Getting to know: House of Pint
A book should never be judged by its cover, according to the idiom that tells us how unwise it is to form opinions and make assessments without firstly taking a look inside. The merits of a brewery, therefore, should not be based on its size, output capacity or ability to generate a hullabaloo and buzz that is all show and no substance. The merits of a brewery can only be based on its ability to produce wonderful beers that people want to drink (again and again) and its potential to continue producing great beers to the same standard far into the future.
There’s Utrecht’s House of Pint, for example, which till recently only produced one beer — the HOP IPA #1 — but in the relatively short time that it’s been available in the market (only 6-months), it has taken the area by storm. Not only are the local cafés, bars, restaurants and pubs taking an initial batch of HOP IPA #1, but they’re also placing repeat orders. Many drinkers are ordering boxes of HOP IPA #1 for home consumption, too!
The future for House of Pint was looking bright thanks to its HOP IPA #1, which perhaps owes a debt to the beer’s honesty and self-confessed absence of ‘hipstershit’. However, if the future was looking bright before, it’s now absolutely scorching.
It is rare to find an enterprise that enjoys great success with its first commercial endeavour; and on the occasions when this does happen, it’s usually a sign of continuing greatness with bigger and better things ahead. House of Pint are the epitome of this.
In mid-May 2018, the pirate ship hove into sight, the jolly roger flying brazenly from its mast. House of Pint’s buccaneering “Arrr!” arrived, a Black IPA that took no prisoners at the Utrecht Beer Brewers Festival organised by PINT, the Dutch Beer Consumers Association. Arrr! delighted consumers and judges enough to be awarded the 2018 trophy for the Best Rated Beer in the province of Utrecht — named in memory of local beer-lover Tomas Schroën, who sadly lost his brave battle last year.
Brewers Wijnand Brouwer and Walter Van Den Eikhof were at the Utrecht Beer Brewers Festival to collect the trophy, but third brewer Wouter “Bounty” Kool was unable to attend. In spite of the swashbuckling regalia and many Long John Silver-esque gags, Wijnand and Walter looked somewhat dapper and un-piratical when collecting their pieces-of-eight, wearing matching waistcoats and jolly roger ties. Not even “Arrr, Jim Lad!” or Captain Flint (the parrot) made an appearance!
House of Pint are now caught on the hop (no one-legged pirate pun intended), since demand for Arrr! and its younger sibling, HOP IPA #1, will certainly escalate. There’s no time to rest on any laurels, here. The House of Pint family needs to continue to grow. We know Research and Development into a Pils and a Blond are well underway, at least, and perhaps they’re working on something that may give you wings, too!
It’s no secret that House of Pint has taken its cue from American hip hop group House of Pain, whose first album (House of Pain) was known as Fine Malt Lyrics. House of Pint’s logo pays homage to House of Pain insomuch as their slogan is Fine Malt Brewskies rather than Fine Malt Lyrics. House of Pain’s single shamrock has been replaced by three hop cones, representative of Wijnand, Walter and Bounty, The Three Brewsketeers!
So, get out your seat and jump around! Grab yourself an Arrr! and jump around!