Hulloo again,
a month or two ago myself Tash and Matty bumped into veritable Sheffield beer legend Peter Hudson, wot rites the Sheffield pub blog - here is his blog address link: sheffieldalepub in Two Sheds on Crookes. I had already noticed, perhaps through the drinking craft beer in Sheffield group on Faceache, that a new micropub had opened in Woodhouse Mill, and he had been days earlier. After a debate about where it was (given his surname he referenced Hudson Lane) we had a good chat and I was pleased to hear him tell me that it was exactly as described on their Faceache page and was very enjoyable. So on the 29th February, now over two weeks ago, I planned my first visit.
Walking to the bus stop the trip started well as a 52 Stenchcrotch bus turned up first - the Wirst 52A am fairly sure does not go up Furnace lane but the 52 does - that said I alighted on the last stop on Retford Road to catch a glimpse of the bus timetable coming back for later, before walking round the corner.
Described by some friends as Purdy's, which was, or probably still is, very nearby, this micropub sits at the junction of tiny Hudson Lane and the busy Furnace lane, and has a sign outside, although outside drinking is not allowed unfortunately. Inside, on the bar are four handpumps with four beers on cask from the past and four kegs from the future, including Freedom lager, and a dark beer, as well as possibly a box of cider, along with wines and canned beers in the fridge.
I started on the Toucan play at that game from Brew York, an American pale ale at 4.5% on cask. This was ludicrously easy drinking and I was back in ten minutes for another. An excellent start. After this I got a pint of Heathen on keg from the future and sat by myself near the door assessing the wines before chatting to the man who runs the bar, who comes all the way from daarn saarf in Essex. It was good to chat to him about his venture and also his plans for the future - he suggested he was thinking of widening his can and bottled beers choice and recently on Faceache I saw him post that he had a number of decent cans - although, alas, a check of Faceache just now suggests I may have imagined this - he is called Dave by the way, and the lovely lady who also served me was probably called Rachael - both fine folk!
On my third pint I was starting to get hungry - and they have a good range of snacks and other snafflements. From the box on the left end of the bar I went for a pack of Ten Acre "when chicken got barbecued" crisps, which are vegan approved, as well as a small bag of Posh Nosh Southern Chipotle bites. Both were well priced, and crucially, delicious.
Dave had told me that they were putting a fourth keg on soon and it was a Buxton IPA. And at 18.30 this did indeed happen, resulting in my coming away with an absolutely cracking soupy IPA at about 6.5% on keg from the future. This slab of hoppy delights was very easy to drink and finished the night off a treat, and although I had to leave at 19.50 to head into town I have to say that I thoroughly enjoyed my nearly three hours at this excellent establishment.
Wishing all their staff and customers the very best of health, and of course luck with trade, over the coming months (what with the restrictions which are being put in place). I look forward to seeing you all again in April.
Cheers!
Wee Beefy
Showing posts with label New Sheffield Micropub. Show all posts
Showing posts with label New Sheffield Micropub. Show all posts
Tuesday, 17 March 2020
Sunday, 23 June 2019
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
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
Sunday, 26 August 2018
Beef and Dave's new bar tour
Afternoon,
three weeks or more ago (continuing a theme of reporting tarriance) myself and Davefromtshop met up to do a crawl featuring new venues to him. Dave has lived outside Chezvegas now for years and there have been many new openings in the time since. Meeting at 18.00 as we were it wasn't possible to try them all so we started at Bar Stewards, and headed for the Blind Monkey, and saw how we did for time as we went along.
I arrived prior to Dave and had been drinking already - including the sumptuous and amazing Morning Lemon lemon lactose ale at Hop Hideout from Glen Affric brewery, based in Liverpool, not in the wonderful glen or at the top of Mam Sodhail, as you wouldn't expect. I started on a can of "Sprite", which was sufficiently alcohol free but not as good as the Morning Lemon. Soon Dave joined me and I went on to a pint of the Blue Bee Solo Geek Story which was brewed for the Bar Stewards first birthday, and laden with mosaic hops. It was expectedly excellent.
From here we headed to the Old Workshop. Dave was immediately impressed by the decor, I was immediately smitten by the beer range. We had three beers in all, one of which was Scottish, and identifiable by a a name and evidence of whom brewed it. I think it was Cromarty actually. Memories eh? What are they? Guesses. Get over it.
