Hello,
its important at the early stage of this post to confirm the above was not me. I do drink tea, yes, but that is one of many things that I do at home that I do not undertake in Shakespeares, or indeed any other pub. Trimming my facial hair, cleaning my teeth and stroking Benny* are a few others.
Anyhoo it was after overtime and two couples came in and the two Ladies of the group expressed concern at drinking more beer in another pub and it was, perhaps by them suggested they had a cup of tea. Chris said this could be done. All of a sudden they seemed quite embarrassed. Sensing their unease I decided it would help if I calmed them down. So I said "Its OK you are the second and third customers I have seen order a cup f tea in here. In six years.....
The group were from sunny Scunny and comprised Dave, Lee, Kate and Katrina, or another female name with a "c" or a "k" at the beginning. Or, it could be none of these. They had nipped into sunny Sheffield for a days drinking and were heading for the BrewDog bar next. Having established that they could now receive emails alright I had quite a good chat with them.
I was on Kernel Mosaic IPA at 7.1%. In a surprising development, it was chuffing ace. Cloudy, or as I now say "London Opaque" and absolutely bursting with hoppy juicy bitterness from the Mosaic. This was, quite frankly, an excellent pint. I had three just to make sure, along with a Red Willow Wreckless (or similar) at 6.6%. Although I had this first and enjoyed it, this could not match the excellence of the Kernel.
I had been drinking the same the night before on payday. Am fairly certain that I didn't have anything else to drink that night, apart from a pint of the Blue Bee Eukanot and two of the Hopjacker Beer House pale at the Bar Stewards. They have finished their stint of temporary licences and are well on their way to securing a full or at least long term license to sell bose. I wish Al and Charlie all the very best in their future operations at the micropub.
I went there three times this weekend, once to start, once to take Wee Keefy who had never visited before (and according to his camera to have a mini Beefdoze) and once for a pint and a bottle of Augustiner Edelstoff lager to take to Mr P's. A fantastic beer if you have not tried it.
My last mention this month goes to the Drink Inn micropub on Commercial street. One of the side effects of the Three Tuns closing is there are very few places to go near the tram line which serve decent real ales and aren't the Bankers. he Drink Inn fits the bill perfectly. I have probably been in about four or five times in the last month and enjoyed it every one. Especially the can of BrewDog chilli IPA that I tried.
Well worth popping in for a taster. As the Bar Stewards will be when they reopen in a month or three's time. Huzaah!
Cheers
Wee Beefy
*Benny is a cat.
Sunday, 30 April 2017
Sunday, 23 April 2017
Revisiting Derby
Hello Ladies and Lentilmen,
yesterday I took Matty to Derby for the first time. Its not the first time he has been, but the first time I have been with him to share my knowledge of its frankly excellent boozers. To make a change, I decided we should go to some new pubs for the very first time. Here are some details and guesswork about what we found.
We had intended to get to the Derby about 11.00 as Matty had to be in back in Sheffield for 19.00. In the end we were delayed by his long phone call to the leccy and we met at about 11.15. Soon on a train we arrived just before midday and headed straight for the Station Inn on Midland Road. It was closed. It was gone midday. This was a poor start.
Round the corner and down back streets took us to the Brunswick, one pub Matty definitely remembers drinking in on his previous visit. Here he had a pint of Brunswick Rocket at 4.8% and I halves of Kreft Brewing Belgian Pale and Driftwood Spa Brewery JCS, a hoppy, Cornish, pale. By Cornish standards, there was quite a lot of hop in there but the Kreft was better. Matty got a discount as a CAMRA member, although despite him buying all 3 drinks am fairly sure mine was not. I don't mind, but that does seem a little picky if so. We sat in the room (one of) on the left and supped and planned our next destination.
In a surprising move we ended up in the Alexandra. I really like this pub, and as usual there was an excellent range of ales to choose from. I had a pint of Dark Star Revelation on account of it being fab and Matt a Lenton Lane Bluebird at something sensible like 4.2%. We also had a pork pie each, before realising that there was a range of scotch eggs including black pudding flavoured. We got chatting to a man who used to work at Rolls Royce, who had a name. He definitely had a name.
