Ballard’s Brewery

Essential Ingredients Used in Brewing

The world has become quite obsessed with craft beer. More so in the UK, where pub culture has always been quite well-known, Hampshire is a small town and stands out as the destination for all beer lovers looking for a different type of pub culture. With Hampshire standing out as a craft beer destination, we look at what the ingredients might have to do with it and how craft beer, in particular, gets its taste from speciality ingredients. These are the main ingredients used in brewing. Water Since beer is 95% water, the type and quality of water used play an important part in makingRead More →

Where to Buy Craft Beer Online

By: Ballard’s Brewery

In: Breweries in Hampshire

With the popularity of craft brewing not showing any means of slowing down in Hampshire, the craft culture is slowly reaching an online presence, with not only craft breweries selling online but also shops selling all brands of local beer. These are among the most ordered from online beer shops in Hampshire. Beer Hawk – beerhawk.co.uk Beerhawk is a dedicated online shop for all things craft beer and delivers throughout the UK. The company was established in 2012 with a mission of bringing delicious craft beers to beer lovers throughout the UK. They love sharing their love for craft and speciality beers and sellingRead More →

Upcoming Beer Festivals in Hampshire

By: Ballard’s Brewery

In: Events and Activities

With the passion and dedication that Hampshire has for craft brewing come beer festivals that provide beer celebrations like no other. With beer festivals in Hampshire, beer lovers can expect some of the best ales and ciders, live music, street food, and a craft beer spirit like no other. These are some of the most anticipated beer festivals in Hampshire for 2022. Fleet Lions Beer Festival – This year’s Fleet Lions Beer Festival will be sponsored by the Langham Brewery, which will also be hosting the festival. The festival will be sponsored by 40 real ales, ciders, a gin bar, hog roast, and more.Read More →

Must-Visit Craft Breweries in Hampshire

By: Ballard’s Brewery

In: Breweries in Hampshire

Both Surrey and Hampshire are seen as the UK’s home of the most tasteful independent brewers who are passionate about crafting the best beer in the country. With guided tours, sour beer, ales, lagers, and great pub food, these craft breweries will provide you with an experience like no other. Visit any of these breweries for a local and passionate brew-tasting experience. Ringwood Brewery Ringwood Brewery is famous for its ales named Best Bitter, Boon Doggle, Forty Niner, and Old Thumper. Open from Monday to Saturday. They stand as a popular destination for locals and tourists to get their fix of some of Hampshire’sRead More →

