Hello,
I have been going to Sun Fest for over ten years now - certainly for all the years that Abbeydale have been based at the excellent Rising Sun in Nethergreen in Sheffield, and certainly since their "First annual beer festival" in 2007, according to the glass I have collecting dust on my bedroom window sill. Am even sure that some of the staff volunteering at this years festival may have worked at the long ago Moon Fest, or fests, when Abbeydale briefly owned the pub before and now again called the Office, in Upperthorpe. This year, momentary madness and a recent return to work have rendered me a trifle funds free, but I still got up on Thursday last for the first public session.
Having walked into work I was a little tired when Malc asked me if I was attending. I advised him that my lack of funds was a good indication that I wouldn't be, however a kind friend lent me a few and after a couple of post work starters in the hot sunshine I set off about half past four to walk through Sheffield and up to the Rising Sun, which took me about one hour and fifteen minutes . I sat with Richard S, Bex and Richard H, and started on a third of Abbeydale Cyro Huxter, a fab soupy IPA brewed with Peddler market, and an ideal starter at 6.0%. During my sup I went to see Malc and Ally, although as I know she prefers dark beers I didn't offer her a taste. Bumping into Dan and Robin from the brewery and a number of folks from Shakespeares and the Crow, it was obvious there was much interest in the beer list, and later attendees can confirm that my starter did not last that long.
The next boozes tried from the list were Black Iris chasing the Sun, a fab 6.5% murky, Juicy IPA, later followed by rain showers, along with Crosspool Ale Makers society Delph House, a similarly strong IPA but with more traditional flavours, and the absolutely excellent Turning Point Brew Co 6.2% Off the grid IPA, like the first two significantly vegan friendly, and made with excellent Simcoe, Cascade and Chinook. I also tried some of my fellow guests Unbeliever 8.1 Mango and Lychee kettle sour, along with Box Social Blood Eagle at 4.2%, an excellent hazy dry hopped pale, and the absurdly strong Methusula Rum barrel aged imperial stout which was incredible.
Dan and other Abbeydale folk came round with free tasters of their 4.5% keg lager, which I understand is being sold to a number of local restaurants, and I tried some Brew York Tonkoko which was a strong flavoured 4.3% coconut milk stout. I soon moved onto the "evil keg" section, as nobody rational called it, and enjoyed the excellent St Mars of the dessert Endless Toil brewed with Hop Hideout, along with an equally marvelous Arbour Ales Space Hardware IPA at a lovely 6.6%. I also tried a third of the Abbeydale and Thornbridge Black IPA RITA at 6.0%, which was very enjoyable. I may have finished on either a third of the 9% out of sight strong pale ale with a wonderful selection of hops, frim Manchester's Track Brewing, and possibly a Wilde Child wheel of fortune at 4.7%, a heavily hopped pale packed with Summit, Eureka and Simcoe hops. This mesmerising intake of resin was, throughout the festival, perfectly supported by marvelously tasty snacks from a wonderful person who had brought some to keep us sober during our libations. I left about 21.30 to catch a bus back to town and home, filled to the brim with wonderful tastes and memories.
Interestingly I overheard a discussion in a venue yesterday from a Sunday or Saturday attendee , claiming that there was too much Abbeydale produce. This is an interesting suggestion, given that the pub is owned, and the festival run and organiseded by, the very same. Someone had apparently said it was "all Abbeydale", but in a moment of geeky knowledge searching I can confirm that even if you dismissed the statement I made above, of a total of 103 listed beers, only 27 were Abbeydale, which if perhaps high, is also admittedly less than a quarter. And, also, why not? A beer festival is a great way to try out new beer styles, and their percentage of involvement I think justifies their provision of a higgh number of, lets face it, numerously different styles (they also did some very low gravity, almost alcohol free brews) of boohar, in an excellent location.
Well done once again to all involved in this excellent celebration of beers and sunshine at yet another excellent Sun Fest at the Rising Sun.
Cheers!
Wee Beefy
Monday 15 July 2019
Tuesday 9 July 2019
Coventry
Hullabalo,
this weekend was my first ever trip to Coventry in the West midlands, on a quick tour with Ws Keet and Fatha. As we were in effect taking Fatha for a break we didn't plan to visit a lot of pubs but we visited a few, and here is what we found.
