Good afternooo
apologies for the slightly lame title -I was going to make it even more icky with "Family Christmas Meal Pub Crawl" until I saw sense. This is still a bit weak I admit but its a good reflection of the event that am about to describe....
We were meeting early this year - at noon. Initially this was to allow WF to drive back before 16.00 in the light but in the end WK picked him up in his car before dropping Dad at the pub, driving back to Crookes and walking back to the Sportsman at Crosspool. WF got a taxi later. Admittedly its an Ember Inns pub but they sell a few decent beers and the meal was. in comparison with town based offerings, a bit of a winner for twelve pounds. As always myself Matty and Tash were ever so slightly late - I walked down to Darnall to get twenty pound out and to buy a weekly pass but there was a problem with the cash machine. Although I knew I had sufficient funds in my account I got just two pounds out at the Post office and headed into town after a lengthy wait for 11.50. Luckily Tash and Matt picked me up at 11.58 on West Street in a taxi they had got and we were there by just gone ten past.
Ale wise there was a Black Sheep IPA, Moonshine, Thornbridge Jaipur and the excellent Fyne Ales Jarl. Always a favourite drop I had two pints of this as well as a a pint of Jaipur. all of which were delicious. WF complained about his Jarl to WK who asked me to come and try it - it tasted exactly the same as mine. It was when I told him this that he admitted it was too cold and that he didn't like cold beer. Am sure when he was drinking off Sam Smiths at the Abbey pub outside Derby the temperature hadn't been considered and I have to admit that pale hoppy beers do taste far better with a light chill. Mine was ace! Meanwhile the meal was OK and we were there nearly three and a half hours before M+M dove off and took the two Wees to WK's house for Dad to wait for a taxi. Me Tash and Matty walked back through the cemetery to Crookes where we popped in the Punch Bowl.
I have been reasonably impressed with its turn around since True North took it over but alas we found that they were trying to sell some rank and off Blue Bee Stout - Matty asked for a taste and pulled a deep grimace as he smelled it and tasted it - he pre-warned me but that didn't prepare me for the vile smell never mind the taste. When I pointed out to the girl behind the bar that the stout was off she didn't taste it instead claiming that "they always taste weird to me". An amazing response, which I would like to think is especially disrespectful to Josh and the others involved with the brewery. I did not check that they had taken it off when I left but am guessing that the person I pointed out the issue to neither cared about her clients or understood beer sufficiently to bother.
Nipping across the road to Two Sheds we bought Tash a couple of glasses of mulled Wine and I had an excellent pint of North Brewing Sputnik Pale, whilst Keet and Matty had the Janet Street Porter. I had two excellent pints of the Sputnik which was on fine form and the others enjoyed their drinks too. Matty and WK nipped back to his next whilst me and Tash headed into Town to pop in Cavells to use the loo, and to get Tash a large white wine and myself a pint of something about 5.5% After a quick catch up Tash got the tram home and I wandered down to Bar Stewards to have another pint of the 5.7% Blue Bee IPA on cask, and kept perfectly, along with a few halves on keg. As always I bumped into a few mates and caught the bus back at about 23.00. I may even have treated myself to a can of Pressure Drop when I got in, although, as with a number of happenstances, my memories remain unclear....
Overall though this was a great day out and despite the grimness of the Punch Bowl all the pubs involved kept excellent beers. Am out in Crookes again tonight for a couple to catch up with fab folk from the past as well as Wee Keefy and am really looking forward to a return trip to the Hallamshire House.
Cheers!
Wee Beefy
Showing posts with label The Punchbowl Crookes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label The Punchbowl Crookes. Show all posts
Saturday, 28 December 2019
Sunday, 18 October 2015
Punchbowl, Red House and Ship - one month in.
Hello,
yesterday I went on a pub crawl. Shock news, as am sure you would agree, but there was a point. Starting in Crookes at the Punchbowl (or Reet Pizza at the Punchbowl) I was heading for the Red House and then the Ship on Shalesmoor to see how the three recently reopened pubs were faring. This is what I found.
