Newbies

Greetings

      perhaps regrettably, newbies sadly references only to two pubs new to myself. And having said that, they aren't especially new themselves, but its fair to say that recent costs versus slowdowns has meant that I have rarely got to anywhere other than the excellent top three locals that I am most regularly in. Pay day however, which was on the 31st of January, was a day when I traveled up Abbeydale Road to try out two new to me venues.

I disembarked the bus near the Picture House Social and having found a crossing I was soon admiring and entering the Dead Donkey. Not named, to my knowledge, after the dropping of the same in a channel four comedy in the eighties, what I am pleased to say is that it is a very well laid out and very well stocked destination with a good selection of enjoyable keg from the future.

I started on a pint of Arbor Mosaic session Pale at 4.1% and this went down very well indeed. As guests for a later do turned up to drop off supplies I took the barman's recommendation of the 7.4% or thereabouts Track IPA which despite it's strength was a very very easy drinking drop. I sat on older chairs brought up from the south next to the table near the main road window, and watched people go by, whilst enjoying the music along with another half of the same.

From here I wandered up the main road and stopped off at the Broadfield - ironically I had in fact walked past my intended later stop, the Two Thirds ale bar, as when I walked past it there was a loud nutter gibbering down his phone virtually straight into my ear, so I had virtually walked with my eyes set on the pavement trying to ignore the nonsense. It was only when I checked the building numbers further up that I realised I had passed it, but I located it before popping in the pub.

As always there was a good range of beers on offer and I opted for two halves on keg, one from North Brewing which may have been their Sputnik, and the other from a brewery whose name escapes me. Sitting down I quickly noted the brewer from On the Edge brewery was sat nearby with his wife, baby and a friend, so I asked if I could join them for a chat. Am going to suggest he is called Tom however am not entirely sure that this was his name....

It was great to chat to him about his plans for the brewery which is miniscule, and his plans to build a smoker for food and malts, and it was likewise great to hear that following an understandable break whilst the birth of him and his wife's child occurred last year (and she was only just getting out of the house), he intended to slowly take up brewing again in the future.

Just up the road was my second first visit location - Two Thirds was open and quiet having just done so, and offered a range of excellent beers. I had one of the series of mixed hop IPA s from Abbeydale and a half from the Crosspool brewing Co and enjoyed them sat in the room on the right with a couple who were from Wales, or possibly Rotherham....the venue is smaller than the Donkey but still had a decent selection, and noticeably, both venues beers were well priced.

I didn't have chance to stay for long not least because I was hungry, and after nipping on a bus I got off at the top of London Road and headed to Jabeerwocky. I had a pint of Beatnikz Republic Fiesta DDH session IPA on keg and very quickly ordered, and then devoured, one of their brilliant Goulash's. I also got to talk to a man who may be called Chris whom I first got to know a few years ago when he ran the Bath Hotel on Victoria Street. Despite the bar busying up he still found five minutes to have a chat and a great catch up - this is a place I have only been to twice but one which I will definitely return to again.

Receiving a call from Tash I headed into town again and popped into the Graduate to meet her and Matty. Its not somewhere I go very often, not least because many of the beers are often off/not available and also because of their pricing policy. I think I had a pint of moonshine in here and then a soft drink in order to replace some of the alcohol I had already had, although I also had a half of sour on keg before I left.

We walked into a busy but once again enjoyable Museum where despite the lack of excellent Red Willow I still got a pint of Abbeydale which once again was well kept and well priced. As always Tash and Matt got chatting to a number of other drinkers but after an hour here we headed for our final stop, the Dog and Partridge.

It was busy as it was friday night but the beer range was good as always and I may have been on a 5.8% or so strong one with Matty. That said, am not really sure what it was except locally brewed. We got sat in our usual spot near the bar and whilst enjoying the music I was joined by long time chum Paul Tregoing who was out and about with his new colleagues - its fair to say I haven't seen much of him in the last 15 years or so (but I have known him longer) and it was great to get his number and have a catch up before I headed off on my own into town to catch the next to last 52 home.

All in all this was a cracking escapade in some brilliant Sheffield boozers  with fine copmany throughout, and ending up in meeting some excellent folk from the past. Keep up the excellent work Sheffield pubs and bars!

Your very good health!

Wee Beefy