New venue - Heist Craft, Neepsend, Sheffield

 Afternoon!

       regular readers, and certainly my chums here in fine, sunny, Sheffield, may be aware that a number of new venues have opened here quite recently. I have heard poor things about Perch by the Dead Parrot brewery, and better things about Social off Waingate, but I have never been to either. So when, following a grim day on Saturday, my great friend Mr G messaged me and asked if I fancied a few pints in Sheffield, I initially suggested the Shakespeares, my second home. But as we drove towards town I asked if he wanted to go to Heist instead. He did. And we did.

Heist Craft is a newly opened bar on Neepsend lane next door to the Gardeners Rest. I say bar - because am quite picky about using the word pub to describe what is clearly not, irrespective of it's intentions. Heist brewery started in Clowne about 5 years ago and I only got to try one of their beers, which was a bottled stout I think, that they brewed with some European visitors. I sadly never got to their haunt in Clowne so when they left I wondered what might happen to them. They now brew hear in Sheffield (you can see the brewery from the seating I think) and when they opened a pop up bar in the car park next door to their present location last year, I tried one of their cans and it was lovely. Having heard good things about this new venue I popped in as we parked across the road.

I now realise that I  have  4 friends who know people either involved with the brewery, venue or its construction - and that, along with mostly positive comments online, made me even more excited to visit. The first thing my companion noted was the small signs advertising food sellers - he had encountered the burger sellers in Manchester previously and was very complimentary. Once we got in through the door at the front the bar was busy, and there was a very good choice. I will say thought that firstly we only saw one list of beers and incorrectly assumed that was everything - which alone wouldn't have mattered, but there's another list at the other end!

Mr G also rued his not reading the description of the 3.5% drivers ale he had a half of - not least because it was a sour. He doesn't like sours as a rule, and so didn't enjoy this one alas. It was frustrating for him as it clearly described it as a fruited sour ale! I think I had a pint of Howling Hops myself and it was lovely. Sat near the entrance we were briefly joined by nutters from the ten pints o lager crowd, but when they left everything became calm once again, and we sought out the loos and then our next drinks.

Mr G this time went for a half of bitter - and confirmed that it tasted of an old school bitter. Sadly that ran out just after but I then got a pint of an NEIPA from Bethnal Green which have sadly forgotten the name of, and this once again satisfied my palate nicely. Whilst we awaited a third I got a pint of a Heist IPA at 7% or so and this was also lovely - I know they are only glasses but I have to say that the way they looked on the tables made them look even more tasty!

Finally, having assessed the second screen, including a brilliant selection of generally stronger beers, I forget what we chose but I got another plus 7% IPA and I know that I really enjoyed it.

When we had got sat down initially I said to my mate that this reminded me of the sort of Manchester bars that I assumed he went in all the time - he said it was, indeed, very similar - but that the opening of a new keg bar in Manchester would barely raise an  eyebrow, what with there already being so many. I admit that the venue may seem a little "hipster" to many - but its range of 32 keg lines, at least 2 of which ran out whilst we were there, along with the excellent food from the room next door which could be eaten at the tables, will make this a desirable place to go, for many.

Its definitely somewhere - hipster or otherwise - that I would very much fancy returning to.

Cheers!

Wee Beefy  

Feather Star Wirksworth - now at the Red Lion

 Evening readers,

      its sad to say that I only two weeks or so ago found out that the fabulous micropub, the Feather Star, in a tiny former antiques shop on St John's Street in the market place, Wirksworth, had in fact, closed down. Wee Keefy was in Wirksworth doing one of the 4 local circular walks, and said that on trying to find a place for a drink, many places had been shut but the former Feather Star micropub had since become a cake shop or similar. I told him, of course, that he was being ridiculous - since I followed the Feather Star on Friendache. But a quick search online proved that the owners had purchased the former Red Lion market place pub, and were selling a wide range of real ales along with fabulous keg from the future. More woe my Friendache checking! Of course -  I had to visit......

Following our own, admittedly sodden walk, along another Wirksworth based circular walk, we quickly spotted the pub which may be the Hope and Anchor, and then the Blacks Head, before spotting the thankfully open Feather Star, and it's sign, outside the entrance to the Red Lion. Straight away hearing music, and reading the sign, we worked out quickly that they had a brass (instrument) band of 3 blokes next to the bar - and the pub was rammed.

Carefully reaching the bar there were a range of 5 cask from the past on the bar - which I have to say both the beers and settings looked amazing - along with 5 kegs from the future. WK had a low gravity Buxton stout on keg and I had a half of the fabulous Cloudwater Barn in Edale Valley, a wonderful DDH IPA or similar, and in absolutely excellent condition. We then decided to sit outside in the now sunny and dry outdoors, and took off our sopping coats and looked at the view.

