Hello,
on Sunday myself and Tash were taken out for the day by Wee Fatha on a tour of some classic unspoilt pubs in Derbyshire and Staffordshire. We started our journey travelling to Beauchief Abbey in Sheffield to meet WF who gave us a quick tour. We then got into the car in bright sunshine and set off.
We were soon heading through Chatsworth out on to the A6 and then down to Darley Dale, through Wensley and Winster via some absurd driving by fellow visitors, to arrive at Elton, and the Duke of York. It was shut. It only opens during the day on a Sunday but arriving at 13.55 it was firmly closed. Despite the maniac actions of drivers in Winster nearby we returned there and got parked to visit the Old Bowling Green pub.
I haven't been here for some time and was glad to find that not only was it open but the bar was open all day. We sat outside in bright sunshine supping a pint each of Peak Ales Chatsworth Gold for me and Tash and a half, of which he had less then half, of Abbeydale Daily Bread for WF. The pub serves food and three real ales, the other being Abbeydale Moonshine, and claims on its sign to be from the 15th century - I think it said 1472. Its slightly modernised inside, mainly to extend the amount of seating, but is still a pleasing old style inn.
Off next on a perplexing ramble via Newhaven, Biggin and Hartington to the Manifold Valley. A beautiful drive along the road and up brought us to Grindon and then finally to Wetton, followed by a trip down into Milldale and up onto the main road before finally heading through Thorpe for Ilam. here we took the beautiful road cum track to Throwley and on into Calton before arriving at Cauldon and the Yew Tree.
I can't remember how long it is since I last visited, maybe three or four years ago, and although the pub still retains its collection of amazing antiques, and still sells there real ales, some things have changed. For a start, although landlord Alan East is still on the premises the bar work is mainly carried out now by his son in law and, one assumes, Alan's daughter. They also now have a card machine - which made our visit longer and more thirsty and of course, more excellent.
I started with a pint of fresh on Burton Bridge Bitter, and bought halves of Rudgate Ruby Mild for Tash and WF. I then went to buy another pint along with a large for WF and a small for me, pork pie. This took quite some time to eat and both were lovely, as was the Bitter. Having been for a wander round and nipped outside for a look at the garden, I then came back to use my card for a further two pints of the Burton Bridge, one of which I shared with Tash. It was good to spot Alan, standing almost transfixed by his ancient polyphon playing in the entrance. Be it bank holiday Sunday or not, the pub was packed throughout.
Our next stop was in Hanley a 40 minute of so drive away. The Coachmakers was threatened with demolition many years ago, despite its listing by English Heritage and CAMRA as a pub with a historically important interior. Since then the new bus station that its clearance was to bring about has been built, yet the pub remains standing. On our visit many locals were sat on the benches outside the pub and inside the beer range was reduced considerably, being just Bass and Black Hole Black rising or similar, a strong dark mild. I had a pint of Bass , Tash a half and Wee Fatha some of a half of the Black Hole.
We were sat on our own in the front bar room with the gentle hub-ub of conversation in the background and the sound of the barmaid serving customers to keep us occupied. It was good to relax in here, although disappointingly the wall of beer mats seems to have been changed into one painted dark grey. Despite this, little else has changed in this National Inventory pub - including the threat of demolition. Still well worth a look if you have or haven't visited already.
We had been planning on visiting the Quiet Woman but decide instead to return to Elton and made our way back to Alstonefield, then the same way from Milldale and then headed to Parwich. As I had a pressing need we stopped there at the Sycamore. This traditional Robinson's house is still very much part of the village and we had a half for me and Tash, one being Robinson's Double Hop, and a tomato juice for WF.
The pub has three or four rooms and serves fod and real ales, and Parwich is a great place to start or finish a walk in the area. I first went about twenty or more years ago and still enjoy a visit - alas we were heading off for our last stop so did not stay around long.
At gone 22.00 we arrived in Elton to find the Duke of York open. Whilst Tash and WF locked the car and got coats on I ran into the pub to order a pint and two halves of the only real ale on which was Marstons Bitter at £2.75 a pint. As is unsurprising, nothing has changed in the Duke of York since I first visited last century - apart form the main bar duties are now carried out by Mary's Nephew.
I discovered whilst there that at present the were not open Sunday lunchtimes because Mary had been very ll in hospital - there are no plans at this time to reopen Sunday lunchtimes, so its 20.30 til 22.30 (or later) most nights of the week.
The beer was also fresh on here and tasted lovely, so much so that I had another pint, and took Tash outside up the old sloping steps to see the toilets - an unusual feature to have outdoor toilets these days. Inside the fire was lit and the locals were chatting to each other about all sorts of things, and the barman as well. Lets hope Mary gets better soon and we see her behind the bar once more at this fantastic old boozer.
So ended a lengthy drive round five brilliant unspoilt or at the very least old pubs in Derbyshire and Staffordshire. Its difficult to pick out a favourite as all have distinctive characteristics but I think as a group we probably liked the Yew Tree at Cauldon best of all - a cracking traditional pub that has managed to adapt to modern times whilst losing none of its considerable character.
Cheers!
Wee Beefy
Tuesday, 31 May 2016
Wednesday, 25 May 2016
Head of steam, Garrison and Sword dancer
Hello strangers,
what have the three venues in the title all got in common? The answer is, as well as them all selling real ale, I have visited them for the first time in the last few weeks. Here is what I found.
I was in the Head of Steam, which I keep calling Smoke Barbecue, last week. I met Tash and Matty and bumped into Phil Vintin, who I used to work with. Lovely to see Vimto, who is a very nice chap. I also met Uncle Mo. I had a pint of tea beer which was a little underwhelming and although there were 5 casks to choose from (and I hadn't seen four of them before) I decided to move quickly on to the Chimay Red on keg. Its £3.75 a half so pretty expensive, but I have never seen it on keg before, and really really enjoyed it.
The pub does barbecue food from Longhorns smokehouse or similar but I did not try any - maybe another day. They also do American keg beers and a range of bottles. It appears that the Head of Steam chain is owned or operated by Camerons Brewery. I don't dislike Camerons, but am surprised at this being their work.
The venue has been done out really well and, although its not difficult, is many times better than the dreadful Old Monk that preceded it. I know that Head of Steam is a chain, but it seems like a nice place to stop off for a pint or two, potentially does good food, and if they could charge slightly less for their keg and sell pork scratchings I could get to quite like it.
Friday night I was at Micheal and Lauren's evening do for their wedding at the Garrison Hotel in Hillsborough. This was my first visit, and luckily I saw Jambon outside when I arrived, a little late admittedly, at about 21.30. He told me there were two bars, and that one sold real ale. Naturally I went there.
There were three handpumps, maybe two, and they were serving Bombardier and Moonshine. My choice was the latter, naturally. It was £3.30 a pint, which isn't bad for a wedding venue, likewise the fact that they serve real ale at all. The venue itself is open to the public as a bar, if desired, or as a function suite, and I think it sells food. The bar is, as I found out, open until midnight. I probably had six or seven pints in the three hours I was there, and the beer seemed well kept. They also sold some bottles from around the world, not all of which I had heard of, and Caledonian triple hop on keg.
Its not the sort of place I would choose to go for a night out normally but I have to say, a least they are making an effort, and at least they, or some marketing department somewhere, recognize that people may not only want to drink Carling Fosters or Strongbow.
My final first is the Sword dancer on Handsworth. Rumours were around before this was built that the pub would be a Wetherspoon, but instead it opened as a Greedy King Hungry Hippo or similarly named outlet. My mate Christingpher went and described it as one of the worst pubs he had ever been in, wit no real ale or any other drinks of note and terrible food. Mr Shape, a nearby resident, also went in only once to find it very disappointing.
The other night I was in the Old Crown enjoying a pint of something pale and hoppy and decided to pop in. Mainly, having checked the tinterweb to discover they sold real ale. Could this be true? I had to find out. On arriving at gone half eleven the pub wasn't too busy and the customers were mainly sat in the right hand side surrounded by TV screens. That side of the bar has three or four handpumps selling Greene King Abbot, Old Speckled Hen and Belhaven Golden Bay. I ordered a half of that, having never tried it. but alas it was running out, so had a half of the Abbot instead.
I sat outside, in the beer garden, with my half an inexpensive but not unpleasant bottle of wine. No-one bothered me, and no trouble was witnessed. Obviously I did not try the food but I have to say the place was OK. Given that the Turf is currently sadly closed, this now means that as far as I know every pub in Handsworth sells real ale. I may only occasionally go out locally but this is great news.
None of the above pubs are going to compete with the likes of the Bath or Shakespeares but I wish them all the very best of luck. Its refreshing to find venues making an effort and selling in some cases, beers you don't usually find anywhere else, and catering for the needs of the numerous real ale drinkers.
