When someone says to me “Head of Steam“, I think of the bar that used to be by the Empire Theatre. I started many a night off in the there, either before a show or a gig.
It was a great meeting place but sadly it closed a few years ago. Now I don’t know how I never got on to this, but it re-opened on Hanover Street, had a make over, and still kept its great atmosphere.
Liverpool has just hosted its first Liverpool Beer Week with Liverpool Beer Collective. A number of bars across the city hosted different events all centred around beer. I went along to the Beer Tasting Experience at the Head of Steam on Hanover Street, and surprisingly loved it.
Are You A Beer Drinker?
The host of the tasting asked if I was a beer drinker, and I answered no. His challenge was to find me a beer that I liked.
Depending on what mood I am, there are certain beers I enjoy. But they’re all quite light beers, like Corona, Sol or Moretti.
For me this experience was going to be the same as my Gin and Wine tastings that I have done. I wanted to be able to come away and say I’d found a drink for me, and that I like beer.
This is what is great about experiences like this, as more likely than not, you will find a drink you like.
The Head Of Steam experience
The Head of Steam Liverpool offer 2 types of Beer Tastings. One is £15pp and called An Introduction To Beer. This experience has 5 beers to taste, and they can be a wide range from a pale ale, to a lager, to a stout.
This one is good for learning an overview snapshot of different types of beer. It’s good if you have a mixed group of beer lovers and not-to-surers.
The other experience they offer is £25pp and called Around The World In Beer. The name gives this one away, but it basically entails you all trying different beers that aren’t made in the UK.
This experience can also be customised to a specific country. If you’re a big fan of Belgian Beers, and there are quite a few, then this experience could include solely these.
I highly recommend all of your party chip in a little more and add on some food to your experience. On our tasting experience we had pizzas, chips and sweet potato fries. It was the perfect accompaniment to all the beer.
Beers I Would Never Have Blinked At
One thing I really liked about this experience was the selection of beer. I imagine this would happen on most drink tasting experiences, but it’s great the way you’re shown products that are not as mainstream.
You wouldn’t pay good money to go to a tasting of beers you can easily walk in to Tesco and buy, would you? So the selection has to be really impressive. Head Of Steam have over 180 beers behind the bar. Unless you’re recommended one, you wouldn’t know where to start, which is another bonus to a tasting.
I’d never heard of Motorhead Beer before, and yet very much enjoyed their Road Crew pale ale. The same went for a a 9% strength Trappist Beer from Belgium. Trappist Beers are brewed by Monks, and these particular monks make Chimay Beer.
I was adamant that I didn’t like dark beers, and look at this one. I was shocked at how light, and fresh this was. Nothing like a dark stout at all.
Interested?
If you’re liking the sound of all this, then give the Head of Steam Liverpool a message. You can find them on Hanover Street, they’re on Twitter and have a website.
Your experience will probably be at the back of the bar in a lovely raised area, that is almost like a private room. It’ll be hosted by a beer sommelier, who knows their stuff from their stout.
You’ll definitely come away like me, pleasantly surprised, and enjoying beer. Let me know if you book in for one.
Jessi xoxo
*thank you to the Liverpool Beer Collective for getting in touch and inviting me along.
