Afternooo
I once again must apologise about the use of the phrase I have chosen for this post - since, whilst I am treating myself to a trip to York later this month with Tash and Matty, I haven't in the details below, in fact left the wonderous area that I most regularly imbibe in.
So, after getting some fairly crap news at work, whatever that is, I met up with Tash on the 27th and bless her, to cheer me up. she took me out to the Bankers Draft for a curry tea and a drink. That said, although I appreciate the low prices, and sometimes the local ales, I do tend to find all visits to such a place quite a long winded episode with as many lows as highs. This time there were twenty people at the bar, most ordering food, and only one member of staff serving and this explains, rather than justifies, them not turning round the pump clips of the beers that were off, and perhaps also them recommending a gin for Tash that wasn't on the list of free drinks, along with not telling me that the naan bread or another snack was extra. That said I did order it to the wrong number of the table, and it came quickly. And the pint of Pride of Sheffield from Kelham Island was nice.
After seeing Tash off on the tram I wandered down to Shakespeares where they had a Howling Hops TTO and meet the brewer evening on, with the launch of some Yonder brewing keg stuff later. I and many others love Howling Hops beers and we were not disappointed - however, being the day before pay day I only managed to afford two thirds before heading home.
I started on Flashpoint, a 6.2% NEIPA on keg from the future which was excellent. Whilst at the bar I had a quick chat to Sean, who had a surname beginning with G, or any other numerous British letters, who was a sales rep and possibly also a brewer at the brewery. He kindly gave me a taste of his Roll on NEIPA at 7.1%. Both beers were beautiful, and he referenced their tank bar in London, which I am fairly sure is the only tank served brewery tap bar in London, or perhaps in the UK? It was great to catch up with him either way, and having seen Adam and Brett Morgan and others briefly, including a char with Brian who is still "ticking" at the age of eighty, this was the perfect inspiration to get a third of the Roll On NEIIPA next. A fabulous night.
Yesterday, having left work at 17.30. I returned to my second home and had a couple of pints of the excellent Howling Hops XX Pale at 5.2% on cask from the past. Loved a lot by Adam and many others this was on fabulous form, and went down well whilst I caught up with Mizzder Grizzwiggs from work with his three friends, Ian, Dave, and Jordan, whom am certain will be entirely happy with my pointing out, that reminded me a lot of John Rchardson.
I then had a half of the Neepsend 8% IPA or DIPA Hanuman, which was wonderful, and which I despatched sat round the back of the bar with fellow Sheffield beer blogger Peter Hudson.
After popping across the road to Bar Stewards to make a payment I didn't have time to stop, and next walked straight up to the Crow where I saw Mizzder Grizzwiggs once again as well as Steve Lycett with a number of folk. Having splashed out on a black pudding scotch egg I joined them at a table drinking a whole pint of North Brewery DIPA on keg from the future, before they very generously offered me a chunk of one of many pizza's they had ordered. As they went to the bar they very kindly bought me a pint of Abbeydale Heathen on cask and I was just supping the same when Chris Grant surprisingly wandered in! As we were both quite warm and it was very busy I went outside to dry a couple of chairs and we sat in the beer garden together finishing our drinks and chatting.
Despite only having had 4 and a half pints I suggested to Mr G that he drove me home, but I did get a take out can of 8% DIPA from a Netherlands Brew Pub called De Krommer Harring. I will be drinking this later today whilst watching the undoubtedly awful football results coming in....
So, despite somethings, its been an absolutely fabulous few days so far, and in the month ahead its Sheffield Beer Week - so have a look at the events and other details on the website here for details on what is happening, when, and where!
Wishing you your very best of health on what is possibly my first ever February 29th blog post!
Cheers!
Wee Beefy
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Saturday, 29 February 2020
Saturday, 15 February 2020
Newbies
Greetings
perhaps regrettably, newbies sadly references only to two pubs new to myself. And having said that, they aren't especially new themselves, but its fair to say that recent costs versus slowdowns has meant that I have rarely got to anywhere other than the excellent top three locals that I am most regularly in. Pay day however, which was on the 31st of January, was a day when I traveled up Abbeydale Road to try out two new to me venues.
