The Craft Beers of Covid Conversation – Part 1/3

Welcome to The Craft Beers of Covid Conversation, a time capsule for the ages between Joey from Beer in the City and Simon from Simon’s Pub Tour. And by the ages, we mean the past half-decade, because it is exactly five years since the first Covid lockdown started. Trauma? Yes. But we are determined to dredge up the good times from an era of isolation.

In this three-part series, we have an honest and unpolished (let’s call it…authentic) discussion about the breweries and beers that represented the Covid era for us, with a few big hitters, a few we haven’t seen since, and a few that may surprise you. We want to hear from you – what were your Covid-era beers, do you agree with ours, and what have we forgotten?

We will be releasing the conversation in three parts, to represent the three lockdowns (too far?). Each is about a five minute read, perfect for your morning commute so you can reminisce about being cooped up inside and feel grateful for your freedom. Share and enjoy!

Joey: COVID! Here we go. Five years since it all began and now it’s a historical event. Time flies when you’re actually allowed to do stuff. Simon – what is the first brewery that, when you think of that first lockdown in 2020, comes to mind and really represents it for you?

Simon: COVID! Fuck’s sake. I have a shortlist, and on my list there are some breweries which no longer exist. This first brewery does still exist but is far less prominent and relevant: Pomona Island. I think it’s near Manchester. At first, I came across it because on Instagram people were posting pictures and the can had a thumb picture. Do you remember the meme, the man who looks like a thumb? And then eventually they released a DIPA which was a double thumb man or something. Lots of thumbs.

Joey: Multiple thumbs sounds freaky, I am glad I didn’t come across this, no offence to anyone with more than two thumbs. I recall the graphics were pastel colours but that’s all I’ve got.

Simon: They had one named after Flight of the Conchords, called “what are your overheads?” and I love FoC so I ordered loads in. And I know they still exist, because I’m on their mailing list, but I never see them in shops, ever. I buy beer in shops much more than I buy online now, so I never come across them probably because of that.

Joey: I have a Pomona Island Untappd check-in on 1st December, 2020 – apparently I said “very nice”! High praise.

Simon: That was in the weird “meal in a pub” moment so I guess you were feeling positive.

Joey: And another on June 5th 2020 – “the first beer of Cyberfest 2”. Cyberfest! Fuck me. Cyberfest was this Beer 52 and Ferment Magazine collaboration festival thing. And they’d send you a box and you’d watch along with the two guys from Ferment, Rich and some other guy, I can’t remember his name. There’d be pre-recorded interviews with the brewers and you’d drink the beer while the brewer explained it, then they’d come back to the two main guys who were live and you’d be able to type your thoughts on the YouTube chat and throughout the night everyone got progressively more wasted and they’d have to shut the chat down.

Simon: To be fair, that was a really good idea, there was nothing else to do.

Joey: The first one, second one, I was all in. By the third one, I was a bit like, we’ve had a taste of freedom. We’ve been outside in the summer for the eat out thing. And it died out. But what a time.

Simon: Ok, next brewery for me was S43, it could stand for Section 43, I don’t know…just what is S43? It’s a random number.

Joey: I have it on my list too! It’s apparently not closed. I had “Tripping on El Dorado” in the third lockdown, according to Untappd. I do love a single hop showcase. I wrote “brought out the blackcurrant and plum from El Dorado”. I don’t know what I’m talking about there. I was so bored, I’m never doing a description like that again. A little essay on El Dorado for nobody to read.

Simon: That is very sweet. Just like the El Dorado, I suppose. So, I was googling at the time, trying to find out like…where is S43? And it was by the side of an A-road near Durham and no-one could ever visit or anything. I think it came and went pretty quickly. Somehow I was on their mailing list but I don’t know how, because I got their beers at shops, and then they kept trying to sell me kegs at wholesale rates and it’s like…I don’t need a keg of your beer, lockdown or not. Who do you think I am?

Joey: “It’s a slam dunk from this hoppy number. So thick”, says someone named Tyler on Untappd on their top-rated beer.

Simon: 21st of March 2020 I checked that one in. That was early! The first week. Pure commitment.

Joey: Maybe that’s why they thought you wanted a keg.

Simon: Ok next up, for the whole lockdown period I remember so desperately trying to get hold of a can of this – the North Premier Hop collab Triple IPA.

Joey: R.I.P. North, as of last month. North was a big one, I feel like I got a lot of them. Transmission was the one that I had the most. That logo, I remember it. It was a smaller can.

Simon: Bye bye North.

Joey: Absolutely delicious though.

Simon: Thanks for the memories.

Joey: I feel like North were up there. I always felt like the name of the brewery was an issue because I got confused with Northern Monk.

Simon: Yeah, same. And both Leeds.

Joey: And did you get that collab one in the end? And how was it?

Simon: I did! It was good, but it was a 440ml can of 10% IPA. So it was more ‘I have nothing else to do today because it’s April 2020, so like…why not drink it’.  And Premier Hop used to post pictures of the beers and everyone would put an emoji of a box on their Instagram post. This was such a weird time.

Joey: I didn’t even know there was a box emoji and I’m getting FOMO.

Simon: As you should be.

Joey: Ok, my turn, and I’m throwing it out there: Wild Beer. I know they were around for a good while pre-pandemic but for me it’s a pandemic brewery. I loved Bibble. It’s one of those where you’d pop to the Nisa Local and they would have it. That blue logo shining at me when I went to the supermarket because it was the only thing you were allowed to do that day.

Simon: I’m sad they’re gone.

Joey: My totally uneducated guess is that they started selling to supermarkets, couldn’t fulfil the contracts, had to keep all their brew capacity for supermarkets, not making the margins and that’s what happens. I also might be totally wrong but conjecture is fun. Supermarket contracts are a poisoned chalice.

Simon: Feel like you could have done better there with some beer-related chalice pun.

Joey: I’m a failure. Let’s move on. My next one, I’m curious if you came across it…They were called Bad Co. But the key thing about Bad Co is there was another company that was doing 48 beers for 48 pounds and Bad Co was part of it – Flavourly.

Simon: Flavourly rings a bell.

Joey: They were collaborating with all these breweries but it was all brewed at wherever the fuck Bad Co was, and I got a 48 pack first week of March 2020. So my first two weeks of lockdown, the beers I had in the house were all these ones. It kind of tasted like Stella.

Simon: Yeah, you paid a pound per beer, what do you expect?

Joey: Honestly maybe my mum got it for me and I’m thinking, I can’t go wrong with the price. But it was not good beer. And I do not believe they still exist. Speaking of which: Electric Bear. I’d go to M&S and it would be own brand stuff and the only other option was Electric Bear.

Simon: Yeah, I don’t think they ever progressed. Lots of checkins on Untappd though – that’s the Untappd-M&S overlap for you. Also gives away your Covid supermarket vibe, no judgement.

Joey: I have not seen Electric Bear for ages, and while I’d love to pretend it’s because I don’t go into M&S as much…No comment. Let’s move on.

Simon: I’m going to cheat a bit for my next one but it’s a ridiculous story, and you might be surprised which brewery I’m about to mention…

Join us next week for part two!