We stayed at the Days Inn near town, a pleasant, if not slightly odd venue with a bizarre mix of staff and where you had to ask for a new card every half an hour since they stopped working, a bizarre situation which they claimed existed in all top class hotels....that kind of puts the kaibosh on my experience of room key cards not expiring at any stage over the last few years, but what do I know...
On our way to Coventry we stopped at Sutton Stop by a junction in/at the end of, the Coventry canal, for a lunch and a pint in the Greyhound. Myself and WF were on draught Bass and WK was on a potential Springhead beer, and having put up a giant standing umberella WK and F were sat in the shade of the hot sunshine, whilst I was sat very much within it. The food came quickly and was excellent and the Bass was a long missed, and enjoyed supping option, in a great place to stop.
Once in Coventry we walked into town, pushing Wee Fatha, to the cathedral before wandering back after a look at the older buildings on Spon Street, before heading off to the Hook Norton owned Anchor in Leek Wooton to meet the relatives. The pub served four or five beers including Old Hooky an Purity Mad Goose, and the food was very enjoyable too.
After a quick trip nearby we headed back to the Hotel before me and WK headed out for a last one. We started near Spon street in the Gatehouse Tavern where I had an excellent pint of Church End pale at 5.5% and WK tried a mild which had just run out so he didn't have to pay for it. From here we walked down just in time to try out the Town Hall Tavern with its uniquely small Donkey Bar and a range of real ales including Adnams Broadside which I had. Brilliant music, well decorated and packed with friendly locals this was our final stop and our pub of the day.
The next day, a little colder, we headed to the cathedral once again having not got in previously, and WF treated us to a meal in a cafe underneath. After a now expensive trip to the nearby transport museum we wandered out of the city centre to the Twisted Barrel Brewery and Tap House. On arriving it was a lively atmosphere but we got a table and bought beers for all, a bitter for WF, a Rye IPA and Pixel Juice from Twisted Barrel for Keith, and two thirds of a 6.5% NEIPA from the same for me. We also tried some Obsidian sky, and Citra Fog from Burnt mill amongst other excellent beers from a choice of over twenty on keg. In addition to the above they had numerous other beers in can and bottle, and this helped make this perhaps the pub of the trip.
After a wander back to town we went for a Korean meal before wandering up to the Gatehouse, to show WF. Am not sure who brewed what I had but I know it was an Indian pale ale, and the Ws were on Church End and another local brewery beer. As we were leaving the landlord came and thanked us for visiting, before recommending we visit the Old Windmill on Spon street nearby. Coventry's oldest pub did not disappoint, with four or five real ales on including an over 5% porter from the local Backdykes brewery that I tried. The beers were well kept and once again the locals were friendly, making this an excellent end to our visit.
I fancy a return trip to try out a few more pubs in Coventry in the future, but for now the six that we tried in the two days were all excellent boozers, with an interesting range of both traditional and more unusual beers on offer.
Cheers!
Wee Beefy
this weekend was my first ever trip to Coventry in the West midlands, on a quick tour with Ws Keet and Fatha. As we were in effect taking Fatha for a break we didn't plan to visit a lot of pubs but we visited a few, and here is what we found.
We stayed at the Days Inn near town, a pleasant, if not slightly odd venue with a bizarre mix of staff and where you had to ask for a new card every half an hour since they stopped working, a bizarre situation which they claimed existed in all top class hotels....that kind of puts the kaibosh on my experience of room key cards not expiring at any stage over the last few years, but what do I know...
On our way to Coventry we stopped at Sutton Stop by a junction in/at the end of, the Coventry canal, for a lunch and a pint in the Greyhound. Myself and WF were on draught Bass and WK was on a potential Springhead beer, and having put up a giant standing umberella WK and F were sat in the shade of the hot sunshine, whilst I was sat very much within it. The food came quickly and was excellent and the Bass was a long missed, and enjoyed supping option, in a great place to stop.
Once in Coventry we walked into town, pushing Wee Fatha, to the cathedral before wandering back after a look at the older buildings on Spon Street, before heading off to the Hook Norton owned Anchor in Leek Wooton to meet the relatives. The pub served four or five beers including Old Hooky an Purity Mad Goose, and the food was very enjoyable too.
