Morning!
myself and Mr P went out on payday for the second Wanderiains of the year. I had more or less finished my tablets (although have started some more the day after) so decided that, and the arrival of funding, would be a good reason to meet up for bose. Having been at the osspickuw anyway, I asked Mr P to meet me in the York in Broomhill.
I first went in the York when I was 17. I had long hair and a leather jacket and glasses and sounded oldish. I was drinking Bass at that age in the York, and was only asked my age once when buying a cider for younger looking but older than me Rob Noble. At the time, the York was a 15 minute walk away, traditional boozer, in Broomhill. Soon it became a fake oirish pub (am guessing around 1994) and apart from having a decent jukebox, where I once played all of Faith no More's Angel Dust, it was a poor version of the former. After a few refurbs and different owners its been run by the Forum/True North Group since 2012 or similar.
The York looks fab in its new guise, but is prone to high prices and the staff don't always recognise words such as hoppy. That said, the food is excellent and they usually have some decent ales on - this time there were four from Shiny in Derby so I had a pint of their Disco Balls pale and another pale called memory loss if memory is memories. Mr P joined me just as the Disco Balls ran out so had a pint of the Shiny Pail, one of their series of two or three hopped pale ales around 4.0%. This was a good start to the nights slaking.
Round the corner and across the road is the Itchy Pig micropub. Its a regular feature of recent Brummell visits and features four real ales, many local, and three or four kegs plus cider and, inevitably given its name, numerous types and flavours of pork scratchings. No Ted this time but the younger bloke was behind the bar, and he didn't need to recommend my choice - a pint of Dark Star Revelation, that gloriously hoppy 5.7% IPA from Sussex. Mr P got a pint of the Abbeydale lower strength special, and we shared a pack of cheese-n-o, sat to the right of the bar.
The pub got quite busy before we left, which means about twenty or so people, and we had two halves of getting (or don't get?) caught in the rain by Blue Bee on keg. Am sure Josh told me it was primed with pineapple, but whatever it is with, it creates a slightly odd balance of sweet and very bitter. Still a good choice for a keg Blue Bee offering.
Back up onto the main road we went to the Little Critters brewery Tap at the Fox and Duck. This is a place I have warmed to since my first visit last year when I was slightly underwhelmed - I admit that this increase in residual temperature is down partly to an improvement in their fare. The pub was busy when we got in, mainly due to football being on, and we both had pints of C-hop from Little Critters, which I think in this case was Citra. The beer is nicely hoppy and not too full-mashy (am not suggesting its full mash, just that their weaker beers remind me of Frog and Parrot output) and was a lovely last beer in actual Broomhill, which we finished whilst watching some footy with some yout (plural).
Further down the road, bypassing the Broomhill Tavern and the Notty, we went in the University Arms. I haven't been in much of late, and it was good to see it was still very much open, still serving real ales and keg, and still popular. We sat at the end of the main room and supped, beer, which came from a handpump, in glasses. I have to admit that my memories of the beers we had that night are at best disparate from here on. Whatever I had was pale and about 5.0%, which is about what I would expect.
From here we headed to our final destination the Bath Hotel. Still, at the end of February, with almost no spirits (I understand the stock has finally been replenished) we both definitely had pints in here. Am not even going to guess what we had, but will claim it was incredibly strong. Since I remember Mr P saying "don't fall asleep" and then waking up by myself. Beefdozing is something am going to have to reign in during 2017.....
The above crawl is short in distance, but peppered with good pubs (and there are others of course in the area) and is, once again, another excellent demonstration of the quality of beers and venues in Sunny Sheffield.
Cheers!
Wee Beefy
Showing posts with label University Arms. Show all posts
Showing posts with label University Arms. Show all posts
Monday, 6 March 2017
Saturday, 28 March 2015
Edge of town crawls
Hello,
recently I took a few days off to spend with Tash after her long stay in Carlisle. Whilst she has been away and since she has come back, we have been craving pints in quieter pubs, but not ones that take ages to get to. Luckily, Sheffield has many decent, not always quiet but worthwhile pubs, on the edges of the city.
Starting in the Rutland I saw Clare from Sheffield beer week with Gav and her friend Gary. They were trying an exquisite dessert - and I was on a pint of Blue Bee Ella and a half of the excellent Broken Dreams from Siren. I have never tried this beer on draught and, aged in (I think) Ardbeg barrels, this complex beer was fantastic.
Just up the hill I popped in the Red Lion. I had a half of their Moonshine and went to sit in the beautiful back snug. Its not, I think, always possible to enter from the street so its useful to know that you need to go behind the bar - not literally, to each the room. Once there its often far quieter than the rest of the pub which can get very busy.
Further up is the Wood Street Brewery run/owned Roebuck. I went in with some trepidation since often I have gone in and the beer has been poor. This time there were a mix of Wood Street and guest brewery beers on 5 handpumps. The pub looked much cleaner and was very busy. I had a half a pale from a large regional brewer and stood in the beer garden. The Roebuck isn't my favourite pub but seems to be improving.
I finished off in the Tap and Tankard. I had a pint from Atom brewery and a half, but alas, the exhaustion of numerous overtimes caught up with me, and away tp nod nod land crept the Beefdozer. Zzzzzz.....
This week we met, after I had been to the Bath Hotel, Three Tuns and Red Deer, at the University tram stop and went to the University Arms. This was busy, but we managed to get a seat in the conservatory, whilst smokers braved the cold air in the garden, and being locked out after shutting the fire door properly. On the bar we almost tried an unusual beer from Welbeck Abbey brewery but went instead with a dark ale and a pale - now, I realise that details wise this is poor, but I had already had more than 3 pints by this stage.
Down the hill we went next to Fagans. Only halves in here, of Moonshine, but we were lucky enough to sit in the tiny snug. I think you can get 10 punters in, but only small ones - am sure the max is normally 8. We listened in on a folk session in the back room including a song called "A pint of old peculier". I've not been in for a while and this was a worthwhile return visit.
We finished the night in Shakespeares and after getting a pint of the Raw/Steel City collab that has the word opposites in it, we finished on several halves of the excellent Kernel Centennial IPA at 6.9%. As mentioned previously, Centennial is one of my favourite hops so this was a no brainer to try. Others must have liked it too - it had run out the following night.
During which we came into town and caught the 95 up to Howard Road, and walked down to the Blake. We'd seen their beer mats in the Sheaf View on Tuesday and decided to make a return to the pub, which Tash has only been in twice. This turned out to be an excellent decision. Of the real ales on the bar we stuck with two - the Spitting Duck pale ale from Green Duck brewery, and the Welsh Black from Great Orme brewery. The pork pies were excellent and well priced as was the beer. Had we not been restricted to limited funds we could probably have stayed all night.
Instead after a couple of hours we walked down through Upperthorpe to the Wellington. Two pints of Flying Scotsman were purchased and we sat down in the room on the left in again, a very busy pub - or plans for a quite night were not met on these visits but I assure you that the Blake, Red Lion,l Uni Arms and Welington are all places where you can enjoy a quiet drink.
We finished at Shakespeares with more Steel City and a beer from a new brewery, followed by half a Sorachi Face Plant, a delicious grapefruity and lemongrass-ed pale ale at 8.1% from Weird Beard. Once again Shakespeares provided the perfect finishing point to a short pub crawl.
Our final pints came last night - we popped in the Great Gatsby where Tash had a pint of Staropramen for old rimes sake, and me a pint of Saltaire Bavarian Black. Although the inside was rammed there were few people in the beer garden, so we sat outside and supped our pints slowly.
We finished in the Bath Hotel and had halves of the Wiper and True Amarillo Amber, a fantastic keg amber ale, the Buxton Moor top, a refreshing 3.6% Pale ale and the excellent Oakham Ales Citra Pale at 4.2%. We were joined by Clare and Gav and Neil and his mate which livened things up, and I had an absolutely excellent roast pork sandwich - the price has gone up to £4.00 but the portion is massive. Another great place to end what was our shortest crawl (we started in the Rutland but it was rammed) of Sheffield's edge of city pubs.
Maybe see some of you later at the Brothers Arms beer fest.....
Cheers!
Wee Beefy
recently I took a few days off to spend with Tash after her long stay in Carlisle. Whilst she has been away and since she has come back, we have been craving pints in quieter pubs, but not ones that take ages to get to. Luckily, Sheffield has many decent, not always quiet but worthwhile pubs, on the edges of the city.
Starting in the Rutland I saw Clare from Sheffield beer week with Gav and her friend Gary. They were trying an exquisite dessert - and I was on a pint of Blue Bee Ella and a half of the excellent Broken Dreams from Siren. I have never tried this beer on draught and, aged in (I think) Ardbeg barrels, this complex beer was fantastic.
Just up the hill I popped in the Red Lion. I had a half of their Moonshine and went to sit in the beautiful back snug. Its not, I think, always possible to enter from the street so its useful to know that you need to go behind the bar - not literally, to each the room. Once there its often far quieter than the rest of the pub which can get very busy.
Further up is the Wood Street Brewery run/owned Roebuck. I went in with some trepidation since often I have gone in and the beer has been poor. This time there were a mix of Wood Street and guest brewery beers on 5 handpumps. The pub looked much cleaner and was very busy. I had a half a pale from a large regional brewer and stood in the beer garden. The Roebuck isn't my favourite pub but seems to be improving.
I finished off in the Tap and Tankard. I had a pint from Atom brewery and a half, but alas, the exhaustion of numerous overtimes caught up with me, and away tp nod nod land crept the Beefdozer. Zzzzzz.....
This week we met, after I had been to the Bath Hotel, Three Tuns and Red Deer, at the University tram stop and went to the University Arms. This was busy, but we managed to get a seat in the conservatory, whilst smokers braved the cold air in the garden, and being locked out after shutting the fire door properly. On the bar we almost tried an unusual beer from Welbeck Abbey brewery but went instead with a dark ale and a pale - now, I realise that details wise this is poor, but I had already had more than 3 pints by this stage.
Down the hill we went next to Fagans. Only halves in here, of Moonshine, but we were lucky enough to sit in the tiny snug. I think you can get 10 punters in, but only small ones - am sure the max is normally 8. We listened in on a folk session in the back room including a song called "A pint of old peculier". I've not been in for a while and this was a worthwhile return visit.
We finished the night in Shakespeares and after getting a pint of the Raw/Steel City collab that has the word opposites in it, we finished on several halves of the excellent Kernel Centennial IPA at 6.9%. As mentioned previously, Centennial is one of my favourite hops so this was a no brainer to try. Others must have liked it too - it had run out the following night.
During which we came into town and caught the 95 up to Howard Road, and walked down to the Blake. We'd seen their beer mats in the Sheaf View on Tuesday and decided to make a return to the pub, which Tash has only been in twice. This turned out to be an excellent decision. Of the real ales on the bar we stuck with two - the Spitting Duck pale ale from Green Duck brewery, and the Welsh Black from Great Orme brewery. The pork pies were excellent and well priced as was the beer. Had we not been restricted to limited funds we could probably have stayed all night.
Instead after a couple of hours we walked down through Upperthorpe to the Wellington. Two pints of Flying Scotsman were purchased and we sat down in the room on the left in again, a very busy pub - or plans for a quite night were not met on these visits but I assure you that the Blake, Red Lion,l Uni Arms and Welington are all places where you can enjoy a quiet drink.
We finished at Shakespeares with more Steel City and a beer from a new brewery, followed by half a Sorachi Face Plant, a delicious grapefruity and lemongrass-ed pale ale at 8.1% from Weird Beard. Once again Shakespeares provided the perfect finishing point to a short pub crawl.
Our final pints came last night - we popped in the Great Gatsby where Tash had a pint of Staropramen for old rimes sake, and me a pint of Saltaire Bavarian Black. Although the inside was rammed there were few people in the beer garden, so we sat outside and supped our pints slowly.
We finished in the Bath Hotel and had halves of the Wiper and True Amarillo Amber, a fantastic keg amber ale, the Buxton Moor top, a refreshing 3.6% Pale ale and the excellent Oakham Ales Citra Pale at 4.2%. We were joined by Clare and Gav and Neil and his mate which livened things up, and I had an absolutely excellent roast pork sandwich - the price has gone up to £4.00 but the portion is massive. Another great place to end what was our shortest crawl (we started in the Rutland but it was rammed) of Sheffield's edge of city pubs.
Maybe see some of you later at the Brothers Arms beer fest.....
Cheers!
Wee Beefy
Saturday, 27 September 2014
More Arms, more pints
Hello,
a few things have happened since I last wrote. Here's a sort of round up thing. You know, to tell you what they are....
A day after posting about the desire for the Wellington to reopen as a pub the signs on it, in Darnall, were changed to read "Shop to let" with suggestions for a mini supermarket or restaurant undreneath. I'm not remotely surprised but this is a shame to hear.
Despite this potential threat which I hope isn't a poorly judged political stunt, the University Arms reopened on 15 September following a refurbishment. There was a Welbeck Abbey beer on which we both had and some Kelham Island Pale Rider which I had for old times sakes. I also had a bottle of the Camden Hells since it was on offer. I read somewhere that people had fallen out with Camden as they had tried to copyright the word hello. Or something. To be honest I didn't read the details....
Refurb wise it looks a little darker and perhaps a little classier, but I understand the big changes have taken place upstairs. In my usual form, ignoring investigative vigour, I did not go upstairs. You should though.
I went to the Brothers Arms on Well Road in Heeley a couple more times, ate plenty more Onion Bhaji's and drank a frankly astonishing pint (or in fact 5) of the Blackjack Red Rye Saison, at 7.2% and selling at £3.20 a pint. Loving saison and rye as I do, that was a very enjoyable drink. There continues to be much to admire at the Arms, with the exception perhaps of the member of staff who couldn't recommend or even describe a beer I asked about...!
Recent trips to the Bath Hotel have heralded 3 amazing beers. Most notable was Wild Beer Co Sourdough kegged sour beer, which was delightful and not bad value at £3.80 a pint. The other was the matchless elegance of the Desert Sessions which was brewed at Thornbridge by Ed and Steff from behind the bar. The final is the Raven Black IPA from Thornbridge which is on good form. Drank some Deseret Sessions last Saturday with friends Clare and Gav on a rather raucous night out following pints in Shakespeares.
Of which I can report, they have greatly extended their bottled beer selection and printed a list, of which there are about 3 copies on some tables. The prices are competitive as always and the Evil Twin, Kernel and Beavertown ones are highlights. Recent good beers in here have been the Waen Knicklejacker (knuckleknocker/knickleknacker - I didn't write it down sorry) which was a very pleasing red ale, along with the excellent Liverpool Stout.
A trip to a new venue on Thursday, the Anchorage bar diner on the usually terrible for beer West One. Pricey and very much foody but having about 10 keg taps, we had two astonishing halves. Miss N had a UK cheery sour which was described by the barman as odd but instead was fantastic tasting, and I had the Alechemy Rye Rye IPA which was very easy to drink. I hear the food is also good so will have to pop in again.
We recently went to Henry's and had some decent India Ale from the recently rocky fortunes of Chantry Brewery (in so far as their beer has been disappointing in numerous venues). This was competitively priced around £2.60 a pint and after we had this we went to the Brewhouse next door. I'm determined to like this place but the flaws still keep coming up. The cask range of cloudy tasters from the non operating brewery never tempts me and there was nothing really hoppy or stoutish on the bar. In the end I bought Miss N a pint of a milk stout or similar which was OK but lackluster, and I bought a pint of punk IPA, as I've never had it on Keg. To my amazement it was over £5.00 a pint, which is, I understand, more than it costs in BrewDog bar.
It seems strange that Henry;s keep their beer well and maintain an interesting selection but the bar next door which they own falls short so often. Perhaps the brewery working in the premises will improve things?
Finally,I went to a new pub on Sunday. We popped in the Riverside on Leppings Lane for a pint of Farmers Cherry Bitter which was actually very nice, not too fruity, and sat on the terrace overlooking the Wednesday ground. From here we walked along Beeley Wood Road in sunshine and through the woods to Oughtibridge. We visited the Cock Inn which is a large traditional boozer on the road linking the two main roads.
There used to be, Miss N assures me, an unspoilt games room on the right, alas this is now a tea room, but the pub has a cosy traditional feel and sells three real ales including Bradfield Blonde. On this occasion we had a very enjoyable pint of Timothy Taylors Landlord and sat round the back. Overall this was a good boozer with much to recommend it so will maybe pop back soon.
That's all the news I have or can remember for now. Really. It actually is. Wibble.
Cheers!
Wee Beefy
a few things have happened since I last wrote. Here's a sort of round up thing. You know, to tell you what they are....
A day after posting about the desire for the Wellington to reopen as a pub the signs on it, in Darnall, were changed to read "Shop to let" with suggestions for a mini supermarket or restaurant undreneath. I'm not remotely surprised but this is a shame to hear.
