Indie Beer Feast Sheffield 2026

 Hello there - am a bit delayed with my first post of the year, and this time its all about the Indie Beer Feast beer festival here in fine, sunny, Sheffield!

Am going to boldly claim that have never missed one, but am well aware that may not be true! The first time I went it was in Abbeydale picture house and I went with my chum Mr P, and I recall we ended up finishing in the Hop Hideout bar and bottle shop nearby - which is where it used to be, and obviously makes sense since it is the planning and organising skills of the fabulous Jules - founder and owner of Hop Hideout - that means the festival exists!

For the last three or 4 years its taken place at Trafalgar warehouse, Trafalgar Street, near Corp in Sheffield off West Street. It features a fascinating range of Brewers and Breweries from all around the UK and has tutored tastings, chances to chat with brewers, numerous food stalls, guest speakers, Sheffield history themed information and details of the city's numerous independent trades and and businesses. All breweries supply their own beers to taste, mostly on keg dispense, sometimes in bottles, and this year am sure Ashover and Thornbridge breweries served their beers from cask via handpump.

This year they gave out a Sheffield Beer Week map and Inside it listed the description about Synth City, an exploration of Sheffield's music history, specifically famous synth pop bands, and notable nightclubs and venues of the past, along with a map and a list of the 11 Sheffield Breweries involved in Beer Week collaboration brews!

It was great to catch  up with Abbeydale Brewery, Courier Brewing whom have found out are from Manchester, Liquid Light from Nottingham, Neptune from Liverpool, Cloudwater also from Manchester and Siren Brewing. I also talked to the reps from Kelham Island Brewery regarding their involvement with Fagans pub, and brewing a Fagans beer. I sadly missed the tutored tastings, but one of the things I always enjoy is meeting up with people I know - mainly from pubs  (supping or working in) or through breweries or working in beer shops.

Its difficult to recall exactly which beers I enjoyed most on my two visits (and I went with Tash for the first time on Friday) but the Cloudwater DIPA, Siren DIPA, Ticking Clock and Duality collabs for Beer Week were all excellent,  Ashover Zoo was delicious, Cloudwater Take it with you 7% DDH IPA was immense! Pink Moon raspberry wheat from Liquid Light, Thicane West Coast from Siren, Cloudwater export lager, were likewise noticably excellent - the only thing I didn't do this year was keep  the glass! Oh - and Tartarus Abbadon stout at 17% was mad......

I look forwards to seeing you again next year

kind regards

Beefy 

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Emmanuales - eh?

Orw waaaaarh. 

You may be thinking. 

              I know I was - I thought that Emmanuales had closed down? Do you not remember that number of slightly grim bottles without the leter K that they produced a few years ago? I did!  So it was with a certain amount of surprise that I saw 2 or 3 of their brews advertised at Beer Central back in August. And, purely on a research basis, I went for two - their Black IPA which was about 6.9% if memory serves (and it doesn't) along with their 10000 Saisons, described at the front of the can as a "Rustic saison". What would it be like? And who and where are they these days? 

Well, perhaps to my surprise - both were excellent. I tried their black IPA first, which had a name and everything, and it was fab! Quite an old time flavour if am honest - but not in a bad way. It was actually the perfect blend of bitter hopiness, fruit/citra and dark smokey malt. I loved it.

And what of their Saison? Well, to start with, it was a marvelous 7.8%. One of the things I very much appreciated about the Emmanuales bottles back in the day was that they were always strong - and in this case, not afraid to breach the 7.4% barrier that many brewers currently and understandably stay away from. So I was very pleased - and admittedly not surprised - to find that this saison was simultaneously strong as well as very refreshing!

There was also thankfully a lot of yeast left in the can - one thing that disappoints me a little about...um....modern cans...is the lack, irrespective of the cloudiness, of yeast in any substance, or possibly other adjuncts(?) left in the bottom of a can? Not least because I like to ensure that I get a good drop of each brew so am usually willing to wash out the bottom of the can or bottle in order to add more murk or depth to each taste, and of course' slightly prolong it's consumption. This ticked every box.

So - where are they based these days I hear me ask? Because I distinctly recall the brewer/founder being interviewed on Look Norfff about 5  years or so ago showing him selling, and presumably brewing, his bears at a Sheffield Brewery tap - am thinking perhaps at Sheffield Brew Company? Or I may have misremembered one of those facts....