Sheffield once again stands out as a great place to go almost anywhere and enjoy a decent pint.
Cheers!
Wee Beefy
what have the three venues in the title all got in common? The answer is, as well as them all selling real ale, I have visited them for the first time in the last few weeks. Here is what I found.
I was in the Head of Steam, which I keep calling Smoke Barbecue, last week. I met Tash and Matty and bumped into Phil Vintin, who I used to work with. Lovely to see Vimto, who is a very nice chap. I also met Uncle Mo. I had a pint of tea beer which was a little underwhelming and although there were 5 casks to choose from (and I hadn't seen four of them before) I decided to move quickly on to the Chimay Red on keg. Its £3.75 a half so pretty expensive, but I have never seen it on keg before, and really really enjoyed it.
The pub does barbecue food from Longhorns smokehouse or similar but I did not try any - maybe another day. They also do American keg beers and a range of bottles. It appears that the Head of Steam chain is owned or operated by Camerons Brewery. I don't dislike Camerons, but am surprised at this being their work.
The venue has been done out really well and, although its not difficult, is many times better than the dreadful Old Monk that preceded it. I know that Head of Steam is a chain, but it seems like a nice place to stop off for a pint or two, potentially does good food, and if they could charge slightly less for their keg and sell pork scratchings I could get to quite like it.
Friday night I was at Micheal and Lauren's evening do for their wedding at the Garrison Hotel in Hillsborough. This was my first visit, and luckily I saw Jambon outside when I arrived, a little late admittedly, at about 21.30. He told me there were two bars, and that one sold real ale. Naturally I went there.
There were three handpumps, maybe two, and they were serving Bombardier and Moonshine. My choice was the latter, naturally. It was £3.30 a pint, which isn't bad for a wedding venue, likewise the fact that they serve real ale at all. The venue itself is open to the public as a bar, if desired, or as a function suite, and I think it sells food. The bar is, as I found out, open until midnight. I probably had six or seven pints in the three hours I was there, and the beer seemed well kept. They also sold some bottles from around the world, not all of which I had heard of, and Caledonian triple hop on keg.
Its not the sort of place I would choose to go for a night out normally but I have to say, a least they are making an effort, and at least they, or some marketing department somewhere, recognize that people may not only want to drink Carling Fosters or Strongbow.
My final first is the Sword dancer on Handsworth. Rumours were around before this was built that the pub would be a Wetherspoon, but instead it opened as a Greedy King Hungry Hippo or similarly named outlet. My mate Christingpher went and described it as one of the worst pubs he had ever been in, wit no real ale or any other drinks of note and terrible food. Mr Shape, a nearby resident, also went in only once to find it very disappointing.
The other night I was in the Old Crown enjoying a pint of something pale and hoppy and decided to pop in. Mainly, having checked the tinterweb to discover they sold real ale. Could this be true? I had to find out. On arriving at gone half eleven the pub wasn't too busy and the customers were mainly sat in the right hand side surrounded by TV screens. That side of the bar has three or four handpumps selling Greene King Abbot, Old Speckled Hen and Belhaven Golden Bay. I ordered a half of that, having never tried it. but alas it was running out, so had a half of the Abbot instead.
I sat outside, in the beer garden, with my half an inexpensive but not unpleasant bottle of wine. No-one bothered me, and no trouble was witnessed. Obviously I did not try the food but I have to say the place was OK. Given that the Turf is currently sadly closed, this now means that as far as I know every pub in Handsworth sells real ale. I may only occasionally go out locally but this is great news.
None of the above pubs are going to compete with the likes of the Bath or Shakespeares but I wish them all the very best of luck. Its refreshing to find venues making an effort and selling in some cases, beers you don't usually find anywhere else, and catering for the needs of the numerous real ale drinkers.
Sheffield once again stands out as a great place to go almost anywhere and enjoy a decent pint.
Cheers!
Wee Beefy
Tuesday, 10 May 2016
On the Edge nine pin 4 and nearby boozers
Hello folks,
myself and Matty went to the event in the title on Friday, in some ways as preparation for spending most of Saturday moving furniture. On the Edge Nine Pin 4 once again took place in the Old Junior School Nether Edge and this was Matty's first visit. We started on halves of the IPA which began with A, (which I now know is called Atlanta) and the saisons IPA. Both were in excellent nick, the saisons an interesting mix which was tasty but not predominantly either style of beer. The IPA was hoppy and well rounded and an excellent, if nearly the strongest, beer to start on.
Next up were halves of the Cry Havoc steam beer and a half of the Strawberry wheat for Matty. He did not really enjoy it, but the steam beer was interesting. I followed this with another half of the strong IPA Atlanta and a half of the Davenport wheat which was a lovely refreshing wheat beer, along with the strong Abbey IPA made with Belgian Yeast. We finished on the two Black IPA's, Cascadian Black and a weaker one. The Cascadian Black is, in my opinion, a regular On the Edge brew, and tasted very good indeed. Alas we could not hang around longer, as we had other pubs to visit. Best of luck to Tom and Luisa with their next event in September.
Just down the road is the Beer Engine so this seemed like a good place to go. For info, we had started the evening at the Harlequin to try the Silly brewery Pink Grapefruit wheat beer called Pink Killer. I have to admit we were a little underwhelmed, mainly because it was too sweet - the yeast and malts used nullified the bite that you get from Pink Grapefruit. Shame.
At the Beer engine there was a fantastic Wiper and True Red IPA on keg and the Wild Ninkasi saison style wild yeast ale, along with Lost Industry Chilli Sorachi pale on cask. I had a half of that and a half of Wiper and True and Matty a half of the latter and of the Ninkasi. We sat in the beer garden in the fading sunshine thoroughly enjoying the beers on offer. The chilli beer was thankfully not too hot so worked well with the Sorachi, and the Ninkasi is a fantastic saison style beer (its difficult to say that its a saison only...so here is a link to their website!) . The Wiper and True was, unsurprisingly, the pick of the bunch.
Down the road a little we came to the Sentinel Brew Co. I warned Matty about the prices but we once again enjoyed the beers, mainly the EU IPA. We also had another of their range, the identity of which seems to have escaped me. The venue seems to be getting busier and is a good place to bump into persons from the world of Sheffield beer.
We finished the night in the Rutland Arms. The Rutland eh...whats it all about? We will never know. We had a pint of something tasty on keg and I tried a pint of Reet Pale but alas it tasted of paracetamol! It was swapped straight away for something else which was Amarillo from Crouch Vale. Or another beer. It was good to stay for a couple and listen to some excellent tunes on the jukebox before heading back to Chestnut Towers, on the last bus. When we got in I put on some tunes and poured us some beer and Matty fell asleep - bless him.
The above is one of a few crawls I have done so far this thirsty month of May, am hoping to provide some details of the others in the next week.
Cheers!
Wee Beefy
myself and Matty went to the event in the title on Friday, in some ways as preparation for spending most of Saturday moving furniture. On the Edge Nine Pin 4 once again took place in the Old Junior School Nether Edge and this was Matty's first visit. We started on halves of the IPA which began with A, (which I now know is called Atlanta) and the saisons IPA. Both were in excellent nick, the saisons an interesting mix which was tasty but not predominantly either style of beer. The IPA was hoppy and well rounded and an excellent, if nearly the strongest, beer to start on.
Next up were halves of the Cry Havoc steam beer and a half of the Strawberry wheat for Matty. He did not really enjoy it, but the steam beer was interesting. I followed this with another half of the strong IPA Atlanta and a half of the Davenport wheat which was a lovely refreshing wheat beer, along with the strong Abbey IPA made with Belgian Yeast. We finished on the two Black IPA's, Cascadian Black and a weaker one. The Cascadian Black is, in my opinion, a regular On the Edge brew, and tasted very good indeed. Alas we could not hang around longer, as we had other pubs to visit. Best of luck to Tom and Luisa with their next event in September.
Just down the road is the Beer Engine so this seemed like a good place to go. For info, we had started the evening at the Harlequin to try the Silly brewery Pink Grapefruit wheat beer called Pink Killer. I have to admit we were a little underwhelmed, mainly because it was too sweet - the yeast and malts used nullified the bite that you get from Pink Grapefruit. Shame.
At the Beer engine there was a fantastic Wiper and True Red IPA on keg and the Wild Ninkasi saison style wild yeast ale, along with Lost Industry Chilli Sorachi pale on cask. I had a half of that and a half of Wiper and True and Matty a half of the latter and of the Ninkasi. We sat in the beer garden in the fading sunshine thoroughly enjoying the beers on offer. The chilli beer was thankfully not too hot so worked well with the Sorachi, and the Ninkasi is a fantastic saison style beer (its difficult to say that its a saison only...so here is a link to their website!) . The Wiper and True was, unsurprisingly, the pick of the bunch.
