Omne trium perfectum. Three, as they say, is the magic number.

We've recently made the decision to switch our Spectrum series from a quartet of releases per month to a trio. The reasoning is nothing to do with the human brain's predilection for groups of three (unless we’ve done it unconsciously…) - it’s a little more exciting than that. We will soon be devoting more brewing capacity (and consequently tap space) to our new series of Drygate Draft Picks; bringing back some of our favourite session beers and hoppy draft pale ales, as an exclusive for our bar and a select group of other venues (more on this in an upcoming blog post). Focusing on three Spectrums per month instead of four also gives each that little bit more attention, which they definitely deserve. So, to celebrate, we'll introduce this month’s trilogy of small batch Studio brews in the form of the three act structure.

MIMOSASAURUS  - 6.9% Blood Orange Brut IPA

Our Spectrum journey begins with some exposition; Mimosasaurus is a great introduction to what our small-batch beers are all about. Exploring the edge of what beer can be, this exciting blood orange brut IPA is genuinely more like a sparkling wine than an IPA, complete with aromas of biscuity Champagne and Burgundian Chardonnay, white grape and gooseberry, and a snap of sulphur. The addition of blood orange puree (thus providing the mimosa element) comes through more recognisably - although still subtly - on the palate, along with flavours of peach, pear and citrus peel. Citra and Ekuanot provide aroma and flavour; Bravo for a deftly judged bitterness. This is the perfect brunch beer, and great for pairing with food; we’re super proud of Marc’s latest Spectrum beer (Marc is his own harshest critic and even he likes it). Mimosasaurus is also the Spectrum beer we’ve bottled this month (available now in our bar and shop!). But as we move into our second act, the eagle-eyed amongst you might have noticed a little foreshadowing there. Brut IPA? A fad style? That doesn’t seem very Drygate...

UNRETROFIED  - 6.6% Vegan Milkshake Pale Ale 

In the second act, the stakes are upped - we’ve gone Full Joose. Unretrofied is loaded with Galaxy, Motueka, Citra, plus both flaked and golden naked oats; in a dangerously on-trend turn of events, Phil has brewed up a milkshake pale ale, but without the milk - vegans rejoice! Packed with fruity aromas of pomegranate, melon, strawberry, and lemon bon-bon, plus bonus notes of Refreshers, Parma Violets and vanilla, this full-bodied pillowy pale is sweet but not cloying, smooth yet prickly enough to keep things interesting, and the rounded fruit flavour is balanced with just enough fresh and vibrant myrcene. No hop burn here, thanks.

We’ve also decided to start including one of our Spectrum beers on cask each month. This time round, the velvet texture and soft bitterness of Unretrofied made it the ideal candidate for cask dispense. This obscenely en vogue revelation marks the end of the second act, surely heralding the beginning of the end for Drygate. Have we gone all-out-hype? Will our Spectrum series descend into trend chasing? Will the Studio Kit become a soup kitchen?

PERFECT TIMING - 4.3% Pear & Thyme Saison

With split-second precision, our pear & thyme saison swoops in, all Deus Ex Machina with extra fruit and herbs. Iona has integrated mellow pear and fragrant thyme into a hazy gold saison; up-front it’s all pear drops and pops of apple and banana. Aromatic thyme comes through subtly, supported by herbal hop notes from Styrian Wolf. Hints of clove augment soft poached pear on the palate, and a structured herbal complexity is given more weight by the use of rye. A moderate but yielding bitterness is balanced against a smooth, dry wheat beer base.

The third act resolves the tension of the second - no, we aren’t likely to switch to making only milkshake pales, but we’ll be looking forward to doing another one sometime in the not too distant future. That’s the sequel sorted then… For now, we’ll carry on with our varied Spectrum series, trying out modern, historical and classic craft beer styles, and brewing the things we ourselves want to drink.

As ever, our Spectrum series is pouring from the first Thursday of the month, so they are available on draft at Drygate now. The cask Unretrofied may not last long, so we recommend heading down this weekend to try it out. We’ve got a busy May ahead of us - our upcoming birthday celebrations being a particular highlight - so be sure to checkout our events page for even more reasons to stop by, and if that isn’t enough, we just launched our brand new summer menu.

See you for the bank holiday weekend!