We headed off into town next and made our way through the streets to Friargate. I haven't been in this part of Derby for a while but found it easy enough, and as we walked along Matty let out a huge, happy, deep breath at seeing a craft beer and board games pub. Despite my concerns, we went into Alchemy, which used to be the Friargate I think, and while Matty got a bottle of Dancing Duck DCUK I had a pint of Franciscan Well Chieftain Irish pale. Its the first time I have tried a beer from this brewery and it was very pleasant. I also paid for a half and got a pint, so no qualms on price!
Just up the road is Suds and Soda, a "joint" recommended by Nate from the Shakespeares which delivered on all counts. There were 6 keg beers on from far and wide, most of which we tried. They also sell a rather excellent rang of cans and bottles from small brewers, mainly UK and European. It is, I have to say, rather bloody fab.
I had halves of the Belching Beaver orange and vanilla IPA at 6.9%, and the Les Brassuers Du Grand Paris Citra and Galctique IPA at 6.5%, from Paris. Matty had the Lost Industry Peach melba Yoghurt Sour at 5.7 and the Twisted Barrel Hmmm at 6.5%. All four beers were in excellent condition and offered a range of styles - its not every day you see a genuine French IPA. Matty also got a bottle of the local Neonraptor Brewery Endangered bourbon porter. I understand the shop does the publicity, maybe including artwork, and also distribution of this small breweries output. Its certainly not a beer I have tried before. An excellent place to go for a drink in Derby.
Up the road next to the Last Post, micropub. Having missed it last time I was pleased to find it this, and it did not disappoint. The pub sells four or five real ales and a couple of kegs in the tiny bar area which must seat about 15. Out the back is a fabulous suntrap garden where I went for a sunbathe with my pint of what may have been Stockport Brewing Cascade. It was definitely one of the four beers that were on....
Matty loved this pub as the regulars were so friendly and knowledgeable, and recommended two nearby pubs which we tried. Definitely a venue I will be revisiting.
The Woodlark was the first of the pubs recommended which we visited and in here we had a drink of beer - each. I can't remember which pub was which in terms of beer range between this and the White Lion (or Golden, or Red Lion....)* but in one of them we had pints of Tiny Rebel pale ale. We sat in the beer garden soaking up the sun whilst Matty delighted in telling me that the mighty Wednesday were losing to Derby. Only after we returned to the main road back into town did he tell me we had won. He a funny guy.
Our penultimate stop was the Flowerpot where my phone camera tells me I had a sandwich. We each had a pint of Oakham Green Devil here to dispel our disappointment of how it tasted on Friday night in Sheffield. Matty was suitably persuaded that this was an excellent beer, served in an equally excellent pub.
Our final stop was the Alexandra, again, where we had more beer and a black pudding Scotch egg, which met and perhaps exceeded our expectations. An absolutely excellent range of snap as always in the Alex, and a brilliant way to finish our crawl of Derby.
Its always been a favourite place of mine to nip to for a quick booze up, and after twenty two years of doing so its good to see that having visited five new pubs in Derby there is still plenty to discover, and much to enjoy in this fabulous city of pubs and ales.
Cheers!
Wee Beefy
*the Lion of many unspecified colours was the Golden Eagle, so Matt tells me. But whadda arr norw......
yesterday I took Matty to Derby for the first time. Its not the first time he has been, but the first time I have been with him to share my knowledge of its frankly excellent boozers. To make a change, I decided we should go to some new pubs for the very first time. Here are some details and guesswork about what we found.
We had intended to get to the Derby about 11.00 as Matty had to be in back in Sheffield for 19.00. In the end we were delayed by his long phone call to the leccy and we met at about 11.15. Soon on a train we arrived just before midday and headed straight for the Station Inn on Midland Road. It was closed. It was gone midday. This was a poor start.