Down the road a little we came to the Sentinel Brew Co. I warned Matty about the prices but we once again enjoyed the beers, mainly the EU IPA. We also had another of their range, the identity of which seems to have escaped me. The venue seems to be getting busier and is a good place to bump into persons from the world of Sheffield beer.
We finished the night in the Rutland Arms. The Rutland eh...whats it all about? We will never know. We had a pint of something tasty on keg and I tried a pint of Reet Pale but alas it tasted of paracetamol! It was swapped straight away for something else which was Amarillo from Crouch Vale. Or another beer. It was good to stay for a couple and listen to some excellent tunes on the jukebox before heading back to Chestnut Towers, on the last bus. When we got in I put on some tunes and poured us some beer and Matty fell asleep - bless him.
The above is one of a few crawls I have done so far this thirsty month of May, am hoping to provide some details of the others in the next week.
Cheers!
Wee Beefy
Saturday, 30 April 2016
The oldest and newest - a pub crawl in Sheffield
Hello,
last night I went on a slightly different pub crawl with Tash. I have been resolutely dedicated to drinking in Shakespeares - as is always the case, and the Three Tuns recently. I thought, therefore, that it might be enjoyable to venture to some less often visited boozers after work.
I started by myself in the Fat Cat. It was busy, and I had to wait to get a seat, but was soon sitting down with a Wateralls pork pie and a pint of Bobs Brewing Yakima Chief. I quite like Bobs stuff and this was a perfect beer to start on at 5.0%. I went back for another half as well, whilst waiting for Tash, and bought some very very crispy hard pork scratchings. The scene was set.
Meeting Tash we decided to go somewhere near work and so popped in to the Harlequin. Here we both had pints of the Exit 33 Stateside Pale, also at or about 5%. This beer has a beautiful bitter aftertaste which creeps up on you, but has a very clean finish and of course bags of hops. By the time we left about 20.00 there was a band setting up in the back and the pub was very busy.
We walked through Hancock and Lant and stopped to see if there was anything happening with the proposal by Red Sky Inns to convert the toilets on Blonk Street into a bar. It seems implausible to look at the structure, it seems far too small, but there does appear to be room downstairs at river level and am guessing it goes back further under the road. Will be interesting to see what, if anything, happens on this plot.
Our next stop was the Old Queens Head, probably the oldest pub in Sheffield (I can't remember the name of the one near Graves Park which sells no real ale). The pub was also busy and still appears to be run by Czechs, with Czech food available on Monday nights, written in English and Czech. Tash's Dad was Czech and she can read a little but its a difficult language to master. I had a pint of Thwaites Nutty Black, a drop in ABV to 3.3%, and Tash a pint of Prospect Whatever, around 3.8% which was a slightly hoppy amber ale. I don't go in this pub very often so it was nice to see it popular, and still selling four real ales including a guest.
Our next stop was Sheffield's newest pub. The Centennial Brewpub is now open on Shoreham Street and features cask, keg and bottled beers. The brewery is enormous, and pleasingly gleamy bright, and there is seating down the side and a long bar with fresh snacks on the end. We both had a half of the Northern Monk True Pale on cask and a half of the EU IPA on keg at about £1million. It was good to see Louis who recently left Shakespeares, and the staff were friendly and knowledgeable.
Sitting towards the back we found the Northern Monk a little flat but Tash loved the EU IPA. Granted, we both agreed its overpriced at £6.00 a pint - that's virtually a pound a percent, but it was well rounded and tasty. Alas the snacks are also expensive - a scotch egg is £3.25, so we decided to miss out on food and have another half of the IPA and a half of their delicious Kolsch lager. The bar is now growing into its carpet warehouse home and is a nice place to visit for a few halves.
We finished the night in the Sheffield Tap. There was a Wild beers sour on keg called Sleeping Lemons which was delicious, so Tash had a pint of that, and we met Matty n here who had a quick half. I tried a half of the Thornbridge Ravenhaf, (am sure it wasn't called just Raven) described as a Black IPA. It had an overpowering taste of perfume. To be fair the staff swapped it for another of the Sleeping Lemons but claimed they could not taste perfume - even though it smelled and tasted perfumed. I have no idea what could be in the beer to make it taste like this. The Sleeping Lemons was lovely however.
So ended an alternative Friday night session, with a selection of different pubs providing mainly excellent ales in cask and keg, and in different styles. It was good to see so many pubs so busy, and will be interesting to see how the Senteniel bar develops over time.
Cheers!
Wee Beefy
last night I went on a slightly different pub crawl with Tash. I have been resolutely dedicated to drinking in Shakespeares - as is always the case, and the Three Tuns recently. I thought, therefore, that it might be enjoyable to venture to some less often visited boozers after work.
I started by myself in the Fat Cat. It was busy, and I had to wait to get a seat, but was soon sitting down with a Wateralls pork pie and a pint of Bobs Brewing Yakima Chief. I quite like Bobs stuff and this was a perfect beer to start on at 5.0%. I went back for another half as well, whilst waiting for Tash, and bought some very very crispy hard pork scratchings. The scene was set.
Meeting Tash we decided to go somewhere near work and so popped in to the Harlequin. Here we both had pints of the Exit 33 Stateside Pale, also at or about 5%. This beer has a beautiful bitter aftertaste which creeps up on you, but has a very clean finish and of course bags of hops. By the time we left about 20.00 there was a band setting up in the back and the pub was very busy.
We walked through Hancock and Lant and stopped to see if there was anything happening with the proposal by Red Sky Inns to convert the toilets on Blonk Street into a bar. It seems implausible to look at the structure, it seems far too small, but there does appear to be room downstairs at river level and am guessing it goes back further under the road. Will be interesting to see what, if anything, happens on this plot.
Our next stop was the Old Queens Head, probably the oldest pub in Sheffield (I can't remember the name of the one near Graves Park which sells no real ale). The pub was also busy and still appears to be run by Czechs, with Czech food available on Monday nights, written in English and Czech. Tash's Dad was Czech and she can read a little but its a difficult language to master. I had a pint of Thwaites Nutty Black, a drop in ABV to 3.3%, and Tash a pint of Prospect Whatever, around 3.8% which was a slightly hoppy amber ale. I don't go in this pub very often so it was nice to see it popular, and still selling four real ales including a guest.
Our next stop was Sheffield's newest pub. The Centennial Brewpub is now open on Shoreham Street and features cask, keg and bottled beers. The brewery is enormous, and pleasingly gleamy bright, and there is seating down the side and a long bar with fresh snacks on the end. We both had a half of the Northern Monk True Pale on cask and a half of the EU IPA on keg at about £1million. It was good to see Louis who recently left Shakespeares, and the staff were friendly and knowledgeable.
Sitting towards the back we found the Northern Monk a little flat but Tash loved the EU IPA. Granted, we both agreed its overpriced at £6.00 a pint - that's virtually a pound a percent, but it was well rounded and tasty. Alas the snacks are also expensive - a scotch egg is £3.25, so we decided to miss out on food and have another half of the IPA and a half of their delicious Kolsch lager. The bar is now growing into its carpet warehouse home and is a nice place to visit for a few halves.
We finished the night in the Sheffield Tap. There was a Wild beers sour on keg called Sleeping Lemons which was delicious, so Tash had a pint of that, and we met Matty n here who had a quick half. I tried a half of the Thornbridge Ravenhaf, (am sure it wasn't called just Raven) described as a Black IPA. It had an overpowering taste of perfume. To be fair the staff swapped it for another of the Sleeping Lemons but claimed they could not taste perfume - even though it smelled and tasted perfumed. I have no idea what could be in the beer to make it taste like this. The Sleeping Lemons was lovely however.
So ended an alternative Friday night session, with a selection of different pubs providing mainly excellent ales in cask and keg, and in different styles. It was good to see so many pubs so busy, and will be interesting to see how the Senteniel bar develops over time.
Cheers!
Wee Beefy
Sunday, 24 April 2016
Recent sessions
Good day,
I wanted to cobble together some half remembers facts about recent sessions and other visitations to local pubs. As always, facts are at best interpretative and often guessed at, some details will be plain erroneous, but the opinions expressed are genuine. After all, I don't have to remember opinions...
I have recently spent quite some time in the Three Tuns - indeed, this is where, whilst drinking with Tash, Matty and Richard at the beginning of the month, I discovered I had run out of funds...ha ha! The joy. We had been drinking the excellent Blue Bee Mango Number 5, a naturally hazy Mango IPA at 5%, which was on sparkling form. Other sessions here included one drinking West Pier by Brighton Bier Co, which was once again brilliantly hoppy, Blue Bee Oceanic Red, and their American Five Hop beer, numbered between 11 and 15684.
