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
Showing posts with label Howling Hops. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Howling Hops. Show all posts
Saturday, 29 February 2020
Saturday, 28 April 2018
Shakespeares Spring Beer Festival 2018
Hellall,
in a very lucky turn of events I was given the opportunity to help someone with some BSc research - ironically, it was regarding poverty in full time work. As someone choosing to pay off all my debts in three years, although therefore self induced, that is an area I have some experience of. Two pints and £10.00 cash later, I was in a position to use the last of my funds and to attend the above event the next day.
Whats more, given that this was an exclusively "cask" beer festival, the prices were a little lower, so my meagre crumbs of finance stretched that little bit further. Mind you, I had to drink cask. Oooh, Evil cask, Evil cask. Get you with yer evil cask. Why doesn't that cost £5.00 a half then yer cheapskate? With yer filthy clear beer with hideous natural features such as yeast, hop debris and fish guts. Pfft. Spending a more reasonable sum of money on fun. What next?
You see? This type of nonsense is just that, whichever angle you come from......
Back to matters festular and Adam had once again used his knowledge and influence to persuade brewers to brew previously keg and can only beers on cask. And they were absolutely fantastic. I started with a half of the Howling Hops All about the mosaic. In a moment of insensibility I had thought the beer featured 50kg of dry hopped mosaic! Since that is more than half my weight am guessing it would make a rather thick beer. Instead, the Howling Hops brew was very easy to drink and packed with a massive, although more reasonable 500g, of mosaic dry hops. Mosaic is a firm lupuloid favourite of mine and this beer started the night off perfectly.
I was sat with Steve and Sonya, who was on the Beer Ink Berry superstitious mixed berry sour, which was a vibrant pink red in colour and incredibly well balanced. Steve meanwhile was on the Rad Beets, a Lost Industry and Shakespeares staff colab featuring horseradish and beetroot in a 6.4% porter. It was very interesting, but I didn't try a half myself (so am hoping its still on Monday when I get paid...)
My next beer was the best of the night by a country mile. I had previously tried and enjoyed North Brew Co Transmission, a 6.9% pale ale in can and on keg. In cask it was frankly exceptional. Obviously with all that hop it looked like soup but it was super fresh and incredibly well balanced. At £4.50 a pint I could have had three pints and gone home, but other beers required trying and enjoying. Although I did get a second half....
Next up the double dry hopped Almasty IPA at 6% came straight from the cellar. It was wonderfully juicy, and lovely and fresh straight from the cask. I joined S.O.J and his friends Pete and the man with a head and I managed to have a half of the Steel City and Hopjacker High IBU dry hopped New Zealand New England IPA at 6.5%. This did not disappoint, and the New England style fitted the peppery spice of the New Zealand hops perfectly.
My penultimate beer was a pint of the excellent Transmission, soaring away as perhaps the best cask beer of the year, and I also got to try some of Steve's Steel City The Blood, the wine, the roses, a sumptuously tasty red wine barrel aged stout. As the conversation in the school room became more involved I was able to secure a final pint, of the Transmission once again, which I finished off with S.O.J and his friends with my hair down, a sure sign I was a trifle refreshed.
Assuming there is still some beer left the festival runs until Sunday, and in total there are thirty festival beers plus others that have been available to try.
A big well done to Adam, Chris and the rest of the staff at Shakespeares for another wonderful selection of stellar local and national beers during which jamboree of choice I was not once tempted to choose a beer on keg. Although that will all change on Monday....one must drink Evil to be good, after all....
Cheers!
Wee Beefy
in a very lucky turn of events I was given the opportunity to help someone with some BSc research - ironically, it was regarding poverty in full time work. As someone choosing to pay off all my debts in three years, although therefore self induced, that is an area I have some experience of. Two pints and £10.00 cash later, I was in a position to use the last of my funds and to attend the above event the next day.
Whats more, given that this was an exclusively "cask" beer festival, the prices were a little lower, so my meagre crumbs of finance stretched that little bit further. Mind you, I had to drink cask. Oooh, Evil cask, Evil cask. Get you with yer evil cask. Why doesn't that cost £5.00 a half then yer cheapskate? With yer filthy clear beer with hideous natural features such as yeast, hop debris and fish guts. Pfft. Spending a more reasonable sum of money on fun. What next?
You see? This type of nonsense is just that, whichever angle you come from......
Back to matters festular and Adam had once again used his knowledge and influence to persuade brewers to brew previously keg and can only beers on cask. And they were absolutely fantastic. I started with a half of the Howling Hops All about the mosaic. In a moment of insensibility I had thought the beer featured 50kg of dry hopped mosaic! Since that is more than half my weight am guessing it would make a rather thick beer. Instead, the Howling Hops brew was very easy to drink and packed with a massive, although more reasonable 500g, of mosaic dry hops. Mosaic is a firm lupuloid favourite of mine and this beer started the night off perfectly.
I was sat with Steve and Sonya, who was on the Beer Ink Berry superstitious mixed berry sour, which was a vibrant pink red in colour and incredibly well balanced. Steve meanwhile was on the Rad Beets, a Lost Industry and Shakespeares staff colab featuring horseradish and beetroot in a 6.4% porter. It was very interesting, but I didn't try a half myself (so am hoping its still on Monday when I get paid...)