I know that Neepsend had to move last year or  similar, and there's nothing preventing Sheffield Brew Company doing the same. But I wasn't actually sure whether firstly that would see him leave, or whether the issues with the brewing or bottling previously caused him to at best postpone production.

Now the can says they are based on Cromwell Street in S6. As a can it rather unsurprisingly doesn't name the brewer, but I have no reason to presume it has changed hands or indeed brewers. Either way both of the beers tried were more well balanced and perhaps more accomplished than the brewery's previous offerings. Alas, having as yet not carried out any internet searches - where everything is true - on the same, am unsure of whom it is brews there, and what happened to their previous undertaking or location.

I am however sure that they are now producing fabulous and very quaffable brews here in fine, sunny, Sheffield - go give them a try!

Cheers

Wee Beefy

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

Abbeydale's first lower ABV beer

Eefnin all,

       tonight I have been very pleased to open a mini keg of Abbeydale Absolution. Whilst writing up it's pouring on Faceache I claimed it was probably the first Abbeydale beer I ever tasted. I remember said event was at the Cask and Cutler, now the Wellington again, on Henry street. But am not so sure whether Abbeydale started out with both Absolution as well as Moonshine, or one or the other. And this got me thinking....

Nearly a year ago (give or take a few weeks) I had a grain injury, and readers may already be aware that this has affected my memory - initial tests suggested that both my recent and long term memories had been affected, but strangely, including references to old beermats by John Clarke in his recently re-ignited posts, I appear to be managing somewhat better with longer ago memories. Which in this case at least is good news - since the SCBIRT in Sheffield suggested it may take a further three to six years for me to recall more of my memories.

I remember when Abbeydale started. Neil and Sheila at the Cask and Cutler had got two casks of their very first output, and I remember trying and enjoying both of them. Unless it was just one? If I am right, am thinking that Patrick Morton used to brew or have some involvement with Kelham Island Brewery. This is something that he may also share with Canadian James who currently owns Neepsend brewery. Alas am not sure he ever was involved at Abbeydale but in fairness that matters little - because my dip into excellent Absolution tonight revived memories of a pre Daily bread beer from the same brewery.

It took me a while to remember, and I did think of asking my chums on Faceache if they could remember it's name. Am not 100% sure but I am likewise fairly certain that thy do not brew this anymore.  So what was it called., and where did I try it?

It was called Matins, and, if my otherwise frothy memory comes out OK, I think this pale ale was 3.6%. Where I first tried it is a puzzle, because I tried it a number of times initially. However, the first time I can remember was at the wonderful Three Stage Heads in Wardlow Mires, probably in 1998, or 1999. WF was still driving coaches at that point and invited me to the Yondeman's cafe (or one of many other names) across the road from the pub for some Sunday morning scran, before he set off to pick up his passengers. After the nosh I distinctly remember nipping across to the Three Stags Heads just as it opened - I was very much the first customer of the day.

I recall that then, and on the 30th December that same year, the pub was served by a lass behind the bar whose name absolutely escapes me. Although it was twenty one and  a half years ago. She was possibly a friend or family member of one of the two owners, and It was a short period where they had Matins on cask - I remember I had three pints of it due to its lower strength. My friend Christingpher also had some when we visited just before New Year's Eve. For reasons not that important, I also recall that this was my first ever visit to the Red Lion in Litton - taken over at least twice since and very much improved, I remember sitting outside, maudlin, with a half of something bland, and being very much surprised on my return to find that the pub had improved immensely. But I digress...

I recall that as well as the three pints or perhaps two pints and a half of Matins I moved up to the excellent Absolution. This and other experiences started a lengthy love of Absolution - which despite my well known  desire for and stated appreciation of hoppy and fruity DIPA's, remains one of my favourite beers. When me and Tash went on our first ever night away we stayed in Litton and after a meal in the Red Lion we walked to the Stags and really enjoyed a night of Absolution and lemon peppered tomatoes sat listening to Jeff (or maybe Geoff) and Pat.

