Hickory Switch Porter
Near Tom's flat (well, his old flat, technically - he's currently in the process of moving out) is a rather wonderful old-fashioned off licence. It caters particularly to real ale drinkers, which suits Mr C and myself down to the ground. The place is a treasure trove overflowing with weird and wonderful bottles by breweries you've never heard of, with mythic, faintly obscene-sounding names like Verger's Tipple and Mossy Ring. Home from home. We haven't tried all of them yet, but while browsing the shelves a while ago we did discover this:
I couldn't believe it when I first saw it. And then I saw the name of the artist: Lynn Paula Russell. Who is, of course, the same person as Paula Meadows, a very well-known spanking artist and model whose work was featured in various editions of Janus in the '80s, and who ended up editing as well as illustrating its sister magazine, Februs.
Quite what one of her illustrations is doing on a beer bottle, we have no clue. In case you can't make it out, the text on the label reads:
If you know someone who's been bad give 'em a taste of the switch ... the Hickory Switch! They'll surely come back for more of this smokin' ale. This beer also makes a great ingredient to chili, BBQ Sauce, or as a marinade for red meat.
Which all sounds like it was written by an American wannabe rather than a serious ale enthusiast, and has damn all to do with hickory switches or bare bottoms. Nonetheless, their website confirms that the Fallen Angel Microbrewery are Sussex-based, as English as I am, and a decent-looking independent brewery. And strange as it seems, Paula seems to be illustrating exclusive art for their beer labels on an ongoing basis. (I wonder if she's a real ale drinker too? She and I seem to have several other things in common...)
If you're a fan of Paula's art, it's well worth a browse through the Fallen Angel website, which includes several previously unseen illustrations. Most of it's relatively tame by Februs standards, but there are a couple of more risqué images, such as Kama Sutra or Tawny Rose.
Sad to say, we didn't enjoy the beer as much as the label - we both agreed that it would be better suited as a marinade than a drink. But kudos to Fallen Angel, all the same. I can't bring myself to criticise any brewery that has such excellent taste in art.
There is wine too: http://www.geocities.com/WestHollywood/Cafe/3019/
ReplyDeleteWith kind regards,
Huub Vandebent
If only Budweiser was so cleverly packaged...
ReplyDeleteAhhhh! What a delicious find!
ReplyDeleteAs a 'wannabee American,' I do lament all the lovely ales and things from England. I used to go to the Winchester farmer's market and drink delicious brews from the Hampshire or Romsey breweries. And the names were great!
Beer and spanking combined in a saucy package. How perfect is that?
I actually brew my own beer, so maybe I'll have to come up with an interesting label (other than Hamsterbrau!!)
There is also the fantastic range of preserves and condiments from Spanks
ReplyDeletehttp://www.spanks.co.uk/index.html
When I moved to the US some 6 years ago, about the only reservation I had was I would so miss my beautiful English Ales, which were such a rich and enjoyable part of my life. Wasn't it all going to be Budweiser, Miller and Coors from now on? - Imagine my surprise when I discovered that not only were there literally countless quality microbreweries in the States, but that in fact, American beer turned out to be the best in the world. I have had the opportunity to sample several of my former English favourites since emigrating, and I have to record that that have been several disappointments, where the fond memory was rosier than the actual product. The term "Wannabee" is entirely inappropriate when describing American beer. The American brewers spank the Brits... and they spank us hard! :)
ReplyDeleteSo not only are you beautiful, intelligent, articulate and immensely spankable, you appreciate good Real Ale as well! It's enough to make a gentleman come over all unnecessary!
ReplyDeleteTed
Huub - what an amazing find! Thanks so much for the link. There's more there than I can possibly look at now - I'll add it to my bookmarks and explore later when I have time :)
ReplyDeleteTigerbutt - I reckon they'd sell more, don't you?
Roland - I know, it was delightful! We were both so surprised. Although it appears I was out of turn with the comment about Americans - I do apologise. Good luck with the brewing :)
Anon - yes, they're great aren't they? I think Adele Haze has linked to those before. Definitely an indication that spanking is entering the mainstream!
Remus - I take your point, and stand well and truly corrected. I guess I meant to say that the language of the label seemed to be trying to sound American, which seems (to me) to be a bit puzzling and pretentious from a Suffolk brewery. But perhaps I'm just missing the right cultural references to get what they're aiming at. I did assume, though, that America doesn't share the British ale culture - and that was pretty racist of me without any evidence either way. Will you accept my humble apologies for the slur to your adopted nation's breweries?
