Judith I. Bridgland showcases wild Scottish seascapes at the Grilli Gallery, Edinburgh
GRILLI GALLERY, 20a Dundas Street, Edinburgh EH3 6HZ
A solo exhibition of paintings by Judith I. Bridgland
26th September to 22nd October, 2020
Mon, Tues, Thurs & Fri 11am to 4pm; Saturday 10.00am to 1.00pm Closed Sunday & Wednesday
Tel: 0131 261 4264 – http://www.art-grilli.co.uk/
Low Tide, North Berwick
Born in Australia, Judith I. Bridgland came to Scotland as a young child and later studied at University of Glasgow, graduating with a MA, (Honours) in History of Fine Art and English Literature. She specialises in seascapes around the British Isles.
This exhibition takes tour around the coastline of Scotland, from East Lothian to Aberdeenshire, Sutherland to the Outer Hebrides. The iconic pudding shape of the Bass Rock, North Berwick, takes centre stage in “Sun on the Sand,” a stunning composition of sweeping stripes and layers to denote the wide sandy beach, seaweed, rockpools leading the eye to the distant bird colony island.
Sun on the Sand, North Berwick
“Two Figures on the Beach at Sunset,” features a tiny dot of a couple who can just be seen at the edge of the breaking waves, under a coral-tinted sky. The flourish of thick brush strokes creates a wildly impressionistic perspective with vibrant colour and atmospheric energy.
Two Figures on the Beach
The Isle of Harris must be a favourite place for Bridgland, who has painted several different scenic views to capture its white sand beaches and wild natural environment. This reminds me of an amazing story.
West Beach, Berneray, Outer Hebrides (photograph)
About ten years ago, to save the time and expense to send a media photographer to Kai Bae, Thailand Tourism simply googled images on line and ‘borrowed’ one of West Beach, Berneray instead. But the enticing promotional image was soon identified as taken in the Outer Hebrides.!
The natural “tropical” beauty around Harris is certainly an artist’s paradise.
Across to Luskentyre
Here is the lush, languid beauty of Luskentyre with its long, curving bay, undulating dunes etched with machair grasses, framed by the mountain peaks beyond.
In “Clouds over Luskentyre” and “Grasses on the Beach”, you really feel that you are standing on the seashore with a whiff of salty sea air in a warm breeze.
Clouds over Luskentyre
Grasses on the Beach, Harris
It is fascinating to learn more about how Judith Bridgland starts the slow creative process for her landscapes:
“I start off by going to visit a location, taking a large set of photographs with two different cameras. I take hundreds and hundreds of photographs getting to understand the landscape, and seeing it in various lights and preferably at different times of the day. I will take shots of the same scene from multiple different angles, and also take samples of earth and sands to remind myself of colours.
I will return to the same place again and again, not to repeat scenes, to copy or replicate – this is an exercise in releasing yourself from merely recording the rhythm of the landscape, and experiment with texture, light and colour. It is a way of building on your understanding of a place, adding depth and pushing yourself in terms of technique.”
Observing the same seashores across the seasons and from dawn to dusk, must be inspirational and, at times, challenging to perfect the painting. For a prime example of experimenting with texture, light and colour, the burst of a golden glow in “Sunrise in October” is a majestic seascape. A tangible sense of movement in the lapping waves, flurry of clouds here …. and take a close look to the far eft hand side to spot what appears to be the glint of a lighthouse perched on a rock.
Sunrise, October
There is a mix of full scale paintings, oil on linen or board, as well as smaller studies in acrylic. These will surely entice you to plan a Staycation trip around the Scottish seashore – perhaps an island hopping cruise around the Hebrides – for the great escape. Around the gallery too are botanical studies, lovely vases of lilies and roses to brighten your home this winter.
White Lillies
The Tempest Brewing Company celebrates ten years of passion, innovation and creativity
The Tempest story reads like the plot of a jet setting, romantic movie!.
Gavin and Annika Meiklejohn first met, most appropriately, in a brewpub in Canada, and then set off travelling together in search of a dream. While based in New Zealand for a while, Gavin worked as a chef as well as taking up the challenge of home brewing in his garage.