The next time I recall hearing a reference, never mind tasting Matins, I was in the Gardener Rest with Pat and Eddy and Tim and another guy who were setting up the Sheffield Brewery Company. I was tasting their decent standard pale ale and as they thought I may know my stuff, asked me for my opinions about the same against perhaps, the output of Abbeydale. They rightly recognised the excellence of their, at that time, astutely pale beers such as Moonshine, and suggested they might try and brew a slightly more traditional  version of Matins. I admit that I had seen it less and less, and wasn't aware at that point of plans for Daily Bread, so I assumed it was still in production and suggested that it would have to be quite different, in order  to compete.

Alas, at some stage in the noughties am certain Matins was scrapped, and at some time in the last twelve years they introduced Daily Bread as their lower gravity offering. Tonight's experience however, has shown me how much the excellent Absolution has meanwhile firmly stayed in my heart and palate thereafter.

Cheers!

Wee Beefy

      

Abbeydale

Artanoo yall,

               as predicted yesterday, today has been a fab day - not least because of yet another large serving of my indomitable six hour Bolognese, but also because the fab folk at the above named brewery arrived today with my beers from their factory of joy. So far, entirely of course in order to increase my relevant knowledge of their output, I have tasted two of their cans - both new to me. And as also expected, they did not disappoint.

I started first of all with a can of Reverie. New to me, this 4.2% pale ale was immediately of interest to me when I doffed the cap - or rather, opened the can, it straight away released a huge amount of delicious aroma - I remember thinking Citra mixed with bitterness, and reading the back of the can, not only do I still smell the same after nearly two hours, but I can see that its a dry hopped pale made with Citra and Cascade, explaining the noticable bitterness. Tasting the same brought out a fabulous mixture of both dry and staunch bitterness with whisps of glorious Citra over the top. At 4.2% it holds a fabulous mouthfeel and is, as with all my favourite beers, very easy to drink.

Just now, having next moved back onto tea from the past, I decided to try their DIPA. Now I have to be honest - I was slightly worried about it's strength. Having started my DIPappreciation with the wonderful 9% Cloudwater specials four years ago, I have noticed that almost all breweries, although a few exceed that, have settled on 8 to 8.5% being a fine strength. I had only twice previously tried a DIPA at below 8% and was impressed with neither.

Now I realise that the strength alone does not completely yield the flavour - but also that the higher bitterness on many occasions changes and also often improves the way the hops malts and other ingredients dance together on your palate. The weird thing here was that two years ago I sat in the sunshine with the lovely Vikkie and her family and friends at the Sheffield Student Beer festival in May. I tried a cask Abbeydale DIPA at something nearer 9% and I found it quite disappointing - seemingly overly strengthened, perhaps, with too much yeast, and the wrong type or simply too few hops?

Then I saw earlier this week the video of Sheffield Hopcast featuring Sean, Laura and folk whom I recognise yet strangely cannot recall the names of. One of them was drinking and enjoying an Abbeydale DIPA - and I know there are more than one - and stated that he had found it both very enjoyable but also far different to the versions that had gone in the past. Inspired by this faith, I ordered 6 cans of Deliverance in my order. And when I tried this, it once again did not disappoint.

Firstly, as all good beer should be, it was cloudy - although, perhaps because of his unfathomable age, Wee Fatha doesn't like and will not even sip such provisions, citing effects on his obviatorial process in such potations - I would hope that I need provide no further facts in such a claim. I, on the other hand, as a mere bairn of just 45, am still unaffected in that region by cloudy beer, but in terms of ease of suppability, I suggest that such beefiness makes the same far easier to drink.

The can lists the inclusion of Sabro, HBC 472 and HBC 692, along with their collaboration with Yakima Chief Hops in the US. As they note, the other ingredients are likewise drawn from the Neomexicanus subspecies, and although I am too short of foliage knowledge to appreciate that, I still have sufficient taste buds to recognise that these combine for an exemplary brew.  The taste is amazing, with fruity and resinous flavours in the aftertaste, mixed with punchy bitterness in the front and lingering in the background throughout. I still love Absolution, but as a new treat I have to admit that the balanced excellence of Deliverance has blown my mind.

I do hope you all get to try the same, or either, or those brews that I have tried, or indeed anything from their current backdrop of excellent brews, from pale bitters like Moonshine and Deception, through to excellent dark ales like Black Mass and Salvation, mixed in with their Heavy Nettle saison and numerous others.

And I would now ask you all to raise a glass and a massive thank you to these brewers of excellent beers here in fine, sunny, Sheffield.

