We are well overdue for a tasting night, and I've put together something that is a little bit different.
To be perfectly honest, I'm being a bit self-indulgent as I've got a couple of things I've been wanting to do for a while. And I'm hoping some of you guys might fancy joining in the experience.
First off, I've got a keg of German beer that I really want to try, but we didn't get any packaged stock of this. So the only solution is to put a keg on the taps at the beer shed!
Flensburger Brauerie is Germany's northern-most brewery, right up on the border with Denmark. It was founded in 1888 by five citizens of the town, and is still substantially owned by those founding families. Known for making lagers with a northern German quirk, we've got the Flensburger Export (4.8%) which is a northern style pilsener and said to be somewhat similar to a Dortmunder Lager. Let's find out.
I'm often asked if there is a difference in taste between smaller and larger bottles of the same beer. And I do think this happens a bit, with one of those being Tripel Karmeliet. So let's put it to the test and taste beer from a 330ml and 750ml bottle side by side.
Then I've been sitting on some Boon Geuze bottles since 2017. Lambic fans might recall that Boon began releasing Geuze which were named after the distinct barrel the beer was aged in. I have kept a few of the 2017 Discovery Boxes which featured VAT 91, VAT 92, VAT 108 and VAT 110. The idea is to taste them at the same time and note the subtle differences that the barrels impart on the same beer.
Another interesting thing to do is blending beers, and the most notable example of this with Belgian beers is Westmalle. In the brewery cafe opposite the Monastery they offer a half-and-half blend of their Westmalle Dubbel and Westmalle Tripel called a 'Trip-Trap'. So while we've got multiple glasses on the table, let's taste the Dubbel and Tripel on their own as well as the blended beer.
And finally, something a bit different. Regular visitors to the beer shed will have noticed we've expanded our offering a little adding some imported wines and soon we'll add a couple of interesting spirits to the collection. One of those is going to be a traditional Polish vodka infused with honey, which seems like the perfect nightcap!
Flensburger Export 4.8% - start with a glass of this beer, and help yourself to top ups through the night (to help fine-tune your palate of course!)
Tripel Karmeliet x 2 (8.4%) - let's put the theory to the test and side-by-side two formats of Tripel Karmeliet (2 x 100ml)
Boon Geuze x 4 (8.0%) - we'll have all four of these geuze on the table to taste at once (4 x 100ml)
Westmalle Dubbel (7.0%) - a classic Trappist dubbel (100ml)
Westmalle Tripel (9.5%) - it's always a good time to taste my favourite tripel (100ml)
Westmalle Trip-Trap (8.3%) - half-and-half Westmalle Dubbel and Westmalle Tripel (100ml)
Krupnik Old Liqueur Honey (38%) - 50ml serving of this deliciously smooth honey-infused vodka
When: Friday 20th March 2026
Where: The Beer Shed - 96a Fern Street Islington 2296
Time: Arrive from 6pm for a 6.15pm start (for those planning transport home we usually finish around 10pm)
Cost: $70.00 for members, and I'll make a few non-member tickets available for $80.00
I'll have our beer nibbles as usual, but thinking we might focus more on cheese and crackers for this tasting as some cheeses go so well with geuze.
Hope to see you on the night!