My last visit was en route to Shakespeares, and having seen Nate and Siobhan and the lovely Dave behind the bar, I was relaxing in the right hand part with Matty waiting for Tash to arrive, when who should turn up but the Ale Ambler. It was good to see the AA, and to briefly meet Tara and another lady from Mallinsons brewery, along with a young man with an A in his name from Huddersfield. Thanks for the pints AA!
Last night I had a proper session in the Bath Hotel. The wonderful Hopjacker Spanish Prisoners, a 5.9% Amber ale with Spanish marmalade in it, was on sale, and it seemed silly not to have five or six pints. So I did. The walk up West Street had featured numerous groups of entirely hammered men shouting abuse at one another and other random people so the Bath was a haven of almost tranquility. The excellent Hops and Dreams from Brew Foundation was also on on keg, although I did not try it.
In the past month I have been in the Hillsborough Hotel a few times. Once was with Matty after work when he was off and we had a good couple of pints of excellent but difficult to remember the name of beer, probably pale and hoppy, and very likely brewed locally. My next visit saw me pop in on a lovely sunny evening after work. There were only a few of us in and I supped another similarly obfuscately named beer which I enjoyed. Its a lovely place to relax in an evening and the beers are competitively priced as well. My last visit was last weekend with Tash en route to town where we sat outside, and then in as the sun went down, supping a beer which was made with beer. There is no point my even attempting to recall what it was alas.
A couple of weeks ago I met up with Fluffy and John in the Tap and Tankard after Fluff had run the Sheffield half marathon. The Brew Foundation hops and dreams was on as a guest and in excellent form, so I had two pints in a short period of time. Afterwards we went to the Tuns for pints of Blue Bee before the Shakespeares and the Kelham Island Tavern.
This is somewhere I have been a few times recently as well. I remember going in with Matty and he had a pint of the 6.5% North Riding Anniversary beer and I a half of the Mikkeler Nuclear Hop at 8.0% on keg. Both beers were in impeccable condition, as were those that me and Tash tried recently, including pints of another North Riding beer and a Kernel beer on keg.
After which we went somewhere I have been in a tremendous lot this month - Shakespeares's. They have recently featured three or more Kernel beers, Simcoe, Cascade and a stupendous one with four hops in it, Ella, Simcoe, Centennial and Citra if memory serves. Other favourites have included the Cloudwater Black IPA on cask at 6.5% or similar, which was incredibly mellow but still a hoppy IPA at its heart, and the amazing Buxton Trolltunga Gooseberry sour pale ale on keg. Not sour enough if you love sour or hoppy enough if you are a hophead, instead a mesmerising blend of sour and bitter refreshment which went down superbly.
I went in with Dave H from work recently and we started sensibly on pints of Blackjack Devils's something, a 5ish percent pale, then slowly moved onto slightly less sensible options, including the last bottle of Schlenkerla dubbel rauchbier, a Cloudwater DIPA3, a Trappist Rochefort 10 as well as one of the Kernel pales on keg. A very enjoyable night was had by all, including Emily, who joined us half way through at a quite thirsty stage.
I will be paid on Friday so the week after next should be refreshing, in the meantime am having to cut back as have no more furniture to sell to fund supping. Drinking eh - what does it mean?. Like memories, we'll never know.
Hic!
Cheese
Wee Beefy
I wanted to cobble together some half remembers facts about recent sessions and other visitations to local pubs. As always, facts are at best interpretative and often guessed at, some details will be plain erroneous, but the opinions expressed are genuine. After all, I don't have to remember opinions...
I have recently spent quite some time in the Three Tuns - indeed, this is where, whilst drinking with Tash, Matty and Richard at the beginning of the month, I discovered I had run out of funds...ha ha! The joy. We had been drinking the excellent Blue Bee Mango Number 5, a naturally hazy Mango IPA at 5%, which was on sparkling form. Other sessions here included one drinking West Pier by Brighton Bier Co, which was once again brilliantly hoppy, Blue Bee Oceanic Red, and their American Five Hop beer, numbered between 11 and 15684.
My last visit was en route to Shakespeares, and having seen Nate and Siobhan and the lovely Dave behind the bar, I was relaxing in the right hand part with Matty waiting for Tash to arrive, when who should turn up but the Ale Ambler. It was good to see the AA, and to briefly meet Tara and another lady from Mallinsons brewery, along with a young man with an A in his name from Huddersfield. Thanks for the pints AA!
Last night I had a proper session in the Bath Hotel. The wonderful Hopjacker Spanish Prisoners, a 5.9% Amber ale with Spanish marmalade in it, was on sale, and it seemed silly not to have five or six pints. So I did. The walk up West Street had featured numerous groups of entirely hammered men shouting abuse at one another and other random people so the Bath was a haven of almost tranquility. The excellent Hops and Dreams from Brew Foundation was also on on keg, although I did not try it.
In the past month I have been in the Hillsborough Hotel a few times. Once was with Matty after work when he was off and we had a good couple of pints of excellent but difficult to remember the name of beer, probably pale and hoppy, and very likely brewed locally. My next visit saw me pop in on a lovely sunny evening after work. There were only a few of us in and I supped another similarly obfuscately named beer which I enjoyed. Its a lovely place to relax in an evening and the beers are competitively priced as well. My last visit was last weekend with Tash en route to town where we sat outside, and then in as the sun went down, supping a beer which was made with beer. There is no point my even attempting to recall what it was alas.
A couple of weeks ago I met up with Fluffy and John in the Tap and Tankard after Fluff had run the Sheffield half marathon. The Brew Foundation hops and dreams was on as a guest and in excellent form, so I had two pints in a short period of time. Afterwards we went to the Tuns for pints of Blue Bee before the Shakespeares and the Kelham Island Tavern.
This is somewhere I have been a few times recently as well. I remember going in with Matty and he had a pint of the 6.5% North Riding Anniversary beer and I a half of the Mikkeler Nuclear Hop at 8.0% on keg. Both beers were in impeccable condition, as were those that me and Tash tried recently, including pints of another North Riding beer and a Kernel beer on keg.
After which we went somewhere I have been in a tremendous lot this month - Shakespeares's. They have recently featured three or more Kernel beers, Simcoe, Cascade and a stupendous one with four hops in it, Ella, Simcoe, Centennial and Citra if memory serves. Other favourites have included the Cloudwater Black IPA on cask at 6.5% or similar, which was incredibly mellow but still a hoppy IPA at its heart, and the amazing Buxton Trolltunga Gooseberry sour pale ale on keg. Not sour enough if you love sour or hoppy enough if you are a hophead, instead a mesmerising blend of sour and bitter refreshment which went down superbly.
I went in with Dave H from work recently and we started sensibly on pints of Blackjack Devils's something, a 5ish percent pale, then slowly moved onto slightly less sensible options, including the last bottle of Schlenkerla dubbel rauchbier, a Cloudwater DIPA3, a Trappist Rochefort 10 as well as one of the Kernel pales on keg. A very enjoyable night was had by all, including Emily, who joined us half way through at a quite thirsty stage.
I will be paid on Friday so the week after next should be refreshing, in the meantime am having to cut back as have no more furniture to sell to fund supping. Drinking eh - what does it mean?. Like memories, we'll never know.
Hic!
Cheese
Wee Beefy
Saturday, 23 April 2016
A new Sheffield pub, and old favourites
Hullurr
I am. as usual, about a month late with this announcement, but I would like to tell you about a new venue that has opened on West Street. Despite their Facebook page map showing Chesterfield or elsewhere in Derbyshire, the West Street Ale House is based on West Street. In Sheffield. Right at the bottom near the corner of Holly Street, round the corner from the horror of Maggie Mays.
It inhabits the remnants of the Icons nightclub, which I am willing to admit I visited - I only noticed on my way out that they had a handpump at the end of the bar. Now there are four or five handpumps (these are just numbers) and six or seven or so keg lines, four of which, or less, or more, are guest lines. Rigorous research there.
They have some of their cask lines tied to Coors so are restricted to what guests they can sell on those, but I think this may be looked into. They also sell a wonderful range of bottles including many from Hitachino Nest the Japanese brewery. The last few times I have visited I have had a bottle of their Red Rice Ale, a glorious red rye amber ale with bags of flavour.
Other regular features are guests from Adnams, so I had Ghost Ship which is a very pleasant hoppy ale, and the superb Torpedo strong pale from Sierra Nevada on keg. This is my go to pint, at somewhere around 7%. Guest cask and kegs change regularly, with the excellent Brew Foundation Hops and Dreams being a very refreshing, and well balanced ale. The bar is owned by the American guy called Adrian, or indeed,one of thousands of other potential male human names. who is involved with the Cremorne and the former Hermitage on London Road.