“We were making beer in New Zealand and my friends would come over from Scotland and ask why they couldn’t buy beer like this back home.”
This success kick started the idea for their own drinks business. In April 2010, they moved across the world to the Scottish Borders to set up The Tempest Brewing Company, a ten barrel brewery in a disused dairy in Kelso.
Within four years they were struggling to match production with demand and needed to develop the business with larger premises. The Tempest team moved across country to Tweedbank, near Melrose with space for improved facilities and a bottling line.
The non-stop Bottling Line, Tempest Brewing Company, Tweedbank
Developing a business against stiff competition from other craft beer makers needs entrepreneurial business skills, brand identity, imagination and creativity.
“Dry hopping, specialist malts and sourcing expensive New Zealand and American hop varieties. This was purely about making the best beer we could imagine, smoky beers, chilli beers, fruit beers… nothing was off limits. The line between creativity and gimmickry is a fine one.”
The creative team with Gavin and Annika Meiklejohn
In Victorian Britain, a typical dish served in a Tavern was oysters accompanied by a strong dark beer – the original, cheap, fast food as Sam Weller remarks in Dickens’ novel, The Pickwick Papers, “poverty and oysters always seem to go together.” Having an “oyster stout” referred to eating oysters with a pint of Porter. Later on, someone had the idea to add oyster shells along with the barley and hops to enhance the flavour. Then, in 1929 an innovative brewer in New Zealand added the juicy, salty molluscs into the boiling beer wort and the true Oyster Stout was born.
Double Shuck Imperial Oyster Stout
Inspired by this classic beer, in 2015 Tempest created Double Shuck, Imperial Oyster Stout, made with 200 fresh Lindisfarne oysters. If this Stout is sipped with a platter of oysters, that would be a powerful aphrodisiac.!
The key to their success is innovation, launching topical, seasonal products with catchy names and colourful logos, such as Brave New World, Long White Cloud, Vermont Sessions, Cold Wave, Dios Mio! Lime Jalapeno, as well as enticing series, The IPA club, Discovery and Easy Rider packs of 24 cans.
For instance, Mexicake, a Chile and Chocolate Imperial Stout comes from a passion for Mexican culture and food to create a rich, boozy stout (11%ABV), infused with vanilla beans, cocoa, cinnamon, chipotle and mulato chillies.
The spicy Mexicake Stout inspired by a love of all things Mexican
The specialist, slow crafting of each distinctive ale, beer and stout is based on quality ingredients – their own strains of yeast, locally sourced malted barley and natural water. As their logo expresses it so well, “Designed and built in the Scottish Borders.”
Tempest Brewing Company has won numerous trade and business awards, including Scottish Brewery of the Year, (Scottish Beer Awards, 2016), and recently listed in RateBeer’s top 100 breweries in the world, a prestigious achievement.
Tempest Brewing Company – Awards galore + Scottish Brewery of the Year, 2016
And the latest news hot of the press is that Tempest Brewing Company is listed in the third edition of the World Atlas of Beer, 2020. In a section under names to look out for, it is selected as one of the best new British breweries of the 21st century. Compiled by Tim Webb & Stephen Beaumont, this is a definite, essential guide to global beers, (published by Mitchell Beazley).
Beer Atlas of the World, Webb & Beaumont, Mitchell Beazley
So it’s time to taste and test, sip and savour the three beers in the Fruit Series featuring Peach, Mango and Blueberry, to entice and tease the taste buds with their distinctively different styles, strength and flavour.
Mango Berliner – 4 % ABV
What Tempest say: “Sunshine in a glass no matter the weather! The perfect summer beer. We brew it with a lager fermentation to give it that crisp, refreshing drinkability, but jam pack it with plenty fresh mango and dry hops to give it a super fruity, zingy punch”.
The verdict: Refreshing. So, so refreshing; a somewhat tart and fruity weisse Berliner-style beer which one starts sipping and ends gulping.
It’s light, very easy drinking and packed with fresh mango. That mango is immediately evident on the zesty tropical nose, with just a little dry, grassy hops. In the mouth it’s also light and balanced with easy-going tartness and a hint of shortbread.
