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Craft Beer and Parallel Industries

With craft beer being the industry it is - with massive emphasis on experimentation and collaboration - it's easy to draw parallels between it and neighbouring industries. With so many we thought we'd pull together a few examples. Tech This one is obviously very close to our own heart. The UltraBeer was formed from a love of both tech and craft beer and trying to use the first to improve the latter and squeeze the very best out of every beer. Tech is always being used by brewers to make their process more efficient and of course to get the best, freshest beers to customers. Look at all the new high tech breweries springing up across the globe (Brewdogs new...
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Interview with Oliver Meade from Craft Metropolis

We were lucky enough to have a chat with Oliver Meade the man behind Craft Metropolis - an online store that delivers the best beers made in London to your door. A neat and innovative idea so we asked him where he thought of the idea... OM: They say you can do anything you want to in life. This is not true. I'd never make it as a world class sprinter or a brain surgeon! However can I set up and sell beer that I love to people on line? I decided yes and rolled my passion into a business. I remember the moment well, a glorious late summer evening after a BBQ sat drinking a craft beer with my Dad...
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Beer & Technology - The Perfect Couple

We obviously think the UltraBeer is the biggest step forward in not only beer but technology since the turn of the century... Seriously... But this comes off the back of a marriage between beer and tech since the earliest days. It's quite odd, perhaps given the effects beer has on people, that there is a mass of science and wizardry behind every single pint. Seeing a someone fall out of a taxi and then struggle to put their keys in his front door after a night at the pub, hardly makes you think, "look at that scientist". That said, the effort and thought that goes into the science of craft brewing is immense - and it is science. Malting, fermentation, adding yeast, flavouring...
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Why Does Beer Have A Foamy Head?

Part of our obsession with beer comes with the way it looks - usually a golden to dark brown liquid topped with a cap of white foam. Our fascination with this dates back hundreds of years. But why does this phenomenon even occur? Well, here comes the science bit... Beer foam is produced by bubbles of gas, usually carbon dioxide produced during fermentation, rising to the surface. The actual foamy white bit is made up of the wort protein, yeast and residue from the hops. The density and longevity of the head will be determined by the malt and other adjuncts from which the beer was fermented. If the beer is filtered or pasteurised then the beer can be carbonated using pressurised gas. There is a lot of time and...
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The Beer Designed To Be Drank At 35,000ft...

People have laughed at us for our beer innovation, but even we have had a chuckle at this one... Cathay Pacific, a Hong Kong based airline are introducing a beer called the Betsy Beer and it's designed to be drank at 35,000ft. They argue that this is because passengers sense of taste changes due to the changes in pressure. This might seem mental on the face of it (it did to us anyway), but airlines have been doing it with their onboard meals for ages. So, it does start to make sense if you look at it like that. Betsy is brewed by the Hong Kong Beer Co and is made up of a mix of British and Hong Kong...
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5 Breweries We're Excited To See At CBR17

We are heading along as punters to CBR17 this weekend and we can't wait to meet some of our favourite brewers and breweries. Here are 5 of our top picks... Beavertown These North London locals are one of the most well known in the UK. We love Gamma Ray and Neck Oil and we're hoping to grab them for a chat about their upcoming projects and drop them in an UltraBeer! Brewgooder A brewery started last year to turn beer into clean drinking water along with their partners Brewdog by giving 100% of their profits away to clean water initiatives. I know pretty neat! This is philanthropy we can get behind! Meantime Brewing Company An in your face brewery from...
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How To Pour The Perfect Beer

Beer is one of the worlds great pleasures, I think we're all agreed on that. A simple blend of 4 main ingredients, maybe a splash of adjunct here and there and you have a something perfect. So, it deserves attention and you don't want to spoil it by not presenting it in the right way. Here's some considerations when pouring the perfect beer. 1. Choose The Right Glass Proper glass wear is very important, the right glass can enhance a beer to something incredible. Looking at the character and ABV of your beer you can choose to serve in a two-thirds, half pints and taster glass. Any beer book worth its salt has a guide so check that out for more...
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Top 10 US Craft Breweries

When it comes to the global craft beer scene, the US has led the way since the beginning. There is a wealth of great breweries in America so choosing 10 breweries that we love is no easy ask - but here goes... 1. Odell Brewing Co First on our list is one of Colorado's bigger boys. Odell produce some of the greatest beers in Colorado and we love their latest addition Drumroll APA - a light refreshing pale ale that kicks ass. 2. New Belgium Brewing Co Another great from Colorado is New Belgium and a bit of a behemoth compared to many of the states smaller breweries. But they prove again and again that size is no issue when staying...
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Top 8 Craft Beer Gadgets

We love our beer here at ThatThing! it's the reason we turned our minds towards to creating the UltraBeer in the first place. But we were inspired and continue to draw inspiration from some really cool innovations from the industry - here are a few of our favourites... 1. Artican from Corkcicle This sweet little thing is basically the coolest (pardon the pun) beer cosy going. It keeps your beer of choice cool for a whopping 3 hours. I don't know if we'd recommend nursing a beer for that long, but at least now you have the option. 2. 10 Second Beer Glass Froster from Hammacher Schlemmer No more putting your glasses in the freezer 30 mins before you want...
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Beer Styles That Need Good Head

Most people when they think of beer, think of a golden or amber coloured liquid with a tall foaming white head. Perhaps slightly toppling over the side of the glass - well that's if emojis are anything to go by... Connoisseurs will also say the head on a beer is important because it helps enhance the flavour, mouthfeel and aroma of the beer. Indeed the significance of the head on beer has even led to academics studying it. Here are some styles which need a good thick head to be enjoyed to their full potential. 1. Weissbier Kicking off our list is this Bavarian favourite - brewed in that region exclusively by the Bavarian Royal Family for nearly 300 years. Served in a tall glass...
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