Essential Ingredients Used in Brewing
The world has become quite obsessed with craft beer. More so in the UK, where pub culture has always been quite well-known, Hampshire is a small town and stands out as the destination for all beer lovers looking for a different type of pub culture. With Hampshire standing out as a craft beer destination, we look at what the ingredients might have to do with it and how craft beer, in particular, gets its taste from speciality ingredients. These are the main ingredients used in brewing. Water Since beer is 95% water, the type and quality of water used play an important part in making craft beer. Water without mineral salts, sulphates, chloride, and lime is essential to creating the perfect craft beer taste. Many breweries customize their water to their own needs by removing slats and minerals depending on the profile of taste they need for the particular beer. Malted Barley The UK latitude brings many benefits to getting the best possible quality of malted barley. The latitude creates longer hours of sunlight when the grain is formed and leads to much richer starch content. Not only does malted barley give beer its colour, but it also has flavour, dextrin’s for the body, protein, and natural sugars. Hops Most craft beers are well known to have a prominent bitter taste over that of commercial lagers. This bitter taste is due to the type and number of hops used. The ingredient contributes to the formation and retention of foam in the beer. There are more than 33 commercially grown British aroma hop varieties in the UK which provides a variety of options for the craft breweries in Hampshire to choose from. Yeast Yeast has an extremely important role in brewing. Yeast gets added to water and grain, which forms a sugary liquid, the yeast then eats the sugar and creates alcohol. This process is known as carbonation and gives beer its flavour. These ingredients add a lot more than just a flavour to beer. It contributes to consistency, smell, taste, body, and more. With the UK’s weather and production benefits of some of these ingredients, it’s no surprise that the UK is so serious about beer.
Where to Buy Craft Beer Online
With the popularity of craft brewing not showing any means of slowing down in Hampshire, the craft culture is slowly reaching an online presence, with not only craft breweries selling online but also shops selling all brands of local beer. These are among the most ordered from online beer shops in Hampshire. Beer Hawk – beerhawk.co.uk Beerhawk is a dedicated online shop for all things craft beer and delivers throughout the UK. The company was established in 2012 with a mission of bringing delicious craft beers to beer lovers throughout the UK. They love sharing their love for craft and speciality beers and selling imports as well as local beer. With a selection of over 1000 brews, including German, American, Belgian, and British beers, there is something for everyone to discover. The Packie – thepackie.com The Packie is a small-scale craft beer store operating from Manchester with an online and physical store. Being independent, they are dedicated to selling craft beer, cider, mead, and wine, specifically from Manchester. Choose to buy online or even curbside pickup. Find your singles, packs, or even kegs from The Packie while supporting small, local, and independent online stores with a passion for real beer. The Wonston Arms – wonstonarmspubshop.square.site The Wonston Arms delivers within a 10-mile radius of the actual pub, which is set on a corner of Hampshire. Even staying within the surrounding local villages puts beer lovers within the radius of ordering from The Wonston Arms for delivery. They sell national award-winning cask ales, craft beer, wines, spirits and more straight from the pub. Being named pub of the year in 2019 proves just how dedicated they are. The Flower Pots – theflowerpots.co.uk The Flower Pots is not only an online shop for buying beer, but they also brew their beers. Whether looking for bitter, ale, IPA, or porter, this is the place to find some of the tastiest beer in Hampshire. Their beers are brewed in small batches at the source of the River Itchen in the historical Hampshire village of Cheriton. They provide beer lovers with the option of ordering beer boxes, bottles, and casks. With the craft brewing industry booming in Hampshire, locals and tourist alike can now enjoy their favourites or even discover new favourites by buying online.
Upcoming Beer Festivals in Hampshire
With the passion and dedication that Hampshire has for craft brewing come beer festivals that provide beer celebrations like no other. With beer festivals in Hampshire, beer lovers can expect some of the best ales and ciders, live music, street food, and a craft beer spirit like no other. These are some of the most anticipated beer festivals in Hampshire for 2022. Fleet Lions Beer Festival – This year’s Fleet Lions Beer Festival will be sponsored by the Langham Brewery, which will also be hosting the festival. The festival will be sponsored by 40 real ales, ciders, a gin bar, hog roast, and more. This will stand as the 14th anniversary of the festival, and they are focusing on raising funds for local scouts and guides together with live music performances from bands ‘The Zone’ and ‘The Kindred Spirit Band’. Sherfield on Loddon Beer Festival – 24 September The Sherfield on Loddon Beer Festival is one of the most anticipated beer festivals for 2022 and provides not only real ales and ciders but also hot food, live bands, and a free evening minibus to get home. The festival takes place in all weather conditions as it has indoors and outdoor. Hampshire Octoberfest – 16 to 17 September The Hampshire Octoberfest is seen as the most widely attended beer festival in Hampshire every year. This will stand as the 12th Hampshire Oktoberfest to be held at the Basingstoke Cricket & Sports Grounds. Experience locally produced real ales and ciders as well as wine drinks and an extremely tasteful street food menu to stay full. The festival has a lively music atmosphere local, and out-of-town musicians join in on the entertainment. Woolston Beer Festival – 1st and 2ND October The Woolston Beer Festival is situated a mere 10 min walk from Woolston station, making it easy for anybody to take part in this fantastic beer festival. They showcase over 25 real ales, ciders, beers, and tasty food. The festival usually brings well-known local and out-of-town musicians to provide musical entertainment. Beer festivals bring music, food, and beer lovers together for a celebration of one of Hampshire’s oldest traditions, craft brewing. With master craftsmen and breweries who are slowly innovating the whole craft beer industry by being ‘real,’ these festivals are must-visit festivals for any beer connoisseur.
Must-Visit Craft Breweries in Hampshire
Both Surrey and Hampshire are seen as the UK’s home of the most tasteful independent brewers who are passionate about crafting the best beer in the country. With guided tours, sour beer, ales, lagers, and great pub food, these craft breweries will provide you with an experience like no other. Visit any of these breweries for a local and passionate brew-tasting experience. Ringwood Brewery Ringwood Brewery is famous for its ales named Best Bitter, Boon Doggle, Forty Niner, and Old Thumper. Open from Monday to Saturday. They stand as a popular destination for locals and tourists to get their fix of some of Hampshire’s best ales. The brewery is well known for being one of the most celebrated craft breweries in Hampshire. Dancing Man Brewery The Dancing Man Brewpub provides beer lovers with a selection of their own brewed New England IPAS, sour beers, best bitters, and imperial stouts. They have situated in the beautiful Southampton’s Wool house, a historic building with a rich history. Expertise in local Hampshire brewing together with grub that you will never forget. Pilgrim Pilgrim is a legend in British craft brewing. The brewery has been brewing since 1982 and has won various awards for its efforts, including three medals in International Brewing wards. Some of the most popular beers brewed by them include Quench, Progress, Quest, and Surrey Bitter. This stands as the perfect craft brewery to visit for a guided tour as visitors can learn about one of the oldest craft breweries in Hampshire. Andwell Brewing Company The Andwell Brewing Company keeps craft beer culture alive and acts as a family business providing locals and tourists with some of the most traditional tasting recipes. The brewery was established in 2008 and saw a quick growth when it relocated in 2011 due to needing to expand the brewery to accommodate the orders and customers they were attracting. The brewery is situated in Andwell, Hook, Hampshire, and tours start from £7.50. These pubs and craft breweries create some of the greatest beers in the UK, as Hampshire is seen as the craft beer destination of the country and attracts beer lovers from all over the world.