I’m getting drunk for you

Festive vegan beer delivered around UK

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I think you would be hard-pressed to find an industry struggling as much as independent brewing right now.

What an absolute sack of shit year it has been.

The bars and pubs that breweries rely on for moving most of their stock have been closed or are themselves on the verge of closing forever. Taprooms at breweries, normally a direct line of selling, have been closed on and off all year.

I decided to treat myself to a delivery from my favourite vegan beer producer as an act of solidarity during this unprecedented time… and I’d like to think of few people reading this will do the same thing!

Brass Castle is an independent brewery in Yorkshire.

If you ever attended any of my Vegan Beer Fest events around the UK, you’ll remember Brass Castle as a regular trader. They even ran the jumbo bar at the London outing of the event a few years running.

Every single beer produced and sold by Brass Castle is vegan, including all the gorgeous cans in their 12 Days of Christmas beer advent calendar!

This box is a 12-can selection pack of various Brass Castle faves, hidden behind advent calendar-style doors. All the beers are vegan-friendly and certified gluten-free.

The pack comprises:

  • Pilsen Thrills 3.9% Pilsner (440ml can)
  • Hoptical Illusion 4.3% Citra/Comet Pale Ale (330ml can)
  • Well Wisher 4.5% Citra/Columbus Golden Ale (440ml can)
  • Dune Bug 4.7% Lemon & Samphire Gose (440ml can)
  • Fruit Lupe 4.8% Mosaic/Blueberry Pale Ale (440ml can)
  • Brewtalism 5.2% Grapefruit Wit Beer (440ml can)
  • Bad Kitty 5.5% Vanilla Porter (330ml can)
  • Christmas Kitty 5.5% Festive-spiced Vanilla Porter (440ml can)
  • Sunshine 5.7% West Coast-style IPA ( 440ml can)
  • Hygge Figgy 5.7% Fig, Blueberry & Almond Porter (440ml can)
  • Burnout 5.8% Beechwood Smoked Porter (440ml can)
  • Wallop 7.4% wood-aged Yorkshire-style Stingo (440ml can)

This box is available for pre-order now and will begin to ship out of Brass Castle from November 26, 2020.

This is the perfect gift for yourself or any other beer lover in your life, as well as a great way to support an independent vegan business.

Click here to order the vegan beer advent calendar now.

Follow Brass Castle on Instagram.

Vegan and gluten free beer from Scotland

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I’m a big beer fan and I love sharing brewed news with you, especially when it’s an independent business behind the scenes.

The good people of Bellfield Brewery in Edinburgh, Scotland make vegan-certified beer and they sell it online for shipping all around the UK.

And extra news?

All the beer from Bellfield is also certified gluten free.

Bellfield sent me a bunch of their beers to try and I currently have them chilling in the fridge!

You can order for UK delivery from the Bellfield online shop.

Be sure to follow Bellfield Brewery on Instagram.

Vegan beer out of Brixton

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I got a taste of Brixton delivered to my house a few days ago and it was delicious!

Brixton Brewery sent me a few cans of their Coldharbour Lager and they went straight into the fridge to chill. They didn’t survive too much longer.

Do you like beer? Keep reading.

What do the Brixton Brewery style/taste notes say about this vegan beverage? It’s a lager that is crisp, clean, and floral. It is fresh, vibrant, and alive with flavour. The ABV is 4.4%.

You can order online for UK delivery and get free shipping for orders over £30. You can also buy takeout from the Brixton Brewery Taproom on Station Road, right in the heart of Brixton.

Follow Brixton Brewery on Instagram.

Vegan spirit drink with pineapple!

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I get quite a few gifts from PR people over here at FGV headquarters, but a particular item this week really got me excited.

Check out this fabulous drink called Aloha 65.

Aloha 65 is a spirit drink infused with pineapple, lemon, ginger, and scotch bonnet chilies. That sounds equally intense and delicious.

The product is vegan (labeled as vegan on the bottle), is 27% ABV, and can be ordered directly from the company online for UK delivery.

There is free delivery on orders £25 and over. The company has given me a special discount for FGV readers. Use code FGV20 to get 20% off when you shop directly for Aloha 65 online at their shop.

And what about that little bottle in the photo?

Aloha 65 also make a hot sauce and that is vegan, too!

I am super pumped to try the drink. I’m considering investing in an ice crusher just for this purpose.

Follow Aloha 65 on Instagram.

Kylie releases vegan rosé wine

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2020 is a strange year.

But even when you get used to expecting the unexpected, it is still surprising that Kylie Minogue has released her own vegan rosé wine!

Check it out.

Kylie released a quote to mark the launch of the vegan-friendly rosé:

I have a great passion for rosé and have loved working for the last two years on developing Kylie Minogue Wines. Working with the brilliant team at Benchmark Drinks we have created a rosé that I am truly enamoured by, it’s fresh, light and the perfect pink.