The Punchbowl was busy when I arrived. After talking to the guy from Sheffield's newest micropub - details to follow in next post - I went inside to find dancers and a photographer. The dancers were the Sheffield Steel Tappers or similar - I have seen them in Shakespeares and the Bath Hotel and other venues, they wear red sashes and black and are a friendly and sometimes thirsty bunch. They do traditional dancing, but don't ask me what style. They were also on a pub crawl heading for Shakespeares as it later transpired.....
I went to the bar and bought myself, using a card, two pints - one of Hopcraft Napoleon Complex, and one of their Passage of Least Resistance. I sat down in the left hand side and awaited Wee Keefy.
The Napoleon Complex did not last long and Wee Keefy arrived to find me supping the very easy drinking "POLR" surrounded by families eating. No nauseating screaming bairns I should point out, just groups quietly enjoying the pizza whilst the parents supped. Christingpher joined us later and the pub was getting busier with 30 or 40 customers in. I went to the bar and tried the Reet Pale - for the third consecutive time I have tried it the beer was flat and lacked life or balance and had almost no hoppiness. Does anyone know why Reet Pale is suddenly crap? Instead I had a half of the Tempest Stout, which was lovely.
WK kindly bought us a cider pig pizza to share and this was as delicious as I remember. I know Mt Stephens was worried about the size of this pub and filling it but on every visit so far that has been achieved. I have been in four times now and the pub has always been busy. Looking good for the bowl....
A 32 minute wait for a First Bus 52 followed - to add to the 23 minutes I waited earlier, reminding me that having a First only bus pass adds hours to my weekly wait. A short trip later I got off near the University and headed down Broad Lane, Sidall Street and right down Solly Street to the Red House. Except, I was at the Red House, but it wasn't open. I waited patiently until gone 19.00 but there was no sign of life, just a light on in the entrance behind the locked door.
I'm not going to leap to any conclusions but for a pub so out of the way which had undertaken so little advertising and publicity, being closed on a Saturday night is, at the very least, bizarre. I finally found their Twitter page and tweeted them, only about an hour ago, to ask for their opening times - they haven't even posted any tweets yet, and don't have a description of their pub. The last time I went in, about ten days ago, we were once again the only customrs, and the beer tasted like it had been on for a week or more. I will let you know what, or if, I receive as a reply to my query, soon.
Cutting down the less salubrious back streets of Snow Lane, Smithfield and Allen Street I was soon on the main road and heading for the Ship. Not as brightly lit as it was on its opening weekend the pub was still busy, thronged with punters of all ages and types, soaking up the atmosphere and the ales and kegs and wines. It was, in what is my sixth visit, a busy, popular venue.
There were three cask ales on - Monkeytown Mild from Phoenix,, a Lytham Witch Wood, and Golden Boots from Jolly Sailor. An interesting range, granted, but still not as good as that offered before (and more expensive). I tried and had a pint of the Lytham which reminded me slightly of Taylors Golden Best, a hoppy amber mild in style. It was actually very enjoyable, but the beer range brings me to a comment by Dave Unpro. He said he hadn't been, but the main complaint he had heard was it was described and marketed as a Craft Ale House but did not sell any Craft. I think he is right.
The bottled range is underwhelming in comparison to other local real ale boozers, i.e Shakespeares and the Kelham for starters. The real ale range is sometimes interesting, often uninspiring, and with the exception of the now much less punchy Punk IPA on keg, there hasn't been a strong pale hoppy beer on yet. Sheffield, as ye fules kno, is a pale ale city. Pale ales are surely the popular pint....?
However, putting aside a nonsensical debate on what the chuff is Craft anyway (its is a word, that is all) the pub seems to be doing rather marvelously despite this obvious shortcomig. In fact, I think that Artisan have been quite clever. In introducing a range of less hoppy but sometimes pale, and sometimes unusual real ales with more standard fare, and reinvigorating the decor inside, the pub has managed it seems to retain the regular customers, as well as attracting new ones. It may not sate the desires of the hoppy independent cask and keg ales drinkers, and its cask range for me is quite disappointing, but it has managed to change its identity and retain it customer base. That, readers, is a difficult trick to pull off.
The other issue is that all but the Wellington locally offer an astounding range of changing independent real ales. It would be overly optimistic using four handpumps, to try and compete with that sort of range and availability. I say well done then, to the Ship, for making a successful if mis-marketed transition into the drinking venue, and pub, it has now become.