From here we headed along Burton Road and over the Don to Church. They had a Cloudwater on keg, but it was 6.5% and £8.00 a pint. Dave went for a half a Black Iris Endless Summer which was also over a pound a percent, but less noticeable, and I had the last of a pint of Hopjacker, which is unfined. A fact which completely eluded the barman who warned me that it was near the end of the barrel because it was cloudy. Erm.....
Once again the architecture and design wowed but there appears to be a significant gap in beer knowledge between Church and the Old Workshop. Next was a lengthier walk to the Double H. Not a new pub as a such but when Dave had last visited it was owned by Wood Street brewery. We definitely had two pints of a pale beer in here, and they were sensibly priced and well kept. Identities thereof have as yet to filter through the haze of misrememberance which is my memory. I think they were both the Yorkshire Pale from Helmsley brewery. Or something similar.....
A stout yomp up the hill brought us to the Blind Monkey. Dave hadn't been to its former guise as the Firwood Cottage since the 1980s so the transformation was even more stunning to him. We both had pints of heathen on keg. Well, at least, I did. We sat out in the crowded beer garden supping and taking pictures. One thing the Blind Monkey is doing really well is attracting a local crowd, all of whom seem to love it. Sterling work on their part.
Further up the hill alas the Walkley Beer Co is back to its Thursday opening so as this was a Wednesday it was shut, so we jumped on the bus to town and went for a last one in the Sheffield Tap, just because it was nearer Dave's train. Am not going to even try and guess what we had. I know I had a pint and a half though, as I stayed behind after Dave had left.
There is an Ecclesall Road, Beer Engine Clubhouse and then 95 to Walkley section of the crawl to do next time, and by then one would hope the micropub on Crookes may have opened. As ever, drinking venue options in Sheffield ebb and flow and ultimately increase with every coming season, keeping us all on our libationary toes!
Cheers!
Wee Beefy
three weeks or more ago (continuing a theme of reporting tarriance) myself and Davefromtshop met up to do a crawl featuring new venues to him. Dave has lived outside Chezvegas now for years and there have been many new openings in the time since. Meeting at 18.00 as we were it wasn't possible to try them all so we started at Bar Stewards, and headed for the Blind Monkey, and saw how we did for time as we went along.
I arrived prior to Dave and had been drinking already - including the sumptuous and amazing Morning Lemon lemon lactose ale at Hop Hideout from Glen Affric brewery, based in Liverpool, not in the wonderful glen or at the top of Mam Sodhail, as you wouldn't expect. I started on a can of "Sprite", which was sufficiently alcohol free but not as good as the Morning Lemon. Soon Dave joined me and I went on to a pint of the Blue Bee Solo Geek Story which was brewed for the Bar Stewards first birthday, and laden with mosaic hops. It was expectedly excellent.
From here we headed to the Old Workshop. Dave was immediately impressed by the decor, I was immediately smitten by the beer range. We had three beers in all, one of which was Scottish, and identifiable by a a name and evidence of whom brewed it. I think it was Cromarty actually. Memories eh? What are they? Guesses. Get over it.
From here we headed along Burton Road and over the Don to Church. They had a Cloudwater on keg, but it was 6.5% and £8.00 a pint. Dave went for a half a Black Iris Endless Summer which was also over a pound a percent, but less noticeable, and I had the last of a pint of Hopjacker, which is unfined. A fact which completely eluded the barman who warned me that it was near the end of the barrel because it was cloudy. Erm.....
Once again the architecture and design wowed but there appears to be a significant gap in beer knowledge between Church and the Old Workshop. Next was a lengthier walk to the Double H. Not a new pub as a such but when Dave had last visited it was owned by Wood Street brewery. We definitely had two pints of a pale beer in here, and they were sensibly priced and well kept. Identities thereof have as yet to filter through the haze of misrememberance which is my memory. I think they were both the Yorkshire Pale from Helmsley brewery. Or something similar.....
A stout yomp up the hill brought us to the Blind Monkey. Dave hadn't been to its former guise as the Firwood Cottage since the 1980s so the transformation was even more stunning to him. We both had pints of heathen on keg. Well, at least, I did. We sat out in the crowded beer garden supping and taking pictures. One thing the Blind Monkey is doing really well is attracting a local crowd, all of whom seem to love it. Sterling work on their part.
