Next up (and a day later than usual) in our meet the brewer feature, we have two for the price of one, as both Steve and Phil from Saints and Sinners have taken a grilling.
If you haven’t heard of Saints & Sinners then I suggest you read this, then keep a close eye on them as I am predicting big things from them once they get sorted, the beers I’ve sampled so far have been great (reviews coming soon) and I know they have some excellent stuff in the pipeline. So over to Steve and Phil…
What is your brewery capacity?
Steve: depends on where we brew. We are currently a cuckoo brewery. we utilise spare capacity, aka, hospitality from brewers that warm to our ideals allowing us to use their equipment and get a beer out. We both have jobs, one running an online beer store and the other works in a brewery part time, we just want to present beer as we see it, have fun and share the love that we have for great beers!
What is different about your brewery?
Phil: because of our lack of significant financial investment to stainless steel and structures and our tiny production runs, we’re only brewing crazy fun beers, that we want to drink. Hell if no one wants to drink it, we will.
How long have you been brewing for?
Steve: on and off, for 12 years, combined, 20 years. but still learning, every damn day.
How did you get into brewing?
Steve: Through a passion for great food experiences, and knowing how beer could figure in that. I knew that I could create a quality meal experience, so why not a beer experience?  I bought a lot of brewing equipment, and set up a bar in my basement in Michigna, and it all snowballed from there. Phil: because no one else wanted to do it.
Saints & Sinners (the only pic i could find with both of them on)
What beers do you brew regularly?
Phil: I think a better question would be, “when we get to brew, what would we brew?” – we like to brew beers that we want to drink, beers styled on experiences with beer around the world. Fundamentally, beers we miss from our travels.
Steve: AKA, what ever Phil or I am jonesing for…
What special/seasonal beers do you brew?
Steve: Every beer we brew is special…
Phil: Steve does the spiced beers, it’s that foodie thing.. I am sure…
Where do you think the future of brewing lies?
Phil: brewing really high quality, well thought out, well designed products, well marketed, well communicated, damn good beers!
Steve: Encouraging appreciation for quality beer, communication of what, we thebrewers are doing right to the glass of the beer consumer.
What is you proudest moment in brewing?
Being entered, topping then being removed from the Taste of Kent awards! We couldn’t help people voting for us, even if we used hops in the 2009 batch (of a hoppy porter called Dark Conspiracy,) that weren’t grown in Kent. We used Kentish hops in 2008 when we brewed the same beer.
What was last beer you drank?
We split a Port Brewing Hop-15, and very nice it was too.
What is your favourite hop?
We’re really into Citra, Apollo and Bravo… we really want to do a ABC beer. We just wish we could get ahold of them.
What is your brewing ambition?
Just for every batch of beer we brew to sell, and ultimately have fun. We’re busy people, we have lives, but, we want the best for our beers, topped with that cherry of fun!
Do you have a Brewing hero/inspiration?
Phil: Steve Altamari, Craig Cauwels, Rodger Davis and John Tucci to brewers that we admire, and there are too many others to mention that have inspired us, both in the UK and abroad.
Steve: hero’s.. guitar… hero’s?
Which beer do you wish you had brewed?
Abeer that we both love, Founders Kentucy Breakfast Stout. it ROCKS!
Favourite hobby outiside of brewing
Phil: Shooting, Fly and Carp Fishing.
Steve: Walking the Dog, playing Guitar Hero.
Anything else you want to tell us?
Phil: thanks for giving us the time to do this,
Steve: we’re flattered that you allowed us to do this.
Thanks to Steve and Phil for taking the time out to do this, I know they are both very busy people so it’s hugely appreciated, you can follow them on twitter here, join them on facebook here or visit their website here
thanks for doing this! great to get the word out! hopefully meet you soon!
I’ve seen Saints & Sinners mentioned on Twitter and stuff for a while now, but didn’t quite get who was involved or what they are doing. Good to know!
Barry, their beer will be available to try at the Brew Wharf in Borough Market from 6pm on Saturday. Here is the link:
http://us1.campaign-archive.com/?u=d8c254818cdd829a3dbc2f477&id=14db59767e