My next beer was the best of the night by a country mile. I had previously tried and enjoyed North Brew Co Transmission, a 6.9% pale ale in can and on keg. In cask it was frankly exceptional. Obviously with all that hop it looked like soup but it was super fresh and incredibly well balanced. At £4.50 a pint I could have had three pints and gone home, but other beers required trying and enjoying. Although I did get a second half....
Next up the double dry hopped Almasty IPA at 6% came straight from the cellar. It was wonderfully juicy, and lovely and fresh straight from the cask. I joined S.O.J and his friends Pete and the man with a head and I managed to have a half of the Steel City and Hopjacker High IBU dry hopped New Zealand New England IPA at 6.5%. This did not disappoint, and the New England style fitted the peppery spice of the New Zealand hops perfectly.
My penultimate beer was a pint of the excellent Transmission, soaring away as perhaps the best cask beer of the year, and I also got to try some of Steve's Steel City The Blood, the wine, the roses, a sumptuously tasty red wine barrel aged stout. As the conversation in the school room became more involved I was able to secure a final pint, of the Transmission once again, which I finished off with S.O.J and his friends with my hair down, a sure sign I was a trifle refreshed.
Assuming there is still some beer left the festival runs until Sunday, and in total there are thirty festival beers plus others that have been available to try.
A big well done to Adam, Chris and the rest of the staff at Shakespeares for another wonderful selection of stellar local and national beers during which jamboree of choice I was not once tempted to choose a beer on keg. Although that will all change on Monday....one must drink Evil to be good, after all....
Cheers!
Wee Beefy
Thursday, 18 May 2017
A few pints
This, dear readers,
is hopefully the only time I will have to tell you about naughty forbidden drinking whilst on meds. Less meds, admittedly, but still while am taking 8 Flucloxacillin a day.
I discovered early on that even having just a half a goblet of wine whilst on both sets sent my head into a whirring spinning myriad of angles and pain so was relieved in some ways, since I knew that would deter me if I ever wanted to try some beer whilst on my medication. However, now on my second week of enforced sobriety, I have been out on four occasions. I have had a few pints therein. I have felt OK, eating each time, but am acutely aware that this will have impacted on the effectiveness of my meds.
Having now come off daily IV antibiotics at the hospital I have gone out twice from a total of four. I realise this is foolish, so, to get over that, I thought it best to admit my failings and celebrate what I have quaffed over the last six days.
Saturday I came into town on the X5 (a little walk but fast) to meet Tash and we went to the Old Queens Head. No Abbeydale alas, but they did have Emmanuales Ryejoice Pale on at about 5%. I got a bottle of Hartridges ginger beer and a pint of that and a wine for Tash and we sat outside in the sunshine. It was a lovely real ale, with a well balanced rye flavour and hops.
From here we walked up to the Rutland. They had recently had their Dry and Bitter Tap Takeover on and there were still three of their beers on sale. I had thought they were Norwegian but it seems they are Danish. Here is a link to their website to find details of their ales. They appear to be rated very highly on ratebeer and the two I tried were impeccable. I started on a half of Blue Bee which I recall was a single hopped pale but not which, and a half of the Dry and Bitter Uprising, a glorious 6.5% East and West Coast style IPA with mosaic and simcoe.
We sat in the beer garden to drink these, Tash with a pint of Damson cider, and really enjoyed them both. The Uprising was frankly wonderful, perfectly balanced and dryly hoppy. We finished our short visit inside where, despite confusing a member of staff by asking what was left from Dry & Bitter (and being helped out by Christy) we had a pint of the Dry & Bitter Fat and Fruity, a 6.2% pale with mosaic, simcoe, eukanot and citra and added oats and wheat. Sister brew to Dank and Juicy, this was a fantastic easy drinking and tropically fruity pale which went down a treat. Well done to the Rutland for sourcing these beers for their recent tap takeover.
On Sunday I was out with Tash and Wee Keefy in Derbyshire visiting our Canadian Aunt and Uncles Jill and Mel. Its great to see them for the first time in a few years and having sat in the sunshine for a bit we headed into Ashover to the Old Poets Corner. We had a fantastic Sunday carvery and I had two pints - Ashover Font which was dry and hoppy, and the Littlemoor Citra. Both pints were kept in perfect condition, as was the Ashover dry cider that Tash had.
On Tuesday we met Matty in the Old Queens Head. Alas the Ryejoice was struggling by this point, and was ready to be taken off so I switched from that pint to a half of Pilsner Urqell and a pint of Wainwrights. Both were kept well and this was an enjoyable two hours spent with the Nedveds.
My final splurge came yesterday. Not related to the grim doom of Wednesday losing on penalties (shudder) but based on my wandering in Shakespeares at 15.30 and staying til nine ish. Am not proud. It was insensible. Although, I did enjoy it.....
