What Is It?
A tapas tasting evening that consists of ‘modern menu of Barcelona Beer and British tapas’. The beer in question is Estrella Damm, which has been made to the exact same recipe since its founding in 1876.
The event is hosted by one of three wine experts from the Wine Chap/Honest Grapes team. We are looked after by James. He floats around talking to everybody and explains/rationalises the beer and food pairings. He is super sociable and has hilarious views about sommeliers.
Fun activity: You get to pour your own beer, pretty much until they run out of beer. They also show you how to pour ‘the perfect pint’ – which is basically the optimal amount of frothy head on an ice cool body. They offer to show me but I decide to take pictures of other people pouring said beer instead (see above!)
Their plan? To ‘challenge any pre-conceptions that beer has a one-dimensional taste.’ I wouldn’t say that it works on me (I am still ambivalent about beer and stuff). But it’s fun!
Where is it?
Various Young’s pubs in the south of London and Surrey. This one was held at The Plough, which is nearby to Clapham Junction station. Easy to get to!
How much is it?
£30 per person
Describe it in a nutshell
A nearly limitless supply of Spanish beer in loud, cheerful surroundings. Plus 5 courses of British style tapas which is not quite at ‘Gastropub’ level or pricing. If you can/like to drink a lot of beer and can keep your shit together whilst doing so, this could be very good value indeed.
Tasting Britain Gets Ploughed
(hahahhahaha)
When someone from Young’s got in touch with me about a tapas and beer pairing happening in Clapham, I was somewhat torn between my love for all things Spanish and the gaping maw of indifference that I possess towards beer, ale and all the ‘hoppy’ things in that category (I know, right? I’m sorry. Can we still be friends?).
So yeah I went down anyway because … I dunno. I don’t know how to explain what I do.
The Plough is conveniently located about 2 minutes walk away from Clapham Junction, and kinda looks like it is stuck in ‘permanent Christmas mode’ (I like this idea). It’s a boisterous, kinda noisy place with a more modern look than your average pub.
The bar has at least one bottle of Lagavulin 16. How about a limitless supply of that? No? Ok…
Anyhow, the event itself reminds me a bit of a dinner party being held within a lively pub. It spans multiple tables in our corner of the venue. Groups of friends and relative strangers sat side by side in an informal, kinda noisy dining environment.
This is apparently the biggest one they’ve done to date. Seems legit.
(so many misplaced beer glasses by the end of it)
The Food
So yes, small portions of British food. Which they;re calling British Tapas (also seems legit) There are actually a few Spanish items on the menu here, such as the Patatats Bravas. SO maybe we can call it a ‘Hispano-British Tapas’ or something equally unpoetic.
Here’s some of what they serve you:
(Note: the menu seems to vary from event to event, so what you see here may not be what you get elsewhere)
1 – Crispy Pork Crackling, Baked Parmesan and Pink Peppercorn ‘lollipops’ and Patatas Bravas
‘Self contained’ alioli and ‘Long format’ pork crackling. I don’t really know how to describe it.
The lollipops are probably the strangest things I’ve eaten in months. I…think…I like them?
2 – Fried Squid
Just fried squid. Nothin’ to see here.
3 – Crunchy Black Pudding & Almonds
Deliciously great. My second favourite black pudding of my black pudding career (yes, I have a black pudding career). Slightly sweet. I think the sauce that comes with it is some kind of caramel. Could be a ‘dessert for fucked up people’.
4 – Porcini Mushrooms With Applewood Cheese Foam
Super concentrated flavours here. A bit like a foamy, tiny-ass risotto, but without the rice. You get the picture?
5 – Goats Cheese Gratin With Crystallised Orange Chocolate And Balsamic Reduction
A candied citrus and goat cheese thing that’s a perfect combination of eyewateringly sour and saccharine sweet. Alone, these ingredients are…too much. Combined, they are more than the sum of their parts. Extremeism in food. But who said every dish had to be subtle? Also I have serious problems finishing the cheese in isolation, once the citrus is gone.
The Drink
Only beer. Only lots of beer. Only Estrella Damm. Estrella Damm with every course. Different servings of Estrella Damm in different glasses. You get the picture, right?
Some facts about this beer for you. Estrella Damm is still brewed in Barcelona and quite unusually, uses rice as an added ingredient (I’m not sure why but it doesn’t taste like sake). Estrella means ‘star’ in both Spanish and Catalan (Barcelona is in Caralunia). Uranus has 27 known moons. True story.
The Verdict
Quite simple really. If you like Estrella Damm and British style food, this is the event for you. It ‘does what it says on the tin’ and for pretty good value for London too (provided you take advantage of the beer quantities involved, hueuhehu).
If you like hanging out with new people and you enjoy supper club style events (held in a pub) this also is a plus.
The Details
To learn more about Youngs and Estrella Damm tasting events, visit: http://www.youngs.co.uk/blog/article/71
