Clamp

. Eefnin all,

         Since starting in late 2018  ( feel free to add relevant date/year), and, as admitted themselves, regrettably opening to visiting drinkers in January 2019 (same offer!) I didn't in fact get to visit the excellent folk at St Mars of the Desert until June 2019, and at once somewhat fell a bit in love with the place. Of course I also like Daan and Martha, fabulous folk as they are, but with them having been closed since November or similar, as well as having tried a few excellent new brews including Fluffy White Rabbit hoppy spring ale, it occurs to me that they are a brewing operative to rely upon.

As every month. as far as is possible, I recently bought a can of Clamp. This is a 5.4% NEIPA made exclusively, hop wise that is, with Mosaic and Waimea. Being so "weak" its an absolutely fabulous starter, and whilst I have thus far yet to find a dire drink of their's, I have to say that Clamp is a modern classic.

Its quaffable strength is not the whole story re it's drinkability -  whilst I don't know if they use the Koelship in this brew, the blend of hops malt and yeast alone makes this entirely suppable. The other aspect in their appeal lies perhaps in the sheer range of styles produced. Although have not so far found a standard brown bitter in their range, the density of styles along with the long list of strengths always encourages interest.

On my first ever visit I tried a pint of what was likely a 3.2% pilsner, and it was delicious - not heart stoppingly weak of course, but still packing a substantial punch regarding its ease of drinking along with a myriad of traditional flavours. They also did a traoitional Victorian imperial mild or similar at 9% at a festival at Shakespeares, and all that they produce seems to be simultaneously well balanced along with extremely flavourful.

Once the luffly pubs reopen, in the next month or so, I can heartily recommend following the Five Weirs Walk upo from Sheffield town centre and coming out across from the beginning of Stevenson Road next to Washford Bridge  its just a short hop from there to the excellent looking brewery outside seating and their excellent tap.

Finally I should point out that I tried all  of their Belgian style ales at Christmas and not one disappointed!

Give their beers a try if you see them in off licences or local pubs to drink in or take out, and continue ti support this fabulous Sheffield brewery.

Cheers!

Wee Beefy

Saint Mars of the Desert

Eh oop,

     despite living only twenty minutes away. the following is a description of only my first and second visits to this excellent new brewery and tap room situated in Attercliffe on Stevenson Road, near the seals and bearings factory, and other names. On pay day I walked to the cash machine and caught a bus to the second stop in Attercliffe, crossed what was Carlton road, and headed long Stevenson Road until I spotted the brewery and its wonderful tap room in a small building at the back of a yard next to a learning centre.

The tap room is exactly as excellent as it looks on their website, which is perhaps better represented by an Instagram link at https://www.instagram.com/beerofsmod/ . Three to six beers are available all on keg with many available to take away in cans. Being an author, or whitterer at least, I started on a pint of their excellent 3.5% beer, which had a name, a fact my handful of photographs fails to remind me of. It was a wonderful yellow orange and was served in a fab branded glass, and was pleasurably cloudy.

Many of the features of their beers may come from their use of a Coolship, a drinks storage and cooling vessel which Andy Cullen and others may have written about. This partially inspired my next choice, along with an excellent pork pie, and sat on one of the tables close to the bar. Again, another gloriously soupish beer, possibly called Bam Bam, 5.5% and featuring, I think, olicana hops. But what are facts anyway? Like birds, we will never know...

Koel it followed, as did a visit by Ted from the Itchy Pig in Broomhill with his son, and I continued to enjoy the hoppy wonderfulness of their wares whilst Dan and Martha, or people with other names, continued tending their brewery and beers and tap room. I got chatting to the owners and ordered another pint of Bam Bam. Dan is an American chap with brewing experience, Martha is an English lass who moved to the US years ago before meeting Dan and travelling with him at first to France, and them to the wonders of beer in Sheffield, late last year. I think both consider that opening in January or February was perhaps the wrong time of year, but they became involved in Sheffield Beer Week in March, and things have moved on ever since. I first saw some pics of the taproom in February from friends on Faceache and things have gone from good to better there after.

I returned at 12.00 or so on Saturday, once again supping Bam Bam, along with their 7.8% or so porter called Barbar papa, and sat outside in the warm sunshine meeting visitors from near and far. This included a young couple with a kid whose wedding party I had been down from in Shakespeares, and a couple from Manchester who had names, one of whom was from Cornwall, with whom I discussed the Indy Man Beer Con. On a better still note I met up with my friend Michael, and we had an excellent catch up and a chat about his walk to the tap room along the canal, which am told is not that far away.

Despite receipt of recently ordered labels I did not treat myself to any cans of take out but I did stop for a number of enjoyable drinks in this fabulous Sheffield bar serving excellent pints and scran. Wishing the folks of the desert the very best for the future, and I will see you soon!

Cheers!

Wee Beefy