Despite this potential threat which I hope isn't a poorly judged political stunt, the University Arms reopened on 15 September following a refurbishment. There was a Welbeck Abbey beer on which we both had and some Kelham Island Pale Rider which I had for old times sakes. I also had a bottle of the Camden Hells since it was on offer. I read somewhere that people had fallen out with Camden as they had tried to copyright the word hello. Or something. To be honest I didn't read the details....
Refurb wise it looks a little darker and perhaps a little classier, but I understand the big changes have taken place upstairs. In my usual form, ignoring investigative vigour, I did not go upstairs. You should though.
I went to the Brothers Arms on Well Road in Heeley a couple more times, ate plenty more Onion Bhaji's and drank a frankly astonishing pint (or in fact 5) of the Blackjack Red Rye Saison, at 7.2% and selling at £3.20 a pint. Loving saison and rye as I do, that was a very enjoyable drink. There continues to be much to admire at the Arms, with the exception perhaps of the member of staff who couldn't recommend or even describe a beer I asked about...!
Recent trips to the Bath Hotel have heralded 3 amazing beers. Most notable was Wild Beer Co Sourdough kegged sour beer, which was delightful and not bad value at £3.80 a pint. The other was the matchless elegance of the Desert Sessions which was brewed at Thornbridge by Ed and Steff from behind the bar. The final is the Raven Black IPA from Thornbridge which is on good form. Drank some Deseret Sessions last Saturday with friends Clare and Gav on a rather raucous night out following pints in Shakespeares.
Of which I can report, they have greatly extended their bottled beer selection and printed a list, of which there are about 3 copies on some tables. The prices are competitive as always and the Evil Twin, Kernel and Beavertown ones are highlights. Recent good beers in here have been the Waen Knicklejacker (knuckleknocker/knickleknacker - I didn't write it down sorry) which was a very pleasing red ale, along with the excellent Liverpool Stout.
A trip to a new venue on Thursday, the Anchorage bar diner on the usually terrible for beer West One. Pricey and very much foody but having about 10 keg taps, we had two astonishing halves. Miss N had a UK cheery sour which was described by the barman as odd but instead was fantastic tasting, and I had the Alechemy Rye Rye IPA which was very easy to drink. I hear the food is also good so will have to pop in again.
We recently went to Henry's and had some decent India Ale from the recently rocky fortunes of Chantry Brewery (in so far as their beer has been disappointing in numerous venues). This was competitively priced around £2.60 a pint and after we had this we went to the Brewhouse next door. I'm determined to like this place but the flaws still keep coming up. The cask range of cloudy tasters from the non operating brewery never tempts me and there was nothing really hoppy or stoutish on the bar. In the end I bought Miss N a pint of a milk stout or similar which was OK but lackluster, and I bought a pint of punk IPA, as I've never had it on Keg. To my amazement it was over £5.00 a pint, which is, I understand, more than it costs in BrewDog bar.
It seems strange that Henry;s keep their beer well and maintain an interesting selection but the bar next door which they own falls short so often. Perhaps the brewery working in the premises will improve things?
Finally,I went to a new pub on Sunday. We popped in the Riverside on Leppings Lane for a pint of Farmers Cherry Bitter which was actually very nice, not too fruity, and sat on the terrace overlooking the Wednesday ground. From here we walked along Beeley Wood Road in sunshine and through the woods to Oughtibridge. We visited the Cock Inn which is a large traditional boozer on the road linking the two main roads.
There used to be, Miss N assures me, an unspoilt games room on the right, alas this is now a tea room, but the pub has a cosy traditional feel and sells three real ales including Bradfield Blonde. On this occasion we had a very enjoyable pint of Timothy Taylors Landlord and sat round the back. Overall this was a good boozer with much to recommend it so will maybe pop back soon.
That's all the news I have or can remember for now. Really. It actually is. Wibble.
Cheers!
Wee Beefy
Friday, 23 May 2014
Recent slaking
Afternoon,
here are a few details of pubs and beers encountered in the last few weeks. Until I get back into blogging regularly there are numerous details I have omitted so here are a handful, fr you to realise you already know or which are in fact old news....
here are a few details of pubs and beers encountered in the last few weeks. Until I get back into blogging regularly there are numerous details I have omitted so here are a handful, fr you to realise you already know or which are in fact old news....
The Abbeydale, as they are known, have last month launched a new menu a the Dev Cat
in town. The launch coincided with a ten years in the GBG certificate and
featured free pints up until late on , with a table of small portions of heir
new menu items, including fish and chips, spicy pork ribs and salmon. Dan Baxter
from the Abbeydale explained that previously the menu had been extensive but
only about 6 dishes sold so they were slimming it down. Beers wise, apart from
a revolutions stout we were on absolution all night, before finishing on an
excellent but pricey bottle of geuze.
One venue myself and Miss N have frequented a lot recently has been the Bath Hotel off West Street This part one national inventory listed back street boozer is managed by Edd and Steff and has served an increasingly good range of beers, from Hand Drawn Monkey, Bristol Beer Factory, Thornbridge, Fyne Ales, Saltaire and Blackjack. Recently the Blackjack IPA and black IPA were on sensational form, as was the Fyne Ales Hurricaine Jack. Fine beer, a fantastic interior and Edd's homemade sausage rolls make the Bath well worth a visit
One sunny Sunday I walked from my house down Greenland Road to the Wentworth on Milford Street in front of Forgemasters. It was a Sunday and they weren't open again until Wednesday evening so the beer range was just one, Fox Heacham Gold. It was on good form at less than £3.00 a pint and it was very comfortable sat near the fire supping and erm...texting if I recall. A minor disaster followed since my next pint was the last out but they also sell bottles of Brewdog dead pony club (cloudy!) and Bradfield stout so I stayed for a bottle of the first.
From here I walked to the Don Valley Hotel for a pint of Howard Town Wrens Nest at £2.60 a pint. It was a little cloudy but tasted fine and I enjoyed my stop so much I went in again the other day to sup Blanco Peach and Five Rivers from Sheffield Brewing Company. A half of Dukeries followed in the Carlton before I had a pint of Moonshine for £3.00 in the Grapes, then headed to the Sheffield Tap. Here I met Steff, Liz, the Man of Ash and Paul Holden who is the Sheffield Beer Blog writer. Paul was good company and not who I had imagined he was! His mate was having a birthday night out which saw us end up at the Sheaf View for many excellent pints. A great night out overall.
I have also recently drunk in the Rutland after a walk into town, where we had pints of Brass Castle Cliffhanger, Summer Wine brewing's brutal Sabretooth IPA and Titanic stout along with a slutty rutty butty for Miss N and a pork and chorizo burger for me. With Magic Rock Highwire and Dark Arts also available this was another great beer selection.
Finally a mention for the University Arms where I went twice last week. The first time I sat with Matty in the sun supping an excellent Great Heck Mosaic and a bottle of Camden Hells, the second was last Saturday when I had both the Camden Hells and Gentlemans Wit as well as Welbeck Cavendish on cask. I returned with Miss N later that night and brought her a G and T to settle her stomach and enjoyed more excellent cask ale sat in the garden. The Uni Arms has a decent selection of real ales and bottles (see the board) and has good food to match along with a beer garden which is a great suntrap - I heartily recommend you pop in when you get chance.
So, that's my news of late, am off now to the Closed Shop beer fest at Commonside where I expect to have a couple of halves. Gallons...
Cheers!
Wee Beefy
Sunday, 19 January 2014
Reasons to be cheerful
Evening
its been a fortnight of firsts and two weeks of reassuring regulars here at Beefotronic PLC. Having trekked through the East end to find new and untried boozers last weekend, in between times and thereafter I have been sticking to what I know. Below is a sample of some of the ales and pubs encountered in Sheffield lately, and news of a new brewery tap for you to try out.
Immediately after my Don walk I met Miss N in the Red Deer. It was entirely rammed, as it is on a Saturday night but we patiently acquired a seat and plenty of company, to sup pints of excellent Roosters Wild Mule. I haven't always got on with Roosters beers for one reason or another but this one really hit the spot.
Afterwards, and a couple of other times recently, we were in DAda. On every occasion it was on I sampled the excellent Burning Sky saison which was on at a price cheaper than the Bath and the Sheffield Tap. When that ran out I sought solace in redoubtable old stager Halcyon from Thornbridge. There's a Red Willow chocolate stout in the cellar but over the last week there has been nothing but Thornbridge cask wise, yet in a moment of recklessness I tried a pint of Kipling for the first time in ages. Having dismissed it as being past its best and no longer a decent beer I was pleasantly surprised to find it in good nick and I even admit to having had a few pints of it. Like I said to Jamie, you can't complain a beer is shit without trying it. Other quality ales sampled recently include the Schlenkerla Rauchbier at £4.00 a pint, which is possibly too heavy for a whole pint but an excellent finisher nonetheless.
The Rutland was my destination yesterday and I tried the Magic Rock Rapture on cask, and the 8 Ball and High Wire NZ on keykeg. Both are quality beers but I was annoyed with myself for not remembering that I didn't rate Magic 8 Ball on keg - with any luck it will resurface on cask one day...
Meanwhile Shakespeares continues to be good at being good. Recent treats have included the excellent Cross Bay Zenith, which is a really well balanced beer, and the cask De Ranke Pere Noel at a very reasonable price - £3.40 for a 7% beer. I also finally got to try (and enjoy) Potion Number 9 from Penzance brewing Co, beloved of Boak and Bailey, along with the excellent Tornado from the Little Ale Cart brewery, and the Geeves Imerial Stout at 8% - an excellent finisher. On my last visit on Friday, the Imperial brewery Burning Amber was a very palatable session beer, and the Great Heck Black Jesus specifically wasn't - yet was every bit as good as it was at the Sheffield beer festival.
The Sheffield Tap nearly provided the beer of 2014 with the impeccable Hardknott Vitese Noir, as covered in my last post and also recently sold a palatable Bristol Beer factory UPA, and a rather chewy Buxton Dark Knights. The Buxton was potentially too bitter for a stout but the UPA was very well balanced. Despite this am still not sure I "get" Bristol Beer factory's cask output.
An impromptu trip to the University Arms heralded a rather fine pint of Crouch Vale Anchor Street Porter at £3.00 a pint. It was notable that as well as the Acorn Old Moor Porter that had been on earlier that day, all the real ales were below £3.00 a pint. Definitely something to bear in mind if you are thinking of having some real ale in the area.
Finally, the new brewery tap I mentioned. In Rotherham, the Prince of Wales Feathers on Westgate has been bought (seemingly months ago - get me for being up with developments!) by Chantry brewery and reopened and renamed as the New York Tavern. Selling the full range of Chantry brewery beers the pub is, I read with horror. the last on Westgate - I know its a long time since I traveled to Rotherham but that's ridiculous! Here is a link to their website should you need details that I am short of having never visited - although, I may never venture in, based on them advertising "world bottle beers". I don't want to seem pedantic, but it should be "bottled"....
Either way this reopening is further great news in a town with, if we are to be brutally honest, little to offer the real ale drinker beyond the Bridge Inn and the Blue Coat. So, there you have it, choice and value for money and reasons for optimism. What more could you want from January?
Cheers!
Wee Beefy.
its been a fortnight of firsts and two weeks of reassuring regulars here at Beefotronic PLC. Having trekked through the East end to find new and untried boozers last weekend, in between times and thereafter I have been sticking to what I know. Below is a sample of some of the ales and pubs encountered in Sheffield lately, and news of a new brewery tap for you to try out.
Immediately after my Don walk I met Miss N in the Red Deer. It was entirely rammed, as it is on a Saturday night but we patiently acquired a seat and plenty of company, to sup pints of excellent Roosters Wild Mule. I haven't always got on with Roosters beers for one reason or another but this one really hit the spot.
Afterwards, and a couple of other times recently, we were in DAda. On every occasion it was on I sampled the excellent Burning Sky saison which was on at a price cheaper than the Bath and the Sheffield Tap. When that ran out I sought solace in redoubtable old stager Halcyon from Thornbridge. There's a Red Willow chocolate stout in the cellar but over the last week there has been nothing but Thornbridge cask wise, yet in a moment of recklessness I tried a pint of Kipling for the first time in ages. Having dismissed it as being past its best and no longer a decent beer I was pleasantly surprised to find it in good nick and I even admit to having had a few pints of it. Like I said to Jamie, you can't complain a beer is shit without trying it. Other quality ales sampled recently include the Schlenkerla Rauchbier at £4.00 a pint, which is possibly too heavy for a whole pint but an excellent finisher nonetheless.
The Rutland was my destination yesterday and I tried the Magic Rock Rapture on cask, and the 8 Ball and High Wire NZ on keykeg. Both are quality beers but I was annoyed with myself for not remembering that I didn't rate Magic 8 Ball on keg - with any luck it will resurface on cask one day...
Meanwhile Shakespeares continues to be good at being good. Recent treats have included the excellent Cross Bay Zenith, which is a really well balanced beer, and the cask De Ranke Pere Noel at a very reasonable price - £3.40 for a 7% beer. I also finally got to try (and enjoy) Potion Number 9 from Penzance brewing Co, beloved of Boak and Bailey, along with the excellent Tornado from the Little Ale Cart brewery, and the Geeves Imerial Stout at 8% - an excellent finisher. On my last visit on Friday, the Imperial brewery Burning Amber was a very palatable session beer, and the Great Heck Black Jesus specifically wasn't - yet was every bit as good as it was at the Sheffield beer festival.
The Sheffield Tap nearly provided the beer of 2014 with the impeccable Hardknott Vitese Noir, as covered in my last post and also recently sold a palatable Bristol Beer factory UPA, and a rather chewy Buxton Dark Knights. The Buxton was potentially too bitter for a stout but the UPA was very well balanced. Despite this am still not sure I "get" Bristol Beer factory's cask output.
An impromptu trip to the University Arms heralded a rather fine pint of Crouch Vale Anchor Street Porter at £3.00 a pint. It was notable that as well as the Acorn Old Moor Porter that had been on earlier that day, all the real ales were below £3.00 a pint. Definitely something to bear in mind if you are thinking of having some real ale in the area.
Finally, the new brewery tap I mentioned. In Rotherham, the Prince of Wales Feathers on Westgate has been bought (seemingly months ago - get me for being up with developments!) by Chantry brewery and reopened and renamed as the New York Tavern. Selling the full range of Chantry brewery beers the pub is, I read with horror. the last on Westgate - I know its a long time since I traveled to Rotherham but that's ridiculous! Here is a link to their website should you need details that I am short of having never visited - although, I may never venture in, based on them advertising "world bottle beers". I don't want to seem pedantic, but it should be "bottled"....
Either way this reopening is further great news in a town with, if we are to be brutally honest, little to offer the real ale drinker beyond the Bridge Inn and the Blue Coat. So, there you have it, choice and value for money and reasons for optimism. What more could you want from January?
Cheers!
Wee Beefy.
Monday, 30 September 2013
Pubs. The perfect start and end to a weekend.
Oh aye,
its been a lovely long weekend of doing very little, which as regular readers may have observed started on Friday night. Before that there was the small matter of a pre weekend warm up warm up at the Sheffield Tap, and an evening of reckless abandon in the Crookes Valley. Featuring, amongst other things, a certain populist brew...
The Tap was busy as always and as is also a regular occurrence I studiously timed my arrival to be on the arse end of about 20 other thirsty folk. Mind you, a beer going off and two of the slowest and least expeditious drinkers tarrying at the bar over some Keykeg hardly pushed things along. My pint of choice was the Tapped Mojo, my destination some seats near the bar, and my intention? Well, it was always lovely beer, but I soon realised there was more that I wanted to sampled than I could sensibly drink on a school night. So I didn't drink sensibly. Duh.
Next up was half a Magic Rock Dark Arts, which was very tasty but it was so long since I last tasted it on cask I couldn't work out if it was somehow different? Either way it was very enjoyable and unless my maths has gone awry, it's not all that expensive by Tap standards. Which is code for - I am wrong. It was ages ago. Soon I was joined by my companions for the night, which included a surprise catch up with Alan whom I know from my Archer Road Beer Stop days. Always nice to catch up with a former customer, especially one who likes a chat and a beer.
I moved onto the excellent Thornbridge Raven next, which was just as fantastic as I remembered it. Take note of the price - £4.05 a pint - to partake in a little quiz later in the post. This was far too easy to sup for such a strong beer, so I decided to remedy the situation by having half a Weird Beard Brew Co "Fade To Black" black IPA, a 7(or 7.5)% monster which lacked some of the subtlety of the Raven if am to be honest. Not that the raven is really still a black IPA. Whatever one of those is. Craft *coughs* or something I imagine. It was also £2.30 a half, so I needed another pint of Raven to recover.
Saturday afternoon saw myself and Miss N recovered and restless in equal measure. It was a lovely warm day and the football was too depressing to even consider paying attention to so I racked my brains to come up with an innovative schedule of culture and contrasts. Despite which we ended up at the pub. The Princess Royal in Crookes was fairly busy but was strangely lacking any Locale - not that it mattered since I had a lovely pint of Bass, and Miss N a Hobgoblin, which she seemed to correctly identify as a guilty pleasure. Like Wham. Not that it would be my guilty pleasure you understand. On either count...