Some people might hope for a more bitter or more hoppy experience but that is not really what this style is about, and this is just what it should be, a really refreshing Summer beer.
Other drinkers are equally impressed:
Mango ice cream taste. Surprisingly yummy.
Floral and ripe tropical aromas, notes of mango, papaya.
Lots of exotic fruity mango sweetness in the aroma, Great Berliner Weiss!
Peach Sour – 4.5% ABV
What Tempest say:
“You’ll want to use your good can opener on this tin of peaches. We’ve mellowed out the fresh acidity of the peach with creamy, delicate vanilla.”
The verdict: Another Summer in a can in the form of peaches and cream.
Again, a Berliner weisse style beer that is big on fruit, this time an initial tart peach balanced with a dollop of vanilla cream.
A surprisingly full mouthfeel leaves an acidic finish with lasting peach flavour. Easy drinking and refreshing, it will be down to palate as to whether the sourness wins out over the fruity Mango Berliner.
Blueberry Pastry Stout – 9% ABV
What Tempest say: “An outrageous blueberry stout, hot from the pastry section”.
The verdict: Even after a great meal there is probably always time for dessert; perhaps even second helpings. No surprise then that gastropubs favour their roasts and speciality burgers but also feature the perennial and ubiquitous Sticky Toffee Pudding.
When the Summer fades we can start to long for some “comfort” food and it’s time also for the zingy, fresh stone and citrus fruity and hoppy IPAs to give way to something a little richer, more indulgent – perhaps even decadent.
Step up Tempest Brewing Company’s Blueberry Pastry Stout bearing the legend “… the bluer the berry, the sweeter, the thicker, the roastier, the chocolatier, the boozier, the stout”. Stouts of this kind should be the liquid equivalent of cake or pastry; over-the-top in terms sweet, distinctive and clearly identifiable flavour.
Tempest’s offering hits the spot with this big, intensely blueberry, deeply dark stout. On the nose, the fruity blueberry aroma is instantly there against a background of malty dark chocolate. Rich and thick with a creamy, velvety mouth feel, that sweet blueberry flavour is to the fore with just a little bitterness in the background. The finish is long and, just when you think it has stopped giving, the blueberries rush back in with a smooth and warming last bite.
The ABV. of 9.0% vol provides a big slice of booze – Just make sure that you have room for pudding.
This richly flavoured dark stout could work well paired with a hearty dish such as a spicy Chilli, a Beef and Ale Pie, or a juicy Burger.
A spicy Chilli, Steak pie, Burger perfectly paired with Tempest Stout
Nothing is so traditional as a Ploughman’s Lunch, so why not pair a Tempest beer or Stout with a mature Cheddar Cheese and crusty bread. Highly recommended is the awards winning Cheddar Gorge Cheese, the only cheddar cheese actually made in the village of Cheddar, Somerset. (www.cheddaronline.co.uk)
This Blueberry Pastry Stout is a winner:
Sweet taste at first, very boozy, strong blueberry, bittersweet flavour with well-balanced hop in the finish. Exquisite.
Pours a deep mahogany black with a violet tint. Creamy pale tan head. Strong notes of Cassis with dark chocolate, creamy vanilla and liquorice on the palate. Cannot wait to try this at the next Tempest beer festival!
2010 – 2020 From a garage in Christchurch to a brewery in Tweedbank, Happy 10th birthday Tempest. Cheers!
Tempest Brewing Company have hosted annual Springfest and Oktoberfest and continue to host regular Tempest Tap sessions at the Brewery. Take a trip to Tweedbank in the stunning, tranquil Scottish Borders.
For all information on the range of beers, on line purchase, suppliers and events at the Brewery, see the website.
https://www.tempestbrewco.com/browse
https://www.tempestbrewco.com/events
Address: 1&2, Block 11 Tweedbank Industrial Estate, Tweedbank TD1 3RS
Telephone: 01896 759500
Tweedbank Station is just a six minute walk from the brewery, ideal for staff to commute and visitors travelling for brewery events and Festivals.
The re-launch of the Borders Railway in 2015 provides a vital transport link between Edinburgh and Tweedbank. Winner of the best new UK Tourism venture from the British Guild of Travel Writers, the route has brought much improved travel, tourism, social, economic, employment and environmental benefits to the Scottish Borders.