Outside there was seating for about 40 people, probably more, on tables and under two covers, and as we admired the view w also admired the fab beers we had bought. I had already tried a glass of the barn in Edale valley in can earlier in the month and remembered I had really liked it - strangely on this occasion it may even have tasted nicer on draught? Either way it didn't take long to sup - so leaving Wee Keefy in the baking sunshine I popped back inside to get a pint of Shiny Cloudy session IPA on cask.

Its a shame to admit but as the pub was so busy, I couldn't see if there was a third room inside, or see what was behind the bar area - I also got chatting to the lovely Jo behind the bar - both when placing my order and also when she popped outside under cover later. When I went back out with my pint it was tipping it down and I found WK sheltering under the covering, sat near what looked like a former settee/chaise lounge or similar, which may have been at the Black bulls Head, Openwoodgate. I have nothing to back this up however.

Jo told me that other Jo and her business partner had closed in December or January 2021 and bought the lease of the Red Lion in May 2021. Recently it had been service outside only whilst they tided up and cleaned the inside of the pub. Puzzlingly if you go on both the Feather Star and then teh Red Lion details on Whatpub it says on th Feather Star that they have taken over the Red Lion - but then on the page for the Red Lion tells that the pub was currently up for sale.

Sadly we only had chance to stop for one - or two in my case - of the selection of beers at the Red Lion, but I have to say that I absolutely loved it! Its somewhere I would like to go back to with Tash next month if possible - the cask range was very good in being reflective of locally brewed cloudy beers along with slightly more traditional Mallinsons and Shiny offerings - not that am saying both of the Shiny or the Mallinsons would have not been cloudy...

So having only recently discovered that the "old" Feather Star had sadly closed, am now very happy to report that the "new" Feather Star has now reopened at the Red Lion. They have an outside area for ordering food but as far as I am aware you can now eat inside - alas I never got to check that since neither me or WK were planning on stopping for scran!

Wishing Jo and Jo and the others others all of the very best for the future.

Cheers!

Wee Beefy

Three new Sheffield brews

 Evening readers,

         last month Beer Central and Neepsend Brew Co along with Roscoe Road Liqour store brewed a West Coast IPA called High Summer, at an acceptable opening strength of what I recall was 6.8%. It was brewed in relation to the Indy Beer Shop day, if I recall, and was stuffed full of fabulous hops. Sean at Beer Central is a fan of traditionally bitter beers and this was certainly on show here - Citra, Chinook,. Idaho 7, Cascade and Falconers Flight gave this an impressive hop and bitterness back drop which I really took to. This was the first of my beers from Sean which I tried this month and I have to say it didn't disappoint. Very well done to all involved!

Meanwehile it was the Bar Stewards 4th Birthday - and they held do's on Friday Saturday and Sunday to celebrate. In respect of this they had brewed two stunning 4.5% beers to celebrate - Rocket Surgery and Brain Science. Of the two, am not sure where they were brewed but the lovely Helen did quickly point out that Rocket Surgery was the most hoppy of the two - I therefore only had a single pint of Brain Science. This alone was a fabulous concoction of brewing flavours. On the other hand I had several pints of the Rocket Surgery - served in excellent Turning Point glasses, cloudy, as all beer should be, and streaming with hoppiness.

Sat in the sunshine on Saturday, this was equally well hopped and bitter, as well as sumptuously enjoyed - it ran out around tea time, and I enjoyed every single pint. If we clearly skip over the nonsense that I brought upon these fabsters on Friday (we will never speak of this), am happy to say that Saturday was a truly fabulous day and night of supping with Gavin Keiron and Dave Unpro and other folks from th world of beers and brewing. Apparently, I got the bus back. So my pockets tell me......

Finally - and not necessarily a new brew so to speak - but I have to mention what I had in the same Bar Stewards last night. Abbeydale Heathen has long been a popular Sheffield brewed beer, along of course with almost all of their output, but I started on and continued with a Dry Hopped version of Heathen - and it was stunning! I had initially said to Nate that I fancied a pint of the Turning Point and he said it was very nice, but also pointed out the Dry Hopped Heathen. It did not disappoint - very clearly hopped with a good bitterness in the aftertaste. Its in some ways a disappointment - since Heathen for all its qualities cannot usually reach those hoppy heights. That said however, points to the fabsters at Abbeydale for pulling this cracker out of the brewery - not sure they will brew it again but this was simply stunning!

I may have sadly missed out on Indie Beer Shop day if am honest - so many apologies if I have to all my fabulous Sheffield freinds whom stumble lovingly through the never ending horrors placed upon their fabulous trade over the last two years - am looking at you Hop Hideout, Archer Road beer Stop especially - your hard work remains very much appreciated!

With warmest regards

Wee Beefy