Off next to the Cobden View where the Raw JR best bitter was on - just. In the end, after a good 10 minutes thrashing the beer was declared finished, so I opted for all of the beer that had come out for the price of a pint, whilst Miss N did something truly unspeakable involving singers with Greek antecedence. A quick chat in the beer garden followed, and then we were off to the Closed Shop on Commonside.
Here, in a surprising more, we both had a pint of the Blue Bee Pilcrow Porter. And then another. We may have had three - I know for certain we had a chip butty and it was bloody excellent. The only downside was that the new crack team of chefs at the Shop hadn't realised the extent to which I love bacon butties. So as yet, I will under all but the most extreme circumstances, have to decamp to the Rutland for pub food. Harsh, I know. And damned inconvenient!
After probably three pints each of Pilcrow which you may recall is excellent, we went over the road to the Hallamshire House to pretend to be disappointed at the Thornbridge Raven being on. To win a prize, can you guess how much it cost per pint?* Whilst summoning your stab in the dark, remember that Pivni owns the Sheffield Tap, not the Hallamshire House. Meanwhile, we sat downstairs in the underground not inside nor actually underground bar cellar room lounge, and supped our fantastic pints of Raven, whilst musicians did things upstairs, before stirring ourselves for the walk to our last destination.
The University Arms was probably busy as well, however a mysterious soporific malaise had befallen us by this time, so it would be difficult to be sure. I do recall we both, having despondently watched the Welbeck Abbey Cavendish run out, had pints of the latest Abbeydale Brewery Dr Morton's beer, which was most agreeable.
All in all, what with nothing but cooking Moroccan stew and looking at photos to fill Sunday, this was the perfect weekend. And with upcoming do's at Shakespeares and the Rutland, there is no reason to think things won't continue to be excellent on the beer and pubs front over the next two weeks.
Cheers!
Wee Beefy
*That's correct! It was £3.40* a pint like you said. You now have the gift of knowledge. Well done.... unless you guessed wrong. Admittedly, the necessary apparatus is missing from this literary function which therefore does not provide any assurance re the veracity of your guessing. Apologies if that takes the veneer off your self congratulatory satisfaction.
**I wasn't paying that much attention. I mean, it could have been £3.60....
its been a lovely long weekend of doing very little, which as regular readers may have observed started on Friday night. Before that there was the small matter of a pre weekend warm up warm up at the Sheffield Tap, and an evening of reckless abandon in the Crookes Valley. Featuring, amongst other things, a certain populist brew...
The Tap was busy as always and as is also a regular occurrence I studiously timed my arrival to be on the arse end of about 20 other thirsty folk. Mind you, a beer going off and two of the slowest and least expeditious drinkers tarrying at the bar over some Keykeg hardly pushed things along. My pint of choice was the Tapped Mojo, my destination some seats near the bar, and my intention? Well, it was always lovely beer, but I soon realised there was more that I wanted to sampled than I could sensibly drink on a school night. So I didn't drink sensibly. Duh.
Next up was half a Magic Rock Dark Arts, which was very tasty but it was so long since I last tasted it on cask I couldn't work out if it was somehow different? Either way it was very enjoyable and unless my maths has gone awry, it's not all that expensive by Tap standards. Which is code for - I am wrong. It was ages ago. Soon I was joined by my companions for the night, which included a surprise catch up with Alan whom I know from my Archer Road Beer Stop days. Always nice to catch up with a former customer, especially one who likes a chat and a beer.
I moved onto the excellent Thornbridge Raven next, which was just as fantastic as I remembered it. Take note of the price - £4.05 a pint - to partake in a little quiz later in the post. This was far too easy to sup for such a strong beer, so I decided to remedy the situation by having half a Weird Beard Brew Co "Fade To Black" black IPA, a 7(or 7.5)% monster which lacked some of the subtlety of the Raven if am to be honest. Not that the raven is really still a black IPA. Whatever one of those is. Craft *coughs* or something I imagine. It was also £2.30 a half, so I needed another pint of Raven to recover.
Saturday afternoon saw myself and Miss N recovered and restless in equal measure. It was a lovely warm day and the football was too depressing to even consider paying attention to so I racked my brains to come up with an innovative schedule of culture and contrasts. Despite which we ended up at the pub. The Princess Royal in Crookes was fairly busy but was strangely lacking any Locale - not that it mattered since I had a lovely pint of Bass, and Miss N a Hobgoblin, which she seemed to correctly identify as a guilty pleasure. Like Wham. Not that it would be my guilty pleasure you understand. On either count...
Off next to the Cobden View where the Raw JR best bitter was on - just. In the end, after a good 10 minutes thrashing the beer was declared finished, so I opted for all of the beer that had come out for the price of a pint, whilst Miss N did something truly unspeakable involving singers with Greek antecedence. A quick chat in the beer garden followed, and then we were off to the Closed Shop on Commonside.
Here, in a surprising more, we both had a pint of the Blue Bee Pilcrow Porter. And then another. We may have had three - I know for certain we had a chip butty and it was bloody excellent. The only downside was that the new crack team of chefs at the Shop hadn't realised the extent to which I love bacon butties. So as yet, I will under all but the most extreme circumstances, have to decamp to the Rutland for pub food. Harsh, I know. And damned inconvenient!
After probably three pints each of Pilcrow which you may recall is excellent, we went over the road to the Hallamshire House to pretend to be disappointed at the Thornbridge Raven being on. To win a prize, can you guess how much it cost per pint?* Whilst summoning your stab in the dark, remember that Pivni owns the Sheffield Tap, not the Hallamshire House. Meanwhile, we sat downstairs in the underground not inside nor actually underground bar cellar room lounge, and supped our fantastic pints of Raven, whilst musicians did things upstairs, before stirring ourselves for the walk to our last destination.
The University Arms was probably busy as well, however a mysterious soporific malaise had befallen us by this time, so it would be difficult to be sure. I do recall we both, having despondently watched the Welbeck Abbey Cavendish run out, had pints of the latest Abbeydale Brewery Dr Morton's beer, which was most agreeable.
All in all, what with nothing but cooking Moroccan stew and looking at photos to fill Sunday, this was the perfect weekend. And with upcoming do's at Shakespeares and the Rutland, there is no reason to think things won't continue to be excellent on the beer and pubs front over the next two weeks.
Cheers!
Wee Beefy
*That's correct! It was £3.40* a pint like you said. You now have the gift of knowledge. Well done.... unless you guessed wrong. Admittedly, the necessary apparatus is missing from this literary function which therefore does not provide any assurance re the veracity of your guessing. Apologies if that takes the veneer off your self congratulatory satisfaction.
**I wasn't paying that much attention. I mean, it could have been £3.60....
Sunday, 11 August 2013
A Swift One-der in a Walkley Wonderland
Hello,
yesterday I was playing host to the A.A, scribe extraordinaire with the "A Swift One" blog. Having kindly profiled me the other week I think I should introduce you to my visitor's work.
Many of you are probably already aware of the A swift One blog. Its been going since February 2007 (that's me all out of research am afraid) and has 4 contributors - Will, Timbo, Ale Ambler and Spurn Pint. Timbo is currently exiled in the North East so Ale Ambler (the aforesaid A.A) and Will have recently taken over most of the posting duties on the mostly Huddersfield area pubs and beer website.
As Mr Ambler is a Sheffield lad, and with him having taken me on a whistle stop tour of Huddersfield last month, we decided I should take him on a bit of a tour of some Sheffield pubs he may not have been to before. Here's where we went.
We met in the Sheffield Tap, and both had the Tapped Brew Co Mojo, which is £2.70 a pint (see how my formula works!) and 3.7%. Its a very bitter but refreshing starter, and to set the tone for the rest of the day I was on a pint and the A.A on a half. Depending on your interpretation, this is either incredibly sensible or a sign of insecurity. Bearing in mind that I was in bed by 22.30, I think its the first one....
A quick ride on the 52 brought us to Crookes and the Princess Royal. I'd never been in when it was empty before, and the lack of customers helped to highlight what a wealth of fantastic unspoilt features the pub has. The Layout is two rooms and arguably it may originally have been 4, with three at the front, but there are still plenty of original features, like the hatch in the snooker room, the corridor behind the bar and the doors, which appear to be of some age. Drinks wise I had a half of Bradfield Blonde, which is £1.50 and Mr A a half of Easy Rider.
We walked down towards Walkley next, past the vandalised shell of the Old Heavygate, the first of a dispiriting troupe of closed boozers on the crawl. Whilst Crookes hasn't lost a boozer in my lifetime, Walkley has been shedding them year on year - the Crown, Sportsman, Freedom View, Freedom House, Royal, Bath and Belle Vue had all disappeared, and there was rumours the Florist was to close for good that day. It looked like visiting two pubs would mean we'd made it to half of the remaining stock.
Out onto South Road and I was mentioning how it was years since I'd been in the Rose House, since they didn't sell real ale - just as I spotted a sign advertising just that. We went in the right hand side and found there was a choice of Spitfire and Black Sheep - we both had Spitfire. The Rose House has an unusual layout with three bars and a small room at the back on a lower level. The beer was well kept and at a sensible price, and after a brief check that we weren't Burnley fans was complete, we had chance for a chat. One thing we did discuss was the Florist - and were told that the Florist definitely wasn't closing for good, just for a short period to allow a clean up and for new tenants to settle in.
The good news continued even after we passed the sorry edifice of the former Freedom House, when we got to the Palm. Palm Street and the Palm Tree pub get their name from the area leading down from Walkley to Neepsend being known as Palmers Hill - at least, that's what the Internet says. The Palm now has two real ales to choose from, Bass and Tetleys, and is another pub awash with old even if not original features, and, as was becoming a Walkley pub feature, it has a three quarter size snooker table.
Mr A is a fan of pub sport so was pinging out questions in a rather more journalistic way than myself, as I snapped the cosy front room. The landlord told us that most of the pubs in the area had a 3 quarter size snooker table, and that there was a strong local 3 quarter league. He also pointed out that the pubs in the area weren't purpose built, and so couldn't fit full size snooker tables in. By this time we'd visited 3 pubs and seen 3 tables with another expected at the Hallamshire. We both had halves of the bass and spent time taking a few pics before heading off for our first guaranteed snooker table free pub of the day.
This involved a winding walk past the Closed Belle Vue and the miraculously open Firwood Cottage, before we headed up Industry Street and along Walkley Lane, past the closed Royal, and down to the Blake. The bar was heaving with a full basket of pork pies so the first of two mission objectives was completed. The next was satisfied with a half of Grafters Dark side of the Moon for Mr A and a pint of the excellent Ilkley Mary Jane for myself. We repaired to the beer garden to take in the views and enjoy the best beers of the day so far.
We slogged up Fulton Road next and round to the Closed Shop on Commonside. The SIBA list that Andy can choose from is showcasing SIBA champion beers at the moment, so expect to see some quite unusual ones over the coming weeks. I had a pint of the Doncaster First Aviator Ale and Mr A a half of the Highland Breweries Pale, all the way from the windy Orkneys. We enjoyed both sat in the beer garden, planning our next move.
The Hallamshire House was reached via an uneventful walk and we both tried different beers - Mr A gambled on the Les' best and I the Jaywick. The latter is an enjoyable hoppy beer but I think the Les's was underwhelming - it is after all, rebadged Marples (I think...). Still, our disappointment was reigned in slightly by the excellent beer garden, which Mr A was quite taken by.
The circular aspect of our trek was making more sense next as we headed up hill to the Cobden View. Its rare these days to be able to do a crawl and find 3 back street locals (at least in terms of their being in suburban areas). On the bar were the usual suspects with Raw as the "unusual" guest - so I had a pint and Mr A a half of the JS Best Bitter. We supped this in the beer garden, with lepidopterist Mr A spotting a rare spargled Granny Blue or similar, whilst we soaking up our first sun of the day. Another excellent stop off.
We descended Conduit next and walked along the main road to the University Arms. The excellent Dark Star Espresso Stout was on, from a reduced range of 3 beers. We both went for halves of that, along with excellent chorizo crisps, before I caved in and had a further half, despite being rather hungry, and a little tipsy. Once again we were sat out in the garden - if nothing else this was also a crawl of excellent beer gardens.
The Bath Hotel beckoned but in here we took a break from cask and cooled down with a half of Thornbridge Chiron each. I think Mr A may have let slip a sharp intake of breath at the price (Thornbridge + Keykeg = expense) but it was a good Keg to try on a long slog, and it being cold and fizzy nicely slowed us down on our high speed tour.
We headed off to look at Jessops next, prior to any upcoming senseless destruction by academics, before we nipped in the Red Deer to find an excellent range of beers once more - from offerings including the Highland Pale we both plumped for halves of the Glastonbury stout, a fine looking and finer tasting dark beer at £3.00 a pint.
At this point food became a necessity so we got ourselves some sustenance and then rejoined the route at DAda. A good range of real ales saw us both trying halves of the earthy Indian Head from Bridestones, and sharing a half of the Thornbridge Rattlesnake, brewed by staff at the Greystones - and very nice it was too.
Next up was our penultimate stop, the Dog and Partridge. We both opted for a half of Blue Bee Octothorpe in here, as well as two very sensible halves of water, in preparation for our last stop. Unfortunately it became obvious as we got down the beers that the Blue Bee was a little bit orf - but it was well down the glass before we were certain. I mentioned it to he lass behind the bar on the way out and she gave us some money back to make up for it. That's good customer service, since we were definitely not wanting a replacement, having nearly reached the limits of what we could safely drink in one session.
Finally we crawled wearily into the welcoming bosom of Shakespeares (if, indeed, one can crawl into a bsom?) to sample the delights of the Arbor Mosaic, which I had been wittering on to Mr A about for most of the day. It didn't disappoint - although, I wonder if my decision to have a pint was maybe a little reckless. Here it looks like we took a lot of photographs, before Mr A finished his half and headed off for the train home, leaving me to dream of sleep, and the route of our next crawl of Sheffield pubs. Pub of the day for me was a dead heat between the Palm, Blake and Princess Royal (a bit of my Crookes upbringing making me biased maybe?) and beer of the day was without doubt, the Arbor. Here's to the next crawl, and another festival of fine ale and beer gardens to come....
Watch this space.
Wee Beefy
yesterday I was playing host to the A.A, scribe extraordinaire with the "A Swift One" blog. Having kindly profiled me the other week I think I should introduce you to my visitor's work.
Many of you are probably already aware of the A swift One blog. Its been going since February 2007 (that's me all out of research am afraid) and has 4 contributors - Will, Timbo, Ale Ambler and Spurn Pint. Timbo is currently exiled in the North East so Ale Ambler (the aforesaid A.A) and Will have recently taken over most of the posting duties on the mostly Huddersfield area pubs and beer website.
As Mr Ambler is a Sheffield lad, and with him having taken me on a whistle stop tour of Huddersfield last month, we decided I should take him on a bit of a tour of some Sheffield pubs he may not have been to before. Here's where we went.
We met in the Sheffield Tap, and both had the Tapped Brew Co Mojo, which is £2.70 a pint (see how my formula works!) and 3.7%. Its a very bitter but refreshing starter, and to set the tone for the rest of the day I was on a pint and the A.A on a half. Depending on your interpretation, this is either incredibly sensible or a sign of insecurity. Bearing in mind that I was in bed by 22.30, I think its the first one....
A quick ride on the 52 brought us to Crookes and the Princess Royal. I'd never been in when it was empty before, and the lack of customers helped to highlight what a wealth of fantastic unspoilt features the pub has. The Layout is two rooms and arguably it may originally have been 4, with three at the front, but there are still plenty of original features, like the hatch in the snooker room, the corridor behind the bar and the doors, which appear to be of some age. Drinks wise I had a half of Bradfield Blonde, which is £1.50 and Mr A a half of Easy Rider.
We walked down towards Walkley next, past the vandalised shell of the Old Heavygate, the first of a dispiriting troupe of closed boozers on the crawl. Whilst Crookes hasn't lost a boozer in my lifetime, Walkley has been shedding them year on year - the Crown, Sportsman, Freedom View, Freedom House, Royal, Bath and Belle Vue had all disappeared, and there was rumours the Florist was to close for good that day. It looked like visiting two pubs would mean we'd made it to half of the remaining stock.
Out onto South Road and I was mentioning how it was years since I'd been in the Rose House, since they didn't sell real ale - just as I spotted a sign advertising just that. We went in the right hand side and found there was a choice of Spitfire and Black Sheep - we both had Spitfire. The Rose House has an unusual layout with three bars and a small room at the back on a lower level. The beer was well kept and at a sensible price, and after a brief check that we weren't Burnley fans was complete, we had chance for a chat. One thing we did discuss was the Florist - and were told that the Florist definitely wasn't closing for good, just for a short period to allow a clean up and for new tenants to settle in.