The Borders Railway campaign is now full speed ahead to extend the line to Hawick and Carlisle, which would be a further boost for Tempest Brewing Company.
The Borders Railway route through tranquil landscape from Edinburgh to Tweedbank
PURE Lite – the topical, trendsetting, low alcohol Vodka for cool, contemporary cocktails: half the calories, twice the fun
PURE Organic Vodka was launched onto the UK spirits market on 4th July 2019 with an exclusive boat party on the Thames. This exciting new product from WM Spirits soon made a splash around the country and secured drinks listings in bars and leisure venues such as the W Hotel, Cafe de Paris and Champneys Spa.
“ It was 2016, the time of the Instagram boom and the health and fitness, organic, vegan, ‘clean living’ craze. Drinks orders amongst the lads was moving away from pints to vodka soda & lime. I felt that there was more to this than just a change of drink and if it was happening in my local, I knew it would be happening elsewhere.”
Adam Player, Founder PURE organic vodka
The Founder, Adam Player with friends, at the launch of Pure Vodka, 2019.
PURE was inspired by a health-conscious, environmentally friendly, social lifestyle: Organic, vegan friendly, gluten free, with no additives, preservatives, carbs or thickeners and as minimal calories as possible. Pure, indeed.
After this early success, to celebrate its first birthday in July 2020, WM Spirits created PURE Lite, a low calorie, organic vodka with just 20% ABV compared to the standard 40%.
The launch of PURE Lite Vodka is timely and trendsetting, in response to an increased preference and demand for zero and low-alcohol beers, wines and spirits, with sales up 23% year on year. The growth comes as younger generations drink less alcohol and older people increasingly moderate their consumption.
PURE Vodka is an ultra-premium, clean, organic spirit, built on the foundation of high-quality raw ingredients and owing its unique taste to organic wheat. The wheat is distilled to maximum purity removing any remaining impurities to create a light, smooth-tasting vodka.
This innovative brand has recently won a silver medal, competing against 83 entries in the 2020 Vodka Masters category at The Spirit Business Awards, less than two months after their 1st birthday in July.
So, time to taste and test this new Pure Lite low alcohol vodka.
The name vodka is a diminutive form of the Slavic word voda (water), interpreted as little water: Russia and Poland both claim vodka as their own invention, with the word ‘wodka’ recorded in Poland as early as 1405, a strong liquor of around 75% ABV.
The slender glass bottle of PURE Lite vodka has a decorative, crystal-cut design, like a classic Low Ball, Old Fashioned tumbler, used for serving neat spirits or a cocktail on the rocks. Comfortable to hold and practical for a firm grip.
PURE Lite – an elegant, slender bottle with decorative cut-glass design
The term Martini was first listed Thomas Stuart’s guide, Fancy Drinks published in 1896, featuring a recipe for the Gin-based cocktail with vermouth and orange bitters. This became a fashionable aperitif spreading from American bars to UK, France and Italy, notably promoted on the European travels of Hemingway and Fitzgerald.
For four decades, Ted Saucier was publicist for the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, New York City, and in 1951 published a book on cocktails, Bottoms Up including the first recipe for the innovative Vodkatini.
Bottoms Up, by Ted Saucier (1951)
PURE Vodkatini
60ml PURE Organic Vodka or LITE vodka
15ml Dry Vermouth
Fill shaker with ice and add the measures of Vodka and Dry Vermouth
Shake well, strain and pour into cocktail glass. Garnish with olives
I would normally order a dry gin Martini, believing that the lack of herbal botanicals in vodka would not be such a flavoursome cocktail. I was wrong. My PURE Lite Vodkatini had such a clean taste, deliciously dry which hit the spot.
Through the 1950s and 60s, Vodka was a relatively new spirit being introduced in the States, marketed and promoted by celebrity entertainers including Benny Goodman, Harpo Marx and Woody Allen et al.
The classic Gin Martini was then literally shaken up by Ian Fleming at the Duke’s Bar, London where the novelist created the legendary, literary-inspired Vesper Martini.
