Gorilla Coffee Cafe - craft beer & great food... The perfect match!
The beer scene in Birmingham is getting into full flow, the variety and choice of venues that you can visit to enjoy your favourite tipple, along with a bit of grub is unreal! In fact today with so much competition, you simply cannot be another ‘average’ bar, you need something that stands out from the crowd, a cut above the rest in order to succeed in Birmingham’s innovative beer and food scene.
That's why, when we were approached by Gorilla Coffee Cafe, asking us to reinvent their Craft Beer line-up we were over the moon! But with any renovation, you need to keep up with the ’style’, which can be a challenge and in this case it was finding an epic lineup of beers to match their already amazing menu!
For those of you that don't know, Gorilla Coffee Cafe was set up James Connolly and Stacey Jarvis. They noticed that there was a gap in the market locally, not only for a cafe, but also somewhere that appealed to cyclists when they were out of lycra.
After two years of careful planning, Gorilla Coffee Cafe finally opened its doors and is now a local hub for the community, especially families as a whole.
Gorilla already had a nice selection of beer and food, offering something different from many other cafes. Their doorstep sandwiches, range of cakes and pastries and boards have been a real hit with customers and with summer approaching, were looking to widen our their offerings, to appeal to a great range of tastes.
James and Stacey spent two days locked in a kitchen creating and perfecting Gorilla’s menu, so we really needed to be spot on when it came to bringing in some great beers that stood up to their amazing menu. So where to start… we did our research and like everything with food and beer, it is always down to opinion but we kept to the standard rules of compare and contrast. So check out what we came up with and as always, we needed to professionally “test” the pairings with the man himself!
Birmingham Brewing Company - Bitter Brummie 4.1% ABV
Brewed in Birmingham, West Midlands.
Appearance: Deep copper/ amber, with a slight haze, thick frothy head and slightly carbonated.Aroma: Malty caramel, followed by a dash of spice and a tiny hint of fresh fruit.Flavour: Sweet malty caramel, orange peel, finished off with a strong bitter hit of citrusy lemon.
Pairing:
The Ploughman's platter: The cheddar mellows down the bitterness of the brew and lets you appreciate the malty flavours inviting a touch of caramel into the brew, while bringing out the fruitiness of the chutney.
Fixed Wheel Brewery - Spartacus 6.5% abv
Brewed in Halesowen, West Midlands.
Appearance: Deep, clear amber, quite carbonated with a white frothy head.Aroma: Citrusy and slightly floral, with hints of orange peel.Flavour: Sweet and malty, with a nice bitter finish… Cracking combo!
Pairing:
The Vegetarian Antipasti: Brings out the flavour of bell peppers, stuffed with goats cheese, while the goats cheese mellows down the bitterness of the IPA.Meat Sandwich/ Meat Board: The boldness of this brew matches up to the rich, bold flavours of the chorizo, making them more defined.
Estrella Damn - Inedit 4.8%
Brewed in Barcelona, Spain.
Appearance: Light, golden straw, quite carbonated, with a slight head.Aroma: Light lemongrass and spices.Flavour: Light, with a slightly sweet malty flavour, bitter finish and slight fizz that tingles on the end of your tongue.
Pairing:
Meat Board: Compliments and brings out the saltiness of the prosciutto.
Maisel's Weisse 5.2% abv
Appearance: Deep amber, with a thick frothy head.Aroma: Tropical banana, with a slight citrus underlay.Flavour: Sweet tropical, with a slight dryness in the finish. Very easy!
Pairing:
On all boards: It mellows down the rocket.
And for dessert...
Fixed Wheel Brewery - Pope of Dope Saison 4.7% abv
Brewed in Halesowen, West Midlands.
Appearance: Cloudy red blush, with a fair bit of carbonation and a minimal head.Aroma: Citrusy lemon, with a hint of light, refreshing summer fruits.Flavour: Slightly sour lemon, with a hint of tropical fruit and banana that balances the brew well.
Pairing:
The Lemon Curd Cupcake: The cupcake brings out the zesty lemon flavours in the brew.Cheese Board: This Saison makes the brie creamier and enhances the flavour of the rind.
So there you have it, our top picks to accompany a fantastic feed at Gorilla Coffee Cafe, we hope to see you down there soon! :)For more info, check out their Website, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