I started on a pint of the Crate APA on cask and a half of the Howling Hops DIPA on keg. The Crate was marvellously refreshing. I sat with Charlie Steward and Walt and we mused over all and muchly for a while before Matty joined us. I got him a pint of the Shiny IPA at 7.0% and myself another half and he a first of the excellent Howling hops DIPA. I really like the Howling Hops output I have to say, and this DIPA was sublime, hoppy and fruity.
A further half followed as well as the same of Northern Monk Tropical Death Party Black IPA. I was joined now by Richard who promised to chide me about my nonsensical decision to drink. He did right of course. It didn't spoil my evening though. I finished on a bottle of kernel and a can of Magic Rock Grower owned IPA at 6.0% before heading home.
Am now abstaining from booze for a week at least and I remain completely aware of my decisions. Luckily, I also remain as aware of the joy I felt at sharing such ales with my friends and family, both close, extended, and pub based.
Thanking you all for your continued and appreciated support whilst I try not to drink in lovely sunny Sheffield.
Cheers!
Wee Beefy
is hopefully the only time I will have to tell you about naughty forbidden drinking whilst on meds. Less meds, admittedly, but still while am taking 8 Flucloxacillin a day.
I discovered early on that even having just a half a goblet of wine whilst on both sets sent my head into a whirring spinning myriad of angles and pain so was relieved in some ways, since I knew that would deter me if I ever wanted to try some beer whilst on my medication. However, now on my second week of enforced sobriety, I have been out on four occasions. I have had a few pints therein. I have felt OK, eating each time, but am acutely aware that this will have impacted on the effectiveness of my meds.
Having now come off daily IV antibiotics at the hospital I have gone out twice from a total of four. I realise this is foolish, so, to get over that, I thought it best to admit my failings and celebrate what I have quaffed over the last six days.
Saturday I came into town on the X5 (a little walk but fast) to meet Tash and we went to the Old Queens Head. No Abbeydale alas, but they did have Emmanuales Ryejoice Pale on at about 5%. I got a bottle of Hartridges ginger beer and a pint of that and a wine for Tash and we sat outside in the sunshine. It was a lovely real ale, with a well balanced rye flavour and hops.
From here we walked up to the Rutland. They had recently had their Dry and Bitter Tap Takeover on and there were still three of their beers on sale. I had thought they were Norwegian but it seems they are Danish. Here is a link to their website to find details of their ales. They appear to be rated very highly on ratebeer and the two I tried were impeccable. I started on a half of Blue Bee which I recall was a single hopped pale but not which, and a half of the Dry and Bitter Uprising, a glorious 6.5% East and West Coast style IPA with mosaic and simcoe.
We sat in the beer garden to drink these, Tash with a pint of Damson cider, and really enjoyed them both. The Uprising was frankly wonderful, perfectly balanced and dryly hoppy. We finished our short visit inside where, despite confusing a member of staff by asking what was left from Dry & Bitter (and being helped out by Christy) we had a pint of the Dry & Bitter Fat and Fruity, a 6.2% pale with mosaic, simcoe, eukanot and citra and added oats and wheat. Sister brew to Dank and Juicy, this was a fantastic easy drinking and tropically fruity pale which went down a treat. Well done to the Rutland for sourcing these beers for their recent tap takeover.
On Sunday I was out with Tash and Wee Keefy in Derbyshire visiting our Canadian Aunt and Uncles Jill and Mel. Its great to see them for the first time in a few years and having sat in the sunshine for a bit we headed into Ashover to the Old Poets Corner. We had a fantastic Sunday carvery and I had two pints - Ashover Font which was dry and hoppy, and the Littlemoor Citra. Both pints were kept in perfect condition, as was the Ashover dry cider that Tash had.
On Tuesday we met Matty in the Old Queens Head. Alas the Ryejoice was struggling by this point, and was ready to be taken off so I switched from that pint to a half of Pilsner Urqell and a pint of Wainwrights. Both were kept well and this was an enjoyable two hours spent with the Nedveds.
My final splurge came yesterday. Not related to the grim doom of Wednesday losing on penalties (shudder) but based on my wandering in Shakespeares at 15.30 and staying til nine ish. Am not proud. It was insensible. Although, I did enjoy it.....
I started on a pint of the Crate APA on cask and a half of the Howling Hops DIPA on keg. The Crate was marvellously refreshing. I sat with Charlie Steward and Walt and we mused over all and muchly for a while before Matty joined us. I got him a pint of the Shiny IPA at 7.0% and myself another half and he a first of the excellent Howling hops DIPA. I really like the Howling Hops output I have to say, and this DIPA was sublime, hoppy and fruity.
A further half followed as well as the same of Northern Monk Tropical Death Party Black IPA. I was joined now by Richard who promised to chide me about my nonsensical decision to drink. He did right of course. It didn't spoil my evening though. I finished on a bottle of kernel and a can of Magic Rock Grower owned IPA at 6.0% before heading home.
Am now abstaining from booze for a week at least and I remain completely aware of my decisions. Luckily, I also remain as aware of the joy I felt at sharing such ales with my friends and family, both close, extended, and pub based.
Thanking you all for your continued and appreciated support whilst I try not to drink in lovely sunny Sheffield.
Cheers!
Wee Beefy
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