After a quick trip nearby we headed back to the Hotel before me and WK headed out for a last one. We started near Spon street in the Gatehouse Tavern where I had an excellent pint of Church End pale at 5.5% and WK tried a mild which had just run out so he didn't have to pay for it. From here we walked down just in time to try out the Town Hall Tavern with its uniquely small Donkey Bar and a range of real ales including Adnams Broadside which I had. Brilliant music, well decorated and packed with friendly locals this was our final stop and our pub of the day.
The next day, a little colder, we headed to the cathedral once again having not got in previously, and WF treated us to a meal in a cafe underneath. After a now expensive trip to the nearby transport museum we wandered out of the city centre to the Twisted Barrel Brewery and Tap House. On arriving it was a lively atmosphere but we got a table and bought beers for all, a bitter for WF, a Rye IPA and Pixel Juice from Twisted Barrel for Keith, and two thirds of a 6.5% NEIPA from the same for me. We also tried some Obsidian sky, and Citra Fog from Burnt mill amongst other excellent beers from a choice of over twenty on keg. In addition to the above they had numerous other beers in can and bottle, and this helped make this perhaps the pub of the trip.
After a wander back to town we went for a Korean meal before wandering up to the Gatehouse, to show WF. Am not sure who brewed what I had but I know it was an Indian pale ale, and the Ws were on Church End and another local brewery beer. As we were leaving the landlord came and thanked us for visiting, before recommending we visit the Old Windmill on Spon street nearby. Coventry's oldest pub did not disappoint, with four or five real ales on including an over 5% porter from the local Backdykes brewery that I tried. The beers were well kept and once again the locals were friendly, making this an excellent end to our visit.
I fancy a return trip to try out a few more pubs in Coventry in the future, but for now the six that we tried in the two days were all excellent boozers, with an interesting range of both traditional and more unusual beers on offer.
Cheers!
Wee Beefy
Monday 8 July 2019
The Gibraltar and West Bar Triangle
Hello,
suffice to say I have been a trifle unclear on what the name of this section of my living actually is. I asked both Lucienne and Chris at the Shakespeares as well as the folks at the Crow and Bar Stewards, what they thought the "scene" thought the area of all three was called. In the end two different answers were supplied, hence the oddness of the title. This uncertainty luckily deprives nothing from my second, third and forth homes in fab sunny Sheffield...
As you all know I have been drinking in Shakespeares on Gibraltar Street regularly since 2011. This was, a few days before the Robin Hood at little Matlock closed, the day the Shakespeares reopened, after Red House Jeff left and William bought it. I met the lovely Tash about two years later and have been going in Shakespeares at least four times a month ever since, including for my fortieth birthday party, with a wonderful cake from Ally. I admit I met someone from the poetry group up at the Cross Keys in there once, and Andy the DJ on the same night, probably about 2009, and I did once pop in with Abz around 1994, but since 2011 it has become one of my and my friends favourite pubs, selling some of the most amazing halves and pints and thirds of excellent ale in cask from the past, keg, bottle, and can, along with a wonderful selection of gins, whiskies and wines, served by some of the finest bar staff I have ever met. This makes me very pleased that it is the longest visited of the three excellent venues on the trail....
Across the road is the Bar Stewards micro pub and bottle bar. Although I missed their opening night I soon went in when the bar was on the left, which may have been in November or so 2016. After many original one off opening nights to sample their original choice of cask ales from the barrel, the bar was soon changed over a month and now appears facing you as you enter with boards advertising both the cask as well as the keg guests, along with their regular cider and lagers, and which points you to their two fridges containing a frankly mahoosive slab of wonderful IPAs, pale ales, sours, stouts, lagers, DIPAs and other items of wonderment. As a regular drinker in there for a good few years am very happy to find that my third home, complete with excellent bajis and samosas, is the next feature on this wonderful trio of excellent pubs.
