ECBF Golden Pints
We’ve been asking for your thoughts on social media for your highlights of the festival. At long last, here’s a round up of the year, ECBF style, with your thoughts alongside ours!
Best UK Brewery
We said: Six Degrees North. One of our favourite breweries in Scotland, Six D North have been brewing some exceptional beers recently, and we really feel they brought their best to the festival.
You said: Tempest. Tempest really showed off their brewing ability at the festival, with a range of beers from IPA to Scotch Ale (of course). They’re a brewery at the top of their game, and their popularity is a testament to that.
Best International Brewery
We said: Brasserie de Franches Montagnes, or BFM for short. Still surprisingly little-known in the UK, this brewery brought some incredible beers over with them for our festival. Lily, our Head of Content, rates the Abbaye de Saint Bon-Chien (aka Abbey of the Good Dog) as her favourite beer of all time.
You said: Dugges. From sours, to fresh, juicy pales and IPA, to barrel aged stouts, Dugges can brew it all. Plus, of course, a certain Space Time Stout might have helped with their popularity… *whistles nonchalantly*
Best UK Beer
We said: Tempest BA Mexicake. Tempest’s homage to the US’s Westbrook Mexican Cake, a classic adjunct stout, is an incredible beer. Whack it in a barrel for a wee while and you get something else. We first tried this in Gothenburg when we took Tempest out for our Dugges collab, and it lived up to expectations at the festival.
You said: Tempest Marmalade on Rye. They might as well open a bakery at this point! This zingy rye beer tasted of everything the name promised, with bitter orange rind and spicy rye notes throughout. What a beer!
Best International Beer
We said: Lervig Toasted Maple Stout. Lervig once again showed us just how good they really are, with this crazy stout. Rich, boozy, creative, and delicious, this beer had to top so many amazing brews for the top spot, but it just pipped them.
You said: Amundsen’s BA Cookie Monster. This rich, thick, boozy ‘pastry’ stout really is a cookie monster—a choc chip menace in a glass. It proved as popular at our other festivals, too.
Best Collab
We said: Dugges’ Space Time Stout Ed. 01. Not that we’re biased (…we are), but how often do you see three of the UK’s best breweries team up with a Scandinavian giant? We LOVE this beer.
You said: Dugges’ Space Time Stout Ed. 01. This beer is proving to be a winner! Rich, boozy, and warming, with notes of tonka and vanilla—the four breweries involved really nailed this recipe.
Best Festival Shenanigans
We said: Pilot. Everyone knows the wee scamps for their Twitter hijinks, and they didn’t disappoint in person. Plus, they brought frisbees! No one else brought frisbees…
You said: Dry and Bitter. The Danish brewery’s founder Søren knows how to spin a record or two, and he busted some awesome grooves between our headline DJ sets.
Best Raise The Bar Brewery
We said: West x Three/Unity. Between Wx3’s light, refreshing HellYES and Unity’s Belgian-inspired deliciousness, we couldn’t decide between these two. They’re both winners!
You said: Burnt Mill. The young brewery from Suffolk are really making some noise at the moment with their juicy, hazy, hop-forward beers. It looks like the people of Edinburgh heard it too, as they were incredibly popular at the festival.
Best Food
We said: Buffalo Truck. Fried chicken might just be the perfect match for beer festivals. Simple yet delicious, exciting yet absorbent, it’s got it all. The Buff Truck’s monstrous chicken burgers are making our mouths water even now, seven months later…
You said: Pizza Geeks. These guys make a mean pizza! With the freshest ingredients, thin, crispy bases, and the friendliest guys by the stove, what’s not to love about them? As the old saying goes: ‘Beer Nerds and Pizza Geeks are a match made in heaven…’
2018 was our best ECBF yet, and we’d like to thank everyone involved for helping us throw such a special party. Here’s to 2019. 🎉🏆🍺