tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26278559438264796322024-03-19T04:28:50.771+00:00Beer and Food AdventuringBeer and Food Adventuringtania_nexusthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15170308777551803844noreply@blogger.comBlogger45125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627855943826479632.post-90090469726591115092016-01-01T19:38:00.005+00:002016-01-01T20:39:46.660+00:00Golden Pints 2015<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOme92kGqj-FJTAl_D2kFfgNn1PEx0BXnMPyRjv7_UlTTjqHqNzhN96lyw_P_mpAHiEoLp0FhseYCphP6ZL87ptngsapRXFoYGckbd5fUSSdzjRbwHVAnQZvFxTKgXUVUgeadn0Busalqt/s1600/golden+pints.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOme92kGqj-FJTAl_D2kFfgNn1PEx0BXnMPyRjv7_UlTTjqHqNzhN96lyw_P_mpAHiEoLp0FhseYCphP6ZL87ptngsapRXFoYGckbd5fUSSdzjRbwHVAnQZvFxTKgXUVUgeadn0Busalqt/s200/golden+pints.png" width="150" /></a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">While 2014 & 2015 have offered meagre time for beer exploring, and m</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">y wandering beer thirst has had to be contained since
my last blog entry due to life events that are likely to take
up most of 2016 as well, the desire for adventure and learning
about new places and taking my palate on a trip is as strong as ever.</span> I am hoping in
2017 to resume some ‘adventuring’ – to spend Saturdays jumping
on a train and visiting York, Bristol, Leeds – to get back to
exploring historic pubs, modern bars, and interesting food
destinations. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I think I still
managed to pack in a fair few new beer samplings in 2015, helped of
course by the mad proliferation of “craft” beer bars in London
these days – so as well as the ever-expanding London brewery scene
(and regular experimentation with new beers & new styles even by
the more established London brewers), there has also been a constant
flow into the city of beers from all over the UK and the world –
including at last a few more ji-biiru reaching these shores, though
that is still a largely unexplored import market compared to the
amount of craft beer available within Japan.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuQJwhaAC2u5XeufHYvNJISnDMp1MBfQpSCxTKxQpmWTttQCOjjcVBsbuO5t6RWJUcTmpdV1TS4BinsKZKP2nWrNfWwleXaFzgc4t13P5oJaiTjzWUbxEJYAfiL6pJSKptvs6eAxL9fXzN/s1600/IMG_20160101_191252079.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">So this blog and desire for beer & food adventures
isn’t dead, merely resting, and I may as well have a stab at
rounding up my Golden Pints 2015 and looking ahead hopefully to expeditions to come...</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>Best UK Cask Beer </b><br />I
may still be craving a pint or three of <a href="https://twitter.com/thebathams">@thebathams</a> and getting no
nearer to my next dose of it, but there have been some other cask
highlights to my year - top of the list is <a href="https://twitter.com/Darkstarbrewco">Dark Star</a> American Pale
Ale - I was so pleased that Fuller's executed such a sympathetic
takeover of The Harp when the owner was ready to retire, and continued
to stock this great beer. Fyne Ales cask beers continued to bring me joy
when I found them in the Euston Tap or Craft bars. A late mention must
also go to <a href="https://twitter.com/vocationbrewery">Vocation</a> Pride & Joy - found this in Tap East the
other night and it was so delicious, and in perfect condition, that we
cancelled our plans and stayed for several more. I always feel so
pleased there are cask beers out there that still excite me that much!<br /><b><br />Best UK Keg Beer</b><br />Double
Axe from <a href="https://twitter.com/BuxtonBrewery">Buxton</a> has been pretty awesome on keg the few times I've come
across it this year, so gets my vote. Siren Soundwave and Beavertown Black Betty have
continued to be great as well – I think because all of these beers have
fierce flavours that stand up to the chilling / less natural
conditioning of keg. There have been plenty of pale ales I've tasted on
keg this year though that left me distinctly underwhelmed and wondering
if a cask version would have given my tastebuds a lot more pleasure.<br /><b><br /></b></span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuQJwhaAC2u5XeufHYvNJISnDMp1MBfQpSCxTKxQpmWTttQCOjjcVBsbuO5t6RWJUcTmpdV1TS4BinsKZKP2nWrNfWwleXaFzgc4t13P5oJaiTjzWUbxEJYAfiL6pJSKptvs6eAxL9fXzN/s1600/IMG_20160101_191252079.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuQJwhaAC2u5XeufHYvNJISnDMp1MBfQpSCxTKxQpmWTttQCOjjcVBsbuO5t6RWJUcTmpdV1TS4BinsKZKP2nWrNfWwleXaFzgc4t13P5oJaiTjzWUbxEJYAfiL6pJSKptvs6eAxL9fXzN/s200/IMG_20160101_191252079.jpg" width="111" /></a>Best UK Bottled Beer</b><br />There'd
be no prizes for guessing I'd give this one to the Citra that Oakham
ales is producing for M&S – this has been a permanent presence in my
drinks cabinet & fridge, a reliable go-to beer. We've taste-tested
it several times this year against the own-branded Oakham Citra, and
conclude we prefer the M&S version. Fittingly had this as my last
beer of 2015.<br /><b><br />Best UK Canned Beer</b><br />So many good breweries have
got into canning this year – I love the format, given that most of my
beer purchases have to be carried home in a rucksack, and cans are so
portable – in particular I've enjoyed Roosters and Wild Beer Co., but I
think Beavertown Black Betty clinches it again as the one I most wanted
to open my fridge and see an array of.<br /><br /><b>Best Overseas Draught Beer</b><br />I'm
sure I had many good overseas IPAs, sours, saisons, pale ales,
Belgian-style and fruit beers this year – but the two that stood out the
most for me were the Stone Xocoveza For The Holidays & The New Year
that I came across in Ushers in Edinburgh – a really rich, chocolatey
stout; and the Lagunitas Mozango (Fusion XXXI) at Euston Tap/Holborn
Whippet, which was a great fruity, hoppy mouthful.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1c_1_QPk7s5bi5tfGBXkU5RwrzTKwb8hNlXsZVnYVJ5-cez3NI4ULVevJN7X_Et1YuUgzEDzX343jE6ZBGeI4YeTyr1_fxAxcP6m_DLsbOUmz5JR-EOBrWU6jTVn-NbFpvftCf_LvWwBp/s1600/IMG_20150512_212957210.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1c_1_QPk7s5bi5tfGBXkU5RwrzTKwb8hNlXsZVnYVJ5-cez3NI4ULVevJN7X_Et1YuUgzEDzX343jE6ZBGeI4YeTyr1_fxAxcP6m_DLsbOUmz5JR-EOBrWU6jTVn-NbFpvftCf_LvWwBp/s200/IMG_20150512_212957210.jpg" width="111" /></a>Best Overseas Bottled Beer</b><br />This
would probably go to the two very tasty bottles from Westbrook that I
was lucky enough to have a share of at Jackie's birthday party back in
May – the Chocolate Coconut Almond Imperial Stout and the Orange Bliss
Chocolate Orange Stout.<br /><br /><b>Best Overseas Canned Beer</b><br />Dale's Pale Ale from Oskar Blues continued to impress. Nice to see more cans are making it over here - the Black Heart in Camden continues to be a reliable source. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEt-36NROCRPxR_zyvA33tDbagx4NdM49OpjwUyBshzBBjfhlyPVFKWtPNypPG9oZa1gJUgcWEiP-Ca5BCYGV4cgHV3m0EQzk0ciHIRg2zZWFJw1BzfJTsy3e2d24whp8SsuOdIgyjMJjm/s1600/IMG_20150124_170823524.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEt-36NROCRPxR_zyvA33tDbagx4NdM49OpjwUyBshzBBjfhlyPVFKWtPNypPG9oZa1gJUgcWEiP-Ca5BCYGV4cgHV3m0EQzk0ciHIRg2zZWFJw1BzfJTsy3e2d24whp8SsuOdIgyjMJjm/s1600/IMG_20150124_170823524.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEt-36NROCRPxR_zyvA33tDbagx4NdM49OpjwUyBshzBBjfhlyPVFKWtPNypPG9oZa1gJUgcWEiP-Ca5BCYGV4cgHV3m0EQzk0ciHIRg2zZWFJw1BzfJTsy3e2d24whp8SsuOdIgyjMJjm/s1600/IMG_20150124_170823524.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>Best Collaboration</b> <br />Some
people have commented in their Golden Pints that they're not that
fussed about collaborations – but I love them – I like the idea that
brewers have healthy respect for their peers and make friends across the
industry; it might be cliched but it gives me a warm feeling that two
breweries I respect have corresponded and come up with a cool beer idea
or recipe then had a fun day hanging out to create it, and as a result
perhaps introduce their name to new customers who are familiar with
their co-collaborators. I really enjoyed the Weird Brodmance from Weird
Beard/Brodies – looking forward to the whisky-cask aged version of the
same when I come across some!<br /><br /><b>Best Overall Beer</b><br />No change from my last Golden Pints, for it's reliable and sustaining properties throughout 2015 - M&S Citra. <br /><br /><b>Best Pumpclip or Label</b><br />Siren's always look pretty and distinctive, and I love the evolving artwork on <a href="https://twitter.com/toolbeer">To Øl</a> bottles.<br /><br /><b>Best UK Brewery</b><br />My
drinking may have been mostly London-centric this year, but the
regional established producers continue to impress. A bit hard to pick
just one brewery overall out of the many new and established great
breweries out there at the minute – I guess I'd have to say Oakham at a
pinch cause I drank way more Citra than anything else this year!<br /><br /><b>Best Overseas Brewery</b><br />I
don't feel I've had enough experience in overseas beers this year –
it's either been reliable stalwarts like Odell & Sierra Nevada, or
one-off speciality brews found occasionally from the likes of Cigar City
or Lost Abbey. So, no particular overall winner here for me.<br /><br /><b>Best New Brewery opening 2015</b><br />I'd give this to <a href="https://twitter.com/MadHatBrew">Mad Hatter</a> as they've produced some amazing and inventive stuff that sounds like it shouldn't work but does, but as they opened in 2014, instead I'll say that Cloudwater look like they're shaping up to be pretty exciting!<br /><br /><b>Pub/Bar of the Year</b><br />I
haven't been able to venture much outside Central London this year, so
I'd have to give this a three-way toss-up between Bartons Arms, which I
got to visit again in July and always love; Craft in Covent Garden where
I've spent most of my beer money this year; and the Red Lion in
Leytonstone from the Antic Group, which made me very happy in the
summer, discovering they stocked Odell IPA in bottles!<br /><br /><b>Best New Pub/Bar opening 2015</b><br />Again
my lack of being able to travel means I have few to choose from – I
know there have been great openings up and down the country that I hope
to get to someday like the Cotteridge Wines Tasting Room and the Magic
Rock Tap – but closer to home there are two new openings I'm hoping to
frequent a lot in 2016. They may not have the widest beer selection, but
they look like comfortable places to spend an afternoon or evening –
the relaunched Scottish Stores in Kings Cross, and the Resting Hare
right by Euston. Spit/Fire in Edinburgh also impressed with it's décor,
atmosphere and beer selection.<br /><br /><b>Beer Festival of the Year</b><br /><a href="https://twitter.com/birminghamcubed">Birmingham Beer Bash</a> without a doubt – great venue, great selection of beers,
events and foods, and great people – both those running the event, and
the many friendly faces amongst the guests. One of the highlights of my
year!<br /><b><br />Best city for beer in the UK</b><br />London is pretty mad for
beer these days – I think I still prefer Edinburgh on the whole
(possibly my perception is that Edi is more compact, has more actual
'pubs' where you can get a seat, and has more reliably good-condition
cask beer available), but there is such a booming scene in London now
with new bars & breweries opening every month, that you couldn't get
bored here.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>Supermarket of the Year</b></span><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEt-36NROCRPxR_zyvA33tDbagx4NdM49OpjwUyBshzBBjfhlyPVFKWtPNypPG9oZa1gJUgcWEiP-Ca5BCYGV4cgHV3m0EQzk0ciHIRg2zZWFJw1BzfJTsy3e2d24whp8SsuOdIgyjMJjm/s1600/IMG_20150124_170823524.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEt-36NROCRPxR_zyvA33tDbagx4NdM49OpjwUyBshzBBjfhlyPVFKWtPNypPG9oZa1gJUgcWEiP-Ca5BCYGV4cgHV3m0EQzk0ciHIRg2zZWFJw1BzfJTsy3e2d24whp8SsuOdIgyjMJjm/s200/IMG_20150124_170823524.jpg" width="111" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Royal Mile</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">M&S, obvs.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEt-36NROCRPxR_zyvA33tDbagx4NdM49OpjwUyBshzBBjfhlyPVFKWtPNypPG9oZa1gJUgcWEiP-Ca5BCYGV4cgHV3m0EQzk0ciHIRg2zZWFJw1BzfJTsy3e2d24whp8SsuOdIgyjMJjm/s1600/IMG_20150124_170823524.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><b>Independent Retailer of the Year</b><br />Royal
Mile Whiskies in Bloomsbury, and Kris Wines in Finsbury Park, have
provided most of </span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">my take-home bottle purchases this year.<br /><br /><b>Online Retailer of the Year</b><br />Don't think I ordered any online beer this year so will have to skip this one, and best get ordering for 2016!<br /><br /><b>Best Beer Book or Magazine</b><br />Have
enjoyed Original Gravity when I've seen it out and about – nice to have
something easy to read and covering a wide range of beery subjects.<br /><br /><b>Best Beer Blog or Website</b><br /><a href="https://twitter.com/BoakandBailey">@BoakandBailey</a>
posts are always such an enjoyable read – their writing style flows
really well, and is always informative & thought-provoking.<br /><br /><b>Best Beer App</b><br />Untappd
– I gave RateBeer a go for a bit but I find I'm often in need of speed
when recording impressions of a beer so Untappd is very easy to use on
that front – plus I like the ability to share a check-in on Twitter if I
want to let other people know a particularly good beer can be found
somewhere, and appreciate it when others do this also.<br /><b><br />Simon Johnson Award for Best Beer Twitterer</b><br />Boak and Bailey again, for sharing lots of info and useful stuff and leading my beery thoughts in various directions this year.<br /><br /><b>Best Online Brewery Presence</b><br /><a href="https://twitter.com/FivePointsBrew">Five Points Brewery</a> takes this – for regularly engaging with drinkers and
beer fans on social media and spreading the word about events and ace
pubs.<br /><b><br />Food and Beer Pairing of the Year</b><br />The delicious and
varied take on fish & chips from Hook in Camden, paired with an
English IPA or Belgian pale from their beer list.<br /><br /><b>In 2016 I’d most like to...</b><br />Get to a city outside of London to explore more pubs, and find a bottle of Cloudwater DIPA!<br /><br />Cheers to all!</span>tania_nexusthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15170308777551803844noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627855943826479632.post-53434606891463034122014-01-01T17:37:00.001+00:002014-01-01T17:37:33.165+00:00Golden Pints 2013<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOme92kGqj-FJTAl_D2kFfgNn1PEx0BXnMPyRjv7_UlTTjqHqNzhN96lyw_P_mpAHiEoLp0FhseYCphP6ZL87ptngsapRXFoYGckbd5fUSSdzjRbwHVAnQZvFxTKgXUVUgeadn0Busalqt/s1600/golden+pints.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOme92kGqj-FJTAl_D2kFfgNn1PEx0BXnMPyRjv7_UlTTjqHqNzhN96lyw_P_mpAHiEoLp0FhseYCphP6ZL87ptngsapRXFoYGckbd5fUSSdzjRbwHVAnQZvFxTKgXUVUgeadn0Busalqt/s200/golden+pints.png" width="150" /></a>2013 has been a year of change and upheaval for me personally, and as a result I've had to take a step back from beer exploring and appreciation, and from blogging about it too. But that doesn't mean I haven't been taking advantage of any opportunity that arose to continue learning about beer, talk about beer, and drink good beer - and to unfortunately encounter some not-so-good beer along the way as well.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br />So in the hope that 2014 will allow me to write about it sometimes too, I've made a stab at rounding up my 2013 "Golden Pints" - it will be interesting for me to see how this pans out, as for the first half of the year I was still firmly routed in the Birmingham beer scene, but now I am in the quite different beery landscape of London.</span>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>Best UK Cask Beer </b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">I've struggled a bit with UK draught beer since the move to London - I seem to be constantly hopeful I will find something 'pintable' - i.e. a great-tasting beer, in perfect condition & temperature, flavoursome but not overpowering - one that you taste, and then know you will enjoy by the pint, good enough to make you rearrange your plans to stay in that pub for another couple. But I've been regularly disappointed during pub visits - sometimes it's the beer selection, with the beers themselves not seeming that great; sometimes it may be down to the chosen dispense method not suiting the beer as well as another might; and sometimes it's the condition they're served in. But sometimes you strike gold and find one that seems to consistently hit the spot, wherever you've come across it. This year, <a href="https://twitter.com/Darkstarbrewco">@Darkstarbrewco</a> Green Hopped IPA was the one that did it for me.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Best UK Keg Beer</span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Easy - <a href="https://twitter.com/BeavertownBeer">Beavertown</a> Black Betty.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>Best UK Bottled
