Killiecrankie House has joined forces with Wasted Degrees, an award-winning craft brewery based in Blair Atholl owned and operated by brothers Jack and Conall Low, to create a limited edition dry hopped lager.
The relationship started when Killiecrankie’s head chef, Tom, asked the brewery if he could use some of their spent grain. They agreed – especially when they discovered Tom wanted to use the grain as an ingredient to feature within his menus. Several of Tom’s resulting creations include a ‘sticky beery pudding’, made using milled spent grain, and also spent grain bread to accompany a dish featuring a beer-based sauce.
While pairing beer with food isn’t new, until recently it’s been seen as a taboo in the fine dining world, especially when it comes to pairing lager with food. Armed with a handful of sample dishes Matilda and Tom then challenged Jack and Conall at Wasted Degrees to create something that would feature in Matilda’s drinks menus at the restaurant.
The result is Killecrankie & Wasted Degrees Dry Hopped Lager. A crisp, refreshing and palate cleansing brew underpinned by UK grown pilsner malt. Fermented using a strain of yeast developed in the Swiss Alps, they’ve developed subtle floral and fruity notes in the beer. Then they’ve ramped up the flavour with the late addition of Mandarina Bavaria and Columbus hops to the brew, to add zest on the palate and additional floral aromas.
Tom Tsappis, chef owner of Killiecrankie House, said, “Working alongside a well-respected brewery like Wasted Degrees and creating a limited-edition dry hopped lager has been a great project to be involved with. We’ve worked together for a couple of months to get everything right. We particularly wanted to work with Jack and Conall as they’re leading the way in the craft beer scene locally, creating beers that everyone can enjoy. There’s absolutely no doubt in my mind we’re on the same page, and in my view we’ve created something truly special that perfectly showcases lager with bags of flavour alongside delicious plates of food, which was always front and centre from the outset.”
Jack Low, co-owner of Wasted Degrees, said, “Killiecrankie House shares our obsession for high quality ingredients, provenance, flavour and texture. Working with a like minded local business – just a mile or two from the brewery no less – means that we can amplify that story and share what we enjoy together. It’s a real joy to see our beers – products we put a lot of time and care into – being enjoyed alongside one of the most highly regarded fine dining experiences in the country. We’re so pleased with the Killie lager, it’s an accompaniment worthy of pairing with dishes across Killie’s menu.”
This limited edition dry hopped lager, at 4.2% ABV, is available for guests to enjoy at Killecrankie House or it can can be purchased from the restaurant with rooms to take home.