Further up the hill alas the Walkley Beer Co is back to its Thursday opening so as this was a Wednesday it was shut, so we jumped on the bus to town and went for a last one in the Sheffield Tap, just because it was nearer Dave's train. Am not going to even try and guess what we had. I know I had a pint and a half though, as I stayed behind after Dave had left.
There is an Ecclesall Road, Beer Engine Clubhouse and then 95 to Walkley section of the crawl to do next time, and by then one would hope the micropub on Crookes may have opened. As ever, drinking venue options in Sheffield ebb and flow and ultimately increase with every coming season, keeping us all on our libationary toes!
Cheers!
Wee Beefy
Monday, 26 December 2016
Bar-stewards
Merry Chrissmuss yall!
the title of this post is perhaps a little risky - although pertinent, I appear to have locally garnered a reputation for being some sort of criticism monkey, living in a tree of moaning in a forest of malcontent. So to make clear now, this isn't a polite way of saying Bastards. Its a way of saying Bar Stewards, but making it one word. You may not have noticed, but I am trying to stick to single word post titles this month, in order to be more punchy and, um, rad, fo the yoot. I am quite old by the way....
Anyway, the Bar Stewards is Sheffield;s latest pop up pub - this claim is made on the basis of a lack of information about the Pub Inn which opened after I had already formulated the text for this post. So nehrrr.
Its on Gibraltar Street across from Shakespeares and is run by Al and another gentleman, who will have one of many thousand male human names, probably with an I in it. I dunno, Richard, Michael?
The pair have done a good job sprucing up the empty retail unit and have a bar with four handpumps and possibly some sort of keg dispense, with a well socked fridge behind with bottles and cans inside. There is also a snazzy toilet, and comfortable seating throughout. I have been in three times now and enjoyed each one, the first by myself, once with the lovely Kati and once with Mr Grant and Hux's friend whose name I have since forgotten. On that occasion the real ales on offer were Wild Millionaire stout, Tiny Rebel Cwtch, North Riding Mosaic Pale and Fyne Ales Jarl. The North Riding and Fyne were tried and both were on good form.
I understand the idea is to get a permanent license and open full time sometime in the future - it is rumoured there has been much red tape to leap over and clamber through which may be retarding progress. I do hope for their sake's they get a permanent license - the bar does feel just like a pub now (if that makes sense) and especially in December, when the wonderful Shakespeares is packed to the rafters, its often a little quieter in the Bar stewards.
One question you may ask is - does Sheffield really need another ale venue? The answer is - yes. Of course. Not just because one has recently closed either, but because all venues have their own unique atmosphere and offer their own brand of hospitality. If the nearby (ish) Pub Inn becomes permanent there will be six Micropubs in Sheffield and what that does is increase choice for consumers, which has to be a good thing.
In addition to the cask and bottles and cans they also sell wine and possibly spirits and crisps, and Mr Rich was there doing a quiz on Wednesday last so this may take off as a regular feature. Whats more, Bar Stewards is the perfect place to undertake support for Drinkuary, which I expect all of you to be involved in through the dark joyless January ahead.
Cheers!
Wee Beefy
the title of this post is perhaps a little risky - although pertinent, I appear to have locally garnered a reputation for being some sort of criticism monkey, living in a tree of moaning in a forest of malcontent. So to make clear now, this isn't a polite way of saying Bastards. Its a way of saying Bar Stewards, but making it one word. You may not have noticed, but I am trying to stick to single word post titles this month, in order to be more punchy and, um, rad, fo the yoot. I am quite old by the way....
Anyway, the Bar Stewards is Sheffield;s latest pop up pub - this claim is made on the basis of a lack of information about the Pub Inn which opened after I had already formulated the text for this post. So nehrrr.
Its on Gibraltar Street across from Shakespeares and is run by Al and another gentleman, who will have one of many thousand male human names, probably with an I in it. I dunno, Richard, Michael?
The pair have done a good job sprucing up the empty retail unit and have a bar with four handpumps and possibly some sort of keg dispense, with a well socked fridge behind with bottles and cans inside. There is also a snazzy toilet, and comfortable seating throughout. I have been in three times now and enjoyed each one, the first by myself, once with the lovely Kati and once with Mr Grant and Hux's friend whose name I have since forgotten. On that occasion the real ales on offer were Wild Millionaire stout, Tiny Rebel Cwtch, North Riding Mosaic Pale and Fyne Ales Jarl. The North Riding and Fyne were tried and both were on good form.