Duke’s Bar, Duke’s Hotel, London – where the Vesper Martini was invented.
The precise recipe for a Vesper is given by James Bond to the bar tender in the novel Casino Royale, (1953).
“A Dry Martini”, he said. “ In a deep champagne goblet.”
“Oui, monsieur.”
“Just a moment. Three measures of Gordons gin, one of vodka, half a measure of Kina Lillet. Shake it very well until it’s ice-cold, then add a large thin slice of lemon peel. Got it?”
“Certainly, monsieur.” The barman seemed pleased with the idea.
from ‘Casino Royale’, Ian Fleming
Be warned, the Vesper is a tad strong and at Dukes Bar – where this famous house cocktail is crafted and poured with perfection from freezer-chilled ingredients – the rule is a limit of two per person. This special Vodkatini is named after Vesper Lynd, Bond’s beautiful Girl in Casino Royale.
Vodka is also, of course, the key ingredient of a Bloody Mary, said to be the finest “hair of the dog” the morning after the night before. Almost one hundred years old, it was invented at Harry’s Bar, Paris, by Ferdinand “Pete” Petiot, combining vodka and tomato juice, allegedly named after the Hollywood movie star, Mary Pickford.
By 1934, Petiot had become head bartender at the St. Regis, New York, where he was asked to spice up the Bloody Mary for a customer and so added a few drops of Tabasco. The recipe was adapted over the years with Worcester Sauce, horseradish, (optional), a garnish of olives, lemon and a stick of celery to use as a swizzle stick.
There is a fine tradition to sip a spicy Bloody Mary around 12 noon when at sea on a cruise ship. Tomato juice and lemon are an excellent source of Vitamin C and it’s either a refreshing, ice cold drink or a hearty, spicy drink, whatever the climate.
Bloody Mary time, 12 noon on the Silver Whisper – a seafaring tradition.
With Pure Lite Vodka, you would never realise the low alcohol content so the perfect, healthy, vitamin-rich cocktail. The ideal partnership for a Sunday Brunch.
Being in the contemporary, youthful lifestyle business, PURE has devised its own playlist covering music genres from soul to pop, hip-hop and raps. Cool Sounds as you sip your Vodka cocktails.
Search ‘PURE Vodka’ on Spotify.
To find out more about PURE Organic Vodka and the new PURE LITE vodka, places to drink and where to purchase, as well as cocktail ideas, take a browse around the website.
Beavertown Beers – Sci-fi fantastical, fun cans of refreshing tropical fruity, happy hoppiness
It was almost ten years ago in 2011, when Logan Plant, inspired by fine crafted beers and ales around the world, began experimenting to create his own brew using a 50 litre rice pan as a hot liquor tank, a camping cool box as a mash tun and a tea urn as a kettle.
Beavertown was born.
From small scale home brewing in Hackney, the business has moved to state of the art premises in Tottenham Hale, employing forty members of staff, with two dozen tanks, canning line, distribution centre and an extensive Tap Room.
There is a popular Core range of six beers, Nanobot, Beavo, Bloody ‘Ell, Neck Oil, Gamma Ray and Lupuloid, each with their distinctive taste, style and creative inspiration.
“Every aspect of our brewing process is meticulously considered and our unique artwork is integral to our expression and philosophy as a brewery. We strive to attain the highest quality in all our beers which is why we introduced our core range into cans. Stability and freshness rules.”
Logan Plant
Logan Plant, the founder of Beavertown (image courtesy of The Brewers Journal)
With this sense of focus, Beavertown fast developed to become a leader in the craft beer market, which can be attributed as much for the drinks as well as to its psychedelic labels.
Nick Dwyer started drawing labels for Beavertown Brewery not long after graduating from Central Saint Martins, where he’d studied illustration. He didn’t realise at the time, but those initial drawings – which included the now iconic Gamma Ray – gave Beavertown their strong brand identity.
While other craft beers have adopted bold packaging and wacky names, Beavertown very much set the trend. The stand-out, easily identified mind-altering labels came about at a time when, as Nick Dwyer himself admits, “sticking spacemen, skeletons, skulls and weird shit exploding on cans was something unexpected”.
