Killiecrankie House has joined forces with Wasted Degrees, a multi-award-winning craft brewery based in Blair Atholl, to create a limited edition bespoke dry hopped lager.
Owned and operated by brothers Jack and Conall Low from nearby Pitlochry, the brewery is known as much for its beer, as it is for its social and environmental responsibility. Multi-award-winning Killiecrankie House, in a nearby village of the same name, a boutique hotel and restaurant, with listings in the prestigious Michelin Guide and The Good Food Guide, is owned by the husband-and-wife team of Tom and Matilda Tsappis.
The relationship started when Killiecrankie’s head chef, Tom, asked the brewery if he could use some of their spent grain. They agreed – especially when they discovered Tom wanted to use the grain as an ingredient to feature within his menus. Several of Tom’s resulting creations include a ’sticky beery pudding’, made using milled spent grain, and also spent grain bread to accompany a dish featuring a beer-based sauce.
Ever since the two businesses have been very much on the same page, especially when it comes to using locally sourced produce to create exemplary food and drink, just one of the reasons they’ve worked together to create the perfect lager to pair with food.
Pairing beer with food isn’t anything new, it’s been bubbling away in the hospitality industry for a few years but until recently it’s been a bit of a taboo in fine dining establishments up and down the country, especially when it comes to quaffing lager with food. But those in the know have long been aware that there’s a real harmony between them that works on so many levels.
Armed with a handful of sample dishes and clearly determined to do something different Matilda and Tom headed over to Wasted Degrees to challenge Jack and Conall to create something that would feature in Matilda’s drinks menus at the restaurant.
The result is Killecrankie & Wasted Degrees Dry Hopped Lager. A crisp, refreshing and palate cleansing brew underpinned by UK grown pilsner malt. Fermented using a strain of yeast developed in the Swiss Alps, called Après Ski, they’ve developed subtle floral and fruity notes in the beer. Then they’ve ramped up the flavour with the late addition of Mandarina Bavaria and Columbus hops to the brew, to add zest on the palate and additional floral aromas.
Much like a good single malt whisky, a lack of harsh filtering means this beer retains greater textural character too. This, and the interplay between the carefully selected premium yeast and hops, makes for a beer that’s better suited to enjoying alongside food. And because lagers ferment at a much lower temperature than most other beers, and so take longer to make; the 8-week maturation of Killiecrankie’s beer, 4-times longer than a typical IPA for example, gives all of these ingredients and flavour drivers time to develop, to mature and to complement one another, delivering a final product that’s worthy of a discerning, fine-dining experience.
Tom Tsappis, chef owner of Killiecrankie House, said: “Working alongside a well-respected brewery like Wasted Degrees and creating a limited-edition dry hopped lager has been a great project to be involved with. We’ve worked together for a couple of months to get everything right. We particularly wanted to work with Jack and Conall as they’re leading the way in the craft beer scene locally, creating beers that everyone can enjoy. There’s absolutely no doubt in my mind we’re on the same page, and in my view we’ve created something truly special that perfectly showcases lager with bags of flavour alongside delicious plates of food, which was always front and centre from the outset.’’
Jack Low, co-owner of Wasted Degrees, said: “Killiecrankie House shares our obsession for high quality ingredients, provenance, flavour and texture. Working with a like minded local business – just a mile or two from the brewery no less – means that we can amplify that story and share what we enjoy together. It’s a real joy to see our beers – products we put a lot of time and care into – being enjoyed alongside one of the most highly regarded fine dining experiences in the country. We’re so pleased with the Killie lager, it’s an accompaniment worthy of pairing with dishes across Killie’s menu.”
This limited edition dry hopped lager, at 4.2% ABV, is available for guests to enjoy at Killecrankie House or a pack of four cans can be purchased from the restaurant with rooms at £18 to enjoy at home.
ENDS
Editors Notes:
1/ To find out more about Killiecrankie House visit: https://killiecrankiehouse.com
2/ To find out more about Wasted Degrees Brewery visit: https://www.wasteddegrees.com
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