Hop, Clip, & Pump

Believe me, a man's (or woman's) choice of beer glass is a vitally important part of the imbibing culture; it marks the transition from being 'just a customer' to being 'a regular' in their favourite pub. When they walk through the door, the bartender's hand is already reaching for their drinking vessel of choice, marking their status at the bar. Here's a handy guide to choosing your own special glass. There comes a point in every drinker’s journey, somewhere between the third pint and the first proper tasting note, when a simple question emerges: Does the glass actually matter? The short answer: yes. The longer answer: far more than most people realise. Why the Glass Matters (More Than You Think) Beer glasses are not just vessels, they are tools. Shape affects aroma, carbonation, head retention, and even how the beer feels in your mouth. A wide rim lets aromas escape quickly; a narrow top concentrates them. A tall glass preserves carbonation; a bo...

Somewhere in deepest, darkest Kent sits The George and Dragon, a pub that feels as though it belongs as much to folklore as it does to the modern beer map. Beneath it, quite literally, lies the engine room: a cave-like cellar where Caveman Brewery conducts its experiments. This is not brewing as a routine. This is brewing as a concept. The Common Ancestor: One Mash, Two Futures At the heart of Caveman’s approach is the idea of the ' Common Ancestor.'  From a single mash, two distinct beers are born, one a stronger IPA, the other a lower-strength session pale. It’s a technique with long-standing roots in brewing tradition, but here, it is not simply employed; it is embraced. Elevated. Made visible as part of the brewery’s identity. Where others quietly use the method, Caveman foregrounds it. The process becomes part of the story, part of the drinking experience itself. The Evolution Series: Beer as Ongoing Experiment Layered on top of this is the Evolution range ,  ...

Few beer styles carry as much history, or as much modern reinvention, as the India Pale Ale. What began as a practical solution to a logistical problem has evolved into one of the most expressive and experimental styles in the world of craft beer. From 18th-century Britain to contemporary global brewing, the IPA is a story of travel, adaptation, and relentless innovation. Origins: Pale Ale and the Problem of Distance The story begins in the 18th century, with the emergence of pale ale as a distinct style. These early beers were lighter in colour than their darker counterparts, made possible by advances in malting techniques that allowed for paler grains. At this stage, pale ales were only lightly hopped, balanced, approachable, and increasingly popular. But as British trade expanded, particularly with India, a new challenge emerged: how to create a beer that could survive the long journey overseas. The Birth of the IPA: Beer Built for the Journey To endure the months-long voy...

It has been a long time since the pub trade felt this exciting. After nearly thirty years behind and around the bar, years shaped by 'old school' landlords, the kind who wore their experience like spilt beer on their shirts, the rhythm of the industry can start to feel predictable. Familiar faces, familiar pints, familiar decline. And then, suddenly, something shifts. That shift came in February, when The Derby Tup welcomed a new landlord, and with him, a completely different kind of energy. A New Landlord, A New Vision Ade Cole is not your typical pub tenant. Younger than most, a local lad rather than an imported lifer, and, crucially, a brewer. Where many brewers remain behind the scenes, content to produce and distribute, Ade made the far riskier move: taking on a pub that had begun to slip into decline and reshaping it from the inside out. The vision was simple, but ambitious. Not just to run a pub, but to transform it into a brewery tap—a living, breathing space...