or Canned Beer</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">My access to great UK bottled beer has taken a huge nosedive since moving away from Brum, and the excellent beer emporiums of <a href="https://twitter.com/StirchleyWines">@StirchleyWines</a></span><span style="font-size: small;"> <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">and <a href="https://twitter.com/CotteridgeWines">@CotteridgeWines</a> - I've had to resort to more supermarket beer shopping, and the bottled beer that has kept me going with it's consistent loveliness is the Oakham-produced Marks & Spencer Citra, so it gets my overall vote. I've still managed to try some new UK bottles when out and about, and two that really impressed were Weird Beard's Fade To Black, and Arbour Ales Down Deeperer. Wish they were in my beer cupboard right now!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>Best Overseas
Draught Beer</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Probably Ska Modus Hoperandi - as I seemed to come across this on draught a few times this year, and it always delivered.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>Best Overseas
Bottled or Canned Beer</b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Too difficult to choose just one for this category, so it's a three-way split between Weihenstephaner Kristallweiss, Rochefort 10, and Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA - was very lucky to have a bottle of the latter given to me by <a href="https://twitter.com/HillstersBrew">@HillstersBrew</a> and it brought back lots of memories of drinking it on draught in NYC.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>Best Collaboration </b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The Fyne Ales / Wild Beer Co. "Cool as a Cucumber" - I really felt this was something outstanding and different when I was lucky enough to find some on draught in London.</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3Z5ZGrYOtXHFcfMnuOOonCnESbM99gAFY_ZR1foEw2jxvsYwsV_3Ulvp-nCq15lb6Mmbp4owqr99KEe0ZAJGQP0Spbybyn_zurrTr8qxEXzuiMECAxAlHaR_J96fSqEq6Ieq4V1rK6PP3/s1600/img_5882.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3Z5ZGrYOtXHFcfMnuOOonCnESbM99gAFY_ZR1foEw2jxvsYwsV_3Ulvp-nCq15lb6Mmbp4owqr99KEe0ZAJGQP0Spbybyn_zurrTr8qxEXzuiMECAxAlHaR_J96fSqEq6Ieq4V1rK6PP3/s200/img_5882.jpg" width="150" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Celt artwork</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>Best Overall
Beer</b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">The beer which has sustained me the most this year - M&S Citra. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>Best Pumpclip or
Label</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">I really like the <a href="https://twitter.com/CeltBeers">Celt Experience</a><b> </b>branding and labels - with the artwork on 'Barbarians Beverage' being my favourite.<b><br /></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>Best UK Brewery</b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Very difficult to pick a favourite, as there are well-established breweries who are turning out consistently good beer but still having time for experimentation, and new breweries coming along all the time. Of the 'new crop' of breweries, those that innovate and experiment with a range of styles while turning out very desirable beer - though I didn't get to drink much of their output this year - it's <a href="https://twitter.com/MagicRockBrewCo">Magic Rock</a>. For being solidly good at what they do, year in, year out - and for beer that I have craved throughout 2013 since moving 100 miles away from it - <a href="https://twitter.com/thebathams">Bathams</a>!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>Best Overseas
Brewery</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I've been able to try a fair few overseas beers this year from excursions around London's "craft" bars, but this has also led to some disappointments as well as delights. So again I'm going to choose something reliable - the brewery that turns out my favourite ever Belgian beer - <a href="http://www.abbaye-rochefort.be/">Abbaye Notre-Dame de Saint-Remy de Rochefort</a>.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>Best New Brewery opening 2013 </b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Really enjoying much of what I've had from <a href="https://twitter.com/WeirdBeard_Brew">Weird Beard</a> - looking forward to more!<b> </b></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>Pub/Bar of the
Year</b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">A bit of a late entry to the list of places I go to seek out good beer - but over the past couple of months I've had some great visits to <a href="https://twitter.com/Theblack_heart">The Black Heart</a> in Camden - I've always found plenty of interest on each visit, on cask, keg or bottle, and it's been great to drink beers from <a href="https://twitter.com/AlechemyBrewCo">@AlechemyBrewCo</a>, Sierra Nevada, <a href="https://twitter.com/FyneAles">@FyneAles</a> and others while listening to Dead Kennedys, Fugazi, and a plethora of alternative sounds. I also really <u>loved</u> the food from <a href="https://twitter.com/kimchicult">Kimchi Cult</a>, who were in residence in the Black Heart kitchen until December - so I hope they can source new food providers for 2014 who are just as amazing!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>Best New Pub/Bar opening 2013 </b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">It's hard to believe the <a href="https://twitter.com/CravenArmsBrum">Craven Arms</a> in Birmingham has been re-opened less than a year - it very quickly became the Friday night beer Twitterati haunt of choice, and I'm sure it will continue to go from strength to strength under the keen stewardship of Chris and Sharon.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>Beer Festival of
the Year</b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">With all the upheavals of the year, I didn't get the opportunity to visit many festivals, but I have no doubt that if I had, I would still be voting for the <a href="http://birminghambeerbash.co.uk/">Birmingham Beer Bash</a> - amazing to see such a fantastic event in my 'home' city (even though I'd just departed from Brumland at that point!) and I wrote about how amazing it all was in <a href="http://bafadventuring.blogspot.co.uk/2013/07/bbb-birminghams-beer-scene-comes-of-age.html">this blogpost</a>.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>Best city for beer in the UK</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Edinburgh - I didn't get to visit there this year, but I have kept an ear to the ground and had regular reports from chums in residence, and definitely think I would find the biggest and best selection of beers there.</span><span style="font-size: small;">
</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>Supermarket of
the Year</b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Waitrose still has the best beer selection on it's shelves - can't argue with Oakham Citra and Thornbridge Kipling!</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoOLh-_BWn2Jcq-WwuIDbICho-bKkBkZwq_lPLfOlOylE_rxRBuFFAwgAaGbleKtBKQd_zKIN-9yGcjJ4FfGCPLYTS4Q-9Vgu1Fmzg1ZWet8nnumg5YNi0LoZ_YcQ011i3TvXxuiwcRnlA/s1600/img_5831.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoOLh-_BWn2Jcq-WwuIDbICho-bKkBkZwq_lPLfOlOylE_rxRBuFFAwgAaGbleKtBKQd_zKIN-9yGcjJ4FfGCPLYTS4Q-9Vgu1Fmzg1ZWet8nnumg5YNi0LoZ_YcQ011i3TvXxuiwcRnlA/s200/img_5831.jpg" width="150" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Royal Mile Whiskies</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>Independent
Retailer of the Year</b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Since the move of cities I've struggled to find shops I can easily get to, with an interesting and well-priced beer selection - so I was really pleased when I visited Royal Mile Whiskies in Bloomsbury and found they had a whole fridge of exciting Scottish beers - I'll be back!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"> </span><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: small;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Online Retailer
of the Year</b></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><a href="https://twitter.com/AlesByMail">@AlesByMail</a> really went the extra mile for me this year, finding a way to deliver beer to my door during the evening, when I could be in to receive it - very grateful to them for this!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>Best Beer Book
or Magazine</b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Haven't had much time to read through my beer books this year, and have quite a backlog waiting for more settled times so I can dive into them with a pint in hand - but I'm currently reading "<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Search-Perfect-Pub-Looking/dp/1409112675">The Search for the Perfect Pub: Looking for the Moon Under Water</a>" and it's an enjoyable read, though does seem to have an anti-smoking-ban bias!<b> </b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>Best Beer Blog
or Website</b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Same as in 2012 - <a href="https://twitter.com/BoakandBailey">@BoakandBailey </a>is where it's at!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Best Beer App</span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Untappd - I use it every time I have a beer, to record my impressions, keep note of what new beers I've had, and to look up what other people have thought of a beer when faced with a long list of ones I haven't had before and time is too short to work through them all!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>Simon Johnson Award for Best Beer
Twitterer</b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">The beery Twitterverse is much, much poorer for the very sad and shocking passing of <a href="https://twitter.com/simonhjohnson">@simonhjohnson</a> - he brought laughter, silliness, enthusiasm and insight and was an all-round great chap to have met. He extended a friendly welcome and encouragement when I first joined Twitter and contributed so much to the sense of an online beer community. He's missed by everyone, but his spirit lives on in the support expressed to <a href="https://twitter.com/BecEmerald">@BecEmerald</a> by everyone he engaged with online, even if they hadn't actually got to meet him IRL. I don't think I could give this award to anyone other than Simon.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>Best Online
Brewery Presence</b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">I don't think I had much call to visit brewery sites in 2013; of those I visited, <a href="http://celtexperience.com/">Celt Experience</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">have quite a nice looking site.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiXvLZK66HGmtFIOSJ_UMDVZ-8YSj6maUTbThMZ5dQnzsz5sPDie00xTvWsZ06AEPdJOVnhnKXUXgj7u9tI_oYWCDqEdWiIQDaNZqg2qVkpg34wdfFsqmUe3MXNjZjOPjgoqesIexaGMA_/s1600/img_5514.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiXvLZK66HGmtFIOSJ_UMDVZ-8YSj6maUTbThMZ5dQnzsz5sPDie00xTvWsZ06AEPdJOVnhnKXUXgj7u9tI_oYWCDqEdWiIQDaNZqg2qVkpg34wdfFsqmUe3MXNjZjOPjgoqesIexaGMA_/s200/img_5514.jpg" width="150" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>Food and Beer
Pairing of the Year</b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Belgian stout and oyster beignets. It's simple, and it works.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>In 2013 I’d most
like to...</b></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Find a reliable source of "pintable" beer in London - I miss you, Barton's Arms!!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span dir="auto">Sláinte</span></span>, and a good year of beer to all! </span>tania_nexusthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15170308777551803844noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627855943826479632.post-75650420087143536852013-07-31T00:29:00.001+01:002013-07-31T00:29:52.067+01:00BBB - Birmingham's Beer Scene Comes Of Age
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">After making a move to London earlier
this year, it was great to be returning to my “home city” of
Birmingham on Friday 26<sup> </sup>July in very auspicious
circumstances – to attend the Birmingham Beer Bash, after many
months of building anticipation! I had been looking forward very much
to a great event where I would get to pick and choose from a wide
selection of interesting beers and catch up with lots of Brummie
chums – and I hoped above all that things went smoothly for the
organising team, a group of Birmingham's beery best – who had
gone out on a limb to bring a momentous festival to our city. I was
not disappointed!</span></div>
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</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpD1QbU3nq2fWenm51LAY1hgC6pDjTQ6wMZW73Q3svCkKXZhRPPSBQWQ0fonq30Nvb-2ZEOVoumY4iHlWzz64YNeU0V8_GJNBu6-77kw3Qh70rQ6fxgxzIHHgDC31LZZrCOrH9b_Sk5xMJ/s1600/img_5418.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpD1QbU3nq2fWenm51LAY1hgC6pDjTQ6wMZW73Q3svCkKXZhRPPSBQWQ0fonq30Nvb-2ZEOVoumY4iHlWzz64YNeU0V8_GJNBu6-77kw3Qh70rQ6fxgxzIHHgDC31LZZrCOrH9b_Sk5xMJ/s200/img_5418.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Having attended <a href="http://www.indymanbeercon.co.uk/">IndyMan</a> last year, I
knew there was a new standard in place for beer festivals, just as
there has been a new wave of breweries sweeping the land. IndyMan
broke free of the constraints faced by CAMRA festivals, being backed
by commercial beer enterprises and a different financing structure;
looking to be staffed mostly by brewers and associates able to sell
and serve their own products; and offering the best of cask, keg and
bottle dispense – but also, crucially, in a really interesting
venue that offered lots of scope for different festival areas and
events.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://birminghambeerbash.co.uk/">Birmingham Beer Bash</a> (or BBB – hence
“bCubed” as it is also known) had a similar but quite simple
agenda – to bring amazing beer to the city, whatever it's dispense.