Overall, assuming the Red House is in fact still open, we have seen three very different pubs reopen since mid September and two at least, have been very successful. The difference between the two that are and the one that isn't is plain and simple - advertising, publicity and promotion. Attracting new customers whilst not, it would seem, alienating regulars. Yes, a couple of blokes walked in the Punchbowl on its first weekend and asked for smoothflow John Smiths and were disappointed not to have it on offer. This doesn't seem to have affected it popularity overall. Meanwhile, am sure some of the Ship's regulars baulk at the higher prices, and miss the Chinese food late on a Friday night, but the pub isn't noticeably suffering a loss of trade. In fact, it has improved.
Its just a shame that the same could not be said of the Red House. Its a cause for concern how little effort was made to attract customers to this traditional back street boozer. I sincerely hope this isn't a false dawn, and that the pub becomes a success in its current form, as opposed to a set of yet more student flats.
Cheers!
Wee Beefy
yesterday I went on a pub crawl. Shock news, as am sure you would agree, but there was a point. Starting in Crookes at the Punchbowl (or Reet Pizza at the Punchbowl) I was heading for the Red House and then the Ship on Shalesmoor to see how the three recently reopened pubs were faring. This is what I found.
The Punchbowl was busy when I arrived. After talking to the guy from Sheffield's newest micropub - details to follow in next post - I went inside to find dancers and a photographer. The dancers were the Sheffield Steel Tappers or similar - I have seen them in Shakespeares and the Bath Hotel and other venues, they wear red sashes and black and are a friendly and sometimes thirsty bunch. They do traditional dancing, but don't ask me what style. They were also on a pub crawl heading for Shakespeares as it later transpired.....
I went to the bar and bought myself, using a card, two pints - one of Hopcraft Napoleon Complex, and one of their Passage of Least Resistance. I sat down in the left hand side and awaited Wee Keefy.
The Napoleon Complex did not last long and Wee Keefy arrived to find me supping the very easy drinking "POLR" surrounded by families eating. No nauseating screaming bairns I should point out, just groups quietly enjoying the pizza whilst the parents supped. Christingpher joined us later and the pub was getting busier with 30 or 40 customers in. I went to the bar and tried the Reet Pale - for the third consecutive time I have tried it the beer was flat and lacked life or balance and had almost no hoppiness. Does anyone know why Reet Pale is suddenly crap? Instead I had a half of the Tempest Stout, which was lovely.
WK kindly bought us a cider pig pizza to share and this was as delicious as I remember. I know Mt Stephens was worried about the size of this pub and filling it but on every visit so far that has been achieved. I have been in four times now and the pub has always been busy. Looking good for the bowl....
A 32 minute wait for a First Bus 52 followed - to add to the 23 minutes I waited earlier, reminding me that having a First only bus pass adds hours to my weekly wait. A short trip later I got off near the University and headed down Broad Lane, Sidall Street and right down Solly Street to the Red House. Except, I was at the Red House, but it wasn't open. I waited patiently until gone 19.00 but there was no sign of life, just a light on in the entrance behind the locked door.
I'm not going to leap to any conclusions but for a pub so out of the way which had undertaken so little advertising and publicity, being closed on a Saturday night is, at the very least, bizarre. I finally found their Twitter page and tweeted them, only about an hour ago, to ask for their opening times - they haven't even posted any tweets yet, and don't have a description of their pub. The last time I went in, about ten days ago, we were once again the only customrs, and the beer tasted like it had been on for a week or more. I will let you know what, or if, I receive as a reply to my query, soon.
Cutting down the less salubrious back streets of Snow Lane, Smithfield and Allen Street I was soon on the main road and heading for the Ship. Not as brightly lit as it was on its opening weekend the pub was still busy, thronged with punters of all ages and types, soaking up the atmosphere and the ales and kegs and wines. It was, in what is my sixth visit, a busy, popular venue.
There were three cask ales on - Monkeytown Mild from Phoenix,, a Lytham Witch Wood, and Golden Boots from Jolly Sailor. An interesting range, granted, but still not as good as that offered before (and more expensive). I tried and had a pint of the Lytham which reminded me slightly of Taylors Golden Best, a hoppy amber mild in style. It was actually very enjoyable, but the beer range brings me to a comment by Dave Unpro. He said he hadn't been, but the main complaint he had heard was it was described and marketed as a Craft Ale House but did not sell any Craft. I think he is right.