The good news continued even after we passed the sorry edifice of the former Freedom House, when we got to the Palm. Palm Street and the Palm Tree pub get their name from the area leading down from Walkley to Neepsend being known as Palmers Hill - at least, that's what the Internet says. The Palm now has two real ales to choose from, Bass and Tetleys, and is another pub awash with old even if not original features, and, as was becoming a Walkley pub feature, it has a three quarter size snooker table.
Mr A is a fan of pub sport so was pinging out questions in a rather more journalistic way than myself, as I snapped the cosy front room. The landlord told us that most of the pubs in the area had a 3 quarter size snooker table, and that there was a strong local 3 quarter league. He also pointed out that the pubs in the area weren't purpose built, and so couldn't fit full size snooker tables in. By this time we'd visited 3 pubs and seen 3 tables with another expected at the Hallamshire. We both had halves of the bass and spent time taking a few pics before heading off for our first guaranteed snooker table free pub of the day.
This involved a winding walk past the Closed Belle Vue and the miraculously open Firwood Cottage, before we headed up Industry Street and along Walkley Lane, past the closed Royal, and down to the Blake. The bar was heaving with a full basket of pork pies so the first of two mission objectives was completed. The next was satisfied with a half of Grafters Dark side of the Moon for Mr A and a pint of the excellent Ilkley Mary Jane for myself. We repaired to the beer garden to take in the views and enjoy the best beers of the day so far.
We slogged up Fulton Road next and round to the Closed Shop on Commonside. The SIBA list that Andy can choose from is showcasing SIBA champion beers at the moment, so expect to see some quite unusual ones over the coming weeks. I had a pint of the Doncaster First Aviator Ale and Mr A a half of the Highland Breweries Pale, all the way from the windy Orkneys. We enjoyed both sat in the beer garden, planning our next move.
The Hallamshire House was reached via an uneventful walk and we both tried different beers - Mr A gambled on the Les' best and I the Jaywick. The latter is an enjoyable hoppy beer but I think the Les's was underwhelming - it is after all, rebadged Marples (I think...). Still, our disappointment was reigned in slightly by the excellent beer garden, which Mr A was quite taken by.
The circular aspect of our trek was making more sense next as we headed up hill to the Cobden View. Its rare these days to be able to do a crawl and find 3 back street locals (at least in terms of their being in suburban areas). On the bar were the usual suspects with Raw as the "unusual" guest - so I had a pint and Mr A a half of the JS Best Bitter. We supped this in the beer garden, with lepidopterist Mr A spotting a rare spargled Granny Blue or similar, whilst we soaking up our first sun of the day. Another excellent stop off.
We descended Conduit next and walked along the main road to the University Arms. The excellent Dark Star Espresso Stout was on, from a reduced range of 3 beers. We both went for halves of that, along with excellent chorizo crisps, before I caved in and had a further half, despite being rather hungry, and a little tipsy. Once again we were sat out in the garden - if nothing else this was also a crawl of excellent beer gardens.
The Bath Hotel beckoned but in here we took a break from cask and cooled down with a half of Thornbridge Chiron each. I think Mr A may have let slip a sharp intake of breath at the price (Thornbridge + Keykeg = expense) but it was a good Keg to try on a long slog, and it being cold and fizzy nicely slowed us down on our high speed tour.
We headed off to look at Jessops next, prior to any upcoming senseless destruction by academics, before we nipped in the Red Deer to find an excellent range of beers once more - from offerings including the Highland Pale we both plumped for halves of the Glastonbury stout, a fine looking and finer tasting dark beer at £3.00 a pint.
At this point food became a necessity so we got ourselves some sustenance and then rejoined the route at DAda. A good range of real ales saw us both trying halves of the earthy Indian Head from Bridestones, and sharing a half of the Thornbridge Rattlesnake, brewed by staff at the Greystones - and very nice it was too.
Next up was our penultimate stop, the Dog and Partridge. We both opted for a half of Blue Bee Octothorpe in here, as well as two very sensible halves of water, in preparation for our last stop. Unfortunately it became obvious as we got down the beers that the Blue Bee was a little bit orf - but it was well down the glass before we were certain. I mentioned it to he lass behind the bar on the way out and she gave us some money back to make up for it. That's good customer service, since we were definitely not wanting a replacement, having nearly reached the limits of what we could safely drink in one session.
Finally we crawled wearily into the welcoming bosom of Shakespeares (if, indeed, one can crawl into a bsom?) to sample the delights of the Arbor Mosaic, which I had been wittering on to Mr A about for most of the day. It didn't disappoint - although, I wonder if my decision to have a pint was maybe a little reckless. Here it looks like we took a lot of photographs, before Mr A finished his half and headed off for the train home, leaving me to dream of sleep, and the route of our next crawl of Sheffield pubs. Pub of the day for me was a dead heat between the Palm, Blake and Princess Royal (a bit of my Crookes upbringing making me biased maybe?) and beer of the day was without doubt, the Arbor. Here's to the next crawl, and another festival of fine ale and beer gardens to come....
Watch this space.
Wee Beefy
Monday, 22 July 2013
The Tramlines
Now then,
whilst we can all fanny about going to Huddersfield, Saturday was a day to go to overcrowded venues to see bands I've never heard of and drink warm beer. Yep, for the first time in its history The Tramlines was a hot n sunny event. And having initially resolutely refused to attend for reasons unbeknownst even to myself, I couldn't resist the allure of (mostly) free music, and so decided to pop along, starting with a new venue.
I never got in the Albion on London Road what with it not selling real ale, but was still shocked to hear of its closure - after all, it was allegedly selling more Stones than any other pub - surely there must have been some decent sales racked up? More surprising however was to discover that it had reopened, sort of, as a music and arts venue selling real ale.
Its new moniker is the Bell Jar, and its all very plain - there isn't even a sign! There is an A Board outside and a message in the window, and some social media info to assist. On entering the bar is on the left proudly showing 4 handpumps, this time two Sheffield Brewery beers plus something called Institute of beer were on offer, so I went for a couple of halves of the Sheffield IPA at 5.2% and £3.00 a pint. I caught a bit of a band I have no idea of the name of, as well as sitting in the beer garden. This was pretty much how most visits panned out over the weekend...
Delaneys beckoned and to my surprise as well as a really very good band, Mynas, they also had three real ales on including two from Morecambe's Cross Bay brewery. The Tempest was a very enjoyable pale ale at £3.20 a pint and I had a couple of pints of that before the music took a bit of a downturn and I moved on.
Next stop the Rutland, and I had an Ashover pale ale. I also sat outside, not listening to any bands but catching up with T_i_B instead, along with a lady. Sorry, but anything not photographed with a name on didn't get recalled. Hence the lady has no name.....
A quick detour found me at the Sheffield Tap with Chala. I had a pint of the Tapped Brew Co Bullet which was a really tasty pint and Chala had something with fruit in it. Bless. From here we headed to the Dove and Rainbow where it now transpires that about ten people I know were there. Except I didn't see them. Instead I had a half of Blue Bee Lustin for Stout and stayed around for a couple of songs then moved on.
To Harrisons 1854, for a pint of Abbeydale Tramlines 2 and a catch up with Bob and Linda - but not, crucially, to meet Christingpher. Others were flagging by this stage, not least me, but I had enough about me to catch Big City Blues at the Bath Hotel and to enjoy a Black Iris Black Mountain Black IPA, leaving with only photographs for memories..
Sunday saw me at the University Arms, as Dave was celebrating her birthday. The novelty of the pub being open on a Sunday was bettered by some rather excellent Cavendish, which I had two pints of, and a band playing songs from the 1980's which, worryingly, I remembered. I sauntered to the Frog and Parrot next to miss the Hudares but instead catch a band called the Hurricanes. Or the Tornadoes. They're just words. I also got to have the worst pint of Moonshine ever. It never ceases to amaze me how one pub can consistently have such dire beer. Still, I wasn't forced at gun point to attend.
An hour on the buskers bus followed before I caught up with the Man of Ash and Entwistle and Steff in the Bath Hotel. I got to joyously remember what I had to drink the night before, and have some more of it - plus some rather nice Thornbridge Chiron. This enjoyable diversion, even if not from drink, provided a slower pace and enabled me to get my second wind to tackle the last stops.
At DAda a re-badged Pica Pica was the pint of choice (followed by another half of Chiron) before I got swept away listening to an excellent band called the Vuvuvultures - probably my favourite band of the festival. After which, noticing the Dog and Partridge shut, I headed to Shakespeares for a pint of something from North Riding and an hour or so in the garden watching amorphous blobs make sounds. I had started to pay little attention by this stage, to be honest, although the dancer and violinist were really good.
So, Tramlines was really enjoyable again this year, despite my concerns, possibly bettered by my attending Sunday. And crucially, apart from the wonky Moonshiner in the F&P it was also memorable (that's almost ironic...) for excellent beer. And in the Bell Jar, I now have an interesting new venue to go drinking in.
Cheers!
Wee Beefy
whilst we can all fanny about going to Huddersfield, Saturday was a day to go to overcrowded venues to see bands I've never heard of and drink warm beer. Yep, for the first time in its history The Tramlines was a hot n sunny event. And having initially resolutely refused to attend for reasons unbeknownst even to myself, I couldn't resist the allure of (mostly) free music, and so decided to pop along, starting with a new venue.
I never got in the Albion on London Road what with it not selling real ale, but was still shocked to hear of its closure - after all, it was allegedly selling more Stones than any other pub - surely there must have been some decent sales racked up? More surprising however was to discover that it had reopened, sort of, as a music and arts venue selling real ale.
Its new moniker is the Bell Jar, and its all very plain - there isn't even a sign! There is an A Board outside and a message in the window, and some social media info to assist. On entering the bar is on the left proudly showing 4 handpumps, this time two Sheffield Brewery beers plus something called Institute of beer were on offer, so I went for a couple of halves of the Sheffield IPA at 5.2% and £3.00 a pint. I caught a bit of a band I have no idea of the name of, as well as sitting in the beer garden. This was pretty much how most visits panned out over the weekend...
Delaneys beckoned and to my surprise as well as a really very good band, Mynas, they also had three real ales on including two from Morecambe's Cross Bay brewery. The Tempest was a very enjoyable pale ale at £3.20 a pint and I had a couple of pints of that before the music took a bit of a downturn and I moved on.
Next stop the Rutland, and I had an Ashover pale ale. I also sat outside, not listening to any bands but catching up with T_i_B instead, along with a lady. Sorry, but anything not photographed with a name on didn't get recalled. Hence the lady has no name.....
A quick detour found me at the Sheffield Tap with Chala. I had a pint of the Tapped Brew Co Bullet which was a really tasty pint and Chala had something with fruit in it. Bless. From here we headed to the Dove and Rainbow where it now transpires that about ten people I know were there. Except I didn't see them. Instead I had a half of Blue Bee Lustin for Stout and stayed around for a couple of songs then moved on.
To Harrisons 1854, for a pint of Abbeydale Tramlines 2 and a catch up with Bob and Linda - but not, crucially, to meet Christingpher. Others were flagging by this stage, not least me, but I had enough about me to catch Big City Blues at the Bath Hotel and to enjoy a Black Iris Black Mountain Black IPA, leaving with only photographs for memories..
Sunday saw me at the University Arms, as Dave was celebrating her birthday. The novelty of the pub being open on a Sunday was bettered by some rather excellent Cavendish, which I had two pints of, and a band playing songs from the 1980's which, worryingly, I remembered. I sauntered to the Frog and Parrot next to miss the Hudares but instead catch a band called the Hurricanes. Or the Tornadoes. They're just words. I also got to have the worst pint of Moonshine ever. It never ceases to amaze me how one pub can consistently have such dire beer. Still, I wasn't forced at gun point to attend.
An hour on the buskers bus followed before I caught up with the Man of Ash and Entwistle and Steff in the Bath Hotel. I got to joyously remember what I had to drink the night before, and have some more of it - plus some rather nice Thornbridge Chiron. This enjoyable diversion, even if not from drink, provided a slower pace and enabled me to get my second wind to tackle the last stops.
At DAda a re-badged Pica Pica was the pint of choice (followed by another half of Chiron) before I got swept away listening to an excellent band called the Vuvuvultures - probably my favourite band of the festival. After which, noticing the Dog and Partridge shut, I headed to Shakespeares for a pint of something from North Riding and an hour or so in the garden watching amorphous blobs make sounds. I had started to pay little attention by this stage, to be honest, although the dancer and violinist were really good.
So, Tramlines was really enjoyable again this year, despite my concerns, possibly bettered by my attending Sunday. And crucially, apart from the wonky Moonshiner in the F&P it was also memorable (that's almost ironic...) for excellent beer. And in the Bell Jar, I now have an interesting new venue to go drinking in.
Cheers!
Wee Beefy
Sunday, 7 July 2013
Hiking, Wee Beefy style.
Hello,
knowing it was going to be a lovely sunny weekend I set about planning an invigorating walk. Yes, there would (obviously) be pubs, but there would also be walking, possibly up to 10 miles. I was to head off into Derbyshire, and sample the delights of Kirk Ireton, Carsington, Ashbourne, Belper, Openwoodgate and Derby. Until I found myself getting a mite tipsy on Green Devil IPA on Friday. Was I getting up at 8.30 and catching a train about 9.30? Was I f
...airly unlikely to be so I set off for a more realistic Sheffield walk around dinnertime. I got off the bus in town and walked past the Church House (I imagine a lot of people make this choice) and onto Trippet Lane to visit DAda. To my horror chuffing Kipling was still hogging the pump that was destined for Melba. I tried the Rok Fall bitter, which was unremarkable, and decided to have a lovely cold beer instead - so I had a pint of Chiron, which was perfect. I had a good catch up with Jamie and a half of Oakham Bishop's farewell before setting off on the next part of my"trek".
At the Bath Hotel Steff was on hand, along with a much needed through breeze, to make the visit an enjoyable one, a feat made all the easier by my having a pint of the Green Devil IPA. You know, to check it was still great. It was. An hour into my arduous hike and I'd had 2 and a half pints. And despite having decided to walk to Crookes I remembered, crucially that I couldn't be arsed. so I caught the bus instead.
Once in Crookes I dallied with the idea of popping in the Prinny but instead walked down Newent Lane to the Cobden View. Wee Keefy had informed me Friday that he had been supping an Inveralmond brewery beer in there, and I wondered if this was notice of a slight improvement in their beer range. When I got there the Inveralmond had gone but had been replaced by a favourite beer of mine Wincle Waller. I got a pint of that (£2.90) and went to sit in the hot sun in the beer garden. The Cobden is a great back street local the like of which are becoming rarer. It sells well kept beers at sensible prices, and hires its beer garden out for barbecues. Go visit!
Next I walked down towards the University Arms and en route popped in the Hallamshire House, where I spotted Mr Canning, and joined him briefly for a half of Thornbridge Pica pica. I also went into the beer garden for the very first time, where I bumped into Becky. The garden, such as it can be called one, is a large deck overlooking the city with a huge array of plants and tables and chairs. Its fair to say it's Becky's project, and must have been hard work. I understand the sun gets on it between 12 and 15.00 so I might try and time any visit to the Hallamshire accordingly to get the full benefit.
The University Arms was busy and Katedave was behind the bar. I had a pint of Crouch Vale Yakima Pale Ale and went and sat outside in the sun. The garden was understandably packed, but I managed to get a table to myself for a quiet read and to slightly change colour. Had I not noticed I was becoming significantly less sober than was sensible, I might have stayed for another. However, by now, using the miracle of text, I had established that the Melba was on at DAda. The next part of my ramble began...
DAda was quiet but to be honest I didn't want to be waiting to get the last of yet another barrel of Melba. This time it was in perfect condition, crystal clear and tasting as lovely and peachy and like a mixture of Halcyon and Qosh from the 1980's as it should. In between talking to a guy from Crookes called Louis and his slightly tipsy lady friend, I managed to have a couple more pints of Melba before I got word that Clare and Gav were at the Fat Cat. It would have been rude not to join them.
So I walked down to Kelham Island, by now having completely abandoned the pretence of an actual walk, and met them in the Cat's beer garden with a pork pie, a glass of water and a half of something. And a red face. I must have made a great impression upon their friends Gary and Clair as I met them for the first time in a particular tangle. Still, everyone was singing from the same hymn sheet as I quickly worked out.
Its important to clarify now that apart from definitely having water and an Abbeydale Pocket Anchovy in the Kelham Island Tavern, our next destination, plus a pint of Nelson Gun dog Stout in Shakespeares (and stylishly leaving my wallet on the bar) I really don't know what I drank. What I do know is the potentially confusing (name wise) combination of Gav, Clare, Gary and Clair were great company, and if it hadn't have been for my camera there would very little that I could have recalled about the night.
So. If I walked 3 miles I'd be surprised. I never reached the countryside, but I did get some sun. I also drank some fantastic beer - with not a bad pint encountered in all eight pubs en route. Another reason, if one were needed, to stay in the Steel City when seeking great beer.
