Going Nowhere: Lervig x London Craft Beer Festival

A hugely popular brewery across the UK and Europe, Lervig are known not only for their incredible beer, but also for their eye-catching and unique artwork.  This year, for London Craft Beer Festival 2018, we’ve teamed up with them to brew the official LCBF18 beer. Together, we’ve brewed a slightly sour pale ale, called Going Nowhere. We spoke to Lervig’s Art Director Nanna Guldbaek about the beer, the name, and the artwork.

The beer itself is labeled as a Pale Ale, though there is a slightly sour edge to it. Brewed to be effortlessly drinkable, and highly refreshing in the August heat, it’s an easy-going 4.4% ABV; a slightly tart, sessionable pale ale sounds perfect for a summer beer festival.

At first glance, the name ‘Going Nowhere’ could come across as a dig at the festival, though Nanna assures us that this is not the case: “for me, going nowhere can be a positive thing. To me it’s also how we can get stuck in life, and we may be going nowhere but we will always go somewhere. Going nowhere is not a bad state of being. Enjoy where you are; live in the moment.” Given that London Craft Beer Festival is a three-day event that happens once a year, it seems fitting – perhaps Lervig are simply telling us to enjoy the brief moment of beer heaven; live in that moment. In the context of a beer festival, Nanna describes it almost as a ‘bubble’ in which she’s happy to go nowhere: “you go into a beer festival; the whole beer community is such a tiny world that sometimes I get caught up in. It’s so great.”

At Lervig, the design and naming process aren’t necessarily two distinct things. Sometimes, after Nanna’s come up with the design, the team will come up with a name, or sometimes, Nanna will draw influence from the name and create the artwork. In this case, Nanna was given the name and set about sketching out ideas, until the artwork began to take shape. Recently, Lervig have been working with a new printer, which has given them a greater range of textures to use on the labels themselves. The label for Going Nowhere takes full advantage of this, using both foil and a rougher texture to create a satisfying contrast; by bringing touch into the experience as well as stunning visuals, this beer ticks off all of the five senses – if you include the satisfying snap and hiss of the opening of the can.

We love the artwork for our official LCBF18 beer, and we can’t wait to drink it with you, at our festival. If, like us, you like to celebrate the small moments, you’ll find an oasis of calm in this beer, and in the midst of a festival, take joy in Going Nowhere.

The beer will be pouring in the Lervig vault at London Craft Beer Festival 2018, in cans at the Beer Merchants shop, and pouring at London Craft Beer Festival Fringe events.