A Few Questions with Wiper and True

Wiper and True create some of the best beers coming out of Bristol at the moment, and with a plethora of brewing talent in the local area, that’s no mean feat. We caught up the boys at a super secret location somewhere in Bristol (it was actually via email, but that’s not very exciting.) What’s new chaps?

We’re a bit heads down at the moment, but the thing that is taking up a lot of our time is definitely going to need a party: we’ve just started a new brewery build. At the moment it’s a cloud of dust and a cacophony of noise as they dig up the concrete floors but when it’s all done we’ll have three times our current capacity. That should be up and running by May so we’ll definitely be having an opening event then as we’ll be in need of a beer at the end!

Snazzy. Any special releases we should know about for 2015?

Our stocks got decimated in December so we’re just trying to build them up again. We’ve got another batch of Small Beer coming soon, which seems to be building up a following especially since featuring on Channel 4’s Sunday Brunch a few weeks back. We’ve got some Milk Shake in the tanks which was one of our most popular beers in the run up to Christmas and also a nice local one - a Porter spiced with Bristol Blend pepper. Our 100th brew should be out and about on a few shelves at the moment too - Quintet - an India Pale Ale available in 750ml sharing bottles which is a new departure for us.

Following Arbor, Extract etc., which other local businesses would you like to collaborate with and why?

A: We’re so lucky to be based in Bristol with all the fantastic local food and drink businesses that we’re a bit spoilt for possibilities. We’re planning a collaboration with Left Handed Giant brewing and also with the guys at the Bristol Brewdog bar. We developed a specific beer to go with Chomp’s burgers and continue to work closely with them since they’ve opened the new restaurant. It’s fascinating working on the minutiae of just that one thing - how to get the perfect beer and burger combination. We love the way many local chefs and restaurants are reflective of the seasons and have started working with Ben Pryor at Poco and spice expert Emma Grazette on how we can embrace that approach more. You should see that start to come through our beers later in the year.

Following on from the success of Dr Strangelove, it would be great to do another collaboration with our friends at Extract soon too.

Is there a particular beer that you're most proud of or were surprised by?

Our roots are in home brewing, so in terms of being surprised it was probably those first few brews and the astonishment for both my friends and myself when they tasted OK! Now when we’re developing recipes I can clearly imagine how it will taste and smell as a finished product so that element has gone away. I don’t think there is a particular beer that I am especially proud of, but if I had to highlight one thing it would be the quality we’ve been able to achieve whilst “gypsy” brewing at different places. They each bring different challenges so we’re looking forward to brewing on our own kit and really getting the best out of it.

You can find the recogniseable white and gold labels of Wiper and True all over Bristol and beyond. Check out the full list over on their site.