A special relationship
They couldn't be more different if they tried. In fact, not since Jack Straw and Condoleeza Rice got all hot under the collar has there been such an incongrous Anglo-American coming together.
Stone Brewing Company from San Diego is arguably the most notorious player on America's exhilarating craft brewing scene. It's young (born in 1996), it makes seriously outrageous, unusual beers and has recently opened a state-of-the-art $14m brewery that frankly looks like it's been designed by Salvador Dali and Fred Flintstone - after they've had a heavy session on Stone's infamously strong ales.
Shepherd Neame, in contrast, is the oldest brewer in Britain (founded in 1698). It brews traditional British ales at sensible strength and lives in a charming, historic labyrinth of low wooden beams, cobbled walkways and walls bearing the scars of horse-drawn drays driven by delivery men who were, rather imprudently, paid in beer.
The two breweries have nevertheless forged an unlikely friendship as part of a joint venture to brew a limited-edition beer destined for JD Wetherspoon's 19-day International Beer Festival, which begins in late March.
"Stone Double California IPA" is a beast of a beer that weighs in at a stonking seven per cent. Brewed in the main Shepherd Neame brewery using a Maris Otter malt, Stone's own yeast strains and a blend of hops sourced from England and the US (centennial and simcoe).
Stacked with more hops than a Heather Mills look-alike competition, Double IPA (India Pale Ale) is a beer style relatively unknown to drinkers over here but in California, and San Diego especially, Double IPAs are incredibly popular.
"It's amazing what is happening in San Diego," said Steve Wagner, Stone's president and brewmaster. "These are very heady times and everyone has got their game on. Much of that has to do with IPA as a beer style - people crave it, they can't get enough."
Double IPA is like an IPA but with double of everything: strength, bitterness and flavour. An invitation to taste the brew with Steve and Shepherd Neame's head brewers Stuart Main and David Holmes at the Sheps brewery, was an experience.
It makes your mouth pucker like Kenneth Williams in a Carry-on film, it floods your nostrils with herbal aromas, yet - by leaving your mouth drier than Death Valley - makes for a moreish drinking experience.
Bottled Bastard
Stone's success has been built on the success of such beers, particularly an IPA called Arrogant Bastard. A huge, hoppy beer with an ABV of 7.2 per cent, it is served in 500ml bottles adorned with an antagonistic message daring the drinker to drink it.
However, while the American brewers tend to be bigger, brasher and ballsier than their European counterparts, Steve admits drinkers are tiring of the heavy hop obsession and now crave quaffability.
"I think people are becoming more sophisticated in their tastes back home and want a session beer with a hoppy experience," says Steve. "We really appreciate what Shepherd Neame does with low-gravity beers. The brewers manage to get so much subtlety of flavour from low-strength beers and it's something we can learn a lot from."
But Shepherd Neame has decided to take a feather out of the Stetson of America's microbrewing scene. Not one to let its history or size stand in the way of breaking new brewing ground, Sheps has embraced innovative small-batch beer with the addition, last year, of a four-barrel pilot brewery on which Stuart and David work their microbrew magic.
The latest innovation is Original Rye Scallop Stout, a shellfish-soaked stout brewed to celebrate the sixth Rye Bay Scallop Festival. "Fresh scallops from Rye are added to the copper in the brewing process, lending a delicate, gamey flavour to the beer," says Stuart. "The press has talked about 'fishy beer' but there's no fish taste in the beer whatsoever!"
