YES, I’ve go a Lion-Bee on my lapel and I’m licking my lips at the golden nectar that redefines lager in the city, standing at the bar of the Manchester Union Lager brewery in Great North Western Street. Creamy mouthfeel, beautiful balance and deceptively drinkable, as they say.
Now there’s no longer any need to tackle those ‘tank beers’ that are bussed in weekly from the Czech Republic, even though these are miles better than the mass of cold taste-free fizz masquerading as lager in the UK.
After a long gestation period (proper lagering takes far longer than the short-cuts the mega brewcos use to produce their pale imitations) the beer from the city’s first dedicated lager brewery is now available at a variety of venues, priced at between £5 and £6.
Alas, no chance now of acquiring one of those enamel pin badges – they went to the first 50 purchasers of a pint.
Look out for the Union Lager in: Patron, The Refuge, Bay Horse Tavern, Cask (Ancoats),
Ancoats General Store, Koffee Pot plus Volta (West Didsbury) and in Chorlton Electrik and The Creameries.
The lager’s motto is Concilio et Labore, which translates as ‘Wisdom and Effort’ and that was apparent when ToM attended a trial run back in August 2018.
Head brewer Ian Johnson (above pouring us a beer), who honed his craft ‘gypsy brewing’ at Blackjack in the Green Quarter, proudly explained how it’s the only commercial brewery in the UK using a decoction mash technique. All a bit technical but this apparently enables the wort to be moved around at boiling temperatures, releasing more melanoidin and unleashing unique caramel notes. Then we sampled rather a lot of it in search of these.
A recent tasting, just as extensive, showed how the product had become refined, thanks to the scrupulous attention to details of head honchos Jamie Scahill, a former software developer, and Will Evans, prominent beer importer in this city.
We love the beer and also the canny Lion Bee led branding that links the creation of lager in Bavaria some 200 years ago with the first workers’ trade unions that were being set up then as a result of the Industrial Revolution in Manchester. A proper taste of Europe, just what we need to drown our Brexit sorrows.
Manchester Union Brewery, 96D North Western Street, Manchester, M12 6JL.
Book now: We are Lager Festival in April
This celebration of lager features an amazing roster of breweries from across Europe, including Lost & Grounded, Hacker Pschorr, Kona Brewing Co, Lervig, Paulaner, Donzoko, Giepel Brewing, Braybrooke Beer Co, 71 Brewing, Cloudwater and, of course, Manchester Union. No oompah bands either. Long running club night Funkademia are curating the music and DJ sets have been confirmed from Everything Everything, Luke Unabomber (Electric Chair), Girls on Film, Take Me To Church and Hattie Pearson.
Thursday-Sunday, April 4-7. Upper Campfield Market, Manchester, M3 4NN. £8.80-£11, all sessions £33 inc booking fee. Book here.