FOR many of us, the last time you we heard the word nitrogen was probably in chemistry class as we tried to get our weary heads around some complex formula.
To be fair, depending on what you do for a living, there’s very little reason for you to bother with nitrogen anyway, apart from the fact that it 78 per cent of the air we breathe is made up of the stuff.
However, when it comes to brewing, nitrogen has had to fight for its place. As you probably know, the fizz in your beer comes mainly from carbon dioxide, and in really clear beers you can see those bubbles flying up the glass.
The irony here is that one of the most widely known beers in the world is actually a nitro stout. They’ve even built a marketing campaign out of the patience required to allow the beer to settle as you gaze at the mesmeric cascade in your glass.
Of course, Guinness can plough millions into telling you how good things comes to those who wait, but many craft brewers can’t. Still, that hasn’t stopped some of them dipping their toe in the nitro water. Most brewers who have done so have produced beers which are designed to be served in draught form. This is because of the complex scientific process which goes into producing a nitrogenised beer (these guys definitely paid attention in chemistry class).
But, much like Guinness made a big deal of the widget many moons ago, a few craft brewers have bottled and canned their nitro beers. The most prominent if then is Left Hand Brewing Co, who are based in Colorado. Left Hand are so invested in all things nitro that they’ve even hosted an annual Nitro Fest, where they invite other breweries to bring their nitro brews.
Which brings me to Left Hand’s Nitro Milk Stout. American beers aren’t easy got here, much less a nitro one, but I managed to a pick up a can of this from CraftCentral.ie, which is based in Dublin but delivers to the north.
This is a silky smooth stout, which will come as no surprise given the double whammy of nitro and lactose. There’s a fair bit of flavour in this creamy stout – chocolate, vanilla and a bit of coffee, but nothing overly harsh and it is an easy drinker, particularly for a 6 per cent beer.