The last venue to feature is the newly opened Crow Inn on Scotland street - here is a link to their Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/TheCrowInn/ which is one of many sites sharing information on keg and cask ales for you to choose from. Crucially they also serve Kevins pies, which I may have indulged in at the Closed Shop when I used to go in when it was run by Andy Stephens. Sadly, the earlier versions featured misplacement of an apostrophe, but regular readers will know that I am also involved in a lack of knowledge in the same respect so I think I may never have mentioned it....
The pub is owned by Wendy who used to own the Harlequin (I think...) and work at Shakespeares, and is run by Chris Bamford and David from the Rutland and Adam from Dronfiled - since that is where everyone knows he comes from....
There are five real ale handpumps selling a range including Abbeydale Daily Bread plus many locally produced and further afield guests, and it also has ten keg lines, along with a barrel load of excellent cans and bottles in the fridge, to add to an excellent gin rum and whisky list. I admit I went in the former Crown Inn a number of times in the naughties but have never bothered with Sleep as a venue before. I now find myself ordering a range of excellent cask and keg drinks and cans, whilst sitting in the small but wonderfully formed beer garden, often with friends, often in bright sunshine, or being inside enjoying the artwork on the walls in the two seating areas.
Am pleased to say that three of my favourite Sheffield pubs have been joined in a double named, shape featuring caravan of excellent trade in an area currently changing and improving very well indeed. I know that some people I know well have never visited the Crow so I would strongly insist that you do, and then, hopefully, also attend the other two parts of the triangle, Bar Stewards and Shakespeares, thus enjoying three excellent Sheffield boozers in one go.
Cheers!!
Wee Beefy
suffice to say I have been a trifle unclear on what the name of this section of my living actually is. I asked both Lucienne and Chris at the Shakespeares as well as the folks at the Crow and Bar Stewards, what they thought the "scene" thought the area of all three was called. In the end two different answers were supplied, hence the oddness of the title. This uncertainty luckily deprives nothing from my second, third and forth homes in fab sunny Sheffield...
As you all know I have been drinking in Shakespeares on Gibraltar Street regularly since 2011. This was, a few days before the Robin Hood at little Matlock closed, the day the Shakespeares reopened, after Red House Jeff left and William bought it. I met the lovely Tash about two years later and have been going in Shakespeares at least four times a month ever since, including for my fortieth birthday party, with a wonderful cake from Ally. I admit I met someone from the poetry group up at the Cross Keys in there once, and Andy the DJ on the same night, probably about 2009, and I did once pop in with Abz around 1994, but since 2011 it has become one of my and my friends favourite pubs, selling some of the most amazing halves and pints and thirds of excellent ale in cask from the past, keg, bottle, and can, along with a wonderful selection of gins, whiskies and wines, served by some of the finest bar staff I have ever met. This makes me very pleased that it is the longest visited of the three excellent venues on the trail....
Across the road is the Bar Stewards micro pub and bottle bar. Although I missed their opening night I soon went in when the bar was on the left, which may have been in November or so 2016. After many original one off opening nights to sample their original choice of cask ales from the barrel, the bar was soon changed over a month and now appears facing you as you enter with boards advertising both the cask as well as the keg guests, along with their regular cider and lagers, and which points you to their two fridges containing a frankly mahoosive slab of wonderful IPAs, pale ales, sours, stouts, lagers, DIPAs and other items of wonderment. As a regular drinker in there for a good few years am very happy to find that my third home, complete with excellent bajis and samosas, is the next feature on this wonderful trio of excellent pubs.
The last venue to feature is the newly opened Crow Inn on Scotland street - here is a link to their Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/TheCrowInn/ which is one of many sites sharing information on keg and cask ales for you to choose from. Crucially they also serve Kevins pies, which I may have indulged in at the Closed Shop when I used to go in when it was run by Andy Stephens. Sadly, the earlier versions featured misplacement of an apostrophe, but regular readers will know that I am also involved in a lack of knowledge in the same respect so I think I may never have mentioned it....
The pub is owned by Wendy who used to own the Harlequin (I think...) and work at Shakespeares, and is run by Chris Bamford and David from the Rutland and Adam from Dronfiled - since that is where everyone knows he comes from....