It was a huge bugbear of mine while living there that we seemed to be
lagging behind other (smaller) English cities massively, in that we
had no “craft” beer bars – i.e. those offering exciting keg
beers as well as a strong range of the cream of UK cask and bottle
offerings, and international beauties appearing too. In the year
before I left, things were definitely on the up – first
<a href="https://twitter.com/TheVictoria">The Victoria</a> started to offer bottles from Kernel, Partizan, Arbor,
Summer Wine, cans from Ska Brewing, and an improved draught offering
with Hardknott, Thornbridge and others; then <a href="https://twitter.com/BrewDogBirm">Brewdog Birmingham</a> opened, at
last bringing some keg lines to the city (along with their trademark
'punk' attitude :-); and then the <a href="https://twitter.com/CravenArmsBrum">Craven Arms</a> was revitalised by
Chris and Sharon Sherratt, with a great ever-changing cask range and
bottles in the fridge from De Molen and Cantillon.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">But before this, some local beer chums
had met for a 'twissup' and expressed their concerns that good beer
just wasn't reaching Birmingham in the way it was flowing into other
cities – and somehow, they all took a leap of faith together, and
decided they could take matters into their own hands and change
Birmingham's beer scene to the one they wanted to see – at least
for one summer weekend!</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">12 months later – and their dreams
came true. I have to admit I was anxious for the team – having run
beer festivals myself I knew of the pitfalls, nervousness, and the
101 things that can go slightly off-plan – but even more so if
you're not backed cashflow-wise by a large consumer lobbying group,
there is no precedent for this type of event in the city, and your
biggest question is “if we build it, will they come?” - well, I
hope from the time the doors opened on Friday morning, their fears
were allayed and they could start to enjoy the adrenaline buzz!</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz2JRP-ccBbSzzCgMO-ITKEBuihoCbguthehOBd2y4lJJiQ0-8unB4lZ9iXjxVg4tqkIowt218WsWkxzXHvudGFkEPX2JvNLADrbirRW9qZyS0YdxLzvoEjFER35Q95Vib0WGMacBTT8Y2/s1600/img_5427.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz2JRP-ccBbSzzCgMO-ITKEBuihoCbguthehOBd2y4lJJiQ0-8unB4lZ9iXjxVg4tqkIowt218WsWkxzXHvudGFkEPX2JvNLADrbirRW9qZyS0YdxLzvoEjFER35Q95Vib0WGMacBTT8Y2/s200/img_5427.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I attended for two sessions – the
Friday evening and Saturday daytime – and it was a wonderful
feeling to be walking down through the backstreets of Digbeth (a
part-arty regeneration/part-Victorian industrial area of Brum – think Hackney Wick,
but Digbeth got there first!) on a scorching summer day, knowing lots
of friendly faces and interesting beers awaited us. I say
“interesting” rather than “awesome”- as I felt the point of
the varied beer list was to showcase a wide range of styles and new
beers, not just the familiarly great and good – to push people
outside their comfort zone a bit.</span></div>
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</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">So what were my highlights?</span></div>
<ul>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>The Venue</b><span style="font-weight: normal;">
– I thought this was pretty amazing – buildings originally part
of Birmingham's canal and industrial heritage, providing lots of
interesting spaces that could be used in different ways for the
event, such as the seminar room with the International and Junction
bars, the courtyard with it's canal-side setting providing a food
court, and the larger cask, keg and bottle area. I don't know what
the arrangements for food might have been had it rained the whole
time, but it looked like there was enough space to go round, with
numbers just right – no crowding, no queueing for ages for bar
service or loos, and plenty of space to mill about, but enough
punters for a buzzing atmosphere on both sessions I attended.</span></span></div>
</li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggzymSCEXMOwzx5TBkXi5wHnI4qTYIyhZaSp_ZtF-zGQo2xn4siqhoTHBL048dTQoZyoiVnTk7wFVEJcuExTyA71juWhJx-E5nOovWnVJ1xD5XQmI605SlgaOp_BLihbvhAsFc8PLHwq-j/s1600/img_5423.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggzymSCEXMOwzx5TBkXi5wHnI4qTYIyhZaSp_ZtF-zGQo2xn4siqhoTHBL048dTQoZyoiVnTk7wFVEJcuExTyA71juWhJx-E5nOovWnVJ1xD5XQmI605SlgaOp_BLihbvhAsFc8PLHwq-j/s200/img_5423.jpg" width="150" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>The food</b><span style="font-weight: normal;">
– so great to be reunited with the artisan food from local
producers <a href="https://twitter.com/loafonline">Loaf</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/squisitodeli">Squisito</a> – we feasted on meatballs with
great bread and salads (good choice for a hot summer evening),
Italian-style sausages made with fennel and local beer from Tunnel
Brewery, and then tried some <a href="https://twitter.com/popupdosa">Pop-up Dosa</a> – this divided opinions as
some weren't keen on the textures of some of the different dosa
condiments, but I loved every element of it and felt it was another
good food option for the weather.</span></span></div>
</li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>The people</b><span style="font-weight: normal;">
– the sheer amount of </span>amazing people there – exhibiting
brewers and associates (great to see <a href="https://twitter.com/HardKnottDave">@HardKnottDave</a>,
<a href="https://twitter.com/HardknottAnn">@HardknottAnne</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/HopcraftGazza">@HopcraftGazza</a> again, and meet <a href="https://twitter.com/dredpenguin">@dredpenguin</a> from
Weird Beard); so good to catch up with Birmingham chums I
hadn't seen since I moved; beer bloggers who had travelled from up
and down the country to be there; the beery Twitterati out in force
(great to see the glamourous <a href="https://twitter.com/BeerBeauty">@BeerBeauty</a> again, and too many other
people to list!); and of course the amazing BBB team of lovely,
lovely people (you all know who you are!) who were always ready to
greet you with a big grin and a hug, regardless of how busy and
knackered they must have been feeling!</span></div>
</li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>The fringe events</b><span style="font-weight: normal;">
– I was super-excited about these, getting to listen to a great
talk on hops from Paul Corbett of Charles Faram Hop Merchants, all
about malts (and what he considers to be beer ingredient
perversions) from Dom of Thornbridge, and another great session run
by Dom on how to identify the types of chemical faults to be found
in 'bad' beer, which certainly made you thirsty for a 'good' beer by
the end of it but with a keener sense of what may be going on in
your glass.</span></span></div>
</li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>The beer choice</b><span style="font-weight: normal;">
– so many beers, so many styles, so many breweries; bottle, keg
and cask – with around 130 beers & ciders being featured on
draught over the 2 days, and many more in bottle from
<a href="https://twitter.com/StirchleyWines">@Stirchleywines</a>, there was something for every taste – I did my
best to try as many as possible, but special mention must go to Hardknott Rhetoric II, which we went back for many refills of; Arbor Ales / Moor Beer Double Dark Alliance; Sadlers Ales Dr
Hardwicke's DIPA; Compass Berry – but really, too many to
mention.</span></span></div>
</li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">And the downsides?</span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>The beer choice! </b><span style="font-weight: normal;">–
even enlisting the help of a 'beer buddy' to help me try as much of
a range as possible by sharing their choices with me, still wasn't
enough to get me round all of the beers I wanted to try in the space
of two sessions – never mind the beers I'd earmarked in the
programme but didn't happen to be on during the times I visited. But
I think that's the mark of a good beer list – to leave you wanting
more – even though making the choices as my last session drew to a
close was agonizing!</span></span><br />
</li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Missing out on a burger</b><span style="font-weight: normal;"> –
I had been really pleased to hear the <a href="https://twitter.com/OriginalPattyM">Original Patty Men</a> would be serving all
day on Saturday; I'd tasted their burgery delights before at
<a href="https://twitter.com/DigbethDiner">Digbeth Diner</a>, and was muchly looking forward to munching on
this again; but sadly they were so popular that they had run out by
2pm, just as I was about to go fetch my lunch from them – I gave
them a friendly telling off for depriving me of meaty goodness, but
satisfied myself with another dosing of Squisitodeli's lovely sausages.</span></span><br />
</li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>The waiting</b><span style="font-weight: normal;"> –
altogether such a great festival that delivered above my already
high expectations – must we really wait another year for it to
happen again? (Please, let it happen again!)</span></span><br />
<br />
</li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBMylr_q-wz9vwCtJ9u5-kTZJ0RYL1njsqr6JgNf5KN9Oy4R8asDw4-UuUdiU5xbsa2VSdjiBMP6y2ZYf7aop7y3NFsLpGqrcgGDXUz45DZXVMsBrW65owgw-vN6-rPh9UjaZnenfh4Zm4/s1600/img_5428.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBMylr_q-wz9vwCtJ9u5-kTZJ0RYL1njsqr6JgNf5KN9Oy4R8asDw4-UuUdiU5xbsa2VSdjiBMP6y2ZYf7aop7y3NFsLpGqrcgGDXUz45DZXVMsBrW65owgw-vN6-rPh9UjaZnenfh4Zm4/s200/img_5428.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">It was a very rewarding experience all
round – and made me quite emotional for the team, to think how
great they must feel to know they had pulled it off, hundreds of
people enjoyed themselves, gallons of good beer was consumed, much
beer learning went on, friendships were formed and cemented, and certainly
from my point of view as a punter, everything seemed to run smoothly on the surface – and
who knows what interesting projects, sharing of knowledge, and
collaborations are now fermenting away as ideas in the minds of the
many brewers who met up during the event! I salute all who organised
the festival, the sponsors who made it possible, and everyone who turned
up and made it all pretty amazing. Viva Birmingham Beer Bash, the
city's beer scene has now come of age!</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
</div>
tania_nexusthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15170308777551803844noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627855943826479632.post-34822605983627431462013-07-04T14:23:00.000+01:002013-07-04T14:23:31.822+01:00Sadlers Ales at the Windsor Castle Brewery
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-</style><span style="font-family: DejaVu Sans, sans-serif;">The
Windsor Castle brewery - where <a href="https://twitter.com/sadlersales">Sadlers Ales</a> are produced - is based in
Lye, a Midlands town along the route between Birmingham and
Stourbridge. I had first come across their Jack's Pale Ale being
served at Inn on the Green (Acocks Green, B'ham) several years ago,
but it is in recent years that their beers have gained more
prominence, with award-winning established recipes alongside new and
hoppy beers emerging. So when earlier this year I organised a <a href="http://bafadventuring.blogspot.co.uk/2013/02/number-9-twissup-saturday-9th-mar-2013.html">Number9 #Twissup</a>, that would take us by Number 9 bus from the centre of
Birmingham to the door of the brewery, it was a great opportunity to
see inside the brewhouse, try their range of ales, and have a good
chat about hops with their head brewer, Chris Sadler.</span>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdbZmNvN2jbv9H8QtmZLbHvR-6NYWOeLZ3FjP_cvdWj3CJr1hqnHlAg72cUwOZqSWkIyHtE3bsA5t1vz1MIEhMSFUZDe-tBiW_LF40C7VFc3ZJ7aGi__pKYYFxXcD7BK_VoFqh6kScmeoF/s1600/img_6996.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdbZmNvN2jbv9H8QtmZLbHvR-6NYWOeLZ3FjP_cvdWj3CJr1hqnHlAg72cUwOZqSWkIyHtE3bsA5t1vz1MIEhMSFUZDe-tBiW_LF40C7VFc3ZJ7aGi__pKYYFxXcD7BK_VoFqh6kScmeoF/s200/img_6996.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: DejaVu Sans, sans-serif;">Chris
explained that the Windsor Castle brewery was originally founded in
Oldbury by his great-grandfather, but that brewing operations ceased
in 1927 – these were resurrected in Lye by Chris' father John in
2004. They have developed their portfolio since that time, and now
have around 8 regular beers, and several seasonals and specials
appearing. The <a href="http://www.sadlersales.co.uk/index.php/pubswindsor">Windsor Castle</a> also serves as the Sadlers' taphouse,
and is renowned for it's food offering as well – but it was the array
of 10 cask Sadlers ales along the bar that immediately caught our eye
and lifted our spirits when we entered. The bar staff explained they
don't usually feature a guest as the house beers are so popular and
turnover is quick, and there are usually seasonal brews to form a
counterpoint to the core range, giving drinkers a wide choice of
styles and strengths to choose from. They also have bottled versions
of some of these beers in the fridges.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: DejaVu Sans, sans-serif;">After
making our initial purchases to start checking out the ales available, we
met Chris in the bar area; he took us through to the brewery's hop
store, and talked us through their current range. There are several
traditional styles covered, such as Red House, a 4% Black Country
mild, and Worcester Sorcerer, a 4.3% Best Bitter. Their Mud City
Stout (6.6%), with cocoa and vanilla richly complementing a blend of
dark malts and oats, is multi-award winning, and an immensely flavoured beer
whether from cask or bottle; and the JPA (Jack's Pale Ale) is a very
sessionable 3.8%, which has recently had it's recipe tweaked to make
it a 100% Citra-hopped beer. This tasted fantastic on cask and came
out on top as my beer of the day, despite the many other lovely
beers we tried during the Twissup. </span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidWN5K-Hj6Jcv-AO3XFDmB9J-x2tzVMvCGJux_Jnc_OFcIPGX4lM5m2esieLP0aTiD0QtUyo9ueNlyF6wCCnRc1f3pJpeqwqm5HX7A6lGCHWnQG5H2lFgykrlq0LUYVkcGZdBoSUmWRGrZ/s1600/img_6999.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidWN5K-Hj6Jcv-AO3XFDmB9J-x2tzVMvCGJux_Jnc_OFcIPGX4lM5m2esieLP0aTiD0QtUyo9ueNlyF6wCCnRc1f3pJpeqwqm5HX7A6lGCHWnQG5H2lFgykrlq0LUYVkcGZdBoSUmWRGrZ/s200/img_6999.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: DejaVu Sans, sans-serif;">Chris explained that as he has now
taken over the Head Brewer duties from his father, it has given him
the opportunity to 'play around with hops' a lot more and develop new
recipes and specials, such as their Hop Bomb – available in 330ml
bottles as well as on draught, this caused quite a stir in the
Midlands beer scene when it appeared, with the 5% abv providing a
good base to carry through the Amarillo and Citra hop flavours and
aromas. It was great to see such a range of exciting hops in the
storeroom, and we easily spent the best part of an hour discussing
characteristics and uses, as our party had two professional and at
least two homebrewers who were all eager to talk with Chris about
alpha acid values and aroma characteristics, and how crop variations
in different years give rise to recipe changes and adjustments.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: DejaVu Sans, sans-serif;">But
back to the beer – and we heard about two recent beers that Chris has been working on – the Dr Hardwicke's Double IPA, which is
continuously hopped throughout it's 85-minute boil and comes out a
hefty 8.5%, and an Imperial Stout, which was still in development but
Chris seemed pretty excited about already and described as 'something
special'! We were able to have a taste of the latest batch of Dr
Hardwicke's to be brewed – just about to go into the conditioning
tanks – and this certainly had a lot of hop bite and full body even
as an unfinished beer that still has to receive it's dry-hopping, so
I'm looking forward to tasting this when it's finally ready.</span></div>
