Q: What has Taylor Swift got to do with the Bent and Bongs Beer Bash?
A: Absolutely nothing!
But as possibly the biggest event of 2023 and 2024 we thought it might be fun to figure out a Taylor Swift beer trail. It’s meant to be fun. These aren’t all going to be the best beers in the festival. If you want to try something a bit different, have a few chuckles, give your taste buds a different experience, or just just learn a few more facts and figures about this quite amazing woman, why not follow along the Swifties beer trail.
S-W-I-F-T-I-E-S. That’s eight letters. That’s eight beers. A half of each surely can’t hurt that much. What could possibly go wrong?
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S is for Sticking It To The Man.
This has to be one of the most amazing stories of the music industry. Taylor released her first six albums through the Big Machine Records label. In 2019 an American entrepreneur and music industry A&R guy, Scooter Braun, bought BMR. Taylor Swift was not happy about this as she had been trying to buy her own back catalogue herself.
To say that Taylor Swift and Scooter Braun did not get on well would be the understatement of the decade. A bit like calling the sun pretty warm, or Timmy Taylors Landlord quite popular.
Things got worse in 2020 when Scooter Braun sold the rights to Taylor’s first six albums to venture capitalists knowing all along that Taylor herself wanted to buy them.
There is a saying: don’t get mad, get even. She seems to have done better than that. Taylor re-recorded her original albums. Yep, the same songs and same music, just a new recording. Which songs do fans stream? Taylor’s new vrsions. Which albums do fans buy? Taylor’s new versions. That $300m paid by the venture capitalists is diminishing in value all the time yet it’s still hard to feel any pity for them.
Your first choice of beer depends on whether this story leaves you with a sour taste for the cold hard world of venture capitalism? Or maybe instead the sweet taste of victory? Head to Craft Corner for either Hammerton – City of Cake (5.5%) or Rivington – Lucid Dreaming Magic Wonder (6.3%) for sweet or sour respectively.
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W is for Wall; the Berlin Wall.
The Berlin wall came down in 1989 which coincidentally is the year that Taylor Swift was born. If you ever wondered where the inspiration for the title of her album 1989 came from, it’s easy enough to join the dots.
Berlin no longer has a wall but it does have an Edinburger Strasse where you find the wonderful little microbrewery Schneeeule Berlin which brews Schneeeule Marlene (3.5%), a rather lovely Berliner Weisse. Find it in the middle of the Foreign Bar.
If instead you are feeling like something a bit different and a bit fruity, and hey who isn’t?, head to Craft Corner to try the Rivington – Light Come Shining – v3 Raspberry (3.9%). A different twist on the more classic Berliner Weisse style.
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I is for International. Best International Female Solo Artist. The first ever BRIT award that Taylor Swift won, in 2015.
An international award needs an international beer. Stroll over to the Foreign Bar for the beer that has travelled the furthest to be here for you; all the way from Estonia. The most international beer in the roller rink one might say.
Forests have a deep influence on Estonian culture, so much so that the brewers Põhjala brew a series of beers in celebration, the Forest Series. Põhjala Kuusk (6%) is one of these beers. It is a zesty IPA brewed with American hops and the tips of Estonian spruce trees. Expect some lovely citrus tastes to begin with settling to a more lovely piney sprucy flavour. Delish.
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F is for Five. Five billion dollars. Economists estimate that The Era’s Tour added five billion dollars to the US economy in 2023. That was the difference between the US economy staying in the green and avoiding slipping into recession. One woman, single-handedly, kept the US economy out of recession. Respect!
F is also for Fyne Ales, and their flagship beer, Jarl (3.8%). Jarl is an all-time Bent and Bongs favourite and it’s easy to see why when you taste its beautiful delicate citrussy bittery lovliness.
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T is for Trees; or more specifically Christmas Trees. Taylor grew up on a Christmas Tree farm in Pennsylvania; in her own words: in a gingerbread house, deep within the yummy gummy gumdrop forest. It adds a whole new meaning to her song Christmas Tree Farm huh?
We don’t have a Christmas tree farm, or even a Christmas tree, but we do have a Christmas beer, De Ranke Pere Noel (7%). It’s a seasonal Christmas beer, only available in the middle of winter, and it’s one of the finest beers you will find in the festival. Even better is that you get it here on draught. Head to the Belgium end of the Foreign Bar and hope there is some left. Fear not if there is none left as we have three, yes three, Christmas specials on the bar this year. The other two are Gouden Carolus Christmas/Noel (10.5%) and Straffe Hendrik Xmas Blend (11%). Remember when we told you that these aren’t going to be the best beers in the festival? We lied. These three are not just some of the finest beers in the festival, they are three of the finest beers in the world. These are strong beers. Sip them slowly and enjoy every moment.
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I is for Inspiration? Inspiration is everywhere.
Taylor’s grandmother was an opera singer; an inspirational figure in Taylor’s life of music.
Taylor’s birth year of 1989 was the inspiration for her album of the same name.
The Scooter Braun story was the inspiration for her song Karma.
Karma can be a bitch or Karma can be wonderful. Karma can also come from Wigan. You didn’t see that one coming did you? That’s Karma that is! Towards the end of the Cask Bar you find Wily Fox – Karma Citra (4.3%). This is a multi-award winner. Sound familiar? A quadruple hit of citra hops makes this hipster heaven. Or should that be hopster heaven?
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E? It had to be Ed Sheeran, no? Ed is one of Taylor Swift’s great friends and has appeared with her live more than once. Heck that’s a lot of singer songwriter on one stage.
Head over to the Cask Bar for some Exmoor Gold (4.5%). It comes up from Taunton and is a Bent and Bongs all time favourite beer. Plus, as luck would have it, Exmoor Gold is also the Pantone colour reference for the colour of Ed Sheeran’s hair.
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S is for Strawberry, Fruli Strawberry (4.1%). Allegedly this is Travis Kelce’s favourite beer, along with half of the offensive unit of the Kansas City Chiefs. Patrick Mahomes attributes the 2023 Superbowl LVII win to the half time team talk plus a couple of swift scoops of Fruli. Travis got Taylor drinking it on one of their early dates and she hasn’t looked back since. It might be a fruit beer but if it’s good enough for Taylor Swift, Travis Kelce, and half the Chiefs it’s certainly good enough for you. Head to the fruit beer end of the Foreign bar, next to the gin, and finish off your Swifties beer trail with a refreshing gulp of Fruli.
Have a Great Night
All of these Taylor Swift facts are 100% true. Except the ones that aren’t. Our hope is that you had a chuckle and maybe tried a new beer or two or three. If any of this raised a smile on a cold, winter, February night that’s the best we can hope for.
For 2024 we also have Gentleman George’s recommendations where Gentleman George talks about some of the best beers in the whole festival. Check it out for more I for Inspiration.
Remember to drink responsibly, have a great night, and a great tomorrow.