There are five real ale handpumps selling a range including Abbeydale Daily Bread plus many locally produced and further afield guests, and it also has ten keg lines, along with a barrel load of excellent cans and bottles in the fridge, to add to an excellent gin rum and whisky list. I admit I went in the former Crown Inn a number of times in the naughties but have never bothered with Sleep as a venue before. I now find myself ordering a range of excellent cask and keg drinks and cans, whilst sitting in the small but wonderfully formed beer garden, often with friends, often in bright sunshine, or being inside enjoying the artwork on the walls in the two seating areas.
Am pleased to say that three of my favourite Sheffield pubs have been joined in a double named, shape featuring caravan of excellent trade in an area currently changing and improving very well indeed. I know that some people I know well have never visited the Crow so I would strongly insist that you do, and then, hopefully, also attend the other two parts of the triangle, Bar Stewards and Shakespeares, thus enjoying three excellent Sheffield boozers in one go.
Cheers!!
Wee Beefy
Monday 1 July 2019
Pilcrow
Hulloo,
back in 2013, the happiest year of my life, and prior to heading off on my last holiday to Crete, I brewed a porter on cask from the past at Blue Bee brewery, with Jonathan Stanley Brothwell, Chris Wadsworth, Chris Bamford, Alex Corner and Robin Baker. I tried said brew in my second home and on one of my first nights out at the same with the wonderful Tash. For completely unrelated reasons, naturally, I went for the first time to the Pilcrow pub in Manchester with a trade ticket to their summer beer thing. And here is what happened.....
Its a few years since I went to this part of Manchester. This related lack of knowledge about where Sadlers yard actually was, is a fact I found out by asking two random blokes in a similarly obscured yard nearby, and by following the sound of music near one of too many Co-op buildings. It was hot and very busy when I arrived. My ticket was read from my phone, and I purchased ten tokens, and sat down at a table in the sunshine with two Manchester beer scene experts, whom had names, and everything, and supped my first beer, a 6.5% sour IPA from an American brewery. Alas I did not download nor find a list of the beers, so an element of guesswork must exist. So no changes there then....
Whilst chatting with these two Mancunian beer experts, who may, or may not, have worked for Marble, I noticed that as well as a session beers bar, there were also two bars entitled hops and more hops. I noticed that it sold a number of DIPAs, and having mis-anticipated a limited selection of oozingly bitter hop feasts I was pleased to discover that I would mostly be drinking DIPAs all day. As a tall man from Wander beyond turned up with his other half, colleague and yet another Manchestershire brewer, I moved onto a half of Boundary and Cloudwater, the taste limits went up and the talking took off once more.
About three o clock my current joiners opted to move off, not least am sure because some had been there since twelve, and I had the table to myself for a while. A young couple who may, or equally may not, have been from Bury, (the lass lived nearby I can now remember) came and joined me and I went into the actual Pilcrow pub to use their facilities, and went and grabbed some scran - curywurst sausages, onions and what may have been dill (alas I forget), served on chips covered in spicy dressing and absolutely delicious, served from one of the bars at the top end of the do.
With two beers left I tried a further DIPA and having been very kindly given some much needed sun cream I went and sat in the last of the now disappearing sunshine with a bloke who looked after my beer, and then with the wonderful Jules from Sheffield. She recommended I tried a third of the Black Iris and Track, or others, triple IPA at 10.5%. At 17.00 I bought my last drink and chatted with Jules about that and my other daily exploits and my plans for the remaining three hours. Meanwhile a DJ played some absolutely brilliant music whilst the young suppers sat in the last of the seating splashed in the last of the sunshine. Finishing my tenth third I went to hand my glass back and was told I could keep it - so three and a half hours or so after getting there I walked out happy from my first visit to the Pilcrow and headed to the Smithfield.
When we went there in 2012 myself and Scott and friends didn't particularly enjoy the pub but me and Tash did in 2013 and things appear to be much better since the year before that - I had a pint of excellent pale ale about 5.5% along with a range of, I think, thirteen keg beers, before I sat in a small chair with a table under some stairs enjoying my beer and thinking about where I should go next. This turned out to be the excellent Crown and Kettle, and I had a half of Wilde Child sour and another half on cask from the past along with an excellent pork pie to top up my lining! My final stop was in a completely packed Port Street Beer House, who may well have organised the Summer Beer Thing along with Indy Man Beer Con folks, and I got a lovely pint and a table to myself since everyone else was enjoying sitting or standing outside in the warmth!
