Fourpure: Art, Beer and Adventure
We all know it, one of the most fundamental parts of any art exhibition is the bar! Tasty, gorgeously packaged beer is a fantastic conversation opener and makes for a joyous, celebratory private view. I was absolutely delighted when Fourpure offered to sponsor the exhibition at the end of my residency with First Floor Space - they’re a wonderful, London-based brewery that grew from a fascination with the traditional principles of brewing and a respect for the four core, versatile ingredients of beer: grain, yeast, hops and water (hence the name). I caught up with Adrian, the Head of Marketing at Fourpure, to find out more about their brand and how natural landscapes inspire their recipes.
A Fourpure Pils Lager in front of my installation
[Debbie] Can you describe the beer (Pils Lager and American Pale) you very kindly provided for our event? Where does the inspiration behind the recipes come from?
[Adrian] Co-founders Dan and Tom Lowe set about creating beers that took inspiration from their travels abroad. With plenty of time spent in the US and Europe - exploring, walking, cycling and drinking a wide range of beers, our Pils was born from crisp, refreshing lagers enjoyed in Munich’s beer halls and the American inspired Pale Ale takes floral, fruit driven hops to shape a flavoursome, easy drinking ale.
A Fourpure American Pale in front of my installation
[Debbie] What do you think makes a good beer?
[Adrian] Beer has become such a personal thing, with some many different brewers, styles and drinkers out there, there truly is a beer for everyone. That being said we think balance is really important, there are four core ingredients that make up beer (hence Fourpure) and it’s important that each one of these ingredients plays their part in the intended style. A great example is Indian Pale Ales: really hoppy beers benefit from a solid malt base so they don’t end up too bitter or astringent. Attention to detail from production to packaging makes sure your beer is presented in the best possible condition.
[Debbie] I love your video explaining your brand, you really get a sense that Fourpure is a friendly, supportive business full of enthusiastic brewers! Can you expand on the connection between the beautiful landscapes you filmed and your range of beers?
[Adrian] This all ties back to our brand platform of being ‘Inspired by Adventure’. The beers and inspiration behind a lot of what we do has been derived from our co-founders and our team being out in the world. The impact that time, place and experience has on what we brew, is as important as the beers we love to drink and the flavours and aromas that we try to capture when we create something new.
A visitor enjoying a can of American Pale in front of my painting, ‘Fish’
[Debbie] Your website also mentions that you care for the environment during manufacturing - how does this impact your brewing processes and your choice of ingredients?
[Adrian] It’s something we are always working on. As a resource intensive, fast growing business it’s really important that we’re conscious of our environmental impact as we continue to grow. Certain business decisions (including our decision to use cans rather than bottles) are tied directly to sustainability, we manage our own fleet of vans to minimise beer miles which we offset through planting trees here in the UK and we monitor and measure all processes throughout the brewery to keep an eye on areas where we can make changes to increase performance and improve our sustainability practices.
Me, awkward as ever, enjoying a Fourpure American Pale in front of my installation
[Debbie] Where can we hear more about your brand and buy your beer?
[Adrian] Come in and visit the Brewery tap room (a relaxed, open bar attached to our brewery in Bermondsey). Visit us at www.fourpure.com or follow us on social media insta @fourpure twitter @fourpurebrewing