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  

Lost Industry. Found Ingenuity

Hello,

       in October Shakespeares beer festival featured a beer from a new Sheffield Brewery, qwich was called  Lost Industry. Oyl int rord (that is how I would pronounce it anyway...) was an oatmeal stout. It was in the upstairs bar and tasted good. I later found out that people thought the brewery was behind the Sainsburys at Wadsley Bridge. And I never saw their beers again.

Until, having a chat with a man in the same pub, I found out they were launching a new beer - a pineapple yoghurt sour. Tony told me he had talked to them and said that if as claimed they liked the same beer styles as him they should brew something a bit different. I can't give Tony credit for the beer, but I can Lost Industry . And I can for the other beers of theirs which I sampled at the Devonshire Cat on Thursday.

It wasn't especially well publicised, but there was a fair sized crowd of drinkers in the Dev when we arrived. There were 5 beers on, including the sour, all on keg - which I am told is the dispense method of Satan. Only its not. The other beers on offer were Biscosity, a Biscotti coffee Baltic Porter, Pacific Wheat, a 4.3% wheat beer, Chinook, a 5.7% American Pale, and Hyperion an 8.6% Double IPA.

I started on a pint of the sour - its difficult to explain how, but it really did feature a slight pineapple flavour, with something akin to yoghurt in the background, overladen with sourness. It was far far better tasting than I have described.

I spotted Jules from Hop Hideout and John from Shakespeares and chatted to them both, and Jules pointed out brewers Nate and Jim. One of them is a chef. I did not find out which. I did however talk to them for a while outside in the cold. I told them that in comparison to the Oyl int rord this new batch of beers was far better. More exciting. More innovative. More ingenious. And it was time I had another...

I bought a pint of the Chinook, and it was amazing. A wow beer. A huge hit of Chinook hops but with balance in the overall flavour, even though the hops were biting. It was a decent strength for a US Pale ale and I think carried off the style well.

Next I had a pint of the Biscosity. This was everything I expected of a Baltic coffee porter - thick, roasty, warming, with a wonderful coffee aroma. I seem to remember this beer was about 7.8% - although I had yet to try the wheat I was thus far moving up in strength order. The wheat would have to wait. The Hyperion was next on my menu.

I have mentioned before about the cost of keg beer in the Dev Cat. Its very high. When you sell Beavertown Gamma Ray (I think) at nearly a pound more than BrewDog nearby there is clearly an issue, and the Hyperion at 8.6% was virtually a pound a percent. Only the whopping Bearded Lady at 10.5% at the Sheffield Tap, Sheffield's most expensive pub, cost me more than I paid at the Dev for the Hyperion. It was a very enjoyable, tasty pint. And it was about £2.00 more than it should have cost.

Pricing issues aside, I can safely say the Hyperion was beautiful. It was however also an interesting Double IPA not least because of its type of hoppiness. It was hoppy, yes, in a well rounded way, but which didn't seem to stay throughout the drink. It was enjoyable, but not what I expected.

My last drink was the Wheat and this was exactly what I hoped for -  a cold refreshing wheat beer. Just right for cleansing the palate after the might of the Biscosity and Hyperion before it.

One issue for me was, apart from the prices, the lack of CAMRA involvement in the event. Don't get me wrong, I understand that the beer was all keg, but Lost Industry as far as I know, sell in cask, keg and bottle. They are also a small independent Sheffield Brewery. Don't get me wrong, some of the attendees could have been CAMRA members, including Rob (from Hoptimism beer shop - hello again!) but there was no visible CAMRA support.

This is a disappointing message to give two new young brewers. Especially since am certain many CAMRA members actually drink keykeg beers. They may even enjoy them. The excuse that ts not cask or real and they are the Campaign for Real Ale seems to be wearing thin now, with so many breweries of exceptional beer (like Burning Sky, Magic Rock and Buxton) brewing both cask and keg.

Anyway, that aside, this was a great event featuring an aspiring Sheffield brewery and a range of interesting unusual and high quality ales for the folk of Sheffield to try. I don't know if it was a joke but the brewery said they wanted to experiment brewing a Vass - an Eastern European bread beer, and are well underway with a chocolate biscuit stout. Well done to Liz and her team for hosting the event and to Nate and Jim for producing the beers. Here is a link  to their Twitter page. They are also on Facebook.

Am hoping and looking forward to seeing their beers again soon.

Cheers!


Wee Beefy