Round the corner and down back streets took us to the Brunswick, one pub Matty definitely remembers drinking in on his previous visit. Here he had a pint of Brunswick Rocket at 4.8% and I halves of Kreft Brewing Belgian Pale and Driftwood Spa Brewery JCS, a hoppy, Cornish, pale. By Cornish standards, there was quite a lot of hop in there but the Kreft was better. Matty got a discount as a CAMRA member, although despite him buying all 3 drinks am fairly sure mine was not. I don't mind, but that does seem a little picky if so. We sat in the room (one of) on the left and supped and planned our next destination.
In a surprising move we ended up in the Alexandra. I really like this pub, and as usual there was an excellent range of ales to choose from. I had a pint of Dark Star Revelation on account of it being fab and Matt a Lenton Lane Bluebird at something sensible like 4.2%. We also had a pork pie each, before realising that there was a range of scotch eggs including black pudding flavoured. We got chatting to a man who used to work at Rolls Royce, who had a name. He definitely had a name.
We headed off into town next and made our way through the streets to Friargate. I haven't been in this part of Derby for a while but found it easy enough, and as we walked along Matty let out a huge, happy, deep breath at seeing a craft beer and board games pub. Despite my concerns, we went into Alchemy, which used to be the Friargate I think, and while Matty got a bottle of Dancing Duck DCUK I had a pint of Franciscan Well Chieftain Irish pale. Its the first time I have tried a beer from this brewery and it was very pleasant. I also paid for a half and got a pint, so no qualms on price!
Just up the road is Suds and Soda, a "joint" recommended by Nate from the Shakespeares which delivered on all counts. There were 6 keg beers on from far and wide, most of which we tried. They also sell a rather excellent rang of cans and bottles from small brewers, mainly UK and European. It is, I have to say, rather bloody fab.
I had halves of the Belching Beaver orange and vanilla IPA at 6.9%, and the Les Brassuers Du Grand Paris Citra and Galctique IPA at 6.5%, from Paris. Matty had the Lost Industry Peach melba Yoghurt Sour at 5.7 and the Twisted Barrel Hmmm at 6.5%. All four beers were in excellent condition and offered a range of styles - its not every day you see a genuine French IPA. Matty also got a bottle of the local Neonraptor Brewery Endangered bourbon porter. I understand the shop does the publicity, maybe including artwork, and also distribution of this small breweries output. Its certainly not a beer I have tried before. An excellent place to go for a drink in Derby.
Up the road next to the Last Post, micropub. Having missed it last time I was pleased to find it this, and it did not disappoint. The pub sells four or five real ales and a couple of kegs in the tiny bar area which must seat about 15. Out the back is a fabulous suntrap garden where I went for a sunbathe with my pint of what may have been Stockport Brewing Cascade. It was definitely one of the four beers that were on....
Matty loved this pub as the regulars were so friendly and knowledgeable, and recommended two nearby pubs which we tried. Definitely a venue I will be revisiting.
The Woodlark was the first of the pubs recommended which we visited and in here we had a drink of beer - each. I can't remember which pub was which in terms of beer range between this and the White Lion (or Golden, or Red Lion....)* but in one of them we had pints of Tiny Rebel pale ale. We sat in the beer garden soaking up the sun whilst Matty delighted in telling me that the mighty Wednesday were losing to Derby. Only after we returned to the main road back into town did he tell me we had won. He a funny guy.
Our penultimate stop was the Flowerpot where my phone camera tells me I had a sandwich. We each had a pint of Oakham Green Devil here to dispel our disappointment of how it tasted on Friday night in Sheffield. Matty was suitably persuaded that this was an excellent beer, served in an equally excellent pub.
Our final stop was the Alexandra, again, where we had more beer and a black pudding Scotch egg, which met and perhaps exceeded our expectations. An absolutely excellent range of snap as always in the Alex, and a brilliant way to finish our crawl of Derby.
Its always been a favourite place of mine to nip to for a quick booze up, and after twenty two years of doing so its good to see that having visited five new pubs in Derby there is still plenty to discover, and much to enjoy in this fabulous city of pubs and ales.
Cheers!
Wee Beefy
*the Lion of many unspecified colours was the Golden Eagle, so Matt tells me. But whadda arr norw......