Cheers
Wee Beefy
knowing it was going to be a lovely sunny weekend I set about planning an invigorating walk. Yes, there would (obviously) be pubs, but there would also be walking, possibly up to 10 miles. I was to head off into Derbyshire, and sample the delights of Kirk Ireton, Carsington, Ashbourne, Belper, Openwoodgate and Derby. Until I found myself getting a mite tipsy on Green Devil IPA on Friday. Was I getting up at 8.30 and catching a train about 9.30? Was I f
...airly unlikely to be so I set off for a more realistic Sheffield walk around dinnertime. I got off the bus in town and walked past the Church House (I imagine a lot of people make this choice) and onto Trippet Lane to visit DAda. To my horror chuffing Kipling was still hogging the pump that was destined for Melba. I tried the Rok Fall bitter, which was unremarkable, and decided to have a lovely cold beer instead - so I had a pint of Chiron, which was perfect. I had a good catch up with Jamie and a half of Oakham Bishop's farewell before setting off on the next part of my"trek".
At the Bath Hotel Steff was on hand, along with a much needed through breeze, to make the visit an enjoyable one, a feat made all the easier by my having a pint of the Green Devil IPA. You know, to check it was still great. It was. An hour into my arduous hike and I'd had 2 and a half pints. And despite having decided to walk to Crookes I remembered, crucially that I couldn't be arsed. so I caught the bus instead.
Once in Crookes I dallied with the idea of popping in the Prinny but instead walked down Newent Lane to the Cobden View. Wee Keefy had informed me Friday that he had been supping an Inveralmond brewery beer in there, and I wondered if this was notice of a slight improvement in their beer range. When I got there the Inveralmond had gone but had been replaced by a favourite beer of mine Wincle Waller. I got a pint of that (£2.90) and went to sit in the hot sun in the beer garden. The Cobden is a great back street local the like of which are becoming rarer. It sells well kept beers at sensible prices, and hires its beer garden out for barbecues. Go visit!
Next I walked down towards the University Arms and en route popped in the Hallamshire House, where I spotted Mr Canning, and joined him briefly for a half of Thornbridge Pica pica. I also went into the beer garden for the very first time, where I bumped into Becky. The garden, such as it can be called one, is a large deck overlooking the city with a huge array of plants and tables and chairs. Its fair to say it's Becky's project, and must have been hard work. I understand the sun gets on it between 12 and 15.00 so I might try and time any visit to the Hallamshire accordingly to get the full benefit.
The University Arms was busy and Katedave was behind the bar. I had a pint of Crouch Vale Yakima Pale Ale and went and sat outside in the sun. The garden was understandably packed, but I managed to get a table to myself for a quiet read and to slightly change colour. Had I not noticed I was becoming significantly less sober than was sensible, I might have stayed for another. However, by now, using the miracle of text, I had established that the Melba was on at DAda. The next part of my ramble began...
DAda was quiet but to be honest I didn't want to be waiting to get the last of yet another barrel of Melba. This time it was in perfect condition, crystal clear and tasting as lovely and peachy and like a mixture of Halcyon and Qosh from the 1980's as it should. In between talking to a guy from Crookes called Louis and his slightly tipsy lady friend, I managed to have a couple more pints of Melba before I got word that Clare and Gav were at the Fat Cat. It would have been rude not to join them.
So I walked down to Kelham Island, by now having completely abandoned the pretence of an actual walk, and met them in the Cat's beer garden with a pork pie, a glass of water and a half of something. And a red face. I must have made a great impression upon their friends Gary and Clair as I met them for the first time in a particular tangle. Still, everyone was singing from the same hymn sheet as I quickly worked out.
Its important to clarify now that apart from definitely having water and an Abbeydale Pocket Anchovy in the Kelham Island Tavern, our next destination, plus a pint of Nelson Gun dog Stout in Shakespeares (and stylishly leaving my wallet on the bar) I really don't know what I drank. What I do know is the potentially confusing (name wise) combination of Gav, Clare, Gary and Clair were great company, and if it hadn't have been for my camera there would very little that I could have recalled about the night.
So. If I walked 3 miles I'd be surprised. I never reached the countryside, but I did get some sun. I also drank some fantastic beer - with not a bad pint encountered in all eight pubs en route. Another reason, if one were needed, to stay in the Steel City when seeking great beer.
Cheers
Wee Beefy
Monday, 13 May 2013
What Beefy did.
Good afternoon,
I am unexpectedly off work (due to the sodding boiler having died) so thought I might use my waiting time carefully by writing this. In between Bank holiday stumbling and Ploughmans nights and other fun and games, I have carefully set aside time to have a pint or two. Here's some details thereof.
Tuesday saw me sat in the sunshine (the what already?) in the beer garden at Shakespeares supping ale with my mate Abz. First up was a pint of Harthill V.B Ace of Harts, which was a pleasant, pale, bitter session ale, followed by a rather more robust Porter from Salamander, Tree Hugger. This was followed by a very hoppy pint of Hopcraft Test Brew 9 "The Beast", a trifle reckless at 6.7%, before I finished on half of Anchor Flying Cloud No.3 San Francisco stout from the keg. A tasty, but not overly heavy beer, despite its 7.4% strength.
A rather protracted trip to the Blake followed, since a road was shut somewhere along the route the bus helpfully went down Fox Road and popped out near the Hillsborough Hotel instead of going up Daniel Hill. Cue a sweaty breathless stomp through sheltered housing and across Rutland Park uphill. Humph. Here I had a much needed pork pie and a delicious Great Heck Powerhouse 5% IPA, sat in the sunny beer garden, before heading home for food and beer tasting (more to come on that in another post).
Friday was Carlos' birthday, so we all met up in Crookes to celebrate. I started off by having a pint en route in the University Arms, a tasty Welbeck Abbey Brewery Cavendish pale ale. It was completely rammed throughout, but I did get sat on a bench for 20 minutes before hot footing it for the bus.
We met up in the Ball on Crookes, where I had a very palatable pint of Hopback Crop Circle, a beer I haven't seen for ages. Its light but not weak, if you see what I mean, and was a good quick pint to sup whilst we caught up.
After the meal we decamped to the Punch Bowl. I was never a fan of this pub when I lived on Crookes, perhaps only going in once or twice for Tetley in my teens. When it became Mr Q's it was a definite no go but since last year I have been in a few times and am warming to it. I think credit for its gradual improvement should go to the couple running the pub, who have put a few interesting events on, including regular live music, and seem to have attracted a core of regulars.
There are two real ales, usually Kelham Easy Rider and a guest, often from Everards. They won't in any awards for beer choice but its well kept and about average price (£3.10 a pint) for the area. Its crucial draw is that it feels like a proper pub, despite its rather ill thought through decor and modern furnishings, and seems friendlier than the Ball or Masons nearby.
We were in for a couple of hours having, in my case, several pints of Easy Rider until we decamped to Wee Keefy's for something in a bottle, so I'm told.
The next day I was back in Crookes - to pick up my bag! Having collected my stuff I got down to the Closed Shop at gone 18.00 for a late-ish session. I decided to eschew the delights of Blue Bee Tangled Up IPA, in favour of something a little less strong. My pint of Ashover Butts Pale ale was delicious, although, I had developed a taste for it by the time I realised it was 5.5%. Oops.
I had 4 pints of the Butts, a brilliant hoppy pale ale, whilst chatting to Paultous and Georgina, before I figured it was time to head for town. En route I popped in the Dram Shop for a couple of bottles, only to find their selection of small un's a little, ahem, smaller than I anticipated (although I did pick up a bottle of Sam Smiths Imperial Stout).
My penultimate stop was at DAda, which you may remember from 2012, where I had a pint of Bitter Californian from Bristol Beer Factory, as well as a half of our old friend Halcyon. I did not linger long though, since there was a "do" on with free champagne. And I'd forgotten my dicky bow....
I popped in the revitalised Dog and Partridge for my last pint, a decent Abbeydale Alchemy which I supped in what somehow seems to be a shorter back room (?!) soaking up the atmosphere and watching a steady flow of customers arrive. After my doom laden posts in late 2011 about the pub's future its great to see it back on its feet again, and the addition of Street Food Chef burritos and the like is a real winner of a partnership. I shall return soon.
So, that rounds up my recent adventures, in the next couple of days there will be a beer tasting post, and details of yesterdays Manchester and Salford wander.
Cheers!
Wee Beefy
I am unexpectedly off work (due to the sodding boiler having died) so thought I might use my waiting time carefully by writing this. In between Bank holiday stumbling and Ploughmans nights and other fun and games, I have carefully set aside time to have a pint or two. Here's some details thereof.
Tuesday saw me sat in the sunshine (the what already?) in the beer garden at Shakespeares supping ale with my mate Abz. First up was a pint of Harthill V.B Ace of Harts, which was a pleasant, pale, bitter session ale, followed by a rather more robust Porter from Salamander, Tree Hugger. This was followed by a very hoppy pint of Hopcraft Test Brew 9 "The Beast", a trifle reckless at 6.7%, before I finished on half of Anchor Flying Cloud No.3 San Francisco stout from the keg. A tasty, but not overly heavy beer, despite its 7.4% strength.
A rather protracted trip to the Blake followed, since a road was shut somewhere along the route the bus helpfully went down Fox Road and popped out near the Hillsborough Hotel instead of going up Daniel Hill. Cue a sweaty breathless stomp through sheltered housing and across Rutland Park uphill. Humph. Here I had a much needed pork pie and a delicious Great Heck Powerhouse 5% IPA, sat in the sunny beer garden, before heading home for food and beer tasting (more to come on that in another post).
Friday was Carlos' birthday, so we all met up in Crookes to celebrate. I started off by having a pint en route in the University Arms, a tasty Welbeck Abbey Brewery Cavendish pale ale. It was completely rammed throughout, but I did get sat on a bench for 20 minutes before hot footing it for the bus.
We met up in the Ball on Crookes, where I had a very palatable pint of Hopback Crop Circle, a beer I haven't seen for ages. Its light but not weak, if you see what I mean, and was a good quick pint to sup whilst we caught up.
After the meal we decamped to the Punch Bowl. I was never a fan of this pub when I lived on Crookes, perhaps only going in once or twice for Tetley in my teens. When it became Mr Q's it was a definite no go but since last year I have been in a few times and am warming to it. I think credit for its gradual improvement should go to the couple running the pub, who have put a few interesting events on, including regular live music, and seem to have attracted a core of regulars.
There are two real ales, usually Kelham Easy Rider and a guest, often from Everards. They won't in any awards for beer choice but its well kept and about average price (£3.10 a pint) for the area. Its crucial draw is that it feels like a proper pub, despite its rather ill thought through decor and modern furnishings, and seems friendlier than the Ball or Masons nearby.
We were in for a couple of hours having, in my case, several pints of Easy Rider until we decamped to Wee Keefy's for something in a bottle, so I'm told.
The next day I was back in Crookes - to pick up my bag! Having collected my stuff I got down to the Closed Shop at gone 18.00 for a late-ish session. I decided to eschew the delights of Blue Bee Tangled Up IPA, in favour of something a little less strong. My pint of Ashover Butts Pale ale was delicious, although, I had developed a taste for it by the time I realised it was 5.5%. Oops.
I had 4 pints of the Butts, a brilliant hoppy pale ale, whilst chatting to Paultous and Georgina, before I figured it was time to head for town. En route I popped in the Dram Shop for a couple of bottles, only to find their selection of small un's a little, ahem, smaller than I anticipated (although I did pick up a bottle of Sam Smiths Imperial Stout).
My penultimate stop was at DAda, which you may remember from 2012, where I had a pint of Bitter Californian from Bristol Beer Factory, as well as a half of our old friend Halcyon. I did not linger long though, since there was a "do" on with free champagne. And I'd forgotten my dicky bow....
I popped in the revitalised Dog and Partridge for my last pint, a decent Abbeydale Alchemy which I supped in what somehow seems to be a shorter back room (?!) soaking up the atmosphere and watching a steady flow of customers arrive. After my doom laden posts in late 2011 about the pub's future its great to see it back on its feet again, and the addition of Street Food Chef burritos and the like is a real winner of a partnership. I shall return soon.
So, that rounds up my recent adventures, in the next couple of days there will be a beer tasting post, and details of yesterdays Manchester and Salford wander.
Cheers!
Wee Beefy
Thursday, 2 May 2013
Mysterious paper in wallet hastens appearance of liquids
Hello,
payday is fun isn't it. Money falls into your bank account (hopefully, not intending to alienate anyone) and there are bills to pay, shopping to buy and chores to perform. Me? I just go to the pub. I mean Jesus, I've earned it. I hadn't been out since Sunday. It was Tuesday....
I started by bussing it to the Closed Shop which you may remember from the world cheese matching championships. It was surprisingly busy for a Tuesday at 7ish, although, despite my having had a bath, many people mysteriously jumped ship after I arrived. A thinner skinned, and indeed, thinner, man, could take this badly. I, on the other hand, had eyed up some Blue Bee Lustin for Stout.
One thing I will say is that' its confusingly bitter these days. Ascorbic sometimes, which is strange since I always used to find it too heavy, but in a robust creamy sort of way. That night it was almost like the sheer magnitude of flavour has been inched out by a blob of extra dry hops. Its a shame because I really rate the stout, but I suppose with the best will in the world, not every brew can be the same.
Next up was a pint from the cellar. Paultous disappeared to fetch it, based on my waiting time from a cellar in Crookes, and I quickly realised that the much loved Titanic Plum Porter was a bit one dimensional. You see, I like plum, and I like porter. However, Plum Porter isn't both of these things. Its plum cordial with a drop of bitter. I kind of liked it. I was almost impressed. However, I couldn't help thinking it might have needed to remember it was a beer.
It was at this point that I played "an hilarious" gag on myself. Having divested my leather jacket on the nearest bar front hook, I became annoyed by my work bag, so passed it to Paultous and said "here's a great gag - you put this behind the bar for me, and we can both be amused when I get home at midnight and remember that you still have it". We both laughed. Well, it was a quiet night....
The silence was broken by the arrival of Tony Kennick from the past. I used to know Tony when we were both in CAMRA, around the time of the Crimea. Tony was good at shouting and was the only man in all of CAMRA to own a computer. He was basically in charge. That is not, I hasten to add, connected to my leaving.
He was on something reasonable whilst I next had a pint of the Blue Bee Pink Ball, which is fab, but somehow tasted ever so slightly of sandalwood incense, or perfume. The other brewer who is not Rich (sorry, other brewer who is not Rich, I have had a sleep since then) was at a loss to explain this unique feature, but that hardly mattered since in fact, the beer was still bloody excellent.
I had a couple of pints of the pink ball and a catch up with TK before I headed off for pastures new. En route I noticed the Hadfield wasn't exactly open. I managed through sheer determination tonight to find some details for them (on the Facebook, you've seen the Facebook), but am unsure as to the "plan". On 7th March they stated they had only 12 wees to survive - if they reopened at the end of March then that's not long off.
OK, so Tuesday night isn't a winner but some opening times info would be helpful. I'd take a pub called the Hadfield over a Shamesburys any day but its a bit incongruous me urging readers to use it or lose it when its not, erm, open? Feel free to tell me the opening hours The Hadfield, who is a person...
I headed off toward the next pub before I realised just how funny my bag-gag had been - the chuffer was still behind the bar. Cue a breathless sweaty rampage uphill back to the Closed Shop to deliver the punchline, and head back off again in the direction of the University Arms.
Here I was pleased to see a beer on gravity. Kelham Island (good God, don't tell them like The Devonshire Cat did, or they'll come and demand you serve it through handpump, if we believe the implausible reason for not selling Pale Rider on gravity provided by the Dev Cat is true), sorry where was I? Oh yes on gravity, Doctor Death, a rather smashing dark ale from Kelham.
I had a half of that and a pint of the also excellent Citra from Great Heck brewery, fast becoming a reliable and indeed desirable brewery choice on the bar. I'd only intended to stay for one pint but its so rare to see gravity dispensed beer in Sheff these days it was worth an extra sup.
My final port of call was the venerable Bath Hotel. I opted for a pint of the ascorbic, bitter and tantalisingly hoppy Mallinsons Tammie Norrie, which was just as boisterously challenging but ultimately rewarding as I remembered. A great finisher at such a low strength.
With a whopping extended weekend of liquid ahead it was probably best I got my money-shock drinking out of the way early in the week. Because there are some huge sessions ahead over the holiday. Not a task for a man who still has the pre payday drink monkey on his shoulder, I can assure you...
Wee Beefy
payday is fun isn't it. Money falls into your bank account (hopefully, not intending to alienate anyone) and there are bills to pay, shopping to buy and chores to perform. Me? I just go to the pub. I mean Jesus, I've earned it. I hadn't been out since Sunday. It was Tuesday....
I started by bussing it to the Closed Shop which you may remember from the world cheese matching championships. It was surprisingly busy for a Tuesday at 7ish, although, despite my having had a bath, many people mysteriously jumped ship after I arrived. A thinner skinned, and indeed, thinner, man, could take this badly. I, on the other hand, had eyed up some Blue Bee Lustin for Stout.