Ted - I wonder how much correlation there is between spankos and real ale enthusiasts? I have no idea how you'd find out but I bet it'd be interesting! And thanks for the sweet comments, you made me blush :#)
I'm late to join this thread, but even as an American, I really have to defend the British beer industry! It is certainly true that the microbrewery revolution that swept the US in the '80's and '90's has greatly improved the selection over here, even if most Americans prefer Budweiser and other brands that are like having sex in a canoe (I think you can work out the joke from here). I think we specialized in ales as brewing lagers is more costly on a small scale, so there are a lot of bitters and pale ales, and so forth. Still, there are few 'cask-conditioned' ales, which I think from limited experience with Real Ale and a quick look on Wikipedia, roughly corresponds to Real Ale. When I can walk down to the local brewpub and get a cask-conditioned ale of my choice, I'll agree with Remus. Until then, I have to tip the hat to you lot. I drink wine at home (albeit from Europe and the Southern hemisphere, mostly) and beer when I'm in England.
ReplyDeletePandora - This is one of those situations where it's actually nice to be mistaken about something, because the reality is so much better and more enjoyable than that which was previously believed. If you ever get the opportunity to visit the US, do try and take in a beer festival as part of your trip. I'm sure you'd really enjoy it. :)
ReplyDeleteIndiana - Why not pop over to beeradvocate.com and take the opportunity to increase your knowledge about the beer available in your local area (and nationwide, for that matter) it sounds like you're missing out on quite a bit!
Sorry folks, and I think Ludwig will back me up on this, but the best beer in the world comes from Bavaria. They have followed the beer purity law for over 500 years and have perfected brewing long ago. I will miss it the rest of my life because I will never again set foot in a place where it might snow.
ReplyDeleteWhy do the English drink warm beer? A friend of mine insisted it was because of a common brand of refrigerator used over there.
I have friends who brew their own as it is necessary in the Bahamas where beer is prohibitively expensive. Still others frequent microbreweries and refer to Budweiser as the four clydesdales of the apocalypse! At least it has a "born on date" and is taken off the shelves by the distributor if it gets too old. I don't know if its the yeast or an incomplete brewing process but home or microbrewed beer always gives me either the winds, the splatters or sometimes both at once!
Now that you know more about my gastrointestinal system than you ever wanted to, in answer to your question, yes Pandora, I think they would sell more beer if Lynn Paula Russell/Meadows was their illustrator.
"that was pretty racist of me"
ReplyDeleteNationalist.
xx
"that was pretty racist of me"
ReplyDeleteNationalist.
Yessir :P
I dunno, I post lovely unseen Paula Meadows art and all anyone can do is niggle at me, mutter, grumble ... ;)
Tigerbutt - It depends on what type of beer you're drinking, as to what temperature it should be. There's an optimum temperature range for each different beer style. Many beers taste better slightly warmer - if they are too cold, the rich and complex flavour notes will be masked by the over chilling.
ReplyDeleteThat Paula Meadows artwork first appeared in Janus many years ago and accompanied a story about a young girl in the Civil Service being set up by her superiors to receive a thorough birching. I think Alex Birch reaired the story on his blog (A Taste of the Birch)a while back. As I recall it was quite a stimulating read.
ReplyDeleteTrust me, Remus, I've thoroughly investigated the beer options in my home town! Alas, though there are awfully good beers around here, they are a bit over-carbonated for my tastes. Nonetheless, I agree wholeheartedly that Pandora should come to a beer festival in the US. One of my favorite experiences ever was standing in the relatively short line for the women's loo at a beer festival while the line for the men's extended forever. But of course, the beer is excellent, too.
ReplyDeleteTigerbutt, refrigeration disguises the poor taste of many a mediocre beer! (Ahem, Budweiser...) But, seriously, I agree with Remus about temperatures. One of the other reasons I prefer to drink ale in England-- they don't serve them too cold! BTW, I would certainly choose Bavarian beer over your average German Riesling-- but I'd prefer a Czech pilsner or a glass of Kolsch (no umlauts hier erlaubt, apparently...)
Then Remus turned to the crowd and said: "If it were not so, I would not have told you..."
ReplyDeletewww.camra.org.uk/page.aspx?o=271963
And that's just about the West Coast! :)