It’s one of those design moments that go on to influence others … similar in impact to the visual style of the genre defining Borderland the space western, science fantasy video game as well as the noirish calaca-like Day of the Dead figures of Grim Fandango the 3D computer graphic adventure.
“At Beavertown, we believe beer is more than just a beer, it’s an experience”
Neck Oil Session IPA 4.3% ABV
What Beavertown say: “This started life as a home-brew. We wanted to create a light, crisp, punchy, go to beer! A beer that you know you can pick up and appreciate or simply kick back, relax and oil your neck. The name Neck Oil comes from our founder Logan, fondly remembering his Grandad – “off down the pub for a pint of neck oil”.
Verdict: Very pale straw coloured, a tropical tang on the nose and taste and lightly hopped. Not too much carbonation, refreshing, slightly dry on the finish. This is a classic American IPA, a superb balance of bitter grapefruit, hoppy flavour with subtle pineapple and peach sweetness. The ultimate thirst quencher.
Lupuloid IPA 6.7% ABV
What Beavertown say: “ …first straight up IPA, no funny business, just malt, yeast, water and hops. Lots of hops.”
Verdict: A slightly hazy, lemon colour. Aroma is juicy fruity giving the taste buds a sharp zing of grapefruit, mango and citrus with an underlying herbal tone of grassy hops, Very drinkable and richly refreshing.
Gamma Ray 5.4% ABV
What Beavertown say: “ the concept was to create a juicy tropical beer. A brew you can sit on and drink all day, rammed with juicy malts and huge aromas of mango and grapefruit. Massive additions of American hops.”
Verdict: A cloudy, orange-gold colour with some carbonation. On the nose, tropical fruit, citrus and herbal hops. Enticing blend of passion fruit, tangy tangerine, lemon, pine and peppery spice. Smooth and easy drinking with a satisfying long bitter finish.
Bloody ‘Ell 7.5% abv
What Beavertown say: “ A smack of citrus with hints of warm blood orange aromas brought on by refined malt and loads of juicy hops.”
Verdict: Sunshine straw colour with fizzy head, sweet orange aroma. Herbal hoppy and dry biscuit combined with grapefruit and blood orange zestiness underlying dark coffee notes. Finishes with a dry bitterness softened with citrus.
Nanobot 2.8% ABV
What Beavertown say: “our low ABV IPA – a style we affectionately term the Super Session IPA Nanobot is packed with power hitting citrus notes, a tropical twist of pina colada and a refreshing piney bitter finish to give you the full body and flavour of a 5% IPA. The addition of oats and wheat to the brew give a fuller, richer mouthfeel at just 97 kcal per can and around half the ABV as a regular IPA as well as 100% vegan.
Verdict: A clear straw yellow pour with a bubbly white head, and fragrant scent of pine and tangerine; fresh citrus, grapefruit and mandarin flavours, light, crisp and easily sipped over a super IPA drinking session.
Beaverton received two gold medals at the International Beer Challenge for their core range beers Gamma Ray & Neck Oil with a Silver medal for Bloody ‘Ell.
Even before you crack open a can, the quirky, colourful, fantastical, fun design makes you smile; then the bittersweet aroma hits the nostrils, as you sip and savour the sunny, tropical island fruit flavours to ensure hoppy happiness.
Beavertown doesn’t just offer a cool beer, but a satisfying drinking experience. Cheers.!
No wonder this inspirational brewery has been named as one of the best 21st Century start-ups in the UK, in the new “World Atlas of Beer”, 3rd edition, 2020, by Tim Webb & Stephen Beaumont. Published by Mitchell Beazley.
This is a beautifully illustrated and comprehensive guide to global beers and breweries with a concise history of the brewing industry from original invention to topical stories and entrepreneurial businesses.
Read all about the Beavertown Brewery, Core Range, limited editions, where to purchase and visiting the Tap Room.
Check out Beer Finder here too for your local bar serving Beavertown craft beers.
https://shop.beavertownbrewery.co.uk/collections/beer
Beavertown listed in the Beer Atlas of the World, 1920 Webb & Beaumont, (Mitchell Beazley)
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