One thing I will say is that' its confusingly bitter these days. Ascorbic sometimes, which is strange since I always used to find it too heavy, but in a robust creamy sort of way. That night it was almost like the sheer magnitude of flavour has been inched out by a blob of extra dry hops. Its a shame because I really rate the stout, but I suppose with the best will in the world, not every brew can be the same.
Next up was a pint from the cellar. Paultous disappeared to fetch it, based on my waiting time from a cellar in Crookes, and I quickly realised that the much loved Titanic Plum Porter was a bit one dimensional. You see, I like plum, and I like porter. However, Plum Porter isn't both of these things. Its plum cordial with a drop of bitter. I kind of liked it. I was almost impressed. However, I couldn't help thinking it might have needed to remember it was a beer.
It was at this point that I played "an hilarious" gag on myself. Having divested my leather jacket on the nearest bar front hook, I became annoyed by my work bag, so passed it to Paultous and said "here's a great gag - you put this behind the bar for me, and we can both be amused when I get home at midnight and remember that you still have it". We both laughed. Well, it was a quiet night....
The silence was broken by the arrival of Tony Kennick from the past. I used to know Tony when we were both in CAMRA, around the time of the Crimea. Tony was good at shouting and was the only man in all of CAMRA to own a computer. He was basically in charge. That is not, I hasten to add, connected to my leaving.
He was on something reasonable whilst I next had a pint of the Blue Bee Pink Ball, which is fab, but somehow tasted ever so slightly of sandalwood incense, or perfume. The other brewer who is not Rich (sorry, other brewer who is not Rich, I have had a sleep since then) was at a loss to explain this unique feature, but that hardly mattered since in fact, the beer was still bloody excellent.
I had a couple of pints of the pink ball and a catch up with TK before I headed off for pastures new. En route I noticed the Hadfield wasn't exactly open. I managed through sheer determination tonight to find some details for them (on the Facebook, you've seen the Facebook), but am unsure as to the "plan". On 7th March they stated they had only 12 wees to survive - if they reopened at the end of March then that's not long off.
OK, so Tuesday night isn't a winner but some opening times info would be helpful. I'd take a pub called the Hadfield over a Shamesburys any day but its a bit incongruous me urging readers to use it or lose it when its not, erm, open? Feel free to tell me the opening hours The Hadfield, who is a person...
I headed off toward the next pub before I realised just how funny my bag-gag had been - the chuffer was still behind the bar. Cue a breathless sweaty rampage uphill back to the Closed Shop to deliver the punchline, and head back off again in the direction of the University Arms.
Here I was pleased to see a beer on gravity. Kelham Island (good God, don't tell them like The Devonshire Cat did, or they'll come and demand you serve it through handpump, if we believe the implausible reason for not selling Pale Rider on gravity provided by the Dev Cat is true), sorry where was I? Oh yes on gravity, Doctor Death, a rather smashing dark ale from Kelham.
I had a half of that and a pint of the also excellent Citra from Great Heck brewery, fast becoming a reliable and indeed desirable brewery choice on the bar. I'd only intended to stay for one pint but its so rare to see gravity dispensed beer in Sheff these days it was worth an extra sup.
My final port of call was the venerable Bath Hotel. I opted for a pint of the ascorbic, bitter and tantalisingly hoppy Mallinsons Tammie Norrie, which was just as boisterously challenging but ultimately rewarding as I remembered. A great finisher at such a low strength.
With a whopping extended weekend of liquid ahead it was probably best I got my money-shock drinking out of the way early in the week. Because there are some huge sessions ahead over the holiday. Not a task for a man who still has the pre payday drink monkey on his shoulder, I can assure you...
Wee Beefy
Thursday, 11 April 2013
Cancel the beer! There is illness here...
Good evening,
I was supposed to be catching up with good friend J9 tomorrow, alas both f us have contracted housemaids knee, a debilitating ailment which makes us sniffle in a fog of malodorous germs whilst our faces run and our heads pound. Okay, its a cold, I admit. But I, for one, am at the losing my tastebuds stage. So I spent the beer money on vitamin C instead Prescient then, that I invested so heavily in birthday inspired refreshment s last weekend, the last installment of which is finally here.
Wee Keefy became a year older than he'd on April 9th 2012 yesterday. Every year he tries it on in attempting to be older than me, which is wearying, especially since you consider that every June I myself ratchet up another score. The benefits though are plentiful. At least one night out, and sometimes a pub meal.
We met in the Beehive which, not least because its on West Street, the official capital of twats, is going slightly off the boil. Only two beers on, the Honeypot which I assume is still a Blue Bee re-badge, and the Sheffield Brewery Five Rivers. Or it might have been Seven Hills. *clears throat...*
Still, at £2.50 a pop it wasn't bad and served at a sensible temperature, to boot, when we convened in the former shop side to catch up - myself, Jack, Carlos, Half Pint, Paddington, Lauren and, um, you know, her friend, and of course Wee Keefy, with his mate Adam. Bob. Dave? Jesus. It was a long night (not that I'm suggesting Jesus was an attendee, for various ideological reasons). Anyway, all of whoever us was were having a few in here before heading for a presumably larger range at the Hop.
Now, you may know that I find the Hop a bit like a slipper with a bit of grit in. It looks inviting enough but there's something nigglingly wrong about it. We entered to find the place 4 thick at the bar, and I opted for a pint of the Ascot Alligator Ale, and others variously had choices including Excelsior, and Abbeydale Prophecy. Alas the prophecy had not come to fruition, in fact, more likely it had finished altogether, and that was swapped, with no fuss from the staff, for half an Ascot for my mate, whilst I had a pint of the excellent Riverhead Deer Hill porter. It was fantastic, and a bit over £3.00 a pint.
Later as the glasses mounted up more of us headed Ascot and Ossett way and I had more Deer Hill, but then finished on the glorious Fernandes West Coast IPA, at 6.something percent. An excellent choice, promising and delivering everything I required.
A quick change here as we headed up to Crookes for the last pub, with Jack leaving and Martim replacing her. In the Ball on Crookes I had a very nice pint of the Kelham Island Gentleman Death Baltic Porter, in fact, so good was it, I had a few. Alas, the Kelham 20th century boy tasted like that was when it was brewed, but, in stark contrast to the customer service farce I suffered in the pub 3 years ago, it was replaced without fuss, and I had yet another pint of Gentleman Death. Still eh.
On Sunday, I knew we were going to a food pub, in the countryside, where beer is often an afterthought. Lucily I was rolling up in the Closed Shop at 2 for a chinwag so was able to stock up on great beer. I say stock up. I mean sup, obviously. Here, the Muirhouse Coffee Porter started promisingly but went a bit mental on my second pint, so I consoled myself with at least two pints of Blue Bee Tangled Up IPA, at 6.0%. I;m seeing a pattern here to be honest - and it's not supporting the theory that you drink less quantities of stronger beer. Probably time to remind myself that 6.0% is not, I repeat not, session beer.
Once in the beer wagon we headed out into the Peak District to the Yorkshire Bridge Inn. Rumour, or more likely confusion, suggests I've never actually drunk there of drinking age, so affronted was I by the price of Old Peculiar. Whether I did or didn't, the pub is no longer £1.20 a pint dearer than many around it, although still a little steep.
Inside the rooms on the right are kind of more bar like than the restauranty bits, but it's silly to think that this is a quiet haven for a pint. That said, there was a decent selection of cask ale available.
Here Wee Fatha had a half of Peak ales Bakewell Bitter which I think was a shade over £3.00 a pint, whilst Wee Keefy had a birthday pint of the same and a half of Buxton Moor Top, at a slightly painful £3.40 a pint (it's 3.5% or something). Given that the other local ales (Bradfield Bitter and blonde, Abbeydale Moonshine) are stronger and cheaper, it makes me wonder maybe the cost is being insisted upon by the brewery more than the retailed. Granted it wipes the floor with the others in terms of taste, but it's an uneasy equation.
Mind you, I had another pint or two with my absolutely ginormous ham hock. A stupendous mass of food.
The final Birthday fling came about not with Wee Keefy himself, but as a result of delivering his somewhat last minute gift. Having already popped in the Church House, seemingly even darker than before, but selling a decent Caledonian Dry Dock Stout, I found the inspiration somehow, to pop back in the Closed Shop.
Here I had a half of the Maypole Midge, a commendably hoppy pale light beer at around 3.5%, as well as a half of the Sheffield Brew Co Rustless, which was much more underwhelming than the Staybrite at the Woodside Inn. Across the road I settled on a half of Jaipur which was OK, before heading to the University Arms. Here two impeccable halves were consumed, Nethergate Umbel Ale, and, showing Muirhouse how it should be done, Dark Star Espresso, the cost of both coming to less than £3.00.
My final stop was in the Bath Hotel where I spotted the DAda folk along with other bar luminaries, and supped a pint of Whim Flower Power IPA (always an excellent choice) and a half of the Bristol Beer factory Milk Stout.
All of which means I can now safely send a few days off the ale without forgetting what it tastes like, whilst the fever rages in my joints and my eyes hurt.
Woe is me...
Wee Beefy.
I was supposed to be catching up with good friend J9 tomorrow, alas both f us have contracted housemaids knee, a debilitating ailment which makes us sniffle in a fog of malodorous germs whilst our faces run and our heads pound. Okay, its a cold, I admit. But I, for one, am at the losing my tastebuds stage. So I spent the beer money on vitamin C instead Prescient then, that I invested so heavily in birthday inspired refreshment s last weekend, the last installment of which is finally here.
Wee Keefy became a year older than he'd on April 9th 2012 yesterday. Every year he tries it on in attempting to be older than me, which is wearying, especially since you consider that every June I myself ratchet up another score. The benefits though are plentiful. At least one night out, and sometimes a pub meal.
We met in the Beehive which, not least because its on West Street, the official capital of twats, is going slightly off the boil. Only two beers on, the Honeypot which I assume is still a Blue Bee re-badge, and the Sheffield Brewery Five Rivers. Or it might have been Seven Hills. *clears throat...*
Still, at £2.50 a pop it wasn't bad and served at a sensible temperature, to boot, when we convened in the former shop side to catch up - myself, Jack, Carlos, Half Pint, Paddington, Lauren and, um, you know, her friend, and of course Wee Keefy, with his mate Adam. Bob. Dave? Jesus. It was a long night (not that I'm suggesting Jesus was an attendee, for various ideological reasons). Anyway, all of whoever us was were having a few in here before heading for a presumably larger range at the Hop.
Now, you may know that I find the Hop a bit like a slipper with a bit of grit in. It looks inviting enough but there's something nigglingly wrong about it. We entered to find the place 4 thick at the bar, and I opted for a pint of the Ascot Alligator Ale, and others variously had choices including Excelsior, and Abbeydale Prophecy. Alas the prophecy had not come to fruition, in fact, more likely it had finished altogether, and that was swapped, with no fuss from the staff, for half an Ascot for my mate, whilst I had a pint of the excellent Riverhead Deer Hill porter. It was fantastic, and a bit over £3.00 a pint.
Later as the glasses mounted up more of us headed Ascot and Ossett way and I had more Deer Hill, but then finished on the glorious Fernandes West Coast IPA, at 6.something percent. An excellent choice, promising and delivering everything I required.
A quick change here as we headed up to Crookes for the last pub, with Jack leaving and Martim replacing her. In the Ball on Crookes I had a very nice pint of the Kelham Island Gentleman Death Baltic Porter, in fact, so good was it, I had a few. Alas, the Kelham 20th century boy tasted like that was when it was brewed, but, in stark contrast to the customer service farce I suffered in the pub 3 years ago, it was replaced without fuss, and I had yet another pint of Gentleman Death. Still eh.
On Sunday, I knew we were going to a food pub, in the countryside, where beer is often an afterthought. Lucily I was rolling up in the Closed Shop at 2 for a chinwag so was able to stock up on great beer. I say stock up. I mean sup, obviously. Here, the Muirhouse Coffee Porter started promisingly but went a bit mental on my second pint, so I consoled myself with at least two pints of Blue Bee Tangled Up IPA, at 6.0%. I;m seeing a pattern here to be honest - and it's not supporting the theory that you drink less quantities of stronger beer. Probably time to remind myself that 6.0% is not, I repeat not, session beer.
Once in the beer wagon we headed out into the Peak District to the Yorkshire Bridge Inn. Rumour, or more likely confusion, suggests I've never actually drunk there of drinking age, so affronted was I by the price of Old Peculiar. Whether I did or didn't, the pub is no longer £1.20 a pint dearer than many around it, although still a little steep.
Inside the rooms on the right are kind of more bar like than the restauranty bits, but it's silly to think that this is a quiet haven for a pint. That said, there was a decent selection of cask ale available.
Here Wee Fatha had a half of Peak ales Bakewell Bitter which I think was a shade over £3.00 a pint, whilst Wee Keefy had a birthday pint of the same and a half of Buxton Moor Top, at a slightly painful £3.40 a pint (it's 3.5% or something). Given that the other local ales (Bradfield Bitter and blonde, Abbeydale Moonshine) are stronger and cheaper, it makes me wonder maybe the cost is being insisted upon by the brewery more than the retailed. Granted it wipes the floor with the others in terms of taste, but it's an uneasy equation.
Mind you, I had another pint or two with my absolutely ginormous ham hock. A stupendous mass of food.
The final Birthday fling came about not with Wee Keefy himself, but as a result of delivering his somewhat last minute gift. Having already popped in the Church House, seemingly even darker than before, but selling a decent Caledonian Dry Dock Stout, I found the inspiration somehow, to pop back in the Closed Shop.
Here I had a half of the Maypole Midge, a commendably hoppy pale light beer at around 3.5%, as well as a half of the Sheffield Brew Co Rustless, which was much more underwhelming than the Staybrite at the Woodside Inn. Across the road I settled on a half of Jaipur which was OK, before heading to the University Arms. Here two impeccable halves were consumed, Nethergate Umbel Ale, and, showing Muirhouse how it should be done, Dark Star Espresso, the cost of both coming to less than £3.00.
My final stop was in the Bath Hotel where I spotted the DAda folk along with other bar luminaries, and supped a pint of Whim Flower Power IPA (always an excellent choice) and a half of the Bristol Beer factory Milk Stout.
All of which means I can now safely send a few days off the ale without forgetting what it tastes like, whilst the fever rages in my joints and my eyes hurt.
Woe is me...
Wee Beefy.
Monday, 25 March 2013
Schmeather
Now then,
OK, I know, its been 10 below freezing in the wind and icicles have fallen from the sky and cleft our skulls in two as we flail helplessly between car, wall, pavement and gutter in an orgy of calamity and despair. I get all that. However, I have a refined Saturday routine. No amount of silly white fluff sheet ice and howling misery was keeping me from the fine public houses of the Sheff.
Mr Protest was at work in town Saturday so I arranged to meet him for refreshments. Having arrived early I went to the Harlequin first, one because I don;t seem to go there very often these days, and two, because I heard they had a special beer on. Regular attendees will no doubt take some persuading that this is unusual, but I wasn't complaining sat listening to an admirable compilation of Lightnin Hopkins, Blind Boy Fuller and Sonny Terry and brownie McGee whilst supping a Brew Co porter called Muddy Waters.
I also noticed their rather swanky hand written and bound menu's, including all their spirits and bottled beers. Assuming the range is updated regularly (by hand of course) its a stellar line up. Perhaps I need to spend an hour or two more in the Harlequin.
Round the swoop of the ring road next to Shakespeares where initially I had half of Axholme Mild, a pleasant enough dark beer which lacked a little life. Next up was a half of the Blue Bee something about Bees and erm, something. It was a handwritten pumpclip - and chalk board. It was also a black IPA but I don't think gravity dispense worked for it. Shame.
I also had a pint of the Raw Empire Ghost IPA, a ludicrously hoppy but well balanced beer that went down alarmingly well. Three times. I was joined by Protest, who was on Deception, but I saw no reason to stray from the Raw.
After he left I wended my way up to - West Street. Due to Crookes road being the only main road in Sheffield remaining uncleared I was intending to disembark as near as possible and walk u to, Commonside, but I was dropped off at he top of West Street to spend £1.40 on a 51 to Broomhill some 5 stops away. Disgraceful. From here I walked through uncleared streets in biting wind to meet Jambon in the Closed Shop.
Here I had a delicious but regrettably not aged pint of the Blue Bee Tangled Up IPA. This was on sensational form and was disconcertingly easy to drink. Me and Jambon got chatting and supping before we made the "treacherous" 20 yard jaunt across the 3 foot of visible road to the Hallamshire House.
Here we sat in the snug enjoying pints of beer which alas the photograph forgets to record. I know I didn't try the Baize as I want to review that separately, but I genuinely don't recall what I had. Besides, the roaring fire was the winning feature on this occasion.