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<br />
</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisjw_UfnSd1Sx3aI6KIggfkKpOj1LsuGZEggYHEgyeBHbiGWCpUceX60xa8TygNOYpQvbYoZdkGR2yk3H3eEH8SUxjqWMiFT7V2zyuJ45OGs1QWLZANv976IrgbkxtE9XhFGMk3T0Rm-Sg/s1600/img_4764.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisjw_UfnSd1Sx3aI6KIggfkKpOj1LsuGZEggYHEgyeBHbiGWCpUceX60xa8TygNOYpQvbYoZdkGR2yk3H3eEH8SUxjqWMiFT7V2zyuJ45OGs1QWLZANv976IrgbkxtE9XhFGMk3T0Rm-Sg/s200/img_4764.jpg" width="150" /></a><span style="font-family: DejaVu Sans, sans-serif;">We
spent a while longer having a look round the 10-barrel brewery and
the cask store, where sacks of used grain from the mashing process
were stacked up ready for a local farmer to take away, and returned
casks awaited cleaning and refilling with ales to be sent out again,
before returning to the bar to work our way through the rest of the
range and pick up some bottles to take home. I tried their delicious
crisp Red IPA and also Basilisk, a bitter with some slightly sweet notes
but a clean finish, and took home bottles of the Mud City, Hop Bomb,
and Mellow Yellow, a pale ale with a hint of honey.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: DejaVu Sans, sans-serif;">It
was great to see a truly family-run brewery (Chris's sister also runs
the taphouse and restaurant side of things) that is still keen to
create new recipes and experiment with different hops coming to
market, and it certainly marks them out as the most progressive
brewery in the Birmingham area to my mind, and the only one bringing
truly well-rounded but sparkily hoppy ales to Midlands punters. </span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: DejaVu Sans, sans-serif;">And
if you are yet to discover their beers, and like the sound of their
hop-experimentation and special recipes, you can find some at the
upcoming <a href="http://birminghambeerbash.co.uk/">Birmingham Beer Bash</a> festival on Friday 26<sup>th</sup> and
Saturday 27<sup>th</sup> July 2013; there are rumours there may be
some Imperial Stout available in bottles, and on draught will feature
the hefty Dr Hardwicke's Double IPA, and 'Lion Hart', their 4.2% July
seasonal beer – which is described as a blood orange ale brewed
with juicy American hops and fresh pineapple – sounds perfect for a
summer festival!</span></div>
tania_nexusthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15170308777551803844noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627855943826479632.post-78322444024336286582013-06-29T14:57:00.000+01:002013-06-29T15:01:55.164+01:00BRÜSTIVAL at Brüpond
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Before my recent move between cities, I did my research
to find out what breweries might be near my new location, and soon
identified three whose beers and hopefully premises I would get to
check out – the fourth in the Borough, <a href="https://twitter.com/BrodiesBeers">Brodies</a>, and their brewpub
the King William IV, already being well known to me!</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
</div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Luckily, just around the time I was
moving, one of these new breweries advertised they would be having a
brewery open day and beer festival – a good chance to pay them a
visit, and as luck would have it the spring sunshine was at it's
height when the day of Brüstival at <a href="https://twitter.com/brupond">Brüpond Brewery</a> arrived.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
</div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiTa7-zrf5v0oDl8L6I-B1t1apwNA_ZIpifc_teL6D3KUq4XJJ2_kO6kG9lb7_X7Zg_q_TfAQgSRCzFmfId_6nnsKlvKey_Xreli5GiOQbGrsdpU2FtdNqHheZBJ73lu-8sln7uEswxs0N/s1600/img_4922.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiTa7-zrf5v0oDl8L6I-B1t1apwNA_ZIpifc_teL6D3KUq4XJJ2_kO6kG9lb7_X7Zg_q_TfAQgSRCzFmfId_6nnsKlvKey_Xreli5GiOQbGrsdpU2FtdNqHheZBJ73lu-8sln7uEswxs0N/s200/img_4922.jpg" width="150" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The brewery itself is a little off the
beaten track – a W12 bus from Walthamstow took us through an
industrial estate until the driver signalled the last stop and we had
to get off, not quite sure of our location – so we followed a guy
who looked like he might know where he was going, and soon saw we
were in the right place with a crowd of people hanging out in the
yard enjoying the sunshine, some Mexican street food sizzling up, and
the brewery premises beyond.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
</div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Inside were a couple of bar areas –
one with casks racked up, the other with more casks and a bottle
fridge – so we grabbed a couple of halves from the list and had a
wander round while working out what other beers we wanted to try. The
brewery is in a decent-sized space which meant customers could walk
around easily having a look at the kit, the sacks of malt stacked up,
and peer into the hop freezer, while the brewery dog Matilda trotted
around sporting a brewery t-shirt and generally enjoying the bustle.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
</div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Unfortunately the Brüpond Ain'cho
Mum's Porter wasn't available – an Ancho chilli beer I had been
keen to try – so we opted for their Tip Top Hop (with Motueka) and
The Amber Experiment – a Belgian-style beer, with a geuzey-ness
presumably from the yeast. The Tip Top is a beer that seems to split
opinion, judging by reactions of those I've sampled it with on other
occasions as well as this one – some people love it, for others
it's not for them – I'm wondering perhaps if it's the flavour
profile of the hop used; I believe the next version of this beer will
use Celeia, so I'll be keen to find out how this is received. We also
tried the Sweet Bee Honey'd Wheat – despite the name, a vegan beer
(like all Brüpond's beers) that doesn't use honey – and this was
unusual and soft on the palate, but not too sweet, although quite a different style to Bavarian weiss-style wheats.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
</div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd2h5GfcK5M1LLpskJtpP0WVSoY_OFkYOMC6D2gVfxKGaSM2ImHho1i76NKiCU2oqPEfmszXA6CFJbrcTZAZvUZn0bb_fDDi5Bq9oV7DfdyiD71-rIXmdmEJ4IqOnqJzRismms2RnCCn0d/s1600/img_4928.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd2h5GfcK5M1LLpskJtpP0WVSoY_OFkYOMC6D2gVfxKGaSM2ImHho1i76NKiCU2oqPEfmszXA6CFJbrcTZAZvUZn0bb_fDDi5Bq9oV7DfdyiD71-rIXmdmEJ4IqOnqJzRismms2RnCCn0d/s200/img_4928.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Before making our next beer selections,
we thought it wise to try out the burritos and tacos being cooked up
in the yard by Luchadores, with large pans of simmering tender pork
and beef ready to be served up with your choice of salsa (vegetarian
options also available, but I was never going to be swayed from the
lure of tasty meats). The 'hot' salsa was HOT – making my tongue
sting and my eyes twitch – but I must have liked it as I went back
for more! We shared a burrito and tacos and felt we'd provided a
sufficient 'fond' to commence further beer exploration.</span></div>
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</span><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Next on the roster was the Jack of
Clubs, a rich ruby ale from <a href="https://twitter.com/WildCardBrewery">Wild Card Brewery</a>. I met the team behind
this nascent brewery while supping their beer – William, Andrew and
Jaega – and was pleased to hear that although they are currently
cuckoo-brewing at Brentwood, this is only a temporary arrangement
while they wait for planning permission to go through so they can get
their own brewery set up at the Warrant Officer pub on Higham Hill,
as their intention is that the brewery will firmly be rooted in
Walthamstow. While these plans come to fruition, they are
concentrating on producing just the one beer at present, and settled
on Jack of Clubs, as this is a recipe they've been honing as
homebrewers for the past six years. It's a very malty, traditional
bitter, with rich fruity notes and a slight sweetness on the finish,
and has been going down well so far in cask and bottle at local pubs
and the <a href="https://twitter.com/WarrantOE17">Warrant Officer</a> itself.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-8kVDR4S8Rw75p5tivwoXWB9by7FficOaH-V1CY_OzIQ344BBqxpZcOeu8Rh3bljNKe0yP0_2RcoCbD2r38v9j_-UoaKi6E1z7mgnY89GUMS_xtZFVukedtSDNPOBCCZmGkBWbQrtlLrI/s1600/img_4933.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-8kVDR4S8Rw75p5tivwoXWB9by7FficOaH-V1CY_OzIQ344BBqxpZcOeu8Rh3bljNKe0yP0_2RcoCbD2r38v9j_-UoaKi6E1z7mgnY89GUMS_xtZFVukedtSDNPOBCCZmGkBWbQrtlLrI/s200/img_4933.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">We then got stuck into the two Brodies
on cask – the Old Street Pale and the London Fields. Once again,
Brodies came up trumps with these super-hoppy pales, with the Old
Street being <a href="https://twitter.com/dave_car">@dave_car</a>'s favourite of the day. We also tried the
three beers available from another brewery within the Borough –
East London Brewing Co. These were the Pale (light and clean on the
palate), the Nightwatchman (a reddish bitter), and the Quadrant
Oatmeal Stout – this was my favourite of the three, which had a
thinner body than expected but a nice creamy flavour and smooth
coffee notes on the finish.
</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwMJXFTmqNDq44QsqUFQCFxjAgBv0Rzp5GyCtiNipvDs_ud9GV1solAkUzc0GOUBBYVPMeqgUEtlYOm4g4PjWTdrVxVsiL8iTUPKghT7ecbA3Qp4XZgETVlUPP9TvI2FK402BeyytFAPw3/s1600/img_4926.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwMJXFTmqNDq44QsqUFQCFxjAgBv0Rzp5GyCtiNipvDs_ud9GV1solAkUzc0GOUBBYVPMeqgUEtlYOm4g4PjWTdrVxVsiL8iTUPKghT7ecbA3Qp4XZgETVlUPP9TvI2FK402BeyytFAPw3/s200/img_4926.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The evening was wearing on, and being
unsure of the bus timings we opted for a taxi back to the centre of
Walthamstow. But I couldn't leave without trying some lovely fruit
gin from local producers <a href="http://www.mothersruin.net/">Mothers' Ruin</a> – the damson was
particularly potent and richly flavoured – and to pick up a bottle
of <a href="https://twitter.com/GosnellsMead">Gosnells</a> London Mead. This is a locally-produced mead (brewed and
bottled on the Brüpond premises, in fact) – but displaying a new
approach to serving mead – at a lower ABV than usual (5.5%, brought
to this level presumably by dilution?) and in 330ml bottles – so
it's more like a single-serve of beer. I like this innovation, it
could bring mead back to being a more widely enjoyed drink and
encourage more people to try it. I took this home and tried it a few
weeks later, enjoying the light honey flavours, and the crisp
carbonation leading to a dry finish.</span></div>
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</div>
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</span><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">It was great to be at a festival
actually within a brewery premises, meaning you could meet the team
behind the beers and have a look at their working area, and the
atmosphere was certainly buzzing with lots of local ale fans – good
to meet <a href="https://twitter.com/MrMustard">Mr Mustard</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/GreavsieE17">Greavsie</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/Boy_Sam">Sam</a> and other people we chatted
with from various London branches of CAMRA.</span></div>
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</span><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Brüpond are holding several more
themed festival events (details <a href="http://www.brupond.com/">here</a>) at their premises over the summer – with the
next one being an American Independence-day event, on Saturday 6<sup>th</sup>
July from midday, bringing together beers produced by American
brewers at English breweries – as the founder of Brüpond, David
Brassfield (known as “Brass”) is originally from Colorado. This
will feature ales from Moor Beer, Bexar, Wild Beer Co., Lovibonds and
others, as well as the existing range and a couple of new beers from
Brüpond. There will also be pulled pork, chocolate beer brownies, and something
tasty for vegetarians provided by <a href="https://twitter.com/QueeniesE17">Queenies</a>, who have run various
pop-up food events at the Rose and Crown in Walthamstow. This looks
to be a good day out with a range of beer styles represented – so
hopefully see you there!</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span>tania_nexusthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15170308777551803844noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627855943826479632.post-14169125073143061902013-06-27T09:28:00.000+01:002013-06-27T09:32:07.966+01:00(Beery) Things I will Miss About Birmingham<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">So now it's a reality, I have moved
away from my “second home” where I'd lived for most of my
drinking life, and taken up in pastures new. I can't deny it's a
wrench to leave somewhere I'd become firmly rooted to, and where I'd
been a participant in the beer and food scene for so long, watching
it develop and change, and eventually blossom into an ever-increasing
array of great pubs, independent restaurants and food producers;
seeing a community grow up both online and in person to move the city
“Forward!” - Birmingham's motto!</span></div>
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<br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Of course, there are plenty of
non-foody/drinky things I'm going to pine for too – the Brutalist
but firmly for-the-people architecture of <a href="http://www.john-madin.info/">John Madin</a>; the vibrant
suburbs of Harborne, Stirchley, Kings Heath, Moseley; the beauty of
Bournville in the spring; leafy canals and lofty buildings; spaces
with 'hidden' history where nightlcubs, factories and cinemas used to
be; the secret parts of the city that are imbued with personal
meaning.</span></div>
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<br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">But this is a blog primarily about food
& ale, not melancholic psychogeographical contemplation, so here
are the top 10 beery(ish) things that make me sad to be leaving:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmvi_j3oV3Z0eGJKqNxwuSTLPDU-u9yVHpl-GtZVJ-e_K23Sa1Wb6DI2RcHtOJ0-A-Jg9S6I81_aJwifyPUupC42GBtnuGat3J_KpgCPwYLMZI9gwVeXnJgP4szDfAW1IlXXrqkkjwRwsc/s1600/img_4651.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmvi_j3oV3Z0eGJKqNxwuSTLPDU-u9yVHpl-GtZVJ-e_K23Sa1Wb6DI2RcHtOJ0-A-Jg9S6I81_aJwifyPUupC42GBtnuGat3J_KpgCPwYLMZI9gwVeXnJgP4szDfAW1IlXXrqkkjwRwsc/s200/img_4651.jpg" width="150" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><a href="http://www.oakagroup.com/bartons/bartonabout.asp">The Bartons Arms</a> </b>– my number one pub
hangout in Brum, that I came to consider my “local”, even though
it took two bus journeys right across the city to get there from
home. But the Bartons has held a special place in my heart since
<a href="https://twitter.com/OakhamAles">Oakham</a> took it over and invested heavily to bring it back to it's
former glory – with it's amazingly beautiful historic interior of
etched glass and Minton tiles, serving good value Thai food and
those quaffable Oakham ales. I've seen different landlords and bar
managers come and go here, but they each brought character and a warm
welcome, and ensured 'regular's corner' remained a fixture where I
could always find a friendly face any time I visited. When Oakham
introduced the Citra hop to these shores, my cross-town visits
increased further, and I never stopped appreciating what a great pub
we were lucky to be able to visit regularly. Visits here helped me
through sad times and to celebrate many good times, and it's always
felt like a 'home from home', so it seemed fitting to have one of my last pub outings in Brum to the recent beer festival here with a bunch of chums. I hope it continues to excel in being
all that a pub should be.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.theelectric.co.uk/"><b>The Electric Cinema</b></a> – some time back,
myself and a friend worked hard to get <a href="https://twitter.com/Purityale">Purity</a> beer and the Electric