The bottled range is underwhelming in comparison to other local real ale boozers, i.e Shakespeares and the Kelham for starters. The real ale range is sometimes interesting, often uninspiring, and with the exception of the now much less punchy Punk IPA on keg, there hasn't been a strong pale hoppy beer on yet. Sheffield, as ye fules kno, is a pale ale city. Pale ales are surely the popular pint....?
However, putting aside a nonsensical debate on what the chuff is Craft anyway (its is a word, that is all) the pub seems to be doing rather marvelously despite this obvious shortcomig. In fact, I think that Artisan have been quite clever. In introducing a range of less hoppy but sometimes pale, and sometimes unusual real ales with more standard fare, and reinvigorating the decor inside, the pub has managed it seems to retain the regular customers, as well as attracting new ones. It may not sate the desires of the hoppy independent cask and keg ales drinkers, and its cask range for me is quite disappointing, but it has managed to change its identity and retain it customer base. That, readers, is a difficult trick to pull off.
The other issue is that all but the Wellington locally offer an astounding range of changing independent real ales. It would be overly optimistic using four handpumps, to try and compete with that sort of range and availability. I say well done then, to the Ship, for making a successful if mis-marketed transition into the drinking venue, and pub, it has now become.
Overall, assuming the Red House is in fact still open, we have seen three very different pubs reopen since mid September and two at least, have been very successful. The difference between the two that are and the one that isn't is plain and simple - advertising, publicity and promotion. Attracting new customers whilst not, it would seem, alienating regulars. Yes, a couple of blokes walked in the Punchbowl on its first weekend and asked for smoothflow John Smiths and were disappointed not to have it on offer. This doesn't seem to have affected it popularity overall. Meanwhile, am sure some of the Ship's regulars baulk at the higher prices, and miss the Chinese food late on a Friday night, but the pub isn't noticeably suffering a loss of trade. In fact, it has improved.
Its just a shame that the same could not be said of the Red House. Its a cause for concern how little effort was made to attract customers to this traditional back street boozer. I sincerely hope this isn't a false dawn, and that the pub becomes a success in its current form, as opposed to a set of yet more student flats.
Cheers!
Wee Beefy
Friday, 18 September 2015
The Punchbowl, Crookes, reopens!
Hello,
I was in the Punchbowl last night, on Crookes here in sunny Sheffield. It reopens to the public on Saturday but in the meantime people were invited to try out the free food last night, and some to the VIP event tonight. This is the work of Andy Stephens and his Reet Ale Pubs company here in Sheffield. They took on the Punchbowl on Bank Holiday Monday and have refurbished it in under three weeks. So what is it like?
Well, the first thing is, its size. The three pubs already run by Andrew Inns, which is what I call them, are quite small in comparison - the Rutland is largest in terms of building size, but the seating areas are virtually the same - the Punchbowl is much larger. There are three different seating areas, one near the pizza oven, one on the left, and one split area near the back.
The pub is set out in a mix of traditional and modern styles - as a lover of pub architecture, I don't mind what has been done - the bar remains in the same place and following extensive brutal and clumsy remodeling previously, nothing remains of the 1930's roadhouse design other than the frontage. The bar has a simple tile floor in front of it and to the right is the pizza oven and preparation section - near this is further seating and, I understand, the opportunity to watch the pizzas being made. The raised section at the back is plain but comfortable and there are views from here over Sheffield. The rest of the furniture is a mix of high and low tables and chairs.
The food menu is mostly pizzas - and as last night was a free tasting night me and Tash had one each. She had Yorkshire Goats Cheese with beetroot and mushrooms and olives, and I had the pulled pork in cider pizza. It was, I have to say, delicious - I would happily pay £9.95 to eat that any day of the week. As long as that day was at the beginning of the month of course...