The other pubs I wanted to mention are two I visited last week, so ths is much more up to date. The Cow and Calf on Skew Hill Lane in Grenoside is a traditional Sam Smiths pub selling their single real ale, a range of kegs and their bottles - as we said last time, alas not the excellent Yorkshire Stingo which I had at Christmas. On this visit to Mumrah's nearby I only visited once, but enjoyed a pint and a half sat on a tiny chair with a table next to the fireplace in the bar. Its interesting to see the sort of people who come in to drink in an afternoon, and enjoyable to sup a beer at £1.80 a pint. Long may their success continue.
Finally, I must mention the Railway at Wadsley bridge. A fine, largely unspoilt but extended boozer on Halifax road where it stops being Penistone Road. We were in there late afternoon and the pub was quiet, with sun streaming in through the windows and comfy seating in the room to the right as you enter, with a lovely old fireplace. There was a group of older gents in when we arrived but when we went to sit down they had left, as it took us a while to get our beers. The Bradfield Blonde ran out whilst the guy was pouring our second pint. He went down to the cellar but announced what we had was all ere was, so I had a pint of that and a free third, and Tash had a pint of the Brown Cow.
We sat in the same spot for over an hour, identifying the sightly eclectic mix of tracks playing in the background, warmed by the sunshine, and happy, relaxed and calm, watching people come and go. We had enough funds for a further pint, and shared this and thoroughly enjoyed our visit. Am guessing the pub is still run by Jean, and am sure I know Ian the barman from somewhere, but I haven't seen Jean on my last two visits. Whether it is or it isn't, well doe to the owners for saving and revitalising this pub.
So, there you have it - for every new pub that opens in Sheffield there are still two old unspoilt boozers to also visit. Maybe, Sheffield really is the real ale (and excellent pub) capital of the UK.
Your very good health
Wee Beefy
I am. as usual, about a month late with this announcement, but I would like to tell you about a new venue that has opened on West Street. Despite their Facebook page map showing Chesterfield or elsewhere in Derbyshire, the West Street Ale House is based on West Street. In Sheffield. Right at the bottom near the corner of Holly Street, round the corner from the horror of Maggie Mays.
It inhabits the remnants of the Icons nightclub, which I am willing to admit I visited - I only noticed on my way out that they had a handpump at the end of the bar. Now there are four or five handpumps (these are just numbers) and six or seven or so keg lines, four of which, or less, or more, are guest lines. Rigorous research there.
They have some of their cask lines tied to Coors so are restricted to what guests they can sell on those, but I think this may be looked into. They also sell a wonderful range of bottles including many from Hitachino Nest the Japanese brewery. The last few times I have visited I have had a bottle of their Red Rice Ale, a glorious red rye amber ale with bags of flavour.
Other regular features are guests from Adnams, so I had Ghost Ship which is a very pleasant hoppy ale, and the superb Torpedo strong pale from Sierra Nevada on keg. This is my go to pint, at somewhere around 7%. Guest cask and kegs change regularly, with the excellent Brew Foundation Hops and Dreams being a very refreshing, and well balanced ale. The bar is owned by the American guy called Adrian, or indeed,one of thousands of other potential male human names. who is involved with the Cremorne and the former Hermitage on London Road.
The other pubs I wanted to mention are two I visited last week, so ths is much more up to date. The Cow and Calf on Skew Hill Lane in Grenoside is a traditional Sam Smiths pub selling their single real ale, a range of kegs and their bottles - as we said last time, alas not the excellent Yorkshire Stingo which I had at Christmas. On this visit to Mumrah's nearby I only visited once, but enjoyed a pint and a half sat on a tiny chair with a table next to the fireplace in the bar. Its interesting to see the sort of people who come in to drink in an afternoon, and enjoyable to sup a beer at £1.80 a pint. Long may their success continue.
Finally, I must mention the Railway at Wadsley bridge. A fine, largely unspoilt but extended boozer on Halifax road where it stops being Penistone Road. We were in there late afternoon and the pub was quiet, with sun streaming in through the windows and comfy seating in the room to the right as you enter, with a lovely old fireplace. There was a group of older gents in when we arrived but when we went to sit down they had left, as it took us a while to get our beers. The Bradfield Blonde ran out whilst the guy was pouring our second pint. He went down to the cellar but announced what we had was all ere was, so I had a pint of that and a free third, and Tash had a pint of the Brown Cow.
We sat in the same spot for over an hour, identifying the sightly eclectic mix of tracks playing in the background, warmed by the sunshine, and happy, relaxed and calm, watching people come and go. We had enough funds for a further pint, and shared this and thoroughly enjoyed our visit. Am guessing the pub is still run by Jean, and am sure I know Ian the barman from somewhere, but I haven't seen Jean on my last two visits. Whether it is or it isn't, well doe to the owners for saving and revitalising this pub.
So, there you have it - for every new pub that opens in Sheffield there are still two old unspoilt boozers to also visit. Maybe, Sheffield really is the real ale (and excellent pub) capital of the UK.
Your very good health
Wee Beefy
Tuesday, 12 April 2016
Where has all the money gone?
Hello,
the above title is an oft used question. Industries and places and organisations and individuals have been, for years, uttering the above. It really is a puzzle - where has the money gone? In this case, despite hinting at some resonance of journalistic endeavour, the person posing this questions is myself, specifically about my funds. Intuitive, indeed regular readers, may therefore be able to quickly surmise where, in fact, my money has gone. Its gone to the bloody pub, that's where. I am keeping the beer and pub industry alive it seems. What a good bibulanthropist I am...
Since this is a blog about beer, oft remembered, oft forgotten and guessed at, sometimes made up, I thought I would provide a few details of how I reached this stage of having no money so early in the month. Yes there were bills, birthdays and saving up for holidays. And there was also.....
Shakespeares. Gawd luvvum, always providing the drinker with an excellent range of real ales, kegs and bottles. Some of their recent offerings have included the Devil Made me Brew It, a rather excellent stout brewed by the lads at Arbor. There have been a few single hopped pale ales as well, including, possibly, Mosaic, and the excellent Fyne Ales Superior IPA at 6.9% or similar. We had a number of pints of this, and it were lovely. They also sold the excellent Hyperion IPA from Lost Industry on keg at 8%. An ideal starter for me.
On Saturday I visited friends Chris, Kelly, or another female name with an E in it, sorry....and their baby. I met them in Spoons and we wandered together down to the Harlequin. Only to be told at 15.05 as I was ordering our beers that they couldn't have kids in after 15.00. This seems surprisingly early, although I am biased since its my friend's sprog and its the quietest bairn ever. So we upped sticks and went to Shakespeares, who have no such issues. As I popped in to ask if this was OK, Chris Wozzurth was pointing at a pump clip. I told him I couldn't read it but said I would have some when I came back. Minutes later, I had bought myself and Tash a pint. Each. Of Cloudwater DIPA V3 at 9.0%. Being my Brothers birthday do later that night, I wasn't, of course, drinking.....
Another pint soon followed of the magic orange liquid, half for Tash, before I went home to eat. The marvelous, hoppy, mellow-malted, yellow-orange cloudy ale was a delight. Later me and Tash headed up to the Ball on Crookes where I was on Tapped Brew Co Mojo all night to celebrate Wee Keefy's birthday - there were a couple of other beers that I might have tried but the Mojo was probably the best bet, not least having had two 9% pints earlier.
I returned to Shakespeares the next day for the last pint of the Cloudwater, which I shared with Fluff and his Dad, before popping to the KIT and then returning again, later to be blown away once more. The replacement for the Cloudwater was Kernel four hop IPA, a 7.0% beer which featured Ella, Chinook, Citra and Centennial hops and was fantastic. Probably the tastiest, easiest drinking and most well balanced hoppy IPA I have ever had. Congratulations once again to Shakespeares for their beer range and quality.
The Saturday before we met for a meal in the Ball and had a rather disappointing pint of Treboom Hop Britannia. I had really enjoyed it at the Hillsborough Hotel previously but this was not as good alas. Afterwards we headed down to the Walkley Beer Co. They had Cromarty Happy Chappy on cask plus another and Beavertown Blood Orange IPA and Burning Sky Saison Pertemps on keg. The saison was £4.20 a pint and the Bloody Ell IPA was £5.20 a pint at 6.9%. This was on fine form and was a delight to drink, so much so that I had two pints. It was good as well to catch up with Scott and Sarah, and of course to sup saison and IPA in the WBC.
Afterwards we headed into town and went to the Beer Engine's first birthday. A day late. I convinced myself, despite seeing the ad on Facebook, that it couldn't be on April Fools day. More "fool" me (!) as we turned up with the staff suffering, um, exhaustion, and no DJ set. Luckily, there was a pint of Cloudwater Hopfenweiss on keg to have along with a delicious pale on cask which was Moor Empire Pale Ale. This, as was the weiss, was on top form. Tash then had a pint of the Empire and I, foolishly or courageously, ordered a pint of Evil Twin Yin Imperial Stout at god knows what strength (its actually 10% according to their website ).