Friday, 14 April 2017
A fantastic Sheffield pub crawl
Hello all,
apologies for the delay in posting, have had a few issue to deal with of late, not least my overdraft being taken off me and me slowly finding out which bills I haven't paid, since my card was retained when I tried to get a mini statement. Luckily I had saved some funds with Mumrah so have been able to buy food and get out now and again. Here is some of what I suspect may have happened.
I met up with Glen for the first time in years. We met at the Sheffield Tap which was rammed, and had halves of the Hawkshead Cumberland Pale or similar at 3.6%. It was well over £3.00 a pint. Very tasty and refreshing though, and not the most expensive beer of the night.
That was at the Rutland Arms where we had a fabulous pint each of the Lervig tasty juice tropical fruit IPA. Being Norwegian keg is why it cost £6.00 odd a pint, but living in the saaaaarf I imagined Glen would be unsurprised. He wasn't, but admitted that this was frankly fabulous. One of the most refreshing, hoppy, juice filled and thirst quenching beers I think I've had. We did think about stopping for food but funds were limited and I had two emergency vouchers for a nearby burger chain. And besides, we needed to meet Tash and head for Shakespeares, a pub that was closed the last time Glen had been drinking in Sheffield.
Regurgetated burger slithers munched we met Tash in the Bankers and let her finish her wine before heading off to Shakespeares. As always the range did not disappoint. It also did not stick in my memory. I may have had Ridgeside cask but am certain there was a fabulously hoppy Kernel on keg so me and Gen would have had that. Tash had a pint of dry cider, or maybe a glass of wine. Seems two days of human and unhuman cannonball from Magic Rock has rewired my memory....
We finished the night in the Wellington where we would have at least two pints for me of Neepsend Breakfast IPA Mark 3. We also tried a pint of their Centennial ( according to rich) and finished on more Breakfast IPA. A fantastic quick pub crawl of some of Sheffield' finest real ale pubs for Mr. W was had.
More posts soon about other bowzey trips in the steel city of sunny Sheffield.
Cheers and Huzzah!
Wee Beefy
apologies for the delay in posting, have had a few issue to deal with of late, not least my overdraft being taken off me and me slowly finding out which bills I haven't paid, since my card was retained when I tried to get a mini statement. Luckily I had saved some funds with Mumrah so have been able to buy food and get out now and again. Here is some of what I suspect may have happened.
I met up with Glen for the first time in years. We met at the Sheffield Tap which was rammed, and had halves of the Hawkshead Cumberland Pale or similar at 3.6%. It was well over £3.00 a pint. Very tasty and refreshing though, and not the most expensive beer of the night.
That was at the Rutland Arms where we had a fabulous pint each of the Lervig tasty juice tropical fruit IPA. Being Norwegian keg is why it cost £6.00 odd a pint, but living in the saaaaarf I imagined Glen would be unsurprised. He wasn't, but admitted that this was frankly fabulous. One of the most refreshing, hoppy, juice filled and thirst quenching beers I think I've had. We did think about stopping for food but funds were limited and I had two emergency vouchers for a nearby burger chain. And besides, we needed to meet Tash and head for Shakespeares, a pub that was closed the last time Glen had been drinking in Sheffield.
Regurgetated burger slithers munched we met Tash in the Bankers and let her finish her wine before heading off to Shakespeares. As always the range did not disappoint. It also did not stick in my memory. I may have had Ridgeside cask but am certain there was a fabulously hoppy Kernel on keg so me and Gen would have had that. Tash had a pint of dry cider, or maybe a glass of wine. Seems two days of human and unhuman cannonball from Magic Rock has rewired my memory....
We finished the night in the Wellington where we would have at least two pints for me of Neepsend Breakfast IPA Mark 3. We also tried a pint of their Centennial ( according to rich) and finished on more Breakfast IPA. A fantastic quick pub crawl of some of Sheffield' finest real ale pubs for Mr. W was had.
More posts soon about other bowzey trips in the steel city of sunny Sheffield.
Cheers and Huzzah!
Wee Beefy
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