I disembarked the bus near the Picture House Social and having found a crossing I was soon admiring and entering the Dead Donkey. Not named, to my knowledge, after the dropping of the same in a channel four comedy in the eighties, what I am pleased to say is that it is a very well laid out and very well stocked destination with a good selection of enjoyable keg from the future.
I started on a pint of Arbor Mosaic session Pale at 4.1% and this went down very well indeed. As guests for a later do turned up to drop off supplies I took the barman's recommendation of the 7.4% or thereabouts Track IPA which despite it's strength was a very very easy drinking drop. I sat on older chairs brought up from the south next to the table near the main road window, and watched people go by, whilst enjoying the music along with another half of the same.
From here I wandered up the main road and stopped off at the Broadfield - ironically I had in fact walked past my intended later stop, the Two Thirds ale bar, as when I walked past it there was a loud nutter gibbering down his phone virtually straight into my ear, so I had virtually walked with my eyes set on the pavement trying to ignore the nonsense. It was only when I checked the building numbers further up that I realised I had passed it, but I located it before popping in the pub.
As always there was a good range of beers on offer and I opted for two halves on keg, one from North Brewing which may have been their Sputnik, and the other from a brewery whose name escapes me. Sitting down I quickly noted the brewer from On the Edge brewery was sat nearby with his wife, baby and a friend, so I asked if I could join them for a chat. Am going to suggest he is called Tom however am not entirely sure that this was his name....
It was great to chat to him about his plans for the brewery which is miniscule, and his plans to build a smoker for food and malts, and it was likewise great to hear that following an understandable break whilst the birth of him and his wife's child occurred last year (and she was only just getting out of the house), he intended to slowly take up brewing again in the future.
Just up the road was my second first visit location - Two Thirds was open and quiet having just done so, and offered a range of excellent beers. I had one of the series of mixed hop IPA s from Abbeydale and a half from the Crosspool brewing Co and enjoyed them sat in the room on the right with a couple who were from Wales, or possibly Rotherham....the venue is smaller than the Donkey but still had a decent selection, and noticeably, both venues beers were well priced.
I didn't have chance to stay for long not least because I was hungry, and after nipping on a bus I got off at the top of London Road and headed to Jabeerwocky. I had a pint of Beatnikz Republic Fiesta DDH session IPA on keg and very quickly ordered, and then devoured, one of their brilliant Goulash's. I also got to talk to a man who may be called Chris whom I first got to know a few years ago when he ran the Bath Hotel on Victoria Street. Despite the bar busying up he still found five minutes to have a chat and a great catch up - this is a place I have only been to twice but one which I will definitely return to again.
Receiving a call from Tash I headed into town again and popped into the Graduate to meet her and Matty. Its not somewhere I go very often, not least because many of the beers are often off/not available and also because of their pricing policy. I think I had a pint of moonshine in here and then a soft drink in order to replace some of the alcohol I had already had, although I also had a half of sour on keg before I left.
We walked into a busy but once again enjoyable Museum where despite the lack of excellent Red Willow I still got a pint of Abbeydale which once again was well kept and well priced. As always Tash and Matt got chatting to a number of other drinkers but after an hour here we headed for our final stop, the Dog and Partridge.
It was busy as it was friday night but the beer range was good as always and I may have been on a 5.8% or so strong one with Matty. That said, am not really sure what it was except locally brewed. We got sat in our usual spot near the bar and whilst enjoying the music I was joined by long time chum Paul Tregoing who was out and about with his new colleagues - its fair to say I haven't seen much of him in the last 15 years or so (but I have known him longer) and it was great to get his number and have a catch up before I headed off on my own into town to catch the next to last 52 home.
All in all this was a cracking escapade in some brilliant Sheffield boozers with fine copmany throughout, and ending up in meeting some excellent folk from the past. Keep up the excellent work Sheffield pubs and bars!
Your very good health!