It was pricey, being Danish, and strong, at £9.00 a go. And I was told I was the first person to buy an entire pint. I can see why, except, I can also fully agree with my reasons for, and the amount I enjoyed, drinking it. This was such a perfectly balanced imperial stout which did not taste its strength. Sorry to have missed the birthday party kids - I will be there for next years though. And, um, of course, ...before.
So, there it is. The questions is answered. Where has all the money gone is explained to a large extent by the above. And I enjoyed every last bloody drop of it.
Huzzar!
Wee Beefy
the above title is an oft used question. Industries and places and organisations and individuals have been, for years, uttering the above. It really is a puzzle - where has the money gone? In this case, despite hinting at some resonance of journalistic endeavour, the person posing this questions is myself, specifically about my funds. Intuitive, indeed regular readers, may therefore be able to quickly surmise where, in fact, my money has gone. Its gone to the bloody pub, that's where. I am keeping the beer and pub industry alive it seems. What a good bibulanthropist I am...
Since this is a blog about beer, oft remembered, oft forgotten and guessed at, sometimes made up, I thought I would provide a few details of how I reached this stage of having no money so early in the month. Yes there were bills, birthdays and saving up for holidays. And there was also.....
Shakespeares. Gawd luvvum, always providing the drinker with an excellent range of real ales, kegs and bottles. Some of their recent offerings have included the Devil Made me Brew It, a rather excellent stout brewed by the lads at Arbor. There have been a few single hopped pale ales as well, including, possibly, Mosaic, and the excellent Fyne Ales Superior IPA at 6.9% or similar. We had a number of pints of this, and it were lovely. They also sold the excellent Hyperion IPA from Lost Industry on keg at 8%. An ideal starter for me.
On Saturday I visited friends Chris, Kelly, or another female name with an E in it, sorry....and their baby. I met them in Spoons and we wandered together down to the Harlequin. Only to be told at 15.05 as I was ordering our beers that they couldn't have kids in after 15.00. This seems surprisingly early, although I am biased since its my friend's sprog and its the quietest bairn ever. So we upped sticks and went to Shakespeares, who have no such issues. As I popped in to ask if this was OK, Chris Wozzurth was pointing at a pump clip. I told him I couldn't read it but said I would have some when I came back. Minutes later, I had bought myself and Tash a pint. Each. Of Cloudwater DIPA V3 at 9.0%. Being my Brothers birthday do later that night, I wasn't, of course, drinking.....
Another pint soon followed of the magic orange liquid, half for Tash, before I went home to eat. The marvelous, hoppy, mellow-malted, yellow-orange cloudy ale was a delight. Later me and Tash headed up to the Ball on Crookes where I was on Tapped Brew Co Mojo all night to celebrate Wee Keefy's birthday - there were a couple of other beers that I might have tried but the Mojo was probably the best bet, not least having had two 9% pints earlier.
I returned to Shakespeares the next day for the last pint of the Cloudwater, which I shared with Fluff and his Dad, before popping to the KIT and then returning again, later to be blown away once more. The replacement for the Cloudwater was Kernel four hop IPA, a 7.0% beer which featured Ella, Chinook, Citra and Centennial hops and was fantastic. Probably the tastiest, easiest drinking and most well balanced hoppy IPA I have ever had. Congratulations once again to Shakespeares for their beer range and quality.
The Saturday before we met for a meal in the Ball and had a rather disappointing pint of Treboom Hop Britannia. I had really enjoyed it at the Hillsborough Hotel previously but this was not as good alas. Afterwards we headed down to the Walkley Beer Co. They had Cromarty Happy Chappy on cask plus another and Beavertown Blood Orange IPA and Burning Sky Saison Pertemps on keg. The saison was £4.20 a pint and the Bloody Ell IPA was £5.20 a pint at 6.9%. This was on fine form and was a delight to drink, so much so that I had two pints. It was good as well to catch up with Scott and Sarah, and of course to sup saison and IPA in the WBC.
Afterwards we headed into town and went to the Beer Engine's first birthday. A day late. I convinced myself, despite seeing the ad on Facebook, that it couldn't be on April Fools day. More "fool" me (!) as we turned up with the staff suffering, um, exhaustion, and no DJ set. Luckily, there was a pint of Cloudwater Hopfenweiss on keg to have along with a delicious pale on cask which was Moor Empire Pale Ale. This, as was the weiss, was on top form. Tash then had a pint of the Empire and I, foolishly or courageously, ordered a pint of Evil Twin Yin Imperial Stout at god knows what strength (its actually 10% according to their website ).
It was pricey, being Danish, and strong, at £9.00 a go. And I was told I was the first person to buy an entire pint. I can see why, except, I can also fully agree with my reasons for, and the amount I enjoyed, drinking it. This was such a perfectly balanced imperial stout which did not taste its strength. Sorry to have missed the birthday party kids - I will be there for next years though. And, um, of course, ...before.
So, there it is. The questions is answered. Where has all the money gone is explained to a large extent by the above. And I enjoyed every last bloody drop of it.
Huzzar!
Wee Beefy
Tuesday, 29 March 2016
An Easter pub crawl
Hello all,
isn't Easter great eh? Every single last one of us gets four whole days off to relax at home. Um...apart from anyone working in the service industry. Transport, health, retail, pubs. Especially those in pubs. Despite this, myself and Matty had been chatting with Nathan from the Three Tuns and arranged to go out with him for pints on Maundy Thursday. I have no idea if he worked Good Friday. Am hoping for his sake he didn't....
We all finished work about 17.00 and met in the Three Tuns about 17.30. It was busy, and as Nathan pointed out, it was like a Friday. Nathaniel is an affable 24 year old with two PHd's in Zoo-ology and hails from a town or village in Worcestreshire with a Bathams pub. Or Birmingham. If you know anything about the Bathams tied estate that actually limits the potential answers to where I mean. Despite my awful behaviour in October, we still get on, as he does with Meathumph.
We decided to show Nathan some of the pubs he hadn't been to before in Sheffield. In one night. I started as did Nathan on a pint of Brighton Bier Southern Bitter, a gorgeously dry bitter ale with stonking piles of hops and just enough malt in the background. Matty had two pints of something as well. The rest is history, and I am the historian. Help us, made up deity!
Our next stop was Fagans. Being yoot, Nathan and Matty eschewed the delights of real ale and went for Guinness which I understand people like. I went for a good old pint of Moonshine. We were advised where to sit by the landlord, (the comfiest seats) and perched in the corner chatting about pubs and beer and all things good. Fagans is a cracking city centre boozer. Its not changed as long as I have been going in, sells a decent pint and has a wonderful atmosphere. Just what you could want from a pub.
Just up the road is Regent Terrace, and Harrisons 1854. I was telling Matty and Nathan that I used to go there a lot but did not so much now Barraharri had left. Just as we entered I saw Bob and Linda the owners. It felt like coming home. I had Moonshine again, a pint, and Matty and Nathan had pints of Bradfield Blonde. The beer range is slightly better here but the bar is nothing like Fagans and doesn't claim to be. The music is good, its chilled out and is a good place to sit and catch up.
From here we walked down towards the Beer Engine and then turned through Decathlon to the Lord Nelson. It transpired that Nathan had been in once before, but this did not diminish the pub's appeal. We all had a pint of an IPA at 5.something percent from a brewery. It was maybe Pennine or Revisionist. It doesn't matter, which is good, since I can't remember. The pub was busy with darts on, and we sat in the room on the left soaking up the atmosphere.
From here we crossed the dual carriage way and headed for a new pub for us all. The Railway on Bramall Lane, which is not despite the article wording in Beer Matters, being run by Andy Cullen, has been taken over by a family and they have done it up and put on four or five cask beers. We all had a pint of the Chantry Kaldo Pale Ale at 5.5%. We sat down near the back and after Matty had discovered that once again the kid behind the bar was one of his ex school mates, we started listening to the Sheffield quiz, which didn't seem too taxing (although being a quiz, I insisted we did not take part). The Kaldo was lovely, and the pub looks nice inside. Good luck to them running this boozer.
Its not far from there, not even if you can't remember where the path over the river goes from, to the Sheaf View. We walked past and went to the Brothers at the top of the hill. I am told in here we all had a strong pint of something at 6.5%. I am sure we did. In a consistent line, I can't remember what this was at all. We did however have a delicious curried scotch egg each, and sat outside in the wet to eat it.
Next up was a pint in the Sheaf View. The pint we had was definitely made with hops and malt and water and yeast and tasted of beer. It might have been from Whim. Or one of the thousand other UK breweries. I am led to believe it was strong. I remember I enjoyed it. We sat in the back as the front to rooms were rammed and talked, probably quite loudly about pubs and drinking and inappropriate things which I cannot divulge here. We may have been slightly tipsy by this stage...
