My life in beer: Neil Morrissey
August 25th, 2010 by Grace
Have you always been a real ale drinker? If not how and when were you converted?
My first ever pint was in Stoke and it was a Marston's Pedigree, so I've always drunk real ale. There are quality lagers though, like Pilsner Urquell and Budvar. I'm often tempted to have one of these on a hot day.
How did you and Richard meet?
We met via Hugo Speer at Virgin Radio's first birthday party and we quickly realised we shared a passion for real ale and gastronomy. We haven't looked back – it's been over a decade now.
Why did you decide to get yourself involved in brewing?
Love of beer and English gastronomy. It started with a recipe idea for what we think of as the perfect beer that we previously had trouble finding.
Did you originally decide just to do some homebrew – or did you aim big from the start?
We always aimed big. But we decided to do our testing and flavour profiling in the safety of our own kitchen with a home brew.
Were any people surprised in light of your lager drinking alter ego in Men Behaving Badly?
Hopefully, your average Independent reader can discern between a television character and a real person.
How many ales do you produce?
Our flagship ale is the Blonde ale and we do several seasonal beers – Aussie IPA, Spooky for Halloween, Mulled Ale for Christmas – and the Brunette – which is a traditional English bitter.
What's your favourite Morrissey Fox ale – and why?
It depends on what I'm eating, where I am and the mood I'm in. In sum, all of them, at different times – otherwise I wouldn't put my name behind them.
What lessons about brewing have you learned along the way?
The importance of accurate sparging! This is the process of sprinkling water over the mash. Also, cleanliness – it takes more water to clean down than it takes to brew. Brewing is a very complex process and there are lots of pernickety things to master.
A lot of chefs are pairing food and ale – any suggestions on the perfect accompaniment to your beers?
The normal rules of food and drink matching apply to our beers. For example, our blonde ale – which is a fragrant, citrusy, light coloured ale – would be great with light fresh fish dishes and summery salads as well as fish and chips. As opposed to the Aussie IPA – which is a hoppy, more complex beer, but still with the signature Morrissey Fox citrus notes. Its subtle effervescence cuts through meats such as pork and duck – from burgers to boar.
drive from www.independent.co.uk
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