linked up via Twitter, so we could have a decent and local ale to
drink while basking in its comfy sofas. The Electric was my haunt
when it was more of a run-down, underfunded, shabby porno-chic
hangout, but I loved seeing interesting Arthouse double-bills there,
while sitting on the worn seats and enjoying some 50p homemade cake
and coffee. Now it's been brought back to life with a retro feel
under the steady hand of 'local boy done good' Tom Lawes and it's the
only place I want to go to see films, while supping on a Pure Ubu or
movie-themed cocktail.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPZQlm7ChsTa9JaYkZBIOwd2hHkAUUy_sRPu16Be2evvPgj9JqZwGJ9G8HC_2bSTSWziicoLpToJBrOlS4NvSzobP5RocW6tSikQnYnYvLyAA6aANP0fZDe7bL8nyXQW8_MjR9FzZxvi0A/s1600/img_4827.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPZQlm7ChsTa9JaYkZBIOwd2hHkAUUy_sRPu16Be2evvPgj9JqZwGJ9G8HC_2bSTSWziicoLpToJBrOlS4NvSzobP5RocW6tSikQnYnYvLyAA6aANP0fZDe7bL8nyXQW8_MjR9FzZxvi0A/s200/img_4827.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Stirchley Wines</b> and <b>Cotteridge Wines</b> –
two amazing bottle shops that were a short bus or cycle ride from my
home, whose range just kept getting better and better over the years
and through the hard work of their owners. I'll doubt I'll ever again
be so close to not one but two “Aladdin's Caves” of beery joy and
friendly proprietors. I've talked more about their delights in my
<a href="http://bafadventuring.blogspot.co.uk/2013/06/three-amazing-local-offies.html">recent blog post here</a>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Great Western Arcade</b> – again a great
destination for Brum foodies, with <a href="https://twitter.com/AndersonandHill">Anderson & Hill</a> (great
Italian deli, also sells local bottled ales) and <a href="https://twitter.com/lokiwine">Loki Wine</a> (a
wine merchant where you can sample the wares before buying, with a
smart seating area up above) facing each other, an artisan bread
maker at one end, and the <a href="https://twitter.com/TheWhiskyShop">Whisky Shop</a> there too (selling some whisky
cask aged beer like Harviestoun's Ola Dubh). It also hosts
Hollingsworth's for your cigar and tobacco needs, an old-fashioned
sweetie shop, a refined chocolatier, and Druckers patisserie. If more
specialist food or drink retailers move in, this has the potential to
be the most exciting shopping street in the city – perhaps this is
where a city centre craft beer shop should be appearing!</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmzkvCAA28PMXkSwIZidNcCVlnyYUZFQvxIypIkDXl5I4-nFPqErcsgmdMGxQmNySN4elt0T7qVlj3Y2700gJET8rHZQH87rpIZED1mIFwTDUaLigd0k1V0EeF9RWckcSR-dD7cKiRXshf/s1600/img_6198.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmzkvCAA28PMXkSwIZidNcCVlnyYUZFQvxIypIkDXl5I4-nFPqErcsgmdMGxQmNySN4elt0T7qVlj3Y2700gJET8rHZQH87rpIZED1mIFwTDUaLigd0k1V0EeF9RWckcSR-dD7cKiRXshf/s200/img_6198.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><a href="http://bafadventuring.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/food-drink-highlights-at-birmingham.html">Festive Frankfurt Market</a></b> – for the Hogan's
Cider Bar</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Some Brum-dwellers hated the crowds and
hustle this caused in the city each November and December, but I
loved it for the multitude of yummy stuff it brought within easy
reach – and also because weissbier is a favoured drink in our
household. But best of all was the Hogan's Cider Bar – quality
draught cider and perry, hot spiced, vintage bottled – and <a href="https://twitter.com/HogansCider">Allen Hogan</a> always willing to dispense some cider knowledge while we hung
out with cidery chums from Leicester and further afield.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="https://twitter.com/TheVictoria"><b>The Victoria</b></a> – I first visited this
pub when it was a dingy bar, more than a little run down, but
providing useful meetups for the LGBT scene courtesy of the two
ladies who ran it. But after a period of dereliction, it was taken
over by the budding Birmingham indie pubco of Bitters N Twisted, and
embodied everything I'd want in a 'night out' pub – music erring on
the rock and indie side and cask beer in cutely decorated
surroundings. In the past year they've upped their game on the beer
side too, and now scene stars like Red Willow, Hardknott, and
Thornbridge often make an appearance on the pumps; they were also the
first pub in the city to start stocking the type of bottles a beer
geek would make a beeline for – Partizan, Arbor, Kernel, Tiny
Rebel, with some great soul food to go with it.</span><br />
</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6vidMRAyrmaH0HJ2C4zyM1r3QP6WxXmsJJTM2qHAs1fcjRmEx5rrKcRRSwyibPEybna8cmRxxiG4CiKRCCjHICC-8HxzdxIY-wx4YZyyt7O-QKhWUrWz9mOrX3HMJOj7lF8DmKW5YAT1Y/s1600/img_4829.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6vidMRAyrmaH0HJ2C4zyM1r3QP6WxXmsJJTM2qHAs1fcjRmEx5rrKcRRSwyibPEybna8cmRxxiG4CiKRCCjHICC-8HxzdxIY-wx4YZyyt7O-QKhWUrWz9mOrX3HMJOj7lF8DmKW5YAT1Y/s200/img_4829.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="https://twitter.com/CravenArmsBrum"><b>Craven Arms</b></a> – this may be
Birmingham's newest ale pub, but from the minute it opened I knew I
would be missing it when I left, because it's run by two lovely
people – Chris and Sharon – who are dedicated to good beer, and
it's got a lovely 'proper pub' feel to it. With Chris striving to
bring in the most interesting ales, around 9 ciders and perrys, and bottles of Cantillon and De Molen for a very reasonable fee, it became my
Friday evening hangout of choice, especially as Chris's music policy
seems to cover just about every indie and alternative band I'd want
to hear!</span></div>
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Past drinking spots</b> – now closed, The
Foundry and the original Edwards Number 8 – I never drank anything
'decent' in here – it was all bottled Pils and K cider – in the
days before I discovered real ale, though I don't think the Ansells
keg bitter would have done much to help me down the path if I'd tried
it – but these were places where I spent a huge amount of time and
helped me feel rooted to Birmingham, and interested in the history of
its pub, brewery and nightlife scene, so I'll mourn their passing
from my regular thoughts as I won't be looking out of a city centre
office window being reminded of them every day.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpKPlwr2uq_3zZOBeNQBQMQbqWe2BSj7d7NSwlAHBA0ZAKlCmRJSrwYk_hzdxiDdTN4QcvIBbfGvdqQ-8Q3DYIxbkftKM74cDLR8lRj_oOpQRciv9I5ArH-pBGaptIRKsuWg-TLqeCXcNQ/s1600/img_6144.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpKPlwr2uq_3zZOBeNQBQMQbqWe2BSj7d7NSwlAHBA0ZAKlCmRJSrwYk_hzdxiDdTN4QcvIBbfGvdqQ-8Q3DYIxbkftKM74cDLR8lRj_oOpQRciv9I5ArH-pBGaptIRKsuWg-TLqeCXcNQ/s200/img_6144.jpg" width="150" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b> </b></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Black Country bitters</b> – <a href="https://twitter.com/thebathams">Bathams</a> and
Holdens, I'm looking at you – with anguish, knowing that even
though I don't get to see you on draught that often in the middle of
Birmingham, I'm going to see you even less now I'm 100 miles away
from the Black Country. This is painful to contemplate as these were
already beers I got cravings for when they were practically on my
doorstep – what torture to maybe only get a drop of these on cask
about once a year from now on! I'd love to see these breweries feature even occasionally in London, but it's also perversely pleasing to think that this kind of bitter is still a regional treat, for those who can make it back to the industrial heartlands.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Lastly, but very definitely not least,
the <b>beery people</b> I have met over the years – from becoming active
in the local branch of CAMRA when I first joined, volunteering
initially to run the cider bar at the beer festival and increase the
range of cider in the city, and eventually organising the beer
festival itself, and the many great people I have met via CAMRA or
'down the Anchor' over the years who I now count as good friends; to
more recent friendships formed with Twitter as the medium, getting to
meet a fantastic bunch of great folks – I'm going to miss them all
like hell and hope that somehow I'll still see a fair bit of them if
I get to make trips 'back home', at beer festivals round the country,
and if they come to beer geek gatherings in London. At the very
least, I hope a large swathe of them will be at the <a href="https://twitter.com/birminghamcubed">Birmingham Beer Bash</a> festival in July, so we can catch up over some of the most
amazing beer Birmingham will have seen!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">There are many more things about my
adopted Brum homelands that I'll miss with a passion, but in the
spirit of Beer and Food Adventuring, I know the flipside is that
there are also many things to explore and discover around my new
home – so I'll take Birmingham's motto with me as I go - “Forward!”</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span>tania_nexusthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15170308777551803844noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627855943826479632.post-79341756386526013992013-06-23T17:28:00.000+01:002013-06-24T10:37:04.037+01:00Three Amazing Local Offies
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Now that I have come to leave Brum, as
a parting shot I wanted to pay tribute to something unique in the
beer scene that the city has to offer – three amazing local offies
within roughly a square mile of each other – or more correctly, a
triangle – around the Stirchley and Selly Oak/Bournbrook areas of
South-West Birmingham. To find one 'local' (i.e. non-city centre) off
licence stocking something a beer geek would consider interesting is
rare enough, but to have three within walking distance of each other
is pretty special. And now I've moved to other parts of the land
where a decent bottle shop is nowhere to be found, I keenly miss the
ability to walk in somewhere and spend a good while browsing what's
new on the shelves, have a chat with knowledgeable owners on what's
upcoming on the beer scene, and leave with arms groaning with great
purchases and a shopping list for 'next time' already forming in my
head. So if you get the chance to visit Birmingham and have the time
for a short bus or train ride to the suburbs, make sure you take a
large bag and an even larger budget, and get yourself to one of these
gems:</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></b>
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</span></b><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="https://twitter.com/StirchleyWines">Stirchley Wines & Spirits</a> – 1535
Pershore Road, B30 2JH</span></b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.stirchleywines.co.uk/">http://www.stirchleywines.co.uk/</a> </span></b></div>
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</span><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwotyGL7QLXM9qnyORBG8c0bCUKOL_Mkjlu6uY0FAIUFdOBQLjS7toOcfg2-Qis0JJW26Yprmfxdgid63wZQp5ttpbncsUF5IT9C9gGjX80a1l6RmADk88xdBjctkY5OGDAk9jT5t66cGE/s1600/img_4825.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwotyGL7QLXM9qnyORBG8c0bCUKOL_Mkjlu6uY0FAIUFdOBQLjS7toOcfg2-Qis0JJW26Yprmfxdgid63wZQp5ttpbncsUF5IT9C9gGjX80a1l6RmADk88xdBjctkY5OGDAk9jT5t66cGE/s200/img_4825.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">When I first moved to Birmingham, at
the time more of a cider and wine drinker than ales (there being no
real ale to be found in my previous Belfast haunts at the time to
educate me), Stirchley Wines was the only place where 'interesting'
beers could be found, signalled by the pink elephant of the Delirium
Tremens sign outside the shop. Since then, Krishan and his father
have worked to bring a constantly-updating selection of beers to
Birmingham's thirsty punters, and the breadth of choice has
skyrocketed in recent years. You will find a great selection of
Belgian stalwarts – including Rochefort, Rodenbach, Cantillon, De
Struise - and stars of the US scene such as Flying Dog, Uinta, Stone,
Weyerbacher, Anderson Valley. You'll also find a great range from
Nogne O, Brewfist, Elav, and other emerging craft scenes, and the
full list of Oktoberfest biers in season. Up and coming UK breweries
are also well represented, in particular a good range from Kernel,
Hardknott, Thornbridge, Brewdog, Beavertown, Bristol Beer Factory and
many more. And the local brewers get a look-in too, so it's a good
source to find some Wye Valley, Purity, Beowulf, Titanic, Church End
and Sadlers, among others. Not to mention the Japanese craft beers
recently arrived from Hitachino Nest, a fair amount of bottled cider,
and occasionally a 'beer bread' produced by local artisan baker
<a href="https://twitter.com/loafonline">@loafonline</a>.</span></div>
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</span><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN97UgRogpoC3EbeQh2pmS-rhuDizhUvFjgeirPwjW5hRs4Yxi2ANT5ie46h0DUzfpU2xZ2IwRQ0F5qW04zycX6Nu-_mk05s126jPZJ_kR9I3zh7yBebFSwzcSfjdihdOD6oFs8xFb54JF/s1600/img_4828.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN97UgRogpoC3EbeQh2pmS-rhuDizhUvFjgeirPwjW5hRs4Yxi2ANT5ie46h0DUzfpU2xZ2IwRQ0F5qW04zycX6Nu-_mk05s126jPZJ_kR9I3zh7yBebFSwzcSfjdihdOD6oFs8xFb54JF/s200/img_4828.jpg" width="150" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
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</span><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><b>USP</b></i> – a long-standing institution
which now also has two draught keg taps dispensing deliciousness from
the likes of Magic Rock, Harbor, Thornbridge, Mikkeller and others,
to take away (smart-looking containers provided). And as well as
getting involved in lots of community projects and pushing forward
the beer festival scene in Birmingham (check out <a href="https://twitter.com/birminghamcubed">@birminghamcubed</a>
happening in July), Krishan will enthusiastically talk your ear off
about beers of all kinds if you let him!</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="https://twitter.com/CotteridgeWines">Cotteridge Wines</a> – 1825 Pershore
Road, B30 3DN</span></b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.cotteridgewines.com/">http://www.cotteridgewines.com/</a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjutkDydG9SscYq4WQ-qqNWZdlpcZiQMmoeL1VBEgfSykpK2O2Tm5o_yhiS9tZtd_a77FOI7ubuHEEXam7xJazat5o2ZgIWFc2-FFHk-F8rSm157BzQB44CZPyxAlOBc660tdGuOTwgTU4j/s1600/img_4795.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjutkDydG9SscYq4WQ-qqNWZdlpcZiQMmoeL1VBEgfSykpK2O2Tm5o_yhiS9tZtd_a77FOI7ubuHEEXam7xJazat5o2ZgIWFc2-FFHk-F8rSm157BzQB44CZPyxAlOBc660tdGuOTwgTU4j/s200/img_4795.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Within a couple of years, the team of
Jaz and Kal have managed to turn this local grocer and off licence
into a beer nut's heaven – with what I believe to be the widest
selection of craft beer available in the city. They were keen to
engage with the growing beery community in Brum, asking for advice
and suggestions on what to stock, what breweries you'd recommend, and
offering trade lists to see if there were particular beers you were
after. A few years ago, it was great to be offered a list of all
German beers currently available to them, and be asked to 'take my
pick' on what I'd want to buy next time we were in the shop – and
the German range is still pretty amazing to see. Since then, they've
made personal connections with many breweries up and down the
country, leading to a recent collaboration brew with Brodies (called
Bish's APA, to thank <a href="https://twitter.com/the_bish">@the_bish</a> for his help I believe), which should
be hitting the market in coming weeks – if not already sold out in
advance to the online beer geek community! On their groaning shelves,
you'll find beers you're familiar with, beers you've heard of but
not had the chance to try, and rarities and new releases you didn't
even know you were desperate to drink yet! And if they aren't
stocking it, chances are they can source it for you, so don't be
afraid to ask. Last time I visited, there was a huge amount of