Beer wise there are 8 handpumps and 5 keg lines. There are also a number of interesting bottled ales from Kernel and Mikkeller and others. Last night I started on a pint of Shankar IPA from Great Heck, whilst Tash had the excellent Blue Bee Ginger Beer - after this, we both moved on to having pints of that. This was followed by a pint each of the Magic Rock Grapefruit High Wire on keg. Its 5.5% and £4.50 a pint - so basically a pound more than on cask. Which is what I would expect. We finished on a half of the excellent, hoppy, Shankar to share between us.
It will be interesting to see what the regulars make of the pub. It had a very long and sorry period as a Mr Q's. during which time I never went in, and then reopened following a refurbishment as a slightly more traditional pub with a couple of real ales. Tash thought it was a brave move - opening a pub relying so strongly on its pizza, across the road from a pizza shop, but that doesn't sell real ale and is fr take out. I don't think they will compete with each other (and I suspect the Punchbowl pizzas are better...?).
The pub also forms part of a slightly longer Crookes Valley Crawl - encompassing the Closed Shop, and depending on the route you take, potentially finishing at the Three Tuns.
Tonight is a VIP night by invite only and the pub reopens to the public fully on Saturday. I don't know if they have a website or FB page yet but am sure one will appear soon. Meanwhile, I wish Andy and his staff all the best for their latest pub venture in Sheffield.
Cheers!
Wee Beefy
I was in the Punchbowl last night, on Crookes here in sunny Sheffield. It reopens to the public on Saturday but in the meantime people were invited to try out the free food last night, and some to the VIP event tonight. This is the work of Andy Stephens and his Reet Ale Pubs company here in Sheffield. They took on the Punchbowl on Bank Holiday Monday and have refurbished it in under three weeks. So what is it like?
Well, the first thing is, its size. The three pubs already run by Andrew Inns, which is what I call them, are quite small in comparison - the Rutland is largest in terms of building size, but the seating areas are virtually the same - the Punchbowl is much larger. There are three different seating areas, one near the pizza oven, one on the left, and one split area near the back.
The pub is set out in a mix of traditional and modern styles - as a lover of pub architecture, I don't mind what has been done - the bar remains in the same place and following extensive brutal and clumsy remodeling previously, nothing remains of the 1930's roadhouse design other than the frontage. The bar has a simple tile floor in front of it and to the right is the pizza oven and preparation section - near this is further seating and, I understand, the opportunity to watch the pizzas being made. The raised section at the back is plain but comfortable and there are views from here over Sheffield. The rest of the furniture is a mix of high and low tables and chairs.
The food menu is mostly pizzas - and as last night was a free tasting night me and Tash had one each. She had Yorkshire Goats Cheese with beetroot and mushrooms and olives, and I had the pulled pork in cider pizza. It was, I have to say, delicious - I would happily pay £9.95 to eat that any day of the week. As long as that day was at the beginning of the month of course...
Beer wise there are 8 handpumps and 5 keg lines. There are also a number of interesting bottled ales from Kernel and Mikkeller and others. Last night I started on a pint of Shankar IPA from Great Heck, whilst Tash had the excellent Blue Bee Ginger Beer - after this, we both moved on to having pints of that. This was followed by a pint each of the Magic Rock Grapefruit High Wire on keg. Its 5.5% and £4.50 a pint - so basically a pound more than on cask. Which is what I would expect. We finished on a half of the excellent, hoppy, Shankar to share between us.
It will be interesting to see what the regulars make of the pub. It had a very long and sorry period as a Mr Q's. during which time I never went in, and then reopened following a refurbishment as a slightly more traditional pub with a couple of real ales. Tash thought it was a brave move - opening a pub relying so strongly on its pizza, across the road from a pizza shop, but that doesn't sell real ale and is fr take out. I don't think they will compete with each other (and I suspect the Punchbowl pizzas are better...?).
The pub also forms part of a slightly longer Crookes Valley Crawl - encompassing the Closed Shop, and depending on the route you take, potentially finishing at the Three Tuns.
Tonight is a VIP night by invite only and the pub reopens to the public fully on Saturday. I don't know if they have a website or FB page yet but am sure one will appear soon. Meanwhile, I wish Andy and his staff all the best for their latest pub venture in Sheffield.
Cheers!
Wee Beefy
Saturday, 7 July 2012
More wee beefy beer news
Hello again,
as so often seems to happen in Summer (Ha!) when loads of stuff is going on, in depth writing on single subjects is not practicable. In respect of which here is another unseemly blob of information about the fine drop....
