Quilon unveils vintage beer list

Michelin-starred restaurant Quilon in London has launched what it claims is the UK’s first vintage beer list.

Diners will be able to select from eight vintages of London brewer Fuller’s Vintage Ale: the ’99, ’02, ’04, ’05, ’06, ’08, ’09 and ’10. Also available will be the ’08 vintage of Gale’s Prize Old Ale, a brand bought by Fuller’s in 2005.

Each of the beers will be served in large brandy balloon glasses and priced at £12-14 per bottle.

Although most beers are best drunk within a year, a higher hop content and alcohol level – the Fuller’s Vintage Ales come in at 8.5% abv – can help preserve them.

The ageability of beer has been reconsidered by many since the 2007 discovery of a collection at William Worthington’s Brewery in Burton on Trent dating back to 1869 and still in “eminently drinkable condition”.
 
Quilon has already built a reputation for menus pairing an international selection of beers with its south west coast Indian cuisine. It is currently planning to launch a five course menu paired with British beers only.

Chef Sriram Aylur remarked: “I really hope that other British brewers will see the gastronomic potential of laying down vintage beers. They are being sipped not just as digestifs, but as aperitifs as well”.

He added that these vintage beers “are appealing particularly well to visiting brewers and to our international customers from India, Europe and Scandinavia. Many female customers are sharing a bottle in preference to stronger brandies and Ports.”

Gabriel Savage, 10.05.2011