Empress Ale

Empress Ale

A smartly packaged, gently carbonated new ale designed to be paired with spicy food, primarily Indian. The idea was born, apparently, out of craft beer fan Surj Virk’s, ‘sheer frustration of not having an alternative to lager when visiting Indian restaurants’. Apparently he spent a year sampling, testing and tweaking to produce, ‘a refreshing, easy drinking ale that would actually complement spiced food.’

And it does a very decent job. We tried it with a a range of spicy Indian food and it sat pleasantly alongside. Without the food, it’s elegant, refreshing and with a gentle fizz. it lacks a bit of texture and follow-through on the finish. With food, the softness on the finish allows the ale to sit easily with the spice – though personally I’d have loved a touch more acidity and freshness to refresh the palate between mouthfuls. Dare I say it something that a nice Riesling or Sauvignon might do… Horses for courses! (Peter, March 2016)