Something creative is brewing...
Our founder’s Granddad was born and raised in Dublin, and he loved nothing more than a pint of the black stuff. It’s kind of logical therefore that we’d be intent on brewing an incredible stout; it’s in our blood after all.
Stouts traditionally have a coffee and chocolate like flavour, and ours is no exception. Being brewed with a select combination of different chocolate malts and ryes, what may surprise the drinker is the powerful depths these delicious roasty flavours reach. The rich aroma alone will have your mouth watering with anticipation.
As Colours is a milk stout, you also have a wonderfully creamy texture, a subtle sweet layer and a velvety smooth mouthfeel too. Stand it next to the most famous of Irish stouts and they seem pedestrian and watery by comparison.
But that is not all. Colours also has a nod to sticky toffee pudding in there too. You will find subtle black treacle and brown sugar molasses, and vanilla notes, which compliment a fruity injection offered by the inclusion of dates.
Ben says: “Some of the most enjoyable drinks I’ve tried are stouts. You can really have fun with them and create something that is quite multi-layered and complex, whilst staying true to the origins of the ale. They also seem to be the style that really get people talking excitedly and debating their beers, so I wanted to brew something special for Creative Juices in this genre.
One of my go-to deserts in the pub is always the sticky toffee pudding and so this felt like a natural place to start with our own twist on the traditional stout. However, I didn’t want something that was too overtly sweet, so here the nod to sticky toffee creates a luxurious, balance flavour that enhances, rather than overpowers, the entire taste sensation.
I’m sure you’ll love it; it’s like a pub pudding in a pint glass. Sláinte!”
By day, Michelle works behind the scenes on some of your favourite television shows, mostly for the BBC. But out of hours, she is happiest immersing herself in the intricacies of her arts and crafts. Michelle is a proponent of hand-crafted works and is based in a small home-studio space in her native Stockport, where she hones her unique texture-based art.
Around 15 years ago she was living in London and originally started selling her works on a regular street stall at the Marylebone farmers market. Occasionally you can still find her at the odd local craft and community fair, but mostly now her work is on commissions alone.
Michelle says: “I love exploring colours and shapes in the everyday. As I walk down the street I am endlessly fascinated by seeing things like single leaves that hold a full spectrum of colour or pebbles that are shaped like hearts. It is this everyday beauty that inspires my work and the repurposing of the materials I use.
Colours explores the idea of a world without these wonderful and varied elements in it. Life fading from full colour into a whitewashed emptiness would be tragic and this is my reminder to enjoy the rainbow you see in everything, everyday.”