Dada
In a recent visit there was Pollards on again, along with a new Thornbridge beer for a housing charity, plus Galaxia, and the excellent Bath Gem. I tried a taste of the Thornbridge chariddee beer and was non plussed, it tasted much like Doc Fest and Pub Scrawl, and er, wait, I'm seeing a pattern here! Great if you don't want to be challenged by tastes I'm sure.
First Pint Pollards was of course immense, and very enjoyable to quaff whilst discussing the nuances of employment and ale with Jamie. I followed this with a really nice pint of Galaxia which is in fact becoming one of my favourite pale Thornbridge beers, which is a shame, since I don't think they produce it all the time. Initially I wanted to know just which Australian hopes were used until I realised with some embarrassment that Galaxia is of course the only hop used in this zesty and fruity "single hopped" pint.
I finished with a half of Tzara, since it was still hideously warm and muggy out it seemed a good idea to finish supping with a cool quality lager, which hit all the right spots being cool, but not overly chilled, and refreshing.
Red Deer
A visit on Thursday heralded the opportunity to meet Mr Paul the DJ and his chums, along with trying two decent guest ales. One of the great mysteries of this pub to me is that there is clearly a core range of decent if somewhat predominantly hop shy malty beers, but sometimes the guests appear to be more of the same. This time was different, and I had two excellent halves of Great Heck Yorkshire Pale, and Empire Brewery Strikes Back, whilst chatting outside in the beer harden.
Bath Hotel
During yesterday's heaving skies and rivers of rain me and Chala bravely embarked on a rash and unwarranted yomp around Sheffield, including nipping in Tampa Coffee and Gusto for necessary fuel. Alas, the action of walking anywhere around Midday yesterday occasioned full saturation and so we had to go somewhere to get dry.
There were few customers in the Bath when we arrived and the barman very kindly agreed to light the fire in the back room for us, so we could warm ourselves and our layers up. Alas the Tzara was off on draught but Chala was happy with a bottle, and I opted for a pint of the Whim Hartington Bitter.
This was drier and less fruity than I remembers but was nice enough, but again the allure of the Pollards won through and I had a pint of that. I finished on a nice half of Dark Star Pale Ale, which was probably actually a little better than the Whim. Shame I couldn't make it back for the roast pork sarnies...
Rutland
A whistle stop visit last night heralded two excellent beers, which I had halves of due to being in a rush. The wonderfully quaffable Offbeat Wild Blackberry Mild and the dark bitter Elland St Georges Anger were both enjoyed with the mild probably being the beer of the night.
Tap
Still no outside facilities alas, and it was like an oven inside, but mercifully there was evidence of breweries other than Thornbridge on the bar. Having mistaken Marble Dobber for their Porter I switched sides on ordering and had a half of the robust and really quite monumental Beadecas Well from Thornbridge, and Marble Summer, which was another excellent refreshing pale beer Time constraints aside, I could have sunk a barrel of it. Yum!
Punchbowl, Crookes
Not your first choice beer pub in Crookes or indeed Sheffield but some friends were up there to attend an auction where an original Joe Scarborough painting was being sold to raise money for Help The Heroes. It was an interesting auction event, especially since the auctioneer turned singer when the bidding (which raised a lot of money - the picture went for over £2,000.00) had finished.
Some friends of ours know Joe so it was nice to get the chance to meet him and talk to him, and of course to get a preview of the picture before it was sold. Beer wise there was a choice of two - the Everards Whakatu was a low gravity beer promising NZ hops. I suppose being Everards I shouldn't have expected a Summer Wine Brewery or Hawkshead style NZ IPA beer, but it was so weak in flavour and so bereft of hops it was woeful, and also smelt off, even if it didn't taste it.
the other beer on offer was Kelham Island Easy Rider which is not so bad, and I had 3 or 4 pints of that during the evening as well. At least this demonstrates that, assuming the Noah's Ark is open/reopens, you can get real ale in every pub in Crookes, which is no bad thing.
Am off to Sunfest in a bit so hope to have something to write up tomorrow.
Cheers!
Wee Beefy
as so often seems to happen in Summer (Ha!) when loads of stuff is going on, in depth writing on single subjects is not practicable. In respect of which here is another unseemly blob of information about the fine drop....
