They say…

Des de Moor
Best beer and travel writing award 2015, 2011 -- British Guild of Beer Writers Awards
Accredited Beer Sommelier
Writer of "Probably the best book about beer in London" - Londonist
"A necessity if you're a beer geek travelling to London town" - Beer Advocate
"A joy to read" - Roger Protz
"Very authoritative" - Tim Webb.
"One of the top beer writers in the UK" - Mark Dredge.
"A beer guru" - Popbitch.
Des de Moor

Ads


The marvels of malt: tasting single malt beers

The beauty of barley. Pic: Valley Malt.

It’s often said that hops are the varietals of the beer world, an idea that many brewers have seized on with numerous single hop brews constructed to show off the individual characteristics of a specific variety, so dedicated connoisseurs can get to know their Citra from […]

Stone Arrogant Bastard and Oaked Arrogant Bastard

Stone Arrogant Bastard Ale

Best Damn Beer Shop

ABV: 7.2% Origin: Escondido, California, USA Website: www.stonebrew.com

Stone is the original bad boy brewer, with brand values that deliberately risk alienating certain groups of potential customers in order to boost the affinity of others. Offset by an obvious sense of humour and backed up […]

Green Flash Trippel

Green Flash Trippel Ale

Best Damn Beer Shop

ABV: 9.7% Origin: Vista, California, USA Website: www.greenflashbrew.com

Created to mark the brewery’s third anniversary in 2005, the curiously spelt Trippel has the traditional looking ingredients list of a Belgian abbey beer, with added sugar, Styrian Goldings and Czech Žatec hops and Trappist yeast, but […]

Ballast Point Black Marlin Porter

Ballast Point Black Marlin Porter

Best Damn Beer Shop

ABV: 6% Origin: San Diego, California, USA Website: www.ballastpoint.com

Underlining the vital link between commercial craft brewing and homebrewing around which the vibrant beer culture of San Diego flourishes, the Ballast Point brewery actually began in a homebrewing supplies shop. Opened in 1992, Jack […]

Alpine Pure Hoppiness

Alpine Pure Hoppiness.

Best Damn Beer Shop

ABV: 8% Origin: Alpine, California, USA Website: alpinebrewing.com

When you think about it, “Pure Hoppiness” is such an obvious punning name for a hop-focused beer, it’s surprising someone didn’t grab it years ago. Instead, it’s fallen to a very small but high achieving craft brewery in […]

AleSmith Wee Heavy Scotch Style Ale

AleSmith Wee Heavy Scotch Style Ale

Best Damn Beer Shop

ABV: 10% Origin: San Diego, California, USA Website: www.alesmith.com

I first heard about the buzz around beer in San Diego from some itinerant locals who struck up a conversation with me at Belgium’s Zythos Bierfestival in 2008. They also very kindly gave me […]

Societe The Butcher, the Harlot and The Pupil

Beers and brewhouse at Societe Brewing, San Diego CA.

Top Tastings 2012 (The Pupil)

ABV: 9.8%, 6% and 7.7% Origin: San Diego, California, USA Website: www.societebrewing.com

San Diego, a naval and university city in California’s far southwestern corner, is also a top craft beer producer, boasting heavy hitters like AleSmith, Port and Stone […]

Ska Steel Toe Working Class Milk Stout

Ska Steel Toe Working Class Milk Stout

Top Tastings 2012

ABV: 5.4% Origin: Durango, Colorado, USA Website: www.skabrewing.com

With my soft spot for the smarter and sharper side of mid-1960s music and fashion and its later revivalist derivatives, I was intrigued to find a Colorado craft brewery calling itself Ska and borrowing its […]

Russian River Pliny the Elder

Russian River Pliny the Elder

Top Tastings 2012

ABV: 8% Origin: Santa Rosa, California, USA Website: www.russianriverbrewing.com

Russian River brewer Vinnie Cilurzo is generally credited with creating the Double IPA as a commercial beer style. Inaugural IPA, the first beer Vinnie brewed professionally, was so named as it launched his first brewing venture, […]

Oskar Blues Old Chub Scotch Ale

Oskar Blues Old Chub Scotch Ale

Top Tastings 2012

ABV: 8% Origin: Longmont, Colorado, USA Website: www.oskarblues.com

2012’s annual British Guild of Beer Writers reception on the eve of the Great British Beer Festival could almost have been tailor made to antagonise some of the more purist supporters of the festival itself – […]