW THAT WE’VE WON A FEW AWARDS BEFORE BACK IN 2017 AND 2018 FOR SIBA’S REGIONAL BEER AWARDS (EAST). HOWEVER, WE’VE GONE BIG LEAGUES NOW - WE BAGGED OURSELVES A COUPLE MORE REGIONAL PRIZES, BUT WE CLINCHED A NATIONAL AWARD TOO AT SIBA BEER X 2020 IN LIVERPOOL A FEW WEEKS BACK!
THE AWARDS
THE TEAM TOOK THE LONG JOURNEY UP NORTH TO REPRESENT AT ONE OF THE LARGEST GATHERINGS OF BREWERS AND BEER IN THE UK AND IT CERTAINLY TURNED OUT TO BE WORTH THE TREK. IN THE END, WE TOOK HOME 3 COVETED AWARDS:
BRONZE REGIONAL WINNER (EAST) - KUPFER WEISSBIER 5% (KEG SPECIALITY LIGHT BEERS)
GOLD REGIONAL WINNER (EAST) - DRAGON’S BITE PALE 4.9% (KEG PREMIUM BITTERS 4.5-6.4%)
BRONZE NATIONAL WINNER - DRAGON’S BITE PALE 4.9% (KEG PREMIUM BITTERS 4.5-6.4%)
WE’RE LUCKY ENOUGH TO HAVE WON A FAIR FEW REGIONAL AWARDS IN THE PAST, MAINLY FOR OUR FLAGSHIP CAMBRIDGE BLACK, BUT THIS IS OUR FIRST NATIONAL SIBA AWARD SO TO SAY WE’RE PRETTY CHUFFED IS A BIT OF AN UNDERSTATEMENT. IT’S A REAL TESTAMENT TO THE HARD WORK AND LONG HOURS THAT GO INTO CRAFTING A BEER.
IT WAS PARTICULARLY REFRESHING TO SEE ONE OF OUR NEWEST BEERS, KUPFER, PICK UP A PRIZE TOO. TRANSLATING AS ‘COPPER’ IN GERMAN, KUPFER IS THE FIRST WEISSBIER WE’VE PUT OUR HAND TO AND IT TURNED OUT PRETTY GOOD IF WE DON’T MIND SAYING SO OURSELVES. BREWED IN HOMAGE TO THE CLASSIC CONTINENTAL STYLE, KUPFER TAKES ON SUBTLE NOTES OF BANANA AND CLOVE, AS YOU WOULD EXPECT FROM THE STYLE, WHILST RESTING ON A SMOOTH, SWEET CARAMEL MALT BACKBONE. HAVING BUILT OUR REPUTATION ON OUR STOUT AND PALE ALES, IT’S NICE TO KNOW THAT BEER DRINKERS ARE STILL LOOKING TO EXPAND THEIR TASTES AND VENTURE OUTSIDE OF THE BOX TOO.
SAYING THAT, EVERYONE LOVES A PUNCHY, REFRESHING PALE ALE, RIGHT? CUE DRAGON’S BITE. IF YOU’VE TRIED OUR DRAGON’S DEN ON CASK BEFORE, THINK OF ALL THE VIBRANT FRUITY FLAVOURS THERE, POWERED UP WITH AN EXTRA PUNCH OF MOSAIC HOPS AND STUCK IN A KEG INSTEAD. POTENT TROPICAL AROMAS COLLIDE WITH HINTS OF PINEAPPLE AND FRESH HOPPY NOTES LEADING TO A DRY, CRISP AND SATISFYING FINISH. IT WENT DOWN AN ABSOLUTE TREAT WHEN WE TOOK IT DOWN TO CAMBRIDGE’S MILL ROAD WINTER FAIR BACK IN DECEMBER AND WE’RE GLAD THE GOOD FOLK IN LIVERPOOL THOUGHT THE SAME.
WHAT’S NEXT?