The Kylie rosé is priced at £9.00 for the regular release bottle and £17.00 for the gift box edition.

Tesco is listed as a stockist at the moment, but when I searched I was told they are currently out of stock.

You can buy directly from the drinks company for UK delivery. Click here to shop for Kylie rosé.

What do you think? Are you excited to try this wine curated by Kylie?

Bottomless vegan brunch in London

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No matter if your Valentine’s Day is going great or less than desirable, this news is guaranteed to make it better.

Superstar purveyors of plant-based comfort food Young Vegans are launching a bottomless vegan brunch at their pizza restaurant in Bethnal Green, London!

What is a bottomless brunch?

Don’t worry, you get to keep your pants on. Bottomless brunch means you get to drink and eat as much as you can/want from a selected menu for a set amount of time.

The Young Vegans bottomless brunch features unlimited pizza AND unlimited Prosecco or beer for 90 minutes for a flat rate of £30 per person!

The bottomless brunch is available only via advanced bookings on the Young Vegans Pizza Shop website or Open Table for times between midday and 5pm every Sunday, starting on Sunday February 16, 2020.

Some of the rules for the bottomless brunch:

  • You must eat everything (no leftovers/takeaway)
  • Doesn’t include any side dishes
  • Only one pizza at a time per two people

I love the sound of this bottomless brunch!

The drink menu also features organic wines and cocktails (such as a gorgeous Bloody Mary), Aperol Spritz, gin and tonic, and their special Hackney Mule for extra cost. The beers are from Hackney Brewery, which brews just 15 minutes from the restaurant.

Click here to book your bottomless brunch.

Follow Young Vegans Pizza Shop on Instagram and Twitter.

Celebrate anniversary of a London vegan Landmark

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How time flies when you are having fun being compassionate!

The legendary London vegan pub The Spread Eagle is getting ready to celebrate its two year anniversary.

The birthday party for the vegan pub is taking place on Saturday January 25, 2020 between 9pm and 2am.

Facts you should now:

  • Onsite food experts Club Mexicana (who run the regular kitchen at the pub) will be serving
  • Spread Eagle will be handing out 50 free margherita shots (be early)
  • The event is FREE ENTRY
  • A DJ will be spinning fab tunes

See the exact location of The Spread Eagle in Homerton thanks to Google Maps.

If you can’t get along for the birthday party, be sure to follow them on Instagram and visit ASAP.

South London pub gets a vegan kitchen takeover

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The White Hart is the legendary beer-focussed pub in South London that is turning its kitchen vegan for January 2020 with a little help from a gorgeous street food business.

What The Fattoush? is well-known for serving up delicious plant-based food inspired by Palestinian cuisine, culture, and people. The compassionate foodies started their business in order to support charities and groups working to improve lives of the people of Palestine.

For the entire month of January 2020, you can buy and devour the delicious cuisine of What The Fattoush? and drink beer at The White Hart in SE14.

What does the vegan food menu feature?

  • Hummus and Chilli confit £6.5 – Creamy hummus topped with smoked chilli oil (mulato, pasilla, ancho), chargrilled sweet peppers and smoked paprika served with warm Arabic bread
  • Fatteh (Middle Eastern style nachos) £10.5 – Pitta chips loaded with a chunky tomato, pepper and aubergine stew, Gazan guac (avo, sumac & sesame seeds) and pickled chillies
  • Imam bayildi and vermicelli rice £9.5 – Slow cooked aubergine. Red pepper and chickpea stew in a rich and silky tomato sauce served with vermicelli rice and chopped salad
  • Black lime ‘lamb’ and courgette with vermicelli rice £12.5 – Chunky ‘lamb’ pieces, courgette, and our 7 spice mix served with vermicelli rice and chop salad
  • 9″ Loaded Arabic flatbread with either falafel / seitan shawarma ‘meat’ £10.5 / £12 – Arabic bread topped with hummus, chopped salad and pickles with either falafel or seitan
  • Mezze plate £11 – Falafel, chopped salad, stuffed vine leaves, Arabic bread, hummus, olives & pickles
  • Tempura okra s/w a date and tamarind sauce £6 – Beer battered okra with a sweet and tangy sauce
  • Cauliflower poppers £6 – Spiced cauliflower florets in breadcrumbs served with harissa yoghurt
  • Fries £4

You can follow What The Fattoush? on Instagram and see the exact location of The White Hart thanks to Google Maps.

Eat up, London!

New vegan joint in York

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How many reasons do you need to adore the northern English city of York?

There are pubs named after torture devices. They have haunted buildings all over the place. A cholera burial ground greets you as you exit the train station.

