Buying double IPA/craft beers in the UK?

PCZ

PCZ

PCZ

Associate
Joined
25 Jul 2006
Posts
1,354
You will have a hard tine finding them in the UK.
Main problem is that extreme hopped beers need to be drunk fresh as the hop aromas soon get lost.
During the time taken for transportation and distribution they would lose a lot of the hop aroma and bite.

Also there is a very limited market for them because they are so bitter and high in alcohol.

You could ask a local home brewer to make you a DIPA,
They are basically all the same, a simple malt bill, (pale malt and a little munich or very light crystal) and crazy amounts of C hops.
 

Tunney

Tunney

Tunney

Soldato
Joined
11 Oct 2004
Posts
14,549
Location
London
Brewdog's Born to Die is a decent clone of Pliny the Younger although I'm not sure if it's still available.

EDIT: No, it's dead again. :(
 
Last edited:

oli collett

oli collett

oli collett

Soldato
Joined
19 Apr 2004
Posts
4,793
Location
London
You aren't going to get Pliny the elder/younger in the UK, it's hard to get it outside of California, and even then it sells out in stores within hours. Seriously, stores get stocks in, it goes within hours. Most of my US colleagues tend to know someone at their local beer shop who will put it aside, they don't even bother putting the stuff out!

Having said that I believe Craft Beer Co had a special night as they got some in, but it was a one off. I'm lucky enough to travel to San Diego now and again so can stock up on some beers there and get Pliny on tap :o
 

Ducky89

Ducky89

Ducky89

Associate
OP
Joined
5 Nov 2014
Posts
249
Location
Shropshire
Thanks guys, I didn't realise that pliny and heady topper were quite so difficult to find in America let alone here.

I tried to find the tesco one today, didn't have it at the local. Pretty big shop too. Fell back to the old brew dog as back up.

Any other recommendations gratefully received.
 

new boy

new boy

new boy

Soldato
Joined
25 Jun 2009
Posts
3,458
Location
Weston-super-Mare
Do an online shop?

To be honest, Tesco is the only shop I've ever found exiting beers in. Asda, Sainsburys and Morisons have just the usual non offensive suspects.
 
Last edited:

Dave M

Dave M

Dave M

Soldato
Joined
17 Oct 2002
Posts
5,538
If you're passing near newcastle (staffs) anytime soon there are two bottle shops which have a lot of american beers in (and eye watering prices). One on merrial street and one on bridge street.
 

NickK

NickK

NickK

Soldato
Joined
13 Jan 2003
Posts
23,677
They don't publicise it much but the Hogsback Brewery near Guildford has a decent craft beer selection in their bricks and mortar shop.
 

FrenchTart

FrenchTart

FrenchTart

Man of Honour
Joined
16 May 2005
Posts
31,299
Location
Manchester
One More Solo said:
It's pretty good IMO. I got absolutely hooked on American pale ales in California last year, such a shame they are harder to come by here.
Click to expand...

There's loads of decent ones available from The Epicurean in West Didsbury and The Beer Shop in Burnage :) Also of course Beer Moth in town.

The Beer Shop is probably the cheapest though has the worst selection. They do stock a few decent session ales that are all good and not too expensive though - Founders All Day IPA, Flying Dog Easy IPA and..some others that I forget the name of. They also keep a regular stock in of Ska Modus Hoperandi which is stronger and more expensive but absolutely delicious.

edit: They also have a few beers on draft though it's quite rare that I want to sit in there and have a beer...
 
Last edited:

R-evans

R-evans

R-evans

Associate
Joined
13 Nov 2012
Posts
2,192
Ducky89 said:
Hi all, anyone have any info on where I can try some of the following, i.e. heady topper, pliny the younger or similar in the UK? I'd like to try a few from this list: http://www.beeradvocate.com/lists/top/

Can't seem to find anywhere that will sell them. Also, looking out for recommendations I can get here easily.

Cheers
Click to expand...

First off, you won't find these in the UK. You will have to find somebody to ship them to you, either a friend/relative or do a trade like I have done for these. Or go to Cali, also what I did to visit Russian River. Pliny the Younger is released once a year, has people queueing round the block and is draft only.

PCZ said:
Also there is a very limited market for them because they are so bitter and high in alcohol.
Click to expand...

Honestly, you could not be more wrong. Maybe in the lager swilling world of Wetherspoons (not presuming this is you), but in the 'Craft Beer' world a DIPA is the drink to have, hence Pliny/Heady been two of the best rated in the world.

oli collett said:
You aren't going to get Pliny the elder/younger in the UK, it's hard to get it outside of California, and even then it sells out in stores within hours. Seriously, stores get stocks in, it goes within hours. Most of my US colleagues tend to know someone at their local beer shop who will put it aside, they don't even bother putting the stuff out!

Having said that I believe Craft Beer Co had a special night as they got some in, but it was a one off. I'm lucky enough to travel to San Diego now and again so can stock up on some beers there and get Pliny on tap :o
Click to expand...

Pliny doesn't sell out quite that quick, but it is sometimes hard to find. When I was in San Diego it took me a while get hold of some but when I found the right shops it'd been sitting on the shelves a few days. One thing effecting it at the moment is the drought, Bear Republic (Also on the Russian River) have had to cut production by a quarter.

Only place out side of California to get Pliny (I have no idea why) is Philadelphia.

OP, I'd recommend finding any of the following, great UK DIPAs and not too different to the US ones;

Siren - Dippy and the Equinox
Buxton - Double Axe
Weird Beard - Holy Hoppin' Hell
Cloudwater - DIPA

Or you can get decent US DIPAs like Stone Enjoy By at Brewdog now and then, Beermerchants recently had Lagunitas Hop Stoopid, both top class beers.
 
Last edited:

R-evans

R-evans

R-evans

Associate
Joined
13 Nov 2012
Posts
2,192
Actually did a side by side of these two last night.

Got the Pliny from a guy in Austria of all places and the Heady from a guy that sends me some every now and then.

23735664943_1f64148a92_c.jpg
 

Ducky89

Ducky89

Ducky89

Associate
OP
Joined
5 Nov 2014
Posts
249
Location
Shropshire
Cheers R-evans, top post. Very informative.

I've been researching it a lot more lately, and joining a couple of FB groups has given me some top pointers, will definitely try and source the ones you've mentioned too.

Ta!
 

One More Solo

One More Solo

One More Solo

Soldato
Joined
29 Dec 2004
Posts
17,020
Location
Shepley
FrenchTart said:
There's loads of decent ones available from The Epicurean in West Didsbury and The Beer Shop in Burnage :) Also of course Beer Moth in town.

The Beer Shop is probably the cheapest though has the worst selection. They do stock a few decent session ales that are all good and not too expensive though - Founders All Day IPA, Flying Dog Easy IPA and..some others that I forget the name of. They also keep a regular stock in of Ska Modus Hoperandi which is stronger and more expensive but absolutely delicious.

edit: They also have a few beers on draft though it's quite rare that I want to sit in there and have a beer...
Click to expand...

Ah yeah good shout, ages since I've been to either shop for a nosey. Might scoot over to Epicurean at some point. I know what you mean about the drafts at The Beer Shop. :p
 

Kimi

Kimi

Kimi

Soldato
Joined
25 Feb 2009
Posts
3,605
Never knew about that Tesco beer, ill try that at the weekend.

I really want to try El Segundo Brewing Co. Steve Austin's Broken Skull IPA but its not available anywhere outside the US
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom