Smoked beer infusion wins Bartenders Choice competition

A smoked beer infused with Bourbon oak and maple syrup created by the beverage manager at Heston Blumenthal’s The Hinds Head in Bray, has won Innis & Gunn’s inaugural Bartender’s Choice competition.

David Ashton-Hyde’s recipe impressed the judging panel, and the beer will now be released as a limited edition for the on-trade in the UK, Canada and Sweden.

Ashton-Hyde said: “I’ve never experienced anything like this before. I was totally bowled over by their passion for making beer and they took so much time with each of us to really develop our ideas into workable specifications.

“My hope with the recipe was to create a beer that would encompass both savoury and sweet elements, so, while other beers play towards being paired with food, this is a beer that is designed to be brought out at the right stage in a meal and enjoyed in its own right.

“I’ve tried to bridge the gap between the soured mash and the sweet and smoky tones from the maple and bourbon. The charcoal and caramel hints of bourbon barrels married with the dry and fresh minty tones of the northern brewer hop should make for a really powerful flavour experience.”

Over 300 bartenders from across the UK, Sweden and Canada submitted beer concepts to Innis & Gunn for the competition, before a final of the top six was held this week.

Founder and managing director of the brewery, Dougal Sharp, said: “It was a really difficult decision for all of us because every one of the finalists delivered. The beer concepts were all so different; there was some serious thought put into the recipes and they were all worthy of the prize.

“The finalists themselves were fiercely passionate about their ideas and that came across in their presentations. Each pitch was compelling, it was such a tough call. But, David’s stole it by a narrow margin and we can’t wait to work with him to get his beer out to market.”