Wee Beefy
perhaps regrettably, newbies sadly references only to two pubs new to myself. And having said that, they aren't especially new themselves, but its fair to say that recent costs versus slowdowns has meant that I have rarely got to anywhere other than the excellent top three locals that I am most regularly in. Pay day however, which was on the 31st of January, was a day when I traveled up Abbeydale Road to try out two new to me venues.
I disembarked the bus near the Picture House Social and having found a crossing I was soon admiring and entering the Dead Donkey. Not named, to my knowledge, after the dropping of the same in a channel four comedy in the eighties, what I am pleased to say is that it is a very well laid out and very well stocked destination with a good selection of enjoyable keg from the future.
I started on a pint of Arbor Mosaic session Pale at 4.1% and this went down very well indeed. As guests for a later do turned up to drop off supplies I took the barman's recommendation of the 7.4% or thereabouts Track IPA which despite it's strength was a very very easy drinking drop. I sat on older chairs brought up from the south next to the table near the main road window, and watched people go by, whilst enjoying the music along with another half of the same.
From here I wandered up the main road and stopped off at the Broadfield - ironically I had in fact walked past my intended later stop, the Two Thirds ale bar, as when I walked past it there was a loud nutter gibbering down his phone virtually straight into my ear, so I had virtually walked with my eyes set on the pavement trying to ignore the nonsense. It was only when I checked the building numbers further up that I realised I had passed it, but I located it before popping in the pub.
As always there was a good range of beers on offer and I opted for two halves on keg, one from North Brewing which may have been their Sputnik, and the other from a brewery whose name escapes me. Sitting down I quickly noted the brewer from On the Edge brewery was sat nearby with his wife, baby and a friend, so I asked if I could join them for a chat. Am going to suggest he is called Tom however am not entirely sure that this was his name....
It was great to chat to him about his plans for the brewery which is miniscule, and his plans to build a smoker for food and malts, and it was likewise great to hear that following an understandable break whilst the birth of him and his wife's child occurred last year (and she was only just getting out of the house), he intended to slowly take up brewing again in the future.
Just up the road was my second first visit location - Two Thirds was open and quiet having just done so, and offered a range of excellent beers. I had one of the series of mixed hop IPA s from Abbeydale and a half from the Crosspool brewing Co and enjoyed them sat in the room on the right with a couple who were from Wales, or possibly Rotherham....the venue is smaller than the Donkey but still had a decent selection, and noticeably, both venues beers were well priced.
I didn't have chance to stay for long not least because I was hungry, and after nipping on a bus I got off at the top of London Road and headed to Jabeerwocky. I had a pint of Beatnikz Republic Fiesta DDH session IPA on keg and very quickly ordered, and then devoured, one of their brilliant Goulash's. I also got to talk to a man who may be called Chris whom I first got to know a few years ago when he ran the Bath Hotel on Victoria Street. Despite the bar busying up he still found five minutes to have a chat and a great catch up - this is a place I have only been to twice but one which I will definitely return to again.
Receiving a call from Tash I headed into town again and popped into the Graduate to meet her and Matty. Its not somewhere I go very often, not least because many of the beers are often off/not available and also because of their pricing policy. I think I had a pint of moonshine in here and then a soft drink in order to replace some of the alcohol I had already had, although I also had a half of sour on keg before I left.
We walked into a busy but once again enjoyable Museum where despite the lack of excellent Red Willow I still got a pint of Abbeydale which once again was well kept and well priced. As always Tash and Matt got chatting to a number of other drinkers but after an hour here we headed for our final stop, the Dog and Partridge.
It was busy as it was friday night but the beer range was good as always and I may have been on a 5.8% or so strong one with Matty. That said, am not really sure what it was except locally brewed. We got sat in our usual spot near the bar and whilst enjoying the music I was joined by long time chum Paul Tregoing who was out and about with his new colleagues - its fair to say I haven't seen much of him in the last 15 years or so (but I have known him longer) and it was great to get his number and have a catch up before I headed off on my own into town to catch the next to last 52 home.
All in all this was a cracking escapade in some brilliant Sheffield boozers with fine copmany throughout, and ending up in meeting some excellent folk from the past. Keep up the excellent work Sheffield pubs and bars!
Your very good health!
Wee Beefy