NOW, WHILE YOU’VE PROBABLY GOT THE GIST THAT WE’RE PRETTY PLEASED ABOUT OUR AWARDS, WE CAN’T IGNORE WHAT IS GOING ON AT MOMENT IN THE WORLD WITH THE COVID-19 VIRUS, ESPECIALLY SINCE IT HAS HAD SUCH A LARGE IMPACT ON THE BREWING COMMUNITY ALL OVER THE COUNTRY, AND THE WORLD. HAD WE BEEN ABLE TO FORESEE THE SITUATION GETTING THIS SERIOUS, I’M SURE BEER X IN LIVERPOOL WOULD HAVE BEEN USED AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO PREPARE BREWERS AND THE INDUSTRY FOR THE CHALLENGING TIMES AHEAD, IF IT WASN’T CANCELLED ALL TOGETHER, THAT IS.
IN A MATTER OF DAYS, BREWERS FAR AND WIDE LOST THE VAST MAJORITY OF THEIR BUSINESS WHEN BORIS ANNOUNCED THAT PUBS AND BARS WOULD BE CLOSED FOR THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE. OBVIOUSLY, THIS WAS THE RIGHT DECISION TO MAKE FOR THE GOOD OF PEOPLE EVERYWHERE, BUT WE AT TURPIN’S, ALONG WITH MANY OTHERS, HAVE HAD TO CHANGE THEIR BUSINESS PLAN AND THE WAY WE WORK AT THE DROP OF A HAT.
WITH ALL THE PUBS SHUT, WE NO LONGER HAVE OUR USUAL TRADE CUSTOMERS PURCHASING CASK AND KEG BEER; AS A RESULT, WE HAVE HAD TO MOVE IN A NEW DIRECTION, FOCUSING ALL OUR ATTENTION ON OUR CANNED BEER AND GETTING IT STRAIGHT TO THE CUSTOMER. IT GOES WITHOUT SAYING THAT THESE CIRCUMSTANCES ARE COMPLETELY UNPRECEDENTED FOR PEOPLE IN GENERAL, AS WELL AS THE BREWING WORLD. NONETHELESS, IT IS TIMES LIKE THESE IN WHICH WE MUST SUPPORT SMALL BUSINESSES: IF YOU NORMALLY BUY YOUR BEER FROM THE SUPERMARKET, CONSIDER PURCHASING STRAIGHT FROM A LOCAL BREWERY INSTEAD - MANY ARE OPERATING A DELIVERY SERVICE WHILST THE CRISIS CONTINUES, MUCH LIKE OURSELVES.
WHAT CAN WE DO?
CONSEQUENTLY, FOR THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE, TURPIN’S WILL BE NUANCING OUR TRADE TOWARDS THE CANNED BEER MARKET.
YOU MAY HAVE SEEN THAT WE ARE OPERATING A LOCAL DELIVERY SERVICE WITHIN THE IMMEDIATE CAMBRIDGE AREA AND WE CAN NOW SEND OUR BEER FURTHER AFIELD TOO. IT’S MEANT A LOT OF ORGANISATION AND CO-ORDINATION FROM WORKING AT HOME, BUT NEEDS MUST AND IT’S GREAT TO SEE OUR BEER BEING DISTRIBUTED ALL OVER THE PLACE.
SO, IN ADDITION TO OUR CURRENT CANNED RANGE OF: CAMBRIDGE BLACK, MANGO MILKSHAKE, NAPA AND UNDERBACK PILSNER, WE’LL BE LOOKING TO ADD MORE TO THE COLLECTION WITH AN OLD FAVOURITE BEER BREWED SPECIALLY FOR CAMBRIDGE BEER FESTIVAL (WHICH HAS NOW BEEN CANCELLED!) IS AN ABSOLUTE JUICY HOP-BOMB. IT’S A MODERN, HOP-FORWARD BEER THAT’LL BE PERFECT FOR THE UPCOMING SUMMER MONTHS, EVEN IF YOU ARE STUCK AT HOME. AS WE SAY, IF YOU CAN’T GET DOWN TO THE PUB, LET US BRING THE PUB TO YOU, TURPIN’S STYLE.
STAY SAFE,
TEAM TURPIN’S :)