Disclaimer: We received these products free of charge for the purpose of this review and all thoughts and opinions are our own.
High above Hebden Bridge, in an old chicken shed surrounded by the hills and windswept moorlands of the South Pennines, you’ll find Vocation Brewery. It’s not the sort of setting you’d immediately associate with modern craft beer, but founder John Hickling clearly saw something in it. Leaving his job to pursue brewing, he found the combination of fresh Yorkshire water and a rather spectacular landscape the perfect place to make bold, flavoursome beers.
Vocation was a new brewery to me, but sampling beer for a review is hardly the toughest job I’ve ever been given! The first thing that caught my eye was the fantastic designs on the cans, with each beer having its own distinctive artwork. I know plenty of people who buy wine and beer based on the picture on the label so I’m convinced these cans will sell themselves before you’ve even got as far as reading the label!
We started with Extra Time (4.8% Extra Pale Ale) – £4.25, which is a proper summer beer. It’s pale, bright and refreshing, with Idaho 7 hops bringing soft apricot and stone-fruit flavours, followed by a hit of citrus and a clean finish. There’s good flavour without it becoming heavy, making it very easy to drink. This would be cracking with a barbecue, particularly grilled chicken, sausages or burgers, and the fruity character works nicely with a mature cheddar too.
Next came The Lure (6% NEIPA) – £5.25 The underwater-themed can is really eyecatching while the soft, hazy New England IPA inside is full of tropical fruit, the Mosaic, Citra and Galaxy hops bring mango and other tropical notes, while the grapefruit and lime add a sharper edge. This is the beer I’d pair with something with a bit of heat: spicy chicken, tacos, a curry or anything fresh from the barbecue.
Fiesta (5.4% Cactus & Lime Lager) – £4 was my favourite of the bunch. This new lager is the one I would reach for on a sunny day. Crisp, clean and easy to drink, it starts with the fresh zing of lime peel before the infusion of cactus brings a touch of herbal notes. I love the Mexican-inspired cactus design on the can and this gives a clue to the best foods to pair it with – Mexican dishes being the obvious choice. It goes well with tacos, fajitas and nachos, but it goes just as well with spicy chicken, grilled prawns or something from the barbecue. Anything with lime, chilli or a little heat is going to get on very nicely with this beer.
Dry Humour (6% Brut IPA) – £5.50 is a completely different proposition. Bright, crisp and dry with a sparkling finish that makes it a refreshing summer drink. Nelson Sauvin, Hallertau Blanc and Citra hops bring citrus, tropical fruit and gooseberry. It’s an interesting beer because it feels a bit wine-like at times. .
Food-wise, this is the one I’d reach for with seafood. Fish or prawns dishes would work well because that dry finish helps cut through richer flavours. It’s a beer with a bit of sophistication about it, but thankfully without taking itself too seriously.
The final beer we tried was The Surrealist (5.5% Belgian Witbier) – £4.25, a fresh Belgian-style wheat beer brewed with orange peel and coriander. The orange brings a gentle sweetness while the coriander adds a subtle spiced note. It’s lighter and more delicate than some of the others, making it a good choice for lighter meals.
It works really well with grilled fish, roast chicken or a salad as there’s enough flavour to complement the food without overpowering it, which is exactly what you want from a beer with a meal.
What impressed us most was the variety. Every beer had its own personality, from the fruity, easy-drinking Extra Time to the tropical punch of The Lure, the sharp freshness of Fiesta, the dry complexity of Dry Humour and the citrusy character of The Surrealist.
And that’s the mark of a good brewery. You don’t want five beers that taste vaguely similar. You want each one to give you a reason to reach for it. Vocation certainly does that. I really enjoyed these beers and while I’m not going to pretend there was any hardship involved in drinking them, these beers proved that good brewing is about more than simply putting hops and water in a can. Get the flavours right, pair them with the right food and you’re sorted!
