Yes, a Scottish brewery has actually made a beer with proper, meaty Bovril in it… but is it remotely palatable?
Drygate, based in Glasgow, have released their “big and beefy” stout, which genuinely has Bovril listed as an ingredient, and dubbed it “A Brew From The Terrace”.
It’s named in honour of Scottish football show A View From The Terrace, which has hit 100 episodes.
In my lifetime, I’ve only had the pleasure on a handful of occasions to enjoy some Bovril, as football isn’t my thing.
But if there’s one person in the P&J newsroom whose had his fair share of Bovril at football matches, it’s got to be Ryan Cryle, our joint sports editor.
Who better to review this beefy beer? Is it any good? Is it just a bit of a manky gag gift to end up pouring down the sink?
Ryan and I tried a bottle of this Bovril beer to see for ourselves.
Bovril beer: ‘Holy Cow’, or ‘Bull****’?
- 5.2%
- Not currently available to purchase online
- Drygate Brewing Co, Glasgow
- Style: Flavoured stout
You might know Drygate Brewery from their more… pedestrian beers, which are found widely on supermarket shelves and in pubs across Scotland, like Disco Forklift Truck mango pale ale, and Bearface Lager.
So I was shocked to see them putting out something as crazy as a beer with actual Bovril in it.
Ryan and I opened the bottle with a bit of trepidation, expecting the bottle to fill the kitchen with a meaty odour, but at first whiff it just smelled like a normal, straightforward stout.
Much to our surprise, that’s basically exactly what it tasted like as well.
“It’s really decent. It doesn’t really taste like Bovril at all,” said Ryan.
“I genuinely just think it tastes like a porter. A little bit rich, but if you told me that was a chocolate porter or stout, I’d say, fair enough.”
Would he have the Bovril beer again?
“If offered, yes, but would I go out of my way to find it? Possibly not.
“Bovril tastes like… gravy, and it just doesn’t really have that at all.”
“They’ve clearly skimped on the Bovril.”
I agree. Where I was expecting a mental flavour of meat, there wasn’t any — but it was still a damn fine beer.
My rating: 3.5/5
Where can I try this Bovril beer?
If you want to get your hands on A Brew From The Terrace Bovril beer, unfortunately you’re probably not going to have much luck, as it was a one-off, limited release and isn’t available currently for purchase from their online store.
But if you happen to be in Glasgow, you can always try your luck at Drygate’s brewery, bar and kitchen, located just south of the Necropolis.
Kieran is a former craft beer barman and publishes his beer column every Tuesday online. You can also read his column in the P&J’s Food and Drink magazine, which you can find inside your Press and Journal newspaper every Saturday.
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