Our penultimate stop was the White Lion. We met Tash here who was already in with a seat and a table and a beer. I am guessing we all had pints of Dancing Duck Abduction at 5.8% or whatever it is. There was live music on, and the place was busy with a great atmosphere. I understand the Dancing Duck has replaced the Thornbridge Jaipur they always used to keep so well, no doubt because of cost. Although more recently, because it tastes pants. Far better to support Dancing Duck I say.
We got a taxi from here to Shakespeares to finish the night. I had two or three halves of beers with names that they were selling, and Matty probably had a bottle. Being a pub crawl, Nathan would also have had a drink, and everything. Memories eh. What are they? Like birds, nobody knows....
As Easter was busy I didn't see Nathan until Saturday and he had similar memories, or lack thereof, of getting home. Good lad! Overall this was a highly enjoyable pub crawl with three lovely people featuring excellent traditional pubs and ales.
Cheers!
Wee Beefy
isn't Easter great eh? Every single last one of us gets four whole days off to relax at home. Um...apart from anyone working in the service industry. Transport, health, retail, pubs. Especially those in pubs. Despite this, myself and Matty had been chatting with Nathan from the Three Tuns and arranged to go out with him for pints on Maundy Thursday. I have no idea if he worked Good Friday. Am hoping for his sake he didn't....
We all finished work about 17.00 and met in the Three Tuns about 17.30. It was busy, and as Nathan pointed out, it was like a Friday. Nathaniel is an affable 24 year old with two PHd's in Zoo-ology and hails from a town or village in Worcestreshire with a Bathams pub. Or Birmingham. If you know anything about the Bathams tied estate that actually limits the potential answers to where I mean. Despite my awful behaviour in October, we still get on, as he does with Meathumph.
We decided to show Nathan some of the pubs he hadn't been to before in Sheffield. In one night. I started as did Nathan on a pint of Brighton Bier Southern Bitter, a gorgeously dry bitter ale with stonking piles of hops and just enough malt in the background. Matty had two pints of something as well. The rest is history, and I am the historian. Help us, made up deity!
Our next stop was Fagans. Being yoot, Nathan and Matty eschewed the delights of real ale and went for Guinness which I understand people like. I went for a good old pint of Moonshine. We were advised where to sit by the landlord, (the comfiest seats) and perched in the corner chatting about pubs and beer and all things good. Fagans is a cracking city centre boozer. Its not changed as long as I have been going in, sells a decent pint and has a wonderful atmosphere. Just what you could want from a pub.
Just up the road is Regent Terrace, and Harrisons 1854. I was telling Matty and Nathan that I used to go there a lot but did not so much now Barraharri had left. Just as we entered I saw Bob and Linda the owners. It felt like coming home. I had Moonshine again, a pint, and Matty and Nathan had pints of Bradfield Blonde. The beer range is slightly better here but the bar is nothing like Fagans and doesn't claim to be. The music is good, its chilled out and is a good place to sit and catch up.
From here we walked down towards the Beer Engine and then turned through Decathlon to the Lord Nelson. It transpired that Nathan had been in once before, but this did not diminish the pub's appeal. We all had a pint of an IPA at 5.something percent from a brewery. It was maybe Pennine or Revisionist. It doesn't matter, which is good, since I can't remember. The pub was busy with darts on, and we sat in the room on the left soaking up the atmosphere.
From here we crossed the dual carriage way and headed for a new pub for us all. The Railway on Bramall Lane, which is not despite the article wording in Beer Matters, being run by Andy Cullen, has been taken over by a family and they have done it up and put on four or five cask beers. We all had a pint of the Chantry Kaldo Pale Ale at 5.5%. We sat down near the back and after Matty had discovered that once again the kid behind the bar was one of his ex school mates, we started listening to the Sheffield quiz, which didn't seem too taxing (although being a quiz, I insisted we did not take part). The Kaldo was lovely, and the pub looks nice inside. Good luck to them running this boozer.
Its not far from there, not even if you can't remember where the path over the river goes from, to the Sheaf View. We walked past and went to the Brothers at the top of the hill. I am told in here we all had a strong pint of something at 6.5%. I am sure we did. In a consistent line, I can't remember what this was at all. We did however have a delicious curried scotch egg each, and sat outside in the wet to eat it.
Next up was a pint in the Sheaf View. The pint we had was definitely made with hops and malt and water and yeast and tasted of beer. It might have been from Whim. Or one of the thousand other UK breweries. I am led to believe it was strong. I remember I enjoyed it. We sat in the back as the front to rooms were rammed and talked, probably quite loudly about pubs and drinking and inappropriate things which I cannot divulge here. We may have been slightly tipsy by this stage...
Our penultimate stop was the White Lion. We met Tash here who was already in with a seat and a table and a beer. I am guessing we all had pints of Dancing Duck Abduction at 5.8% or whatever it is. There was live music on, and the place was busy with a great atmosphere. I understand the Dancing Duck has replaced the Thornbridge Jaipur they always used to keep so well, no doubt because of cost. Although more recently, because it tastes pants. Far better to support Dancing Duck I say.
We got a taxi from here to Shakespeares to finish the night. I had two or three halves of beers with names that they were selling, and Matty probably had a bottle. Being a pub crawl, Nathan would also have had a drink, and everything. Memories eh. What are they? Like birds, nobody knows....
As Easter was busy I didn't see Nathan until Saturday and he had similar memories, or lack thereof, of getting home. Good lad! Overall this was a highly enjoyable pub crawl with three lovely people featuring excellent traditional pubs and ales.
Cheers!
Wee Beefy
Saturday, 26 March 2016
Beer tasting at the Bath Hotel and a Buxton Tap Takeover
Now then,
this time last week I still hadn't sobered up from two nights of lovely ales and socialising - two nights which were part of Sheffield Beer Week 2016. I realise am a bit late posting this but have been otherwise engaged ever since. Here are some fragmented memories of both events.
Thursday 17th March is a well known date in Ireland. Its also a night when people in the UK drink Guinness in tents and realise they cannot handle their alcohol, whilst wearing outsize hats. Dear God. What a travesty. The Twat in the Hat night is one of my least favourite of the year but luckily this was when the Bath Hotel had their beer tasting of Thornbridge Hall bottles.
The night started well - I saw Jules in the back and told her I wasn't "here for the First pour, I don't want to try yet another disappointing Thornbridge beer". I was then telling her this was ironic, since I was here to sample their bottled fare, when she told me the other people on the table were the Thornbridge brewing team and owners. I told her I would not be changing my opinion.
Meeting with Matty and Mr Grant we sat down in a corner with a guy from Finland called Arnaut. Or similar. We were joined by Jules, and sampled a range of excellent aged bottled beers. We started with the Double Scotch Ale, at 8.5% and whisky barrel aged, which I didn't remember. This was an excellent Scottish style beer, and we followed this with the small bottled Russian Imperial Stout. This I do remember, and it was still in excellent condition. We also tried the Sour Brown, a soured American Brown Ale at 7% which in 2013 was a little before I started to appreciate sour beers - I now can, and enjoyed it.
We continued next with a collaboration with St Eriks Brewery, a 10% Imperial Raspberry Stout which wasn't really to my liking, before finishing on the Bracia, bottled at 10% but now potentially a lot stronger. A wonderfully rounded, heavy, but tasty beer to finish on.
Friday was hazy but luckily I was off. I meet Tash and Mumrah in town for coffee and then headed to Shakespeares for a warm up to their Buxton Tap Takeover later. I had a half of the Buxton Bomba Generation bretted stout at 10% on keg, and a pint of Axe Edge on cask. In fact, I probably only had a third of the bomba, an intensely bretted, but wonderfully rich imperial stout.
After a quick pop to the newly opened West Street Ale House, and for some food, I bumped into Nate from Lost Industry Brewery and joined him and his friends back at Shakespeares at 17.15. The event started at 17.00. I queued to get in.
I started on another pint of Axe Edge and a half of Yellow Belly Imperial Stout on cask, based on claims it was about to run out - Chris tells me it sold in 52 minutes. This is a mighty 11% peanut butter biscuit stout (which is claimed to feature none of the above) and is the only time it has ever been sold on cask. I had a half to be on the safe side. Suffice to say, the beer was amazing!
I got sat down with Laura and Richard and Kirsty and talked and supped beer before spotting Buxton Brewer Chris who told us the other brewers would be coming to sit with us shortly. Colin and a man possibly called Rory came and sat with us, I talked to the man PCR for a while, as did my fellow drinkers. What a friendly, knowledgeable bunch they were.
Other beers tried on this night of exemplary Buxton brews were the matured Far Skyline Berliner Weiss which now tasted of white wine, the Wild boar and High Tor India Red on cask and the Belgian IPA on keg. By this time I had also bumped into Stef, Jules, Tony, Matt C and Nate again, and continued trying beers including another pint of High Tor on cask and a pint and a half of the Cloudberry Ice Cream IPA on keg, which was a far tastier and more beery beer than it sounds.