Because by now, the roads and pavements were frozen, and the temperatures plummeting. So we trod almost carefully down the alley at the side of the pub and on down Winter Street to the University Arms. I had a pint of Abbeydale Matins. a beer so ideally suited to long sessions and Summer (whatever that is) I can't understand why it was discontinued, and Jambon had the Acorn Thirst Degree. How tremendously sensible of us.
Alas on arriving at the Bath Hotel things were starting to be vaguely somnambulistic for Beefy. Reports of my nodding off slightly are corroborated by Mr J and it seems that the delicious pint of Mallinsons Chinook finished me off.
Still, at least this haziness provided the threadbare excuse to pop back in tonight, when frankly, going home would have made more sense, to try and find out what I had. This time the Chinook was the only disappointment, its end of the barrel froth accentuating the brutal bitterness at the expense of the balancing malt. Not so their excellent Tammie Norrie, a 3.9% beer named after a puffin and sold at £2.80a pint, which was the beer of the night. I also had a pint of the Thornbridge Sequoia, a rare taste for me, and one which nicely balanced out the bitterness of the waning pint.
All in all, meteorological mayhem has provided no obstacle to thirsty lad, and will continue ever thus. Am out for a few tomorrow with Mr P before a Good Friday wander in Sheffield, so it looks like Jack Frost will have to stick to lending his name to fizzy apple loopy juice....
Wee Beefy
OK, I know, its been 10 below freezing in the wind and icicles have fallen from the sky and cleft our skulls in two as we flail helplessly between car, wall, pavement and gutter in an orgy of calamity and despair. I get all that. However, I have a refined Saturday routine. No amount of silly white fluff sheet ice and howling misery was keeping me from the fine public houses of the Sheff.
Mr Protest was at work in town Saturday so I arranged to meet him for refreshments. Having arrived early I went to the Harlequin first, one because I don;t seem to go there very often these days, and two, because I heard they had a special beer on. Regular attendees will no doubt take some persuading that this is unusual, but I wasn't complaining sat listening to an admirable compilation of Lightnin Hopkins, Blind Boy Fuller and Sonny Terry and brownie McGee whilst supping a Brew Co porter called Muddy Waters.
I also noticed their rather swanky hand written and bound menu's, including all their spirits and bottled beers. Assuming the range is updated regularly (by hand of course) its a stellar line up. Perhaps I need to spend an hour or two more in the Harlequin.
Round the swoop of the ring road next to Shakespeares where initially I had half of Axholme Mild, a pleasant enough dark beer which lacked a little life. Next up was a half of the Blue Bee something about Bees and erm, something. It was a handwritten pumpclip - and chalk board. It was also a black IPA but I don't think gravity dispense worked for it. Shame.
I also had a pint of the Raw Empire Ghost IPA, a ludicrously hoppy but well balanced beer that went down alarmingly well. Three times. I was joined by Protest, who was on Deception, but I saw no reason to stray from the Raw.
After he left I wended my way up to - West Street. Due to Crookes road being the only main road in Sheffield remaining uncleared I was intending to disembark as near as possible and walk u to, Commonside, but I was dropped off at he top of West Street to spend £1.40 on a 51 to Broomhill some 5 stops away. Disgraceful. From here I walked through uncleared streets in biting wind to meet Jambon in the Closed Shop.
Here I had a delicious but regrettably not aged pint of the Blue Bee Tangled Up IPA. This was on sensational form and was disconcertingly easy to drink. Me and Jambon got chatting and supping before we made the "treacherous" 20 yard jaunt across the 3 foot of visible road to the Hallamshire House.
Here we sat in the snug enjoying pints of beer which alas the photograph forgets to record. I know I didn't try the Baize as I want to review that separately, but I genuinely don't recall what I had. Besides, the roaring fire was the winning feature on this occasion.
Because by now, the roads and pavements were frozen, and the temperatures plummeting. So we trod almost carefully down the alley at the side of the pub and on down Winter Street to the University Arms. I had a pint of Abbeydale Matins. a beer so ideally suited to long sessions and Summer (whatever that is) I can't understand why it was discontinued, and Jambon had the Acorn Thirst Degree. How tremendously sensible of us.
Alas on arriving at the Bath Hotel things were starting to be vaguely somnambulistic for Beefy. Reports of my nodding off slightly are corroborated by Mr J and it seems that the delicious pint of Mallinsons Chinook finished me off.
Still, at least this haziness provided the threadbare excuse to pop back in tonight, when frankly, going home would have made more sense, to try and find out what I had. This time the Chinook was the only disappointment, its end of the barrel froth accentuating the brutal bitterness at the expense of the balancing malt. Not so their excellent Tammie Norrie, a 3.9% beer named after a puffin and sold at £2.80a pint, which was the beer of the night. I also had a pint of the Thornbridge Sequoia, a rare taste for me, and one which nicely balanced out the bitterness of the waning pint.
All in all, meteorological mayhem has provided no obstacle to thirsty lad, and will continue ever thus. Am out for a few tomorrow with Mr P before a Good Friday wander in Sheffield, so it looks like Jack Frost will have to stick to lending his name to fizzy apple loopy juice....
Wee Beefy
Friday, 15 March 2013
Walkley Talkie
Hello,
yesterday I received some rather annoying news and decided to turn to poetry to soothe my bruised soul. Luckily, I made up the following rhyming recipe - "bitter for bitterness, ales for ailments". Jesus wept. I don't know why my self justification for supping needs to be so damned convoluted, but anyway, we can pretend this was my reason for heading out on the trundle tractor after work to Crookes. Apologies in advance that none of the information in this post directly pertains to Walkley....
I alighted at Crookes to walk down School Road because I intended to do the Commonside Crawl. Like all good plans however, not everything I intended to do happened. Here's what did.
I started at the Cobden View. It was pretty quiet, apart from a couple in the left hand bar and a small group watching the footy. I got myself a very palatable pint of Copper Dragon Bitter and sat in the room on the right, beneath the impending beam of doom, by myself, so I could be annoyed in exclusive seclusion. A quick read through Beer Matters made me adjust my plans slightly. I coveted an aged Blue Bee Tangled Up so decided after the next two pubs on the crawl I'd go to the University Arms.
I walked down to Commonside to find the Closed Shop bathed in darkness. Probably an oxymoron I realise, but it still conveys that no lights were on. The ever helpful A board on the street claimed it was closed due to unforeseen circumstances. Well, it was dark...
Across the road in the Hallamshire House, where I'd been going anyway, I bumped in to the Man of Ash and ended up with a decent pint of Jaipur. As the later events would attest, most people still agree that Jaipur isn't what it used to be, and certainly isn't back there yet, but the wet hop version was a welcome tease about just how good it could be again. Incidentally, I understand The Closed Shop is shut because they had their electricity cut off - something to do with Punch forgetting that they had to tell the utility supplier that the property was no longer empty. If that's the case, that's just poor.
Having missed a pub I felt it was only right that I popped into one on the crawl not yet visited. The Springvale was lauded by Ianfromtshop for its cheap Bass. Not an obviously complimentary statement, I decided to see for myself.
After a recent refurb the pub is less grim than it was previously, and they do at least sell Bass - now from one of 2 hand pumps, having perhaps sensibly admitted that they couldn't sustain the throughput before. That shouldn't be an issue anymore I think, with Bass on at £2.10 and Hobgoblin slightly less tempting at £2.50. Indeed, I think all the beers were a maximum £2.50. A great way to get the punters in, but the downside is there seems to be a correlation between cheap booze, big screens, loud music and really loud people. Not my most relaxing half - but one of my recently least expensive.
Walking down the hill I noticed the Hadfield was closed - this may be the end of the pub, although there is either still to be or just has been, a last gig in there, but Sainsbury's are determined that the area needs a third expensive supermarket. Alas the shameless way the pubco made little attempt to support the business (and allowed it to lurch embarrassingly from one defunct and unsutainable theme to another) makes the counter argument difficult to win. So no one does.
I popped in the Star and Garter on Winter Street next because I noticed a cask marque sign - never an indication of interesting beer choice but at least the suggestion that real ale was on sale. From 4 handpumps only two had clips and the Doom Bar was off, so I had a half of Tetley, which sells for £2.00 a pint. Am not blinkered enough to claim that the appearance of real ale alone will turn the pubs fortunes around but the pub was busy and friendly, and worth another visit.
Arriving at the University Arms I noticed flyers everywhere for the Roger Protz talk and beer tasting. Its clash with the first night of the SIBA BeerX appears to have slightly impacted uptake so I was able to get a late entry and join in the evening with two beers left to try - although, I was so late, I sat drinking the Gorlovka I bought at the bar whilst everyone drank and discussed the Jaipur! This subject prompted many comments, most alluding to the fact that its sweeter and less bitter now, and less well balanced. We can't all be wrong Thornbridge...
Its the first time I've done this sort of thing and I found it really interesting. Mr Prose (do you see what I did there?) clearly knows his stuff and regaled us with a manageable mix of facts and anecdotes about the styles we were drinking, and encouraged questions from the audience. He even managed to remain professional and inclusive in the face of two chattering attendees who seemed a little the worse for wear, and came "from 9 miles darnt road in Chesterfield", as one of them told us only 67 times.
The final beer to taste was Gorlovka Stout from Acorn, which all but one of us seemed to really like. More debate and questions followed about oyster stout and imperial Russian stout and the ingredients in the beer. Much of the talk was held together by landlord Tom who is a very good speaker himself. All in all, despite the brevity of my attendance, I thoroughly enjoyed the talk and would consider going on one again.
After it officially finished I got chatting to the fine gents from the Sheffield Real Ale Trails, and a guy called Julian who writes about city centres and urban communities. We sat with the Maharojah for a while discussing yet more beer related topics before Tom joined us and very generously sent up a huge bowl of the crunchiest and most delectable chips I've ever tasted.
After the bar closed I opted to pop in the Red Deer for a last one - and found it deserted. The two blokes behind the bar were very accommodating as I ordered a pint whilst they cleaned up, and commented that the emptiness of the pub was due to it being half term - only this morning did I consider that it was more likely influenced by the SIBA fest, which I would have been at had procrastination not robbed me of a a ticket. The beer in here was a pint of Chantry Black Diamond, a great pint and a surprising fixture in this Punch pub, although the gents inform me that they are on the better Punch guest beer scheme, so can get beers from SIBA direct delivery, which is great news.
So ended a great night with some surprising venues and beers along the way that I don't usually drink. Its good to have a change every now and again and do something a bit different. Lets hope tonight's BeerX visit continues the theme of rarely tried ales.
Wee Beefy
yesterday I received some rather annoying news and decided to turn to poetry to soothe my bruised soul. Luckily, I made up the following rhyming recipe - "bitter for bitterness, ales for ailments". Jesus wept. I don't know why my self justification for supping needs to be so damned convoluted, but anyway, we can pretend this was my reason for heading out on the trundle tractor after work to Crookes. Apologies in advance that none of the information in this post directly pertains to Walkley....
I alighted at Crookes to walk down School Road because I intended to do the Commonside Crawl. Like all good plans however, not everything I intended to do happened. Here's what did.
I started at the Cobden View. It was pretty quiet, apart from a couple in the left hand bar and a small group watching the footy. I got myself a very palatable pint of Copper Dragon Bitter and sat in the room on the right, beneath the impending beam of doom, by myself, so I could be annoyed in exclusive seclusion. A quick read through Beer Matters made me adjust my plans slightly. I coveted an aged Blue Bee Tangled Up so decided after the next two pubs on the crawl I'd go to the University Arms.
I walked down to Commonside to find the Closed Shop bathed in darkness. Probably an oxymoron I realise, but it still conveys that no lights were on. The ever helpful A board on the street claimed it was closed due to unforeseen circumstances. Well, it was dark...
Across the road in the Hallamshire House, where I'd been going anyway, I bumped in to the Man of Ash and ended up with a decent pint of Jaipur. As the later events would attest, most people still agree that Jaipur isn't what it used to be, and certainly isn't back there yet, but the wet hop version was a welcome tease about just how good it could be again. Incidentally, I understand The Closed Shop is shut because they had their electricity cut off - something to do with Punch forgetting that they had to tell the utility supplier that the property was no longer empty. If that's the case, that's just poor.
Having missed a pub I felt it was only right that I popped into one on the crawl not yet visited. The Springvale was lauded by Ianfromtshop for its cheap Bass. Not an obviously complimentary statement, I decided to see for myself.
After a recent refurb the pub is less grim than it was previously, and they do at least sell Bass - now from one of 2 hand pumps, having perhaps sensibly admitted that they couldn't sustain the throughput before. That shouldn't be an issue anymore I think, with Bass on at £2.10 and Hobgoblin slightly less tempting at £2.50. Indeed, I think all the beers were a maximum £2.50. A great way to get the punters in, but the downside is there seems to be a correlation between cheap booze, big screens, loud music and really loud people. Not my most relaxing half - but one of my recently least expensive.
Walking down the hill I noticed the Hadfield was closed - this may be the end of the pub, although there is either still to be or just has been, a last gig in there, but Sainsbury's are determined that the area needs a third expensive supermarket. Alas the shameless way the pubco made little attempt to support the business (and allowed it to lurch embarrassingly from one defunct and unsutainable theme to another) makes the counter argument difficult to win. So no one does.
I popped in the Star and Garter on Winter Street next because I noticed a cask marque sign - never an indication of interesting beer choice but at least the suggestion that real ale was on sale. From 4 handpumps only two had clips and the Doom Bar was off, so I had a half of Tetley, which sells for £2.00 a pint. Am not blinkered enough to claim that the appearance of real ale alone will turn the pubs fortunes around but the pub was busy and friendly, and worth another visit.
Arriving at the University Arms I noticed flyers everywhere for the Roger Protz talk and beer tasting. Its clash with the first night of the SIBA BeerX appears to have slightly impacted uptake so I was able to get a late entry and join in the evening with two beers left to try - although, I was so late, I sat drinking the Gorlovka I bought at the bar whilst everyone drank and discussed the Jaipur! This subject prompted many comments, most alluding to the fact that its sweeter and less bitter now, and less well balanced. We can't all be wrong Thornbridge...
Its the first time I've done this sort of thing and I found it really interesting. Mr Prose (do you see what I did there?) clearly knows his stuff and regaled us with a manageable mix of facts and anecdotes about the styles we were drinking, and encouraged questions from the audience. He even managed to remain professional and inclusive in the face of two chattering attendees who seemed a little the worse for wear, and came "from 9 miles darnt road in Chesterfield", as one of them told us only 67 times.
The final beer to taste was Gorlovka Stout from Acorn, which all but one of us seemed to really like. More debate and questions followed about oyster stout and imperial Russian stout and the ingredients in the beer. Much of the talk was held together by landlord Tom who is a very good speaker himself. All in all, despite the brevity of my attendance, I thoroughly enjoyed the talk and would consider going on one again.
After it officially finished I got chatting to the fine gents from the Sheffield Real Ale Trails, and a guy called Julian who writes about city centres and urban communities. We sat with the Maharojah for a while discussing yet more beer related topics before Tom joined us and very generously sent up a huge bowl of the crunchiest and most delectable chips I've ever tasted.
After the bar closed I opted to pop in the Red Deer for a last one - and found it deserted. The two blokes behind the bar were very accommodating as I ordered a pint whilst they cleaned up, and commented that the emptiness of the pub was due to it being half term - only this morning did I consider that it was more likely influenced by the SIBA fest, which I would have been at had procrastination not robbed me of a a ticket. The beer in here was a pint of Chantry Black Diamond, a great pint and a surprising fixture in this Punch pub, although the gents inform me that they are on the better Punch guest beer scheme, so can get beers from SIBA direct delivery, which is great news.
So ended a great night with some surprising venues and beers along the way that I don't usually drink. Its good to have a change every now and again and do something a bit different. Lets hope tonight's BeerX visit continues the theme of rarely tried ales.
Wee Beefy
Thursday, 21 February 2013
Reopened Closed Shop brings period of closure to a close
Yep.
Petty much. Just that. The central tenet of my statement is already clear, but there are subtleties to reveal, and details to unmask.
The Closed Shop used to be quite good. It stood opposite venerable establishment the Hallamshire House, run for approximately 125 years by Les, with its unfailingly traditional, down to earth "pubinness", atmosphere, charm and interesting internal features made it a worthy competitor for the custom of locals. The Closed Shop was a Tetley House with a different cientele, it seemed.
Whilst I always used to feel like I was welcome in the Hallamshire, the Closed Shop may as well have been called the Closed world.
I ventured in the 'shop whilst Les was still at the helm of the Hallamshire and was annoyed by grumpy arsed service from behind the bar. An admirable choice of beers was available, possibly better than the Hallamshire, including a fantastic pale ale from the Darley Brewery. But the arsey mein host stuck in my craw, and the next time I visited a few years later the pub was standing at the top of a slippery slope. With an admirable and valiant lass behind the bar trying to run a pub single handedly with two week old Taylors, insufficient stock, and training. Then it closed.
Am not sure when; it was certainly closed at the end of January and possibly at New Year. Now its got a new lease of life.
