Antidotes are used as a medication for poison, which would suggest that this lager should be taken medicinally. For what ailment, who knows. Better safe than sorry though, right?
Brewed in Eyam, which is famous for being one of the first places to enforce a quarantine on itself when an outbreak of the plague occurred in 1665, resulting in heavy casualties but massively advancing our understanding of disease transmission.
Despite the name of this beer, it is not the treatment the village used for the plague, although i'm sure it would have made anyone feeling unwell a little better after a few of them.
Brewed in a traditional method with barley and hops to create a classic continental pilsner that is malty, smooth and refreshing. A testament to doing the basics well to create a solid beer.
A straight pilsner with no funky ingredients or additions, the aroma is quite plain and simple with a little bready scent along with freshness. The pour is light yellow and the body is quite thick for a pilsner, a thickness that doesn't carry into the flavour profile, which is actually quite light.
The texture is smooth and there is a fruity sweetness to it initially, similar to berries rather than more exotic fruits. There's a little bitterness from the hops and the bready malt is prominent enough to create a balance without being overpowering.
The malt flavour comes more to the fore towards the back of the flavour profile, building into a smooth finish that is more akin to an IPA in terms of body and crispness, rather than the definite finish of other pilsners.
Sticking with the simple-is-best theme, Eyam Brewery have opted for a big brown bottle with a simple purple label/bottle cap combination.
The main design of the label features a bottle of antidote for something, presumably an antidote for the plague given the brewery's history, but it could just as easily be the antidote for a hangover.
The words 'antidote pilsner' are written in an Olde Englishe style which again nods to the history of Eyam and it's relevance to the Middle Ages.
Arguably quite a plain label in an age of funky designs and vivid colours, but I actually find it quite charming and it makes me feel like it's more special somehow, like it's a local secret I get to taste.
One that's uber local, we managed to find this in our local bottle shop Beer Central. It is available online at Eyam Brewery's webshop for just £2.40 a can, but you have to order at least 12.
Still, not the end of the world if you really want to try it. The more beer the better, right?