Having thoroughly enjoyed my visit, and now being able to remember where to find it, I may revisit the Pilcrow following Indy Man Beer Con if I can go - Pilcrow is a wonderful venue, with excellent beers, and knowledgeable and friendly fellow drinkers, which I would highly recommend you visit.
Cheers!
Wee Beefy
back in 2013, the happiest year of my life, and prior to heading off on my last holiday to Crete, I brewed a porter on cask from the past at Blue Bee brewery, with Jonathan Stanley Brothwell, Chris Wadsworth, Chris Bamford, Alex Corner and Robin Baker. I tried said brew in my second home and on one of my first nights out at the same with the wonderful Tash. For completely unrelated reasons, naturally, I went for the first time to the Pilcrow pub in Manchester with a trade ticket to their summer beer thing. And here is what happened.....
Its a few years since I went to this part of Manchester. This related lack of knowledge about where Sadlers yard actually was, is a fact I found out by asking two random blokes in a similarly obscured yard nearby, and by following the sound of music near one of too many Co-op buildings. It was hot and very busy when I arrived. My ticket was read from my phone, and I purchased ten tokens, and sat down at a table in the sunshine with two Manchester beer scene experts, whom had names, and everything, and supped my first beer, a 6.5% sour IPA from an American brewery. Alas I did not download nor find a list of the beers, so an element of guesswork must exist. So no changes there then....
Whilst chatting with these two Mancunian beer experts, who may, or may not, have worked for Marble, I noticed that as well as a session beers bar, there were also two bars entitled hops and more hops. I noticed that it sold a number of DIPAs, and having mis-anticipated a limited selection of oozingly bitter hop feasts I was pleased to discover that I would mostly be drinking DIPAs all day. As a tall man from Wander beyond turned up with his other half, colleague and yet another Manchestershire brewer, I moved onto a half of Boundary and Cloudwater, the taste limits went up and the talking took off once more.
About three o clock my current joiners opted to move off, not least am sure because some had been there since twelve, and I had the table to myself for a while. A young couple who may, or equally may not, have been from Bury, (the lass lived nearby I can now remember) came and joined me and I went into the actual Pilcrow pub to use their facilities, and went and grabbed some scran - curywurst sausages, onions and what may have been dill (alas I forget), served on chips covered in spicy dressing and absolutely delicious, served from one of the bars at the top end of the do.
With two beers left I tried a further DIPA and having been very kindly given some much needed sun cream I went and sat in the last of the now disappearing sunshine with a bloke who looked after my beer, and then with the wonderful Jules from Sheffield. She recommended I tried a third of the Black Iris and Track, or others, triple IPA at 10.5%. At 17.00 I bought my last drink and chatted with Jules about that and my other daily exploits and my plans for the remaining three hours. Meanwhile a DJ played some absolutely brilliant music whilst the young suppers sat in the last of the seating splashed in the last of the sunshine. Finishing my tenth third I went to hand my glass back and was told I could keep it - so three and a half hours or so after getting there I walked out happy from my first visit to the Pilcrow and headed to the Smithfield.
When we went there in 2012 myself and Scott and friends didn't particularly enjoy the pub but me and Tash did in 2013 and things appear to be much better since the year before that - I had a pint of excellent pale ale about 5.5% along with a range of, I think, thirteen keg beers, before I sat in a small chair with a table under some stairs enjoying my beer and thinking about where I should go next. This turned out to be the excellent Crown and Kettle, and I had a half of Wilde Child sour and another half on cask from the past along with an excellent pork pie to top up my lining! My final stop was in a completely packed Port Street Beer House, who may well have organised the Summer Beer Thing along with Indy Man Beer Con folks, and I got a lovely pint and a table to myself since everyone else was enjoying sitting or standing outside in the warmth!
Having thoroughly enjoyed my visit, and now being able to remember where to find it, I may revisit the Pilcrow following Indy Man Beer Con if I can go - Pilcrow is a wonderful venue, with excellent beers, and knowledgeable and friendly fellow drinkers, which I would highly recommend you visit.
Cheers!
Wee Beefy
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