Dada
In a recent visit there was Pollards on again, along with a new Thornbridge beer for a housing charity, plus Galaxia, and the excellent Bath Gem. I tried a taste of the Thornbridge chariddee beer and was non plussed, it tasted much like Doc Fest and Pub Scrawl, and er, wait, I'm seeing a pattern here! Great if you don't want to be challenged by tastes I'm sure.
First Pint Pollards was of course immense, and very enjoyable to quaff whilst discussing the nuances of employment and ale with Jamie. I followed this with a really nice pint of Galaxia which is in fact becoming one of my favourite pale Thornbridge beers, which is a shame, since I don't think they produce it all the time. Initially I wanted to know just which Australian hopes were used until I realised with some embarrassment that Galaxia is of course the only hop used in this zesty and fruity "single hopped" pint.
 |
| The Tzara, whilst the real ales watched... |
I finished with a half of Tzara, since it was still hideously warm and muggy out it seemed a good idea to finish supping with a cool quality lager, which hit all the right spots being cool, but not overly chilled, and refreshing.
Red Deer
A visit on Thursday heralded the opportunity to meet Mr Paul the DJ and his chums, along with trying two decent guest ales. One of the great mysteries of this pub to me is that there is clearly a core range of decent if somewhat predominantly hop shy malty beers, but sometimes the guests appear to be more of the same. This time was different, and I had two excellent halves of Great Heck Yorkshire Pale, and Empire Brewery Strikes Back, whilst chatting outside in the beer harden.
Bath Hotel
During yesterday's heaving skies and rivers of rain me and Chala bravely embarked on a rash and unwarranted yomp around Sheffield, including nipping in Tampa Coffee and Gusto for necessary fuel. Alas, the action of walking anywhere around Midday yesterday occasioned full saturation and so we had to go somewhere to get dry.
There were few customers in the Bath when we arrived and the barman very kindly agreed to light the fire in the back room for us, so we could warm ourselves and our layers up. Alas the Tzara was off on draught but Chala was happy with a bottle, and I opted for a pint of the Whim Hartington Bitter.
This was drier and less fruity than I remembers but was nice enough, but again the allure of the Pollards won through and I had a pint of that. I finished on a nice half of Dark Star Pale Ale, which was probably actually a little better than the Whim. Shame I couldn't make it back for the roast pork sarnies...
Rutland
A whistle stop visit last night heralded two excellent beers, which I had halves of due to being in a rush. The wonderfully quaffable Offbeat Wild Blackberry Mild and the dark bitter Elland St Georges Anger were both enjoyed with the mild probably being the beer of the night.
Tap
Still no outside facilities alas, and it was like an oven inside, but mercifully there was evidence of breweries other than Thornbridge on the bar. Having mistaken Marble Dobber for their Porter I switched sides on ordering and had a half of the robust and really quite monumental Beadecas Well from Thornbridge, and Marble Summer, which was another excellent refreshing pale beer Time constraints aside, I could have sunk a barrel of it. Yum!
Punchbowl, Crookes
Not your first choice beer pub in Crookes or indeed Sheffield but some friends were up there to attend an auction where an original Joe Scarborough painting was being sold to raise money for Help The Heroes. It was an interesting auction event, especially since the auctioneer turned singer when the bidding (which raised a lot of money - the picture went for over £2,000.00) had finished.
Some friends of ours know Joe so it was nice to get the chance to meet him and talk to him, and of course to get a preview of the picture before it was sold. Beer wise there was a choice of two - the Everards Whakatu was a low gravity beer promising NZ hops. I suppose being Everards I shouldn't have expected a Summer Wine Brewery or Hawkshead style NZ IPA beer, but it was so weak in flavour and so bereft of hops it was woeful, and also smelt off, even if it didn't taste it.
the other beer on offer was Kelham Island Easy Rider which is not so bad, and I had 3 or 4 pints of that during the evening as well. At least this demonstrates that, assuming the Noah's Ark is open/reopens, you can get real ale in every pub in Crookes, which is no bad thing.
Am off to Sunfest in a bit so hope to have something to write up tomorrow.
Cheers!
Wee Beefy
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