choice, but in particular large ranges from Mallinsons, Arbor,
Williams Bros, Fyne Ales (including one of my favourite beers, Jarl),
Ska in cans, Maui, To Ol, Buxton, Red Willow, Evil Twin, Brodies,
Odell, De Molen – and an absolutely jaw-dropping selection from
Mikkeller.</span></div>
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</span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpfihBI4tHAVQ5gmc2ATM-UIxIVk7jrtQXQ39NfowsZPUgn8fK1aZ5-cwsVI4mkrzQhGHY5j4PxJ8M_Wchem4chM73QVucruO6D-H06akYH0Z2HWHGH4xr3O7tXCK3DfTriHbykllucPCm/s1600/img_4792.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpfihBI4tHAVQ5gmc2ATM-UIxIVk7jrtQXQ39NfowsZPUgn8fK1aZ5-cwsVI4mkrzQhGHY5j4PxJ8M_Wchem4chM73QVucruO6D-H06akYH0Z2HWHGH4xr3O7tXCK3DfTriHbykllucPCm/s200/img_4792.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><b>USP</b></i> – always something new and
unusual 'just in', with competitive pricing and an ability to track
down that 'rare' beer you might have been seeking (provided it's
still being produced of course!) and ensure it's reserved for you to
pick up. And soon – their own beer brewed with Brodies – perhaps
more collaborations will be in the pipeline?</span></div>
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</span><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Wine Stop – 75 Raddlebarn Road, B29
7DA</span></b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgibivWrjXA5w2uRsr28CtYg4aY7_LGwoEtMvz4oa20CcRBBsNkefsM7HC-Ia6l97-DB5dLA45ep9YWmJ3swqIi2CS-e8M2xN4NWzPCHglwnShUSjRFc58uPfX7W14s29mBXcYMWBAF_DZ_/s1600/img_6481.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgibivWrjXA5w2uRsr28CtYg4aY7_LGwoEtMvz4oa20CcRBBsNkefsM7HC-Ia6l97-DB5dLA45ep9YWmJ3swqIi2CS-e8M2xN4NWzPCHglwnShUSjRFc58uPfX7W14s29mBXcYMWBAF_DZ_/s200/img_6481.jpg" width="150" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Now this off licence is less 'beery'
than the above two, and is in the studentville areas around
Birmingham university, but is definitely worth seeking out. The
proprietor, Hardeep, is a complete whisky (and whiskey) freak –
it's clearly his passion and hobby as well as his business – and
there are over 100 different whiskies available here with Hardeep
happy to spend time talking you through several of them, working out
what kind of thing you might like or explaining the characteristics
of new whiskies he has acquired. He has even had a whisky produced
for him by renowned distillery Caol Isla – named 'The Whisky
Thieves', this is available from the shop in reasonably priced
limited edition bottles, and has a spicy, peppery note, that smooths
to a slightly sweet finish. It's very easy drinking but with enough
complexity there to be interesting, and we've already restocked on a
second bottle as a memento of Birmingham's great drinking scene.
Hardeep will be happy to recommend several different bottles given
your preferences and price range, but I'd also advise you look at his
Indian and Japanese whisky offerings as I don't believe this
selection can be bettered anywhere in Brum. On the beer side,
although the selection may appear small, there is certainly enough of
interest – they stock the legendary Bathams Bitter, alongside some
Thornbridge, Cairngorm, Sam Smith's, Otley, Hook Norton, and Wye
Valley, and other English and Scottish breweries, and a couple of
different versions of Harviestoun's Ola Dubh, a rich whisky-cask aged
dark beer (great with dark chocolate!).</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFhVI040KTkqiANwr74YQkTF8ROBL5gs21JZD8GUm_ofCbFI-B4p9ZOcxTGeQaffUEIlMhncraWvWr3hGoesMLCbwcaly5JNlJ2L9IjLvxLPEDI-om3shcamYSrwuWiUJBh22zM7HT26hz/s1600/img_6480.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFhVI040KTkqiANwr74YQkTF8ROBL5gs21JZD8GUm_ofCbFI-B4p9ZOcxTGeQaffUEIlMhncraWvWr3hGoesMLCbwcaly5JNlJ2L9IjLvxLPEDI-om3shcamYSrwuWiUJBh22zM7HT26hz/s200/img_6480.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><b>USP</b></i> – a whisky and whiskey selection
that can't be beaten (plus Bathams in bottles!), and knowledge
dispensed by a friendly proprietor as obsessed with the whisky scene
as you may be with the beer scene, and happy to spend a while sharing
his spirit recommendations or discussing beer while you browse the
shelves. And the only “Birmingham” whisky – The Whisky Thieves
– definitely worth picking up!</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
</div>
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</span><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">So although I write this smitten with a
wry bitterness that these three amazing local offies are no longer
local to me, I also feel immensely proud and delighted that
Birmingham can offer such an amazing choice and service to beer and
spirit fans – whether aficionados or newbies, they will find
friendly faces happy to advise and converse in any of these three
establishments, who are all moving the scene forward in their own
unique ways. Visit, and enjoy!</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span>tania_nexusthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15170308777551803844noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627855943826479632.post-44643602215430469792013-02-22T19:19:00.000+00:002013-03-08T11:20:05.955+00:00Number 9 Twissup - Saturday 9th Mar 2013<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<![endif]--><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">During our previous Twissup, on 30<sup>th</sup> December, ideas
were discussed for future outings to some of the great pubs outside Birmingham
city centre – and one proposal seemed like an definite front runner, particularly
as the transport option is easy! This is to use the Number 9 bus route out of
the city centre through the Black Country, to the towns of Lye and Halesowen,
and sample some of the great hostelries there.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Luckily the Number 9 also takes you to the door of one of
the region’s more progressive breweries – Sadlers Ales based at the Windsor
Castle in Lye – so this Twissup is fortunate enough to take in a handy bus
route-accessible brewery visit as well as some decent cask ale pubs, and also Birmingham's newest real ale venture on our return to the city centre.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The itinerary for the day is as follows: </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Brunch</i></b> – I thoroughly,
definitely recommend all attendees have a large and hearty brunch before we set
off. It’s important to have a good foundation for a day of ale exploring! I am
planning to possibly have brunch at <a href="https://twitter.com/BTPcafes">Boston Tea Party</a> as they do huge croque monsieurs and other
options such as a full English, kedgeree, and bacon & beans. It’s not cheap
but it is tasty! Other good Brum independent caf</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">és nearby are <a href="https://twitter.com/urbancoffeeco">@urbancoffeeco</a> (cakes &
sandwiches and the best coffee IMHO) and <a href="https://twitter.com/YorksBakeryCafe">Yorks Bakery Café</a> for tasty hot & cold breakfast options. There are also a plethora of sandwich shops, supermarket chains & others around the Snow Hill / Colmore Row area if none of the above takes your fancy. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>12pm</b> – Meet at the bus stop for the Number 9, on Colmore Row in
Birmingham City Centre. This is diagonally across the road from Snow Hill
station, and about 10 minutes walk from Moor Street or New Street stations. The
Number 9 runs fairly frequently – every 10 minutes on a Saturday – so if you
are going to be running late and miss meeting up at the start, make sure you
know where our first venue is located, and jump on the next No. 9 to Lye.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>1pm</b> – The Windsor Castle in Lye</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">This is the brewery tap for <a href="https://twitter.com/sadlersales">Sadlers Ales</a> and has an upmarket feel, with several of the rooms given over to dining. There should be a fair range of Sadlers Ales on draught, plus bottled American and Belgian beers. In recent years, Sadlers have been flying the flag for hops in the Midlands, producing the lower-ABV but well-hopped JPA (Jack's Pale Ale); a Red IPA with American & Australian hops; the juicy Hop Bomb (Amarillo and Citra); and the Dr Hardwicke's Double IPA, which I have yet to taste, but by all reports is something pretty special! If we're in luck we may find some to sample but this may depend on brewing schedules & availability as I think it's been flying out each time they've brewed it. They also make the award-winning Mud City Stout which is worth the trip alone if you like rich and luscious dark beers.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>2pm - Brewery Tour</b> - Sadlers have very kindly agreed to take us on a tour of their brewery at the back of the pub, and one of their brewers will be on hand to talk us through their processes and answer any beer geekery questions. They can accommodate up to two groups of 10, so please make sure you sign up in the comments below to let me know you are coming and would like to see around.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>3pm</b> – The Shovel Inn in Lye</span></span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEkl3y0-hhgcLeexfQMVVRAMLNOClrb52q1JNKIPUK7Hp343opV43zOg1J9G5Wl4EY9TBjXRc6_M_tjXlMWbX-pxB5roL8jsRfkA9pcssinbPUDKQIPx4g3hqGINl5kIzPyIA1t-Tu4knr/s1600/img_2922.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEkl3y0-hhgcLeexfQMVVRAMLNOClrb52q1JNKIPUK7Hp343opV43zOg1J9G5Wl4EY9TBjXRc6_M_tjXlMWbX-pxB5roL8jsRfkA9pcssinbPUDKQIPx4g3hqGINl5kIzPyIA1t-Tu4knr/s200/img_2922.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">This is a warm and welcoming Black Country traditional pub, with a good range of up to 12 ales - usually including the locally-produced Enville Ale, Enville Ginger, Holdens Golden Glow, Purity Mad Goose, Ludlow Gold and up to 6 guests. We''ll stop off here for one, time permitting, before it's back down the hill to the bus stop.</span> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>4pm</b> - depart Lye, back on the Number 9 bus! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>5pm</b> – Hawne Tavern in Halesowen</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">If we are doing OK time-wise, then we'll call in at the Hawne Tavern on the outskirts of Halesowen. This is an unspoilt, spartan, traditional pub - and none the worse for it! They can have up to 8 ales on, and are regularly commended for quality & condition. It's about a 10 minute walk from here to our next pub. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>6pm</b> – <a href="https://twitter.com/Waggonales">Waggon and Horses</a> in Halesowen for buffet tea</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Few people familiar with the Black Country can fail to have heard of the Waggon, for once you are there with a pint in your hand, it is truly one of those pubs you can find hard to leave. They strive to have a great range of beers at all times and usually something pretty hoppy too which tends to go through phases - for a while they seemed to regularly have Thornbridge Kipling and Oakham Citra when these beers could rarely be found elsewhere in the region, and recently have got through many casks of Oakham Green Devil IPA (with a good deal of help from <a href="https://twitter.com/RobertoRossUK">@RobertoRossUK</a>!) as well as showcasing ales from new Halesowen brewery <a href="http://www.angelales.co.uk/index.html">Angel Ales</a>.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The Waggon are happy to have a cold buffet laid out for us and make sure some
seating is reserved, so we can refuel and relax for a couple of hours while
we check out their beer range, often including Belgian keg beers on
tap. Cost will be £6 per head and vegetarians can be amply
catered for – as long as we know in advance! So please let me know in the comments below if you would like a buffet tea set out for you to keep your Twissup energies up (I strongly recommend we all do so)! And of course, let me know of any dietary requirements too.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>8pm</b> – depart Waggon to head back towards Birmingham city
centre </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>9pm</b> – <a href="https://twitter.com/CravenArmsBrum">Craven Arms</a>, Gough Street</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL1dZq4vnoGrSDRxLNX4csW7MGKiWiikUJzIKz-A-gBH3H5wFQ0iHPwIuSRG9vj2uS017kLz9AVhn1ZjQha3lo-0-JKs8rsja8JMxWCodSEsvs4rS4iYDiXAGuW9L4YJWZZ0czY1BjEmCB/s1600/IMG_6882.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL1dZq4vnoGrSDRxLNX4csW7MGKiWiikUJzIKz-A-gBH3H5wFQ0iHPwIuSRG9vj2uS017kLz9AVhn1ZjQha3lo-0-JKs8rsja8JMxWCodSEsvs4rS4iYDiXAGuW9L4YJWZZ0czY1BjEmCB/s200/IMG_6882.JPG" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The Craven Arms has now burst into life again as of 22nd February, after a long period
of closure – rejuvenated and transformed into an ale emporium by the friendly team of Chris & Sharon, with <a href="https://twitter.com/19irishdragon">@19irishdragon</a> also to be found behind the bar dispensing beer & beer knowledge. Chris is working hard to ensure a range of exciting beers – no dull, boring, ‘twiggy’ ale – and with 10 handpumps there’s sure to be
something yummy to be found here! The outside of the pub has colourful tiled livery, originally built for Holders brewery in 1906, and the inside retains a cozy 'proper pub' feel, while being rather smart and new at the same time. This will be a good chance for anyone not usually in Birmingham city centre to check out it's latest pub opening, before heading home via train or bus, as it's only 10 minutes' walk to New Street station.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">So - let me know in comments below if you are coming along on our Twissup to explore these fine pubs and have a tour of Sadlers while you're at it, and if you'd like to be well fed at the Waggon too! Times above are approximate but it's good to have a rough idea of when and where beer geeks may need herding to next ;-)</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">UPDATE: <i>Bus tickets - if you don't already have a bus pass that covers Travel West Midlands services, then you may need to buy a Daysaver - this costs £3.90 and you'll need the exact change to buy one from the driver. This will cover your travel for the day - both getting into the city by bus, and for our various stops up and down the Number 9 route.</i> </span></div>
tania_nexusthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15170308777551803844noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627855943826479632.post-89130543254011696692013-02-02T18:01:00.000+00:002013-06-26T12:11:34.896+01:00A quick guide to Brussels on a Budget<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=2627855943826479632" name="_GoBack"></a>To
drink in bars and eat out in Belgium, Brussels in particular, is not
often cheap – most lunchtime main courses in standard neighbourhood
restaurants and cafés tend to be anything from €13 to €18, or
dearer – it will vary widely of course, but in general it’s not
the same as England, where you could expect to find a decent enough
pub lunch for under £10 (unless in a gastro establishment) and there
are other cheaper options for about £6-7. Beers also can mount up
the cost – often a bottle may be around €4 to €5 for a
‘standard’ Belgian beer, especially in the main centre of town
and touristy areas. So it can be handy to have a few tips to keep
costs down, while still trying to get the most out of the city, but
saving the Euros to spend on all that lovely Belgian beer instead!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Here are my
tips on ensuring you are well fed while saving some cash:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Firstly, try to
make sure your hotel booking includes breakfast. You might expect to pick up a croissant and coffee fairly
easily for about €4, but this isn't always the case – you may
have to shell out around €8 each for a cup of tea and a toasted
bagel, or for a wrap or sandwich in somewhere like the fresh food chain <a href="http://www.exki.be/en-be/home">Exki</a>.