I understand the idea is to get a permanent license and open full time sometime in the future - it is rumoured there has been much red tape to leap over and clamber through which may be retarding progress. I do hope for their sake's they get a permanent license - the bar does feel just like a pub now (if that makes sense) and especially in December, when the wonderful Shakespeares is packed to the rafters, its often a little quieter in the Bar stewards.
One question you may ask is - does Sheffield really need another ale venue? The answer is - yes. Of course. Not just because one has recently closed either, but because all venues have their own unique atmosphere and offer their own brand of hospitality. If the nearby (ish) Pub Inn becomes permanent there will be six Micropubs in Sheffield and what that does is increase choice for consumers, which has to be a good thing.
In addition to the cask and bottles and cans they also sell wine and possibly spirits and crisps, and Mr Rich was there doing a quiz on Wednesday last so this may take off as a regular feature. Whats more, Bar Stewards is the perfect place to undertake support for Drinkuary, which I expect all of you to be involved in through the dark joyless January ahead.
Cheers!
Wee Beefy
Saturday, 17 September 2016
Sheffield's newest Micropub....
....is opening this evening, across from Shakespeares, if what Neepsend Rich told me is true - and why wouldn't it be? In the hours before that however, Sheffield's newest Micropub opened about 5 weeks ago and is the Itchy Pig on Glossop Road in Broomhill. That was where I was last night. That was where I met Neepsend Rich. That was my second visit.
I don't actually know, or more likely can't remember, what the pub used to be - I mean a shop, obviously, but not what type. The pub is small, it is a micropub after all, and seats about 18 people, with room to stand. Friday night you have to be patient to get a seat - I started off at the bar supping my excellent pint of Neepsend Snapshot talking to Rich, before spotting an end seat on the small table on the right.
The pub has 5 handpumps selling 4 real ales and 1 cider along with 4 or 5 keg lines including Curious Brew, Abbeydale Heathen and guests like Brew Foundation. The pub sells, in packet and in pints, 7 different styles of pork scratchings and has a deal with the Pizza shop round the corner, possibly called Roots, who you can order pizza from to eat in the pub. The atmosphere is noisy, mainly due to high ceiling and hard surfaces, the bar is homemade (and has a coin under perspex top) and the decorations are subtle and beer or alcohol related. Its very much a micro pub.
The pub was very busy last night and two yoot came in - am guessing they were students, and immediately took their beer outside. The owner went after them to say they couldn't, and they sat down next to me with a giant bag of Sainsburys salt and vinegar stick crisps, which they started to eat whilst they supped their beer. The owner, whose name I have obviously forgotten, said "thats a bit cheeky, eating your own crisps" and asked them not to. Thereafter, the world's most boring man moaned about this for 45 miunutes to his hopefully deaf female friend. Apparently he hadn't heard the word cheeky since 2007 (?) and there wasn't a sign saying you couldn't eat your own food, and that he didn't see why the guy couldn't have just said don't eat your own food in here.
Now I've only been drinking for 25 years but I have known only two pubs where you could bring your own food, and that was advertised clearly as you entered. Everywhere else I would expect, especially since they serve their own snacks, that you couldn't eat your own. The funniest thing he said was "and its really expensive". I nearly said " try the York - where you definitely can't eat your own food". Anyway, the mindless chuntering of mewling children aside this was a great visit, and I had another pint of the Sharpshooter and a half of the Brew Foundation to finish. The bus 120 stops virtually outside and you can catch the 51, 52 or 52a to stops nearby. Give it a try!
By way of comparison I caught the 52 next and got off near South Road to visit the Walkley Beer Co - Sheffield's first Micropub. An excellent range of ales was available as always, and I had a pint or two of the Buxton Axe Edge pale on keg at £4.90 a pint. It as on impeccable form, and went down, being about 6.5%, far too easily. Was good to chat to Dan and Mr Ransomne, and also to see Kit for the first visit in a while. The Walkley Beer Co is possibly smaller than the Pig, but is a wonderful place to visit to drink great real ale, take bottled beers out, buy brewing ingredients or books, and mainly to be part of the Walkley Beer Co community.
Best of luck to all the above - including the one which may open in 70 minutes time. More excellent reasons to drink real ale in Sheffield.
Cheers!
Wee Beefy
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