Mr Stevens, from the Death Star Canteen sketch (also the Rutland, for lovers of facts) has taken it on. I won't venture to say bought because they seem to still have the "hilarious" idiosyncrasies of pub vampires Punch's lease to deal with. But hey, its trading again. So much easier to visit.
It reopened 17.00 yesterday 20th February, and had a decent if by Rutland standards tame line up of beers. To be fair to Andy, and his co-conspirator who may be called Chris, its really not fair to compare the two. The Rutland is a freehouse. The Closed Shop is not. Its likely that he has simply bought or signed up to run the premises and buy the stock from Punch. Tribute to which is that they only have one guest pump of choice at the mo.
Beer range was Tetley Dark Mild, Castle Rock Pale Ale, Kelham Easy Rider, Leeds Pale, Adnams Broadside, Black Sheep and guest ale Acorn Old Moor Porter. The Tetley was surprisingly ace, and , since I hadn't managed to find it in Leeds (although, is that surprising now?) was a welcome return tasting for me. £2.40 a pint and the ideal starter or session beer. I had two so that's virtually a session. And, for added irony, a Leeds Pale. I went to 2 of their breweries pubs and had none of the beer in Leeds....
Decor wise it seems little changed. A man repaired the Jukebox, Paultous used his teenage powers of optimistic youth to blow a light bulb, people played Pool, Brewer Rich and the Author K E Page drank beer, and me, Wee Keefy and Jambon sat in a bay window which may as well have been open - it was chuffin perishing...
Still, its going to be closed again in 8 weeks to receive a proper refurbishment and a kitchen, after which there will be 4 guest ale pumps. Assumedly Punch insist you have to spend thousands of pounds of your own money to secure more freedom of ale choice.....
It will be interesting, say 3 months down the line, to see how this development affects the Hallamshire House. The man of Ash keeps a fine pint but it aint arf expensive in the Thornbridge Boozer. They aren't going to start serving food, so it seems inevitable there will be an effect. Mr Ash had a quite optimistic outlook, and not without a modicum of merit. If Commonside (extending to the Blake, which it doesn't, but in terms of real ale pubs may as well) has potentially 4 pubs with a maximum 21 real ales on, that can only be good for the local beer scene. I think he may be right - now there's even more reason to travel to the area.
Finally, talking of which, after half an excellent Leeds Pale, I headed over the road to the Hallamshire and to my unbridled delight discovered Thornbridge Imperial Oatmeal Stout on draught - on cask. Oh. My. God. I told Wee Keefy and Jambon at once.
Despite the price (eek! Can't even bear to admit to it...) I had 2 halves of the monstrously easy to drink mega stout. Probably the best cask of the year bar none, but also the most night shortening. Luckily my former colleague Ian from the ARBS was in to direct me to a much needed chippy, before I popped down to the University Arms for half of Titanic Mild (very nice) and finally two halves of Saltaire, Pacific Red (or similar!) and South Island Pale, and a chat with a guy called Bleddyn, who was a man of science, and a thoroughly decent chap.
I wish the Closed Shop all the very best and look forward to many nights sat in there, preferably once double glazed, supping decently priced ale, and, without promising, possibly using it as the starting point of a brilliant new Commonside Crawl.
Cheers!
Wee Beefy
Petty much. Just that. The central tenet of my statement is already clear, but there are subtleties to reveal, and details to unmask.
The Closed Shop used to be quite good. It stood opposite venerable establishment the Hallamshire House, run for approximately 125 years by Les, with its unfailingly traditional, down to earth "pubinness", atmosphere, charm and interesting internal features made it a worthy competitor for the custom of locals. The Closed Shop was a Tetley House with a different cientele, it seemed.
Whilst I always used to feel like I was welcome in the Hallamshire, the Closed Shop may as well have been called the Closed world.
I ventured in the 'shop whilst Les was still at the helm of the Hallamshire and was annoyed by grumpy arsed service from behind the bar. An admirable choice of beers was available, possibly better than the Hallamshire, including a fantastic pale ale from the Darley Brewery. But the arsey mein host stuck in my craw, and the next time I visited a few years later the pub was standing at the top of a slippery slope. With an admirable and valiant lass behind the bar trying to run a pub single handedly with two week old Taylors, insufficient stock, and training. Then it closed.
Am not sure when; it was certainly closed at the end of January and possibly at New Year. Now its got a new lease of life.
Mr Stevens, from the Death Star Canteen sketch (also the Rutland, for lovers of facts) has taken it on. I won't venture to say bought because they seem to still have the "hilarious" idiosyncrasies of pub vampires Punch's lease to deal with. But hey, its trading again. So much easier to visit.
It reopened 17.00 yesterday 20th February, and had a decent if by Rutland standards tame line up of beers. To be fair to Andy, and his co-conspirator who may be called Chris, its really not fair to compare the two. The Rutland is a freehouse. The Closed Shop is not. Its likely that he has simply bought or signed up to run the premises and buy the stock from Punch. Tribute to which is that they only have one guest pump of choice at the mo.
Beer range was Tetley Dark Mild, Castle Rock Pale Ale, Kelham Easy Rider, Leeds Pale, Adnams Broadside, Black Sheep and guest ale Acorn Old Moor Porter. The Tetley was surprisingly ace, and , since I hadn't managed to find it in Leeds (although, is that surprising now?) was a welcome return tasting for me. £2.40 a pint and the ideal starter or session beer. I had two so that's virtually a session. And, for added irony, a Leeds Pale. I went to 2 of their breweries pubs and had none of the beer in Leeds....
Decor wise it seems little changed. A man repaired the Jukebox, Paultous used his teenage powers of optimistic youth to blow a light bulb, people played Pool, Brewer Rich and the Author K E Page drank beer, and me, Wee Keefy and Jambon sat in a bay window which may as well have been open - it was chuffin perishing...
Still, its going to be closed again in 8 weeks to receive a proper refurbishment and a kitchen, after which there will be 4 guest ale pumps. Assumedly Punch insist you have to spend thousands of pounds of your own money to secure more freedom of ale choice.....
It will be interesting, say 3 months down the line, to see how this development affects the Hallamshire House. The man of Ash keeps a fine pint but it aint arf expensive in the Thornbridge Boozer. They aren't going to start serving food, so it seems inevitable there will be an effect. Mr Ash had a quite optimistic outlook, and not without a modicum of merit. If Commonside (extending to the Blake, which it doesn't, but in terms of real ale pubs may as well) has potentially 4 pubs with a maximum 21 real ales on, that can only be good for the local beer scene. I think he may be right - now there's even more reason to travel to the area.
Finally, talking of which, after half an excellent Leeds Pale, I headed over the road to the Hallamshire and to my unbridled delight discovered Thornbridge Imperial Oatmeal Stout on draught - on cask. Oh. My. God. I told Wee Keefy and Jambon at once.
Despite the price (eek! Can't even bear to admit to it...) I had 2 halves of the monstrously easy to drink mega stout. Probably the best cask of the year bar none, but also the most night shortening. Luckily my former colleague Ian from the ARBS was in to direct me to a much needed chippy, before I popped down to the University Arms for half of Titanic Mild (very nice) and finally two halves of Saltaire, Pacific Red (or similar!) and South Island Pale, and a chat with a guy called Bleddyn, who was a man of science, and a thoroughly decent chap.
I wish the Closed Shop all the very best and look forward to many nights sat in there, preferably once double glazed, supping decently priced ale, and, without promising, possibly using it as the starting point of a brilliant new Commonside Crawl.
Cheers!
Wee Beefy
Monday, 28 January 2013
A lush week - part 2. Louche in the slush.
Hello again!
to quickly get you all right up to date with the thirsty life of Beefy, I'll take you through Thursday to Sunday, a period of time when more than one drink was bought, more than one bottle was opened, and more than one toast to a poet's favourite stomach was mooted.
Thursday was application form day. End of. Work, then writing, then fretting, then 5 hours kip. Friday night, hours after submitting my form, I was off on the omnibus to the wilds of Westfield to celebrate Burns Night with Wee Fatha. A mountainous haggis and mercifully fewer neeps and tatties helped us toast the Alloway wordsmith in style, accompanied by a dram of Edruador and a hefty taste of 20 year old Bladnoch.
Beers were bottled obviously, and came at opposite ends of the colour spectrum - Harviestoun Bitter and Twisted, Schehallion and Mr Snowballs plus Williams Caesar Augustus provided the crisp and refreshing pale coloured foil to the malts. Still pale was Brew Dog Punk IPA, which reminded us of some rather unfortunate aromas, but tasted fine, and the surprise turn of the night was a bottle of Traquair House Jacobite, a heavy spiced dark Scottish Ale of 8.5%. Complete with about 4 years date left, and tasting fairly damned incredible, though not always a style I like this was a welcome beer on a wild snowy night.
Saturday was breakfast - (which became dinner) in Hillsborough with Mumrah Martin and Wee Keefy followed by a few stops in rather too many pubs. Starting at the Hallamshire House there was nothing on offer that exactly blew my mind but I do love Thornbridge Pollards, so it was a welcome return to the bar for this old favourite.
I went to the Nottingham House in Broomhill next, if nothing else to see how it had improved since October 2011. I say that because it can't possibly have not improved, and stayed open. Surprisingly, for the first time in years I was stared at by 4 barflies (complete with, one imagines harmless and friendly, dog) when I entered, making me feel quite uneasy. To distract me from the atmosphere I opted for a half of Moonshine from a choice of that and Taylors Landlord. The Nottingham is still an unprepossessing transient pub but at least you can drink real ale in it, and it seemed busy enough. Just not my scene.
The University Arms beckoned and any ideas of a short stop were shattered based on an excellent line up on the bar. I started with halves of Welbeck Abbey White Canon, a 2.8% pale beer at £2.25 a pint, with plenty of hop character and thankfully no cereal or biscuity malt, along with a half of the Raw Endeavour. This was another excellent Raw outing, but their Dark Peak Stout was also on so I had a half of that and the Redemption Brewery Big Chief IPA at 5.5%. So moreish was this excellent beer that I stopped for two more pints whilst chatting to a former colleague at the bar. A great way to spend an hour or two.
A brief stop at The Bath Hotel followed, this time to sample an excellent pint of Dark Star Darkness, before I headed into the Devonshire Cat for the first time in about 6 months. From a decent range I had a half of mystery obfuscate fragment, a memory description intended to cover up my woefully bad recall. I do remember it was rammed and I couldn't get a seat though.
I headed for Henry's next where, noting that I was feeling a bit tired again I opted for a half, this time of the very palatable Dukeries Gold - the first beer I've tasted from that brewery and a notable start.
Talking of starts, its been a rocky one in terms of renown and well, consistency for Wood Street Brewery, and a quick visit to the Roebuck did nothing to help change my mind about their beer. My half of Buabob was returned having nearly knocked me out before I'd even tasted the beer (I did by the way, it was vile) so I swapped it for a half of Sparkleberry, which was drinkable, but that's all I can say. Once again a serious dearth of customers makes me wonder if the Roebuck is a step too far, especially given that the brewery can't seem to get the beer right.
I stopped off briefly in The Red Lion next to sample a commendable half of Moonshine, but I was craving sustenance and a wider beer range so headed quickly on.
Into a rammed Rutland Arms next and despite my phone battery suicide plot I managed to guess I was in time for food, and having secured a quarter of a table I got sat down with a beer. Its shameful to admit that, despite the good company of JB and having a tasty sandwich to fill me up, I can't remember which beer I had, or if it was responsible for my nodding off slightly. Not an impressive Beefy display. Hopefully starting there on Wednesday will enable me to pull off a slightly less embarrassing performance, and, who knows, maybe recollect the beer?
I finished my trek in the Sheffield Tap where I was delighted to find an Outlaw beer I had been wanting to try, but also a new brewery that had somehow slipped under my radar. Apparently, a brewery has opened off Rutland Road just past the Woodside Inn (formerly the Forest). Who was to know?! Well, I didn't, but enjoyed drinking the Sheffield Toolmakers Brewery Razmataz Blonde, along with a fairly hefty Gadds Black Pearl Oyster Stout and a pint of the oddly enjoyable;e but surprisingly not that refreshing Mad Hatter, Outlaw's much discussed Jasmine Green Tea IPA.
So, a slightly silly night of drinking, but one for the most part of which was very enjoyable. Luckily I haven't time to drink tonight what with blogging, but tomorrow is a Wanderians event, Wednesday a Twissup, and Thursday is payday, so anything could happen!
All the best
Wee Beefy.
Thursday, 10 January 2013
Confounding Iain Duncan Smith
Now then,
recently the 3 main political parties seem to have been simultaneously battling for and railing foolishly against beer and its place in society. While Chuka Umunna and Greg Mulholland were tweeting about the positive statements made in the parliamentary beer duty debate, Tyson posted here regarding Diane Abbot's ill informed out pourings about pubs and drinking, and lovable out of touch toff Iain Duncan Smith made "an hilarious" joke cum simile when he claimed "Labour wasted money like drunks on a Friday night".
Myself and Mr P started our night of subtle protest at the University Arms. From a decent range Mr P sensibly had a pint of the lower gravity Acorn Thirst Degree, whilst I had a pint of the Abbeydale Dr Morton's Anti Freeze. Another cracking Dr Morton offering, although one worries that these may soon supersede the core range in terns of market appeal and product desirability.
I also squeezed in a half of Vigilante Brewing Chocolate Strike, which one assumes isn't a euphemism, but is undoubtedly a very nicely balanced chocolate stout, with plenty of bitterness to counteract the unfortunate and unavoidable sweetness. Very nice.
recently the 3 main political parties seem to have been simultaneously battling for and railing foolishly against beer and its place in society. While Chuka Umunna and Greg Mulholland were tweeting about the positive statements made in the parliamentary beer duty debate, Tyson posted here regarding Diane Abbot's ill informed out pourings about pubs and drinking, and lovable out of touch toff Iain Duncan Smith made "an hilarious" joke cum simile when he claimed "Labour wasted money like drunks on a Friday night".
Oh, stop it. The thing is Duncypops, we proles don't, for the most part, have bars selling discounted real ales at work, and so usually end up drinking after we finish toiling, usually on Friday and Saturday nights. And not out of choice but necessity, since we have to be up early for work during the week. So there.
Of course, the only effective way to fight ignorance like this is to prove the Quiet Man wrong. So, I subjected myself to a midweek tipple after work, just to spite him. See how you like this tale of recklessness, Iain Bunkum Smith! (do you see what I did there? I simultaneously implied that what he was saying was bunkum, i.e. rubbish, whilst changing his initials to IBS, also known as Irritable Bowel Syndrome. He'd do well to learn from my wordsmithery, am sure you'd agree...)
But I digress.
Myself and Mr P started our night of subtle protest at the University Arms. From a decent range Mr P sensibly had a pint of the lower gravity Acorn Thirst Degree, whilst I had a pint of the Abbeydale Dr Morton's Anti Freeze. Another cracking Dr Morton offering, although one worries that these may soon supersede the core range in terns of market appeal and product desirability.
I also squeezed in a half of Vigilante Brewing Chocolate Strike, which one assumes isn't a euphemism, but is undoubtedly a very nicely balanced chocolate stout, with plenty of bitterness to counteract the unfortunate and unavoidable sweetness. Very nice.
Off next to the Bath Hotel where Steph was holding the reigns, and where Mr P had a pint of Thornbridge Warp and I tried a pint of the excellent Red Willow Heartless (which I'd sampled Saturday) along with the last of the Fathomless oyster stout. The Heartless is an excellent chocolate Stout, better even than the earlier lauded merits of the Vigilante offering. Made with 85% cacoa Colombian chocolate its a hugely tasty and satisfying drink which manages to pack in masses of flavour without becoming cloying.
Harrisons 1854 was our next stop, if nothing else so that Mr P could get to meet Bob, who he figured he may well know or at least know of from his ties with the world of engineering. One pint of Farmers Blonde (alas the Deception wasn't on) for me and a pint of Moonshine for Mr P later and we were clear on many things, including the fact that the beers were on good form, and Mr P did indeed recognise Bob from somewhere. The shrinking world of Sheffield encroaches ever further...
Our final (and my penultimate) stop was at the Red Deer where I can't recall Mr P's choice, but I had a pint of the Caledonian Double Dark. Trying it outside the comfort of its spiritual home at the Church House I am pleased to report that it was once again excellent.
My final stop after Mr P had reached his limit was DAda, where Ems and Annie were on hand to dispense beer and conversation Io a painfully quiet (well, I say painfully, but joyously so for me) venue. I had a pint of the excellent Amber Ales Derbyshire Gold and a half of Chiron to finish off before wending my way home for some food and a bit of telly.
In the end, I concede this exercise has probably had little impact on the life that Iain Duncan Smith lives in his privileged bubble, but I was once again contributing to the Drinkuary campaign. And, in my own small misunderstood way, quietly raising two fingers to the naysayers of wonderful British beer.
Cheers!
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