So if you can have a decent start to the day included in your hotel
bill it will work out much easier and not necessarily dearer. Failing
that, pick up some pastries from the supermarché the night before,
to have in your room.</span></div>
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</span>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMQ1hQdzTWk3mIM9eF4ap3q7FQqPUOWN23caPZ1gEn-TiiVmcABuHczwOcTW9L4mfdPPQv9jOSsrLA9RISFUIiahotQpSbPrWtcI-IEggrN1dHkDemohuKADUEe8Lmk3xN-WtiG3fwjBKk/s1600/img_6540.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMQ1hQdzTWk3mIM9eF4ap3q7FQqPUOWN23caPZ1gEn-TiiVmcABuHczwOcTW9L4mfdPPQv9jOSsrLA9RISFUIiahotQpSbPrWtcI-IEggrN1dHkDemohuKADUEe8Lmk3xN-WtiG3fwjBKk/s200/img_6540.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Restaurant
de la Bourse</b> – in the St
Catherine area. It’s recently been forced to move premises, but
before the move, I’d been going here every February for about 8
years. They offer an unpretentious café space, with menus in 3
languages including English. Lots of Belgian cuisine and good ‘meal
deals’ – e.g. a half-pot pot of moules (still a pretty huge
portion) with frites for about €14 (cheaper than the majority of
places selling mussels) which were better than many I’d tried
around the city; or maybe a starter and main course together for
€16-€18 – I’d recommend having the steak preceded by the
tomato stuffed with grey shrimp that’s part of this deal, as in
other places this starter alone could cost you €20! They have a
good selection of dishes and sometimes specials – including on
occasion rabbit cooked in kriek (cherry beer), stoofvlees (also
called carbonnade – a beef in beer stew), and other Belgian dishes. </span></div>
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</span>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Vietnamese &
other oriental</b> – can easily be
found around the St Gery area (just a few streets south of the St
Catherine area) – this is a bit of a bohemian area with a run-down
feel to it, but with some hip bars, student hangouts, cafes,
boutiques, and upmarket restaurants vying for affordable rents. I’ve
eaten in a few Vietnamese places round here (several also do Chinese
or Thai) as they are cheap and quick, and it’s cuisine I can’t
get easily where I live, so still feels like something 'different' to
try when in Belgium. So if you aren’t intimidated by oriental menus
in French or Flemish, these may be a good bet for something tasty and
filling for not many Euros, before you head off for a Belgian beer.
Though based on the experience of a friend, if you are vegetarian,
just be really sure you've managed to convey your dietary needs
across any language barriers.</span></div>
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</span>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Bar food</b>
– some bars will offer very limited hot bar food – for some
reason Spaghetti Bolognese always seems to be popular, and quite
often this is a cheaper option (maybe around €8) but decent too. At
lunch and early evening, <b>A La
Becasse</b> offers this, along with
cheese platters and croque-monsieurs; other places might have
something similar, but be aware that they may stick to traditional
lunch and dinner service times – i.e. not necessarily any hot food
available mid-afternoon. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Frites</b>
– there are a few fritures in the city centre, but the one I visit
most frequently for a ‘hotel picnic’ is the “Pissy boy chips”
(you’ll understand when you see the sign ;-) – actually called
FRITLAND, and on one corner of the square around the Bourse stock
exchange building. They are open late, so a good stop-off on the way
back from the bars then smuggled into your hotel under your coat for
a 'hotel picnic', or in more clement weather, eaten outside while
admiring the Bourse's monumental architecture. A range of sauces and
mayonnaise is offered – I recommend the garlic mayo or Samurai
(spicy) sauce. Will fill you up for about €3!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Soup</b>
– Belgians seem to be very good at soup! Many cafes and bars make
their own fresh each day from whatever vegetables are to hand. I've
had great asparagus soup in Waagstuk in Antwerp, and intensely
savoury cheese and beer soup in the Halve Maan brewery cafe; bear
this in mind as something worth looking out for as a cheap lunch. </span>
</div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Cheese &
saucisson</b> – Some of the beer
bars won’t do food, but will have a stick of saucission or snack
portions of cheese cut into cubes on offer for a few Euros. These can
be a good way of staving off hunger and alcohol absorption if you’re
having a relaxing afternoon with a few 9% beers.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF9vTR1aX6rpoisQDpm4s-HffOdomtZOrLfJyGeYO2aMFf6dd4bzDdI8NgJFBwMzZYYT-jgV5zxUdHiixGhiIKt9fKE_64GtbSTvaYnIe6dHd_FEJUoAkJZqMya0RPxqv-LmcxYGkyAce3/s1600/img_6521.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF9vTR1aX6rpoisQDpm4s-HffOdomtZOrLfJyGeYO2aMFf6dd4bzDdI8NgJFBwMzZYYT-jgV5zxUdHiixGhiIKt9fKE_64GtbSTvaYnIe6dHd_FEJUoAkJZqMya0RPxqv-LmcxYGkyAce3/s200/img_6521.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Noordzee</b>
– closed Monday; this is a stand-up counter outside a fishmongers,
where they fry up a few delicacies and make tasty fish soup, that you
can wash down with a glass of wine. It’s not necessarily “cheap”,
but if you are in the mood to spend €6 on some fishy treats or
€4.50 for great fish soup, it’s tasty and good quality. It opens
at 11am so might be a good place to head to for brunch on a sunny day
if you’ve wrapped up warm and don’t mind standing around
people-watching while you munch.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Italian</b>
– I haven’t eaten at any Italian restaurants in Belgium (having been too
keen to search out particularly Belgian delicacies in the past), but
vegetarian friends reliably inform me that this can be a good option
on a budget, as pizza and pasta places tend to be cheaper than
restaurants offering more ‘Belgian’ fare, and they should have a
good veggie selection if you need it. Also true for other ethnic
cuisines such as Moroccan and Mexican which can be found in the
centre of Brussels.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD1nfuRdrNDfg_SlC29fDCGBKAzYGq5LDUEuRzMBS7U6EzlTqevFC_1ZedPtjNh4z8J1hu4iRXpOlPVv5Tg8Kj7il41bvIibNTgm8M5BfGjp2ScIW5HOGZRbbOvElWi-cKk9p3x0YdZFDa/s1600/img_6590.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD1nfuRdrNDfg_SlC29fDCGBKAzYGq5LDUEuRzMBS7U6EzlTqevFC_1ZedPtjNh4z8J1hu4iRXpOlPVv5Tg8Kj7il41bvIibNTgm8M5BfGjp2ScIW5HOGZRbbOvElWi-cKk9p3x0YdZFDa/s200/img_6590.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Le Cirio</b>
– this is a lovely turn-of-the-century café with a bit of
faded glamour, but still with smartly dressed waiters attending you
(and featured recently on Jamie Oliver's Food Fight programme – don't let that put you off!). It’serves
food to around 10pm. I’ve had good Belgian
fare here – waterzooi (a creamy chicken soup-stew), chicons au
gratin, spaghetti carbonara, and other simple hot dishes, for €10.
They do croque-madames and other snacks, and a reasonable
selection of beers in pretty surroundings.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Beer and bars –
while there are specific bars I’d list if advising serious beer
aficionados where to go, if you are still making your introductions
to Belgian beer rather than intent to hunt down cellar-aged rarities,
and in general want somewhere with a decent selection that isn’t
too touristy or too pricey, my recommendations would be:</span></div>
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</span>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Porte Noir</b>
– this may seem like a slight trek from the centre of the city, but
really only about 10 minutes on foot from the Grand Place, and is my
favourite bar in Brussels. It’s an atmospheric setting – down
some steps into the old brick vaults of a convent that used to sit
above it, to three rooms with bench seating, bottled beer in fridges,
and about 10 Belgian beers on draught. They have a beer list so you
can browse through this to decide on your next one, or ask the staff
to help you choose if they’re not too busy. This place can get busy
on a Friday and Saturday night, but it’s usually worth grabbing the
edge of a trestle table if you can. Sometimes there is live music,
and it’s a great place to spend a few hours getting acquainted with
a variety of Belgian beer. It can be vibrant until quite late on a
weekend evening but be aware that it doesn’t open until 5pm each
day (closed Sundays).</span></div>
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</span>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Pochenellekelder</b>
– this is opposite the Mannekin Pis statuette, but isn’t too
touristy despite it's location. It has erratic opening hours but is
worth a look in if you pass when it is open. It has many costumes
around the walls that are used to dress up the little statue for
festivals. A decent beer list, though you may have to endure some
surly service, but once you’re sat round the table with a nice
warming Westmalle Tripel or similar, you won’t mind too much.</span></div>
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</span>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3BmwqeiBwbVl05mD2Z27Nyh3_MOF7q6D5URP7qvcuIOJ1ZLVagMi5iBoM9woXz68Ksxkt3D6LPuoeNlgnsJHiFJIs515r0PkMG0ABB3vd-FV9PbNljXrH922WQu-PA13FKttKheKqKkob/s1600/img_6529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3BmwqeiBwbVl05mD2Z27Nyh3_MOF7q6D5URP7qvcuIOJ1ZLVagMi5iBoM9woXz68Ksxkt3D6LPuoeNlgnsJHiFJIs515r0PkMG0ABB3vd-FV9PbNljXrH922WQu-PA13FKttKheKqKkob/s200/img_6529.jpg" width="150" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Moeder
Lambic Fontainas</b> – this is a
serious beer bar; no meals here apart from a the excellent cheese
platters and a few other snacks to take the edge of the hops. It’s
not cheap, but it’s not unreasonable either, and with it’s stark
modern interior, free wifi, and plentiful beer list of bottles and
draught from round the craft beer world, I’d recommend it as the
face of ‘modern’ Belgian beer drinking. They have a much older,
tinier, quirkier original bar out in the suburbs, which is worth the
trek if you're on a bit of a beer tourism roll, but it’s modern big
brother at Fontainas is one of my favourites in the city also.</span></div>
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</span>
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Student-y
and 'locals' bars</b> – these may be
a good bet for a cheaper beer with a buzzing but down-to earth
atmosphere. There are several around the west of the Grand Place, in
St Catherine and St Gery, and in Ixelles and other central Brussels
suburbs. There seems to have been a general move towards increased
beer lists, so you should be able to find something decent for
perhaps around €3.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Le Coq</b> in
Rue Auguste Orts is typical of this trend, and has a list of 35 beers
including Trappists for around that price, and some such as Boon
Kriek even cheaper. In previous years, it was also home to a
rather large and slightly grumpy cat called Canaille – 'gangster'
in French – who would wait for you to settle down, then march over
and settle himself comfortably on your coat, your lap, or your table
– whatever suited to mark his ownership of the joint. Sadly
Canaille is no more, but apart from that this bar remains steadfastly
unadorned, basic, and packed with locals and conversation on weekend
nights.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Delhaize and
Carrefour supermarkets</b> – if you
want to bring some good beer back to England, or just have a few in
your hotel room (with a frites picnic!) then avoid the touristy beer
shops near the Grand Place, and go to Delhaize and Carrefour
supermarkets. There is a decent size Delhaize on Rue au Marche aux
Poulets, and a Carrefour in the shopping centre at Gare du Midi, as
well as some other small supermarkets around the city. They may well
have decent selections of Belgian beer for much cheaper than in bars
– a Rochefort or Westmalle might be around €1.50 here, instead of
€4 or more in bars. Rochefort 10 normally retails in a shop in
England for about £4.50 upwards, so it’s quite a bargain for the
lucky Belgians who pick these up with their grocery shopping, and for
any visitors to the city who have some spare capacity in their
luggage.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivoe_FHQfOTshvEtbLDP4b4ueuJmTwhNoReh9WAk0TX0BnPphXdmgSVmq2vrl1G-MiUYnhFLUqOFnUahnQBfK1QZQvxFOMpQjAEOJSnikPwHbbcYkzEiJcV9IQIU8uAZgu8AztYMPErx74/s1600/img_3644.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivoe_FHQfOTshvEtbLDP4b4ueuJmTwhNoReh9WAk0TX0BnPphXdmgSVmq2vrl1G-MiUYnhFLUqOFnUahnQBfK1QZQvxFOMpQjAEOJSnikPwHbbcYkzEiJcV9IQIU8uAZgu8AztYMPErx74/s200/img_3644.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Palais of Justice</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Need to kill
some time in Brussels before you get stuck into the beer, but still
watching the pennies? Brussels is full of impressive architecture, so
if you are lucky and the weather holds out, you can easily spend some
time wandering around admiring impressive buildings while you build
up a thirst. My picks would be the Grand Place – an impressive
square with several monumental edifices, and handily a Brewer's
Museums and a brewpub back onto this square as well; also the Palais
of Justice, overlooking the Marolles district – huge and
overbearing enough to strike fear into the heart of any miscreant!</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">There are also
several Art Nouveau buildings that can be admired for little cost –
in particular the Museum of Musical Instruments and some of the
houses in the St Gilles area, and other little touches you will see
on shops and buildings around the centre, such as in the Galleries St
Hubert. There is also the huge Basilica of Koekelberg, an Art Deco
cathedral, with it's panoramic views over the city for a €5 fee. The Atomium can
be appreciated from the outside if you get the tram up to Heysel,
with all it's past-futurist ominousness; also in the area, about a 15
