Lowlander ‘Drinking in the Dark’

At the time, Belgium beer tasted so good but the next day… oh dear, oh deary me. So here I am, in the cold light of day, reviewing ‘Drinking in the Dark’ with a banging headache and the stale taste of last night’s hops in my mouth.

The tasting took place in ‘Grand Café’ Lowlander in Covent Garden and it includes a very impressive beer list. My friend and I shared a table with a couple who we thought were American but actually one was Australian and one was Scottish (Belgium beer…)

The event was called Drinking in the Dark because of the fact the staff blindfolded us then poured a selection of beers for us to drink and then answer questions about. Having been to Bruges I was quietly confident I would excel in detecting the hidden fruits, the subtle aromas, the variant of malt… I answered 1 out of 30 correct. But after my third or fourth tasting I had ceased to care and was just enjoying the very delicious drinks. For variant of malt I wrote Malteser. The rest of the evening is a little hazy…

I know we stayed around after the tasting ended because I remember ordering a plate of delicious sweet potato fries (too little to late in terms of sobering me up). I also recall getting a glass of the Troubadour Obscura (a delicious amber ale and reasonably priced). I know I thought the interior was very quaint and I liked the cosy balcony overlooking the bar (where the tasting took place). The staff were very knowledgeable of the drinks too – which is probably why Grand Café Lowlander regularly does other similar tasting masterclasses.

Overall a brilliant event with delicious drinks and a really educational session……..I just wish I could remember what I learned.

Reporter: Gareth Brown @GarethBrown26

Check out Gareth’s Youtube Channel and Booksie Page for his films and short stories. He is also co creator of the online collaborative story High Society – the latest part of the saga can be found here.