The Beer Kitchen: The art and science of cooking and pairing with beer

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We have an infuser on the bar in which you can put hops and fruit and the beer will flow over them to create these amazing new flavour combinations. For a Monday night the place had a cosy atmosphere and I can imagine there being a real buzz at the weekend. I look forward to returning for a few more schooners and sampling more of the food. Up-and-coming, but not quite there yet, which is why the Beer Kitchen doesn’t quite seem to have found its audience yet. There are groups of students and it’s within easy distance of the Filmhouse cinema and the many theatres nearby, but the presence of groups of lads when we were in might have been a hangover to the very recent days when this was one of Lothian Road’s less salubrious strip joints.

Anticipation for the venue has been fierce ever since Scotland’s second-biggest craft brewer announced plans to bring its successful bar and restaurant concept West last year.

While this area has an industrial feel, a simple colour scheme and natural materials create softness, comfort and warmth. There are seven booths in various sizes upholstered in natural tan leather which stand out against the white Osmo oiled vertical timber pallet walls, light oak tables and oak flooring. This combination is used throughout the bar and first-floor restaurant and creates a look Morgan describes as “a Scandi-Scottish hybrid.” From day one we wanted to open in Glasgow. It’s been worth the wait and we’re so excited to be on Ashton Lane. It’s a great location and great space,” says Managing Director of Innis & Gunn Retail, David Hall, who has spearheaded the Beer Kitchen concept alongside the company’s Founder Master Brewer, Dougal Sharp. Every opening is different and it's exciting to see how the Beer Kitchen brand is evolving. There is a massive boom in craft beer just now, where people are rejecting the boring mass produced beers of the past in favour of craft beers with real flavour, and we are at the forefront of that, not just in the UK, but internationally, and it's a truly amazing thing to be part of." In The Beer Kitchen award-winning beer expert Melissa Cole has combined two of her greatest passions: great brews and delicious food. Sharing over 70 incredible recipes Melissa expertly guides you through the gustatory pleasure of cooking with beer and what to drink with your creations.

The burger topped with Innis & Gunn pulled pork looked incredibly good and the clean wooden serving boards returning to the kitchen seemed evidence that it was. Guy Morgan, co-director of Morgan McDonnell, led the Beer Kitchen’s design and build. He said the idea was to be “upfront and honest” about the whole brewing process and to make it as open and visual as possible “to highlight the freshness of the beer and allow people to see that process happen.” We'll also be teaming up with our local distillery Auchentoshan to use some of their casks to age our beer and there will even be some ready for the launch." With thorough advice on beer-types and flavour notes to beer and cheese pairing plus a helpful guide to tools and equipment and store cupboard essentials, The Beer Kitchen is a new, scientific and exciting approach to food that will change the way you cook and what you drink with it. Records the default button state of the corresponding category & the status of CCPA. It works only in coordination with the primary cookie.

Gluten-free Eats

In advance of the launch, Lynn has created several portraits of British celebrities including; Peter Capaldi, Sean Connery, Irvine Welsh and Ed Sheeran - all painted using Innis & Gunn's Kith & Kin stout. On top of that, our chef Steve is a local guy, he's worked at a lot of different places around Glasgow, so he really knows the scene here and he's brought his own touches and his personality to the menu." The restaurant. Picture: Innis & Gunn

To celebrate the launch and in a nod to Glasgow’s rich art heritage, Innis & Gunn is collaborating with local artist Lynn Howarth to provide customers with bespoke portraits made using beer. Sharp says that local beer fans and visitors to the city can expect great beer (brewed by Ashton Lane head brewer Digger Robinson), delicious food and loads of innovation. He adds, “We really wanted to push the idea of comfort and went with natural leather and colours because we wanted it to be quite tactile and have a natural feel and colour that is offset against the wood and metal.”

Creative Play

This is indeed the Dundee Tap room for the Edinburgh based Innis and Gunn Brewery, and now that St Andrews Brewing have moved into town they have had a recent makeover to make the place more spacious and show case more of their beers in something more resembling a tap room environment.

Sharp says the team will also be offering plenty of advice on food pairings and that if any customer wishes to know what a particular beer tastes like before they buy, they can try a small taster for free. A 60-cover restaurant offering casual dining that’s “all about the flavour” awaits customers on the first floor. The design echoes the ground floor by using the same materials and furniture. A smaller replica of the bar runs along the left wall to an open kitchen. Hall points out, “downstairs the theatre is the brewery so here that theatre is the open kitchen, which equally creates a bit of atmosphere and interest.” The brand's founder says the micro-brewery isn't the only new toy the bar will have to play around with. Avoid if: You would think I would say if you didn't like beer but actually they have most bases covered even if you're not that into your hops.Perfect for: If, like me, it has been a while since you last ventured down Ashton Lane, The Beer Kitchen offers something new to an area that was in need of a bit of a boost. So get some friends and go drink some great beer. We also have the barrel aging room where we plan to mature a range of different beers in miniaturised (virgin) oak barrels so you'll be able to go in and actually taste beer from an oak barrel and actually see the effect that it has on the flavour.