Alas I soon had to go catch the last First bus so left just as Katie and Lee turned up, but this was a fantastic penultimate event at Sheffield Beer Week for me.
I can't wait to start the ball rolling again next year.
Cheers!
Wee Beefy
this time last week I still hadn't sobered up from two nights of lovely ales and socialising - two nights which were part of Sheffield Beer Week 2016. I realise am a bit late posting this but have been otherwise engaged ever since. Here are some fragmented memories of both events.
Thursday 17th March is a well known date in Ireland. Its also a night when people in the UK drink Guinness in tents and realise they cannot handle their alcohol, whilst wearing outsize hats. Dear God. What a travesty. The Twat in the Hat night is one of my least favourite of the year but luckily this was when the Bath Hotel had their beer tasting of Thornbridge Hall bottles.
The night started well - I saw Jules in the back and told her I wasn't "here for the First pour, I don't want to try yet another disappointing Thornbridge beer". I was then telling her this was ironic, since I was here to sample their bottled fare, when she told me the other people on the table were the Thornbridge brewing team and owners. I told her I would not be changing my opinion.
Meeting with Matty and Mr Grant we sat down in a corner with a guy from Finland called Arnaut. Or similar. We were joined by Jules, and sampled a range of excellent aged bottled beers. We started with the Double Scotch Ale, at 8.5% and whisky barrel aged, which I didn't remember. This was an excellent Scottish style beer, and we followed this with the small bottled Russian Imperial Stout. This I do remember, and it was still in excellent condition. We also tried the Sour Brown, a soured American Brown Ale at 7% which in 2013 was a little before I started to appreciate sour beers - I now can, and enjoyed it.
We continued next with a collaboration with St Eriks Brewery, a 10% Imperial Raspberry Stout which wasn't really to my liking, before finishing on the Bracia, bottled at 10% but now potentially a lot stronger. A wonderfully rounded, heavy, but tasty beer to finish on.
Friday was hazy but luckily I was off. I meet Tash and Mumrah in town for coffee and then headed to Shakespeares for a warm up to their Buxton Tap Takeover later. I had a half of the Buxton Bomba Generation bretted stout at 10% on keg, and a pint of Axe Edge on cask. In fact, I probably only had a third of the bomba, an intensely bretted, but wonderfully rich imperial stout.
After a quick pop to the newly opened West Street Ale House, and for some food, I bumped into Nate from Lost Industry Brewery and joined him and his friends back at Shakespeares at 17.15. The event started at 17.00. I queued to get in.
I started on another pint of Axe Edge and a half of Yellow Belly Imperial Stout on cask, based on claims it was about to run out - Chris tells me it sold in 52 minutes. This is a mighty 11% peanut butter biscuit stout (which is claimed to feature none of the above) and is the only time it has ever been sold on cask. I had a half to be on the safe side. Suffice to say, the beer was amazing!
I got sat down with Laura and Richard and Kirsty and talked and supped beer before spotting Buxton Brewer Chris who told us the other brewers would be coming to sit with us shortly. Colin and a man possibly called Rory came and sat with us, I talked to the man PCR for a while, as did my fellow drinkers. What a friendly, knowledgeable bunch they were.
Other beers tried on this night of exemplary Buxton brews were the matured Far Skyline Berliner Weiss which now tasted of white wine, the Wild boar and High Tor India Red on cask and the Belgian IPA on keg. By this time I had also bumped into Stef, Jules, Tony, Matt C and Nate again, and continued trying beers including another pint of High Tor on cask and a pint and a half of the Cloudberry Ice Cream IPA on keg, which was a far tastier and more beery beer than it sounds.
Alas I soon had to go catch the last First bus so left just as Katie and Lee turned up, but this was a fantastic penultimate event at Sheffield Beer Week for me.
I can't wait to start the ball rolling again next year.
Cheers!
Wee Beefy
Saturday, 19 March 2016
Wednesday - Tiny Rebel and Great Heck, Sheffield Beer Week
Hullo,
having missed the beginning of the bibulous event that is Sheffield Beer Week 2016 I was feeling a little better on Wednesday and opted to visit the Bath Hotel. They were having a Tiny Rebel Brewing tap takeover and meet the brewer evening. This was my first event at the beer week, and was very well attended.
Tiny Rebel Brewery are a small Welsh brewery with an interesting an successful range of real, keg and bottled ales. Starting after a warm walk up West Street we opted to try some keg first - I had a pint of the Fiasco Lupilus saison at 6.7% and Tash the Cali multi hopped Pale Ale. Both beers were distinctive hoppy and tasty, with the saison having an interesting taste in the background and the Cali being perfectly drinkable at about 5.7%. After we found a seat in the corner of the back room after finding the front packed, we set about sampling some other beers.
I did see the brewers, but in the melee it was difficult to find chance to chat with them. Stef, Fiona and the team were rushed off their feet and Mike P was around bringing bottles of beer in boxes into the pub kitchen, no doubt in preparation for the bottled beer tasting the next day. Myself and Tash tried Beer a birth, a sweetish barra birth cake inspired ale, along with a pint each of the Fubar and Dubbl Dragon, a Belgian Monastery style dark Ale at around 6%.
The Dubbel was quite a hefty brew so am glad we stuck to one, and the Fubar was hoppy with a slightly sweetish element - I remember that when I last visited Wales in 2013 I longed for a hoppy beer all the time I was there, with only a strong Celt Experience IPA really satisfying my need. That said, they are brewing for a market where less hoppy ales are still quite popular and lets face it Sheffield is still a place where predominantly hoppy beers are very popular. Overall this was an excellent start to my week with interesting, well kept beers.
After wards we met with Clare and Rich and Kath at the Devonshire Cat for the Great Heck Brewery Tap takeover and meet the brewer - he wasn't difficult to spot with his red hat, although I did not get to speak to Denzil Valance either - or Denzil Dexter, the scientist form the Fast Show, as I mistakenly called hoim at least twice.
Here we were on pints of the Shankar IPA, and free samples of the Patrick stout which were being handed out. Accompanied by numerous packets of pork scratchings this was a fine way to celebrate the brewers craft.The Shankar is one of my favourite cask beers and was in fine form, and provided a fantastic hoppy end to the night.
Details tomorrow of Thursday and Friday;s beery adventures.
Cheers!
Wee Beefy
having missed the beginning of the bibulous event that is Sheffield Beer Week 2016 I was feeling a little better on Wednesday and opted to visit the Bath Hotel. They were having a Tiny Rebel Brewing tap takeover and meet the brewer evening. This was my first event at the beer week, and was very well attended.
Tiny Rebel Brewery are a small Welsh brewery with an interesting an successful range of real, keg and bottled ales. Starting after a warm walk up West Street we opted to try some keg first - I had a pint of the Fiasco Lupilus saison at 6.7% and Tash the Cali multi hopped Pale Ale. Both beers were distinctive hoppy and tasty, with the saison having an interesting taste in the background and the Cali being perfectly drinkable at about 5.7%. After we found a seat in the corner of the back room after finding the front packed, we set about sampling some other beers.
I did see the brewers, but in the melee it was difficult to find chance to chat with them. Stef, Fiona and the team were rushed off their feet and Mike P was around bringing bottles of beer in boxes into the pub kitchen, no doubt in preparation for the bottled beer tasting the next day. Myself and Tash tried Beer a birth, a sweetish barra birth cake inspired ale, along with a pint each of the Fubar and Dubbl Dragon, a Belgian Monastery style dark Ale at around 6%.
The Dubbel was quite a hefty brew so am glad we stuck to one, and the Fubar was hoppy with a slightly sweetish element - I remember that when I last visited Wales in 2013 I longed for a hoppy beer all the time I was there, with only a strong Celt Experience IPA really satisfying my need. That said, they are brewing for a market where less hoppy ales are still quite popular and lets face it Sheffield is still a place where predominantly hoppy beers are very popular. Overall this was an excellent start to my week with interesting, well kept beers.
After wards we met with Clare and Rich and Kath at the Devonshire Cat for the Great Heck Brewery Tap takeover and meet the brewer - he wasn't difficult to spot with his red hat, although I did not get to speak to Denzil Valance either - or Denzil Dexter, the scientist form the Fast Show, as I mistakenly called hoim at least twice.
Here we were on pints of the Shankar IPA, and free samples of the Patrick stout which were being handed out. Accompanied by numerous packets of pork scratchings this was a fine way to celebrate the brewers craft.The Shankar is one of my favourite cask beers and was in fine form, and provided a fantastic hoppy end to the night.
Details tomorrow of Thursday and Friday;s beery adventures.
Cheers!
Wee Beefy
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