York is one of my favourite places on the planet!

If all of these glorious, creepy facts aren’t enough to get your rushing there, maybe this news of a new vegan döner and cocktail restaurant will have you making plans for a York visit.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B67yT8hnqC4/

Döner Summer is a vegan eatery and cocktail bar located in Spark:York creative and retail space in York city centre.

The restaurant has Berlin-inspired cuisine that will make your mouth water.

Take a look at some of this.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B65BhpsHRjN/
https://www.instagram.com/p/B6AjL8-HrvF/
https://www.instagram.com/p/B5hov2in8CA/

The exact location of Döner Summer can be seen online thanks to Google Maps. The restaurant/bar is open Tuesday until Sunday each week.

Follow Döner Summer on Instagram.

Help vegan Black Cat celebrate 5 years in London

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Black Cat Hackney is more than a vegan café.

So much more.

It is a place to eat. It is a place to socialise. It is a space in which you can feel supported and celebrated, no matter who you are. It is a supportive space for independent vegan chefs to take risks with pop up events.

Black Cat is one a crucial component of the London vegan scene and an important supporter of local Hackney communities.

The food at the café is sensational and the people keeping it all running are even nice.

I hope you will join me in wishing Black Cat the very best as they celebrate their 5th anniversary. How incredible!

Black Cat is celebrating this huge milestone with an even huger party, including the launch of a new menu at their second location (yes, keep up friends!) kitchen takeover at Roadtrip & The Workshop on Old Street in Hoxton. This venue is a late night hangout with gorgeous cocktails and exciting events.

So much info to give you so let me start with the party aspect.

To celebrate 5 years of being awesome, Black Cat are throwing a fabulous party at their pop up kitchen venue at Roadtrip & The Workshop from 7pm on Wednesday November 27, 2019.

Entry is free with a suggested donation of £8 if you can afford it.

There is a super cool line up of entertainment across the evening including:

  • 7pm Gaea
  • 7:45pm Zek
  • 8:20pm Immigranti
  • 9pm Arboricidio
  • 9:45pm Surya
  • 10:30pm Awate

As part of the celebration, Black Cat is launching a new menu which you can check out below.

Potatoes

  • Chips: freshly fried potatoes, herby parmesan dust 3.50
  • Patatas Bravas: double cooked cubed potatoes with our signature spicy sauce and a dollop of garic mayo 5
  •  Gyro fries: potatoes, shawarma style marinated seitan strips, cheese sauce, halloumi curds 7

Sides

  • House marinated olives: warm olives in lemon, thyme and rosemary marinade 3
  • Bread: buttered sour dough bread 2.50
  • Just Nachos: freshly fried corn tortilla chips seasoned with Cajun salt 6
  • Loaded Nachos: freshly fried tortilla chips, ground chorizo, black beans, sour cream 8.50

Small plates

  • Grandma’s meatballs: house made sausage meatballs cooked in a rich white wine gravy 6.50
  • Croquettes :  deep fried thick béchamel fritters with leek and mushrooms 5.50
  • Arancini: risotto croquettes with house made marinara and filled with vegan cheese 5.50
  • Dan Dan Cauliflower: crispy battered cauliflower coated in spicy sesame, soy and siracha sauce topped with pickled cucumbers and carrots and crushed peanuts 6
  • House wings  : chicken style seitan tossed in our signature bbq spicy sauce, served with blue cheese sauce
  • Garlic prawns: vegan prawns marinated in a spicy smoked paprika, white wine and chilli flakes. Served with grilled sour dough 7

Burgers and sandwiches ( served in brioche bread and sour dough bread )

  • The roadtrip hot dog: moving mountains sausage, jalapeño jam, house sauerkraut, cheap mustard 8.50
  • The beef style burger: house made beefy patty, horseradish mayo, lettuce, grilled onions, burger sauce, gherkins. Black Cat best seller for the last 5 years, tweaked for the occasion 8.50
  • The Cuban: smokey tempeh, seitan ham, melted cheese, dill pickles, herby mayo in grilled buttered sour dough 8
  • Buttermilk corn crusted chicken style burger: tofu and seitan patty tossed in our very own scotch bonnet spicy sauce, blue cheese, lettuce, beef tomatoes and herby mayo 8.50 
‘Beef’ burger
Leek & mushroom croquettes
Patatas bravas

How tasty does that all sound?!

To wrap up…

Get along to the Black Cat 5th anniversary part at Roadtrip & The Workshop in Hoxton on Wednesday November 27, 2019 from 7pm. You can see the exact location thanks to Google Maps.

Get along anytime after the party in the future to try the gorgeous new menu.

Be sure to visit the original Black Cat location in Hackney. See the exact location thanks to Goole Maps.

And finally, follow Black Cat on Instagram.