minute walk from the Atomium, is the Tour Japonaise and Chinese
Pavillion – both interesting buildings, and I think only €4 to
visit both.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I’m sure
everyone has their own brand of exploring to pursue, and when in a
different city some of the fun is just wandering the streets and
seeing what random places you happen across. But hopefully the above
may be a guide to get you started, or help you identify a likely
place nearby when your feet are tired from wandering, where victuals
may be found at a reasonable (by Belgian standards!) price.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
</div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span>tania_nexusthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15170308777551803844noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627855943826479632.post-31227566848931678322013-01-29T12:36:00.000+00:002013-01-29T12:36:04.672+00:00Whisky Festival in Brum<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
Just as there are
a growing band of Birmingham folks who are exploring craft beer,
supporting our forward-looking off licences, keeping an eye on what
real ales and bottled beers are available in city haunts, and
hopefully witnessing the rise of the 'Craft Beer Quarter', there are
other areas where the city's drinkers have seen progress in recent
years – in a bloom of innovative cocktail bars, a gin parlour
opening, and new ventures such as independent wine retailer and
tasting room <a href="https://twitter.com/lokiwine">Loki Wine</a>.</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">A whisky scene
has also been developing in Birmingham over the past 12 months,
almost single-handedly crafted by <a href="https://twitter.com/TheWhiskyMiss">The Whisky Miss</a>, Amy Seton, who
decided at the end of 2011 that there weren't really any whisky-based
events happening in the city at which to go and learn, so she set
about starting up her own. This luckily coincided with a branch of
<a href="http://www.whiskyshop.com/">The Whisky Shop</a> opening in Great Western Arcade, and other interested
individuals coming out to play.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span></span><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiouJQUna1nmDK7dHAg6n9aq7QXvPFJjNGxMP23Ci3xI93MdacvtMtmq1kb9xHIiHlSxqIXiFrNQp_5Ft2avtgBtr1UwTo7MYsOpVU8kQolQ_k5FZ9vZSRH5xzTUkZqf-vZdgH0q4iHNqnd/s1600/img_6242.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiouJQUna1nmDK7dHAg6n9aq7QXvPFJjNGxMP23Ci3xI93MdacvtMtmq1kb9xHIiHlSxqIXiFrNQp_5Ft2avtgBtr1UwTo7MYsOpVU8kQolQ_k5FZ9vZSRH5xzTUkZqf-vZdgH0q4iHNqnd/s200/img_6242.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Craig Mills & Amy Seton</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">To celebrate the
first birthday of these events in December 2012, Amy had pushed the
boat out by organising Birmingham's first ever whisky festival –
bringing a one day celebration of the worldwide craft of whisky
making to those keen to learn more. I arrived at the venue,
the Old Joint Stock pub, to find a room already full of whisky
explorers and exhibitors from various distilleries and merchants.
There was just time to have an initial sample of Old Pulteney 12 with
it's sea air aroma and a quick chat to the lasses who had come down
from the distillery in the far north of Scotland, before heading to
the parlour downstairs for a cheese and whisky masterclass, being led
by Craig Mills from The Whisky Shop and David Capeling from <a href="https://twitter.com/CapelingandCo">Capeling and Co.</a> <span style="font-size: small;">c</span>heesemongers.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnQUHR4vRhErducZnVQRPKNOvPyVfL5egQxB7U-CBYW7Or3Zj8zyi8WfFBWfZXEagacSntgt7CTKYNbGNQBlSggg05tlXrnEoP95rXAodEBPxVjJk7lAI3-AMb4A9q-Gmbbw3z8vDyKqe0/s1600/img_6231.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnQUHR4vRhErducZnVQRPKNOvPyVfL5egQxB7U-CBYW7Or3Zj8zyi8WfFBWfZXEagacSntgt7CTKYNbGNQBlSggg05tlXrnEoP95rXAodEBPxVjJk7lAI3-AMb4A9q-Gmbbw3z8vDyKqe0/s200/img_6231.jpg" width="150" /></a><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">It was exciting
to be in a room full of people in Birmingham who were just as
interested in food and drink exploring as I am, and there was a range
of expertise from relative beginners like myself, to those who had
many years of whisky learning behind them. Our samples were poured
into Glencairn glasses which I'd first come across at a <a href="http://bafadventuring.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/a-whisky-education.html">tasting</a> in
Herriot-Watt university, while David explained that there are no
ground rules when it comes to matching whisky and cheese, leaving it
an open field for exciting experimentation.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">David had
selected five fine cheeses for us to try, and Craig had then matched
these with whiskies that complemented or contrasted:</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span></span>
<h4>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i>Cheese: Pierre
Roberts; Whisky: Benriach 12 Bourbon & Sherry Cask</i></span></span></h4>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">This was a
triple-cream, silky smooth, mild and light cheese, paired with the
fruit driven, fresh and low acidity Benriach – the cheese brought
out the sweetness at the end of the whisky, which in turn highlighted
the savoury aspect of the cheese.</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span></span><br />
<h4>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i>Cheese:
Lincolnshire Poacher; Whisky: Glenfarclas 2003</i></span></span></h4>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span></span>
<div style="font-style: normal;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">This
sweet and nutty non-typical cheddar was matched with rich flavours in
the whisky – praline-like with a sweet and spicy finish.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span></span>
<h4>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i>Cheese: Isle
of Mull; Whisky: Tobermory 10</i></span></span></h4>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;">Craig
explained that this was a 'terroir' matching, in that the cows that
provide the milk for this cheese, are fed the 'draff' – the spent
mash from the Tobermory distillery. This was a strong, sharp, briney
cheddar with a farmhousey aroma, and the whisky used peated water
with a spicy mouth-tingling quality that becomes sweeter as it's
consumed with the cheese.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span></span>
<h4>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i>Cheese: Bishop
Kennedy; Whiskey: Writers Tears (from Ireland)</i></span></span></h4>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span></span>
<div style="font-style: normal;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">A single pot still whisky from the makers of Jameson, fairly pale
in colour with light honey notes. The cheese was strong, sticky and
pungent, with lots of yeasty, Marmite umami-ness, with a bitter note
in the rind, in contrast to the easygoing nature of the whisky.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span></span>
<h4>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i>Cheese:
Evenlode; Whisky: Glenmorangie 18</i></span></span></h4>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;">This
was my favourite pairing of the day; a modern spongy-textured
Scottish blue cheese with a salt tang pepping up it's creaminess. The
Glenmorangie, finished in Bourbon barrels, brought an aged smoothness
with hints of coconut and warmth, almost like a spiced rum at times;
this held up well to the piquancy of the cheese.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZlF44vSetmIB7iPX1pj6Eu5ysxbsUfjdTTQ9ob8q8q0K_muZUYDlt3IeHQZSO9RJpMH9JwFmS0lAz5PvjvpSHM_MXY2i0jCorckadJ4m9lxfzNHo1F6N_ZmVJmYjJvKlkeUHXkRlEunIm/s1600/img_6227.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZlF44vSetmIB7iPX1pj6Eu5ysxbsUfjdTTQ9ob8q8q0K_muZUYDlt3IeHQZSO9RJpMH9JwFmS0lAz5PvjvpSHM_MXY2i0jCorckadJ4m9lxfzNHo1F6N_ZmVJmYjJvKlkeUHXkRlEunIm/s200/img_6227.jpg" width="150" /></a><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The food matching
was an excellent idea, and guidance from the experts helped us to
examine what notes were being brought out from both sides and learn
about what we were capable of picking out flavour-wise. My only gripe
was that a few slices of baguette or plain bread would have helped
with the cheese eating, and some paper plates and a knife each would
have lessened the messiness a bit, but I certainly couldn't fault the
selections made and the helpful dissection of flavours.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Then it was back
to the main room to wander around chatting to whisky sellers and
producers while sampling from the 50 different whiskies available to
try. As I was with a few friends, we were happy to share our samples
to make sure we tried as large a range as possible, as the selection
on offer was pretty comprehensive – and with eager guidance from
those manning the stalls, you could be sure to find several that
suited your personal preferences.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpciLzQJSDxk8Kuk3oSXBfk4x2Zt7E7Y-akjx9KtaDJVrXEQXJx7HcIetmeGaO1VnEFw829CGGyFJXLlDK7dYgmxL96HQblU_-lOs7jtMfjJCN41Ism26BRFONQXI2YrescrMLM7U1euQS/s1600/img_6234.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpciLzQJSDxk8Kuk3oSXBfk4x2Zt7E7Y-akjx9KtaDJVrXEQXJx7HcIetmeGaO1VnEFw829CGGyFJXLlDK7dYgmxL96HQblU_-lOs7jtMfjJCN41Ism26BRFONQXI2YrescrMLM7U1euQS/s200/img_6234.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Some highlights
for me were:</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><i>Yamazaki 18</i></b> – a
rich colour picked up from the Bourbon casks; sweet and fruitcakey.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><i>Hibiki 1<span style="font-size: small;">7</span></i></b> –
like an Olorosso sherry, and very moreish!</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><i>Dalmore Tay Dram</i></b>
– from a program whereby Dalmore contribute money back to restock
Scottish rivers. This had great crème brulee and coffee flavours,
and rich, sticky fruit.</span></span> </span></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6RbzqP7Ik3ZHeGrUdfboYFwYT8yeEaX9r_khefdMwmrkyKbsCTul30HVPGcv_syoqcbg6tT97a-1fGXQ9rZHQXRK-M2ZE_LyrszVtLeMjeMhYnTIm19iLEdleEeo1gJOtwFaICh9mC_ER/s1600/img_6236.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6RbzqP7Ik3ZHeGrUdfboYFwYT8yeEaX9r_khefdMwmrkyKbsCTul30HVPGcv_syoqcbg6tT97a-1fGXQ9rZHQXRK-M2ZE_LyrszVtLeMjeMhYnTIm19iLEdleEeo1gJOtwFaICh9mC_ER/s200/img_6236.jpg" width="150" /></a><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><i>Paul John Cask
161</i></b> – an entirely Indian-made product; the producers are
experimenting with how the climate and conditions in India accelerate
the wood ageing process, although about 10% is lost to the Angel's
Share. This is gaining plaudits in the whisky world and has lots of
tempered heat.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><i>Scapa 16</i></b> – has
a soft elegance, with lemon, honey and apricot giving a very modern
lightness.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><i>Aberlour A'Bunadh</i></b>
– this was at the other end of the spectrum, extremely rich and
warming like nestling by a fireside.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><i>Kilchoman</i></b> –
from an Islay distillery only opened in 2005; this had a lot going on
aroma-wise for such a young whisky.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Everyone was invited to take part in <span style="font-size: small;">a</span> competition to collect whisky facts as we sampled, and<span style="font-size: small;"> at the end</span> the winners were drawn - some entrants were lucky enough to end up with <span style="font-size: small;">bottles of interesting whiskies to <span style="font-size: small;">take home, and ther<span style="font-size: small;">e were consolation pri<span style="font-size: small;">zes of distillery tours as well. In addition, there <span style="font-size: small;">was a good offer </span>to take advantage of - <span style="font-size: small;">The Whisky Shop <span style="font-size: small;">provided</span> discounts for most of the whiskies exhibited, either to purchase o<span style="font-size: small;">n the day, o<span style="font-size: small;">r to order for later collection from the shop nearby.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span> <br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-QJQcND4YPLOz6p65pu1ZqCjiehsrUUm3yhpSGS7nPYNk6qMyMQbOTg_8e2Y09g8BsbCXwD7q9bV0PeKN12e96z4GezkvmgmdFW1kdxWJArxtDDjUEuT2aJZLyyEal7GP6_812hpE1i4W/s1600/img_6235.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The event was a
great chance for some exploring of the many different aspects of
<i><span style="text-decoration: none;">uisce beatha</span></i><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="text-decoration: none;">
and to chat to like-minded individuals, and encouraging that it
represented a first for this type of gathering in Birmingham. Even
better, then, that Amy has organised a larger scale festival, “<b>Whisky
Birmingham</b>”, to take place on Saturday 2</span></span><sup><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="text-decoration: none;">nd</span></span></sup><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="text-decoration: none;">
March 2013. This promises to be a fantastic event with a return of
Capeling and Co's cheese matching, and catering from Soul Food
Project – more info and tickets can be found at
<a href="http://www.whiskybirmingham.co.uk/">http://www.whiskybirmingham.co.uk/</a>
and I'd certainly urge both whisky beginners and experienced palates
alike to check it out!</span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span></span>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
</div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span></span>tania_nexusthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15170308777551803844noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627855943826479632.post-73702418656610176552013-01-26T12:55:00.003+00:002013-01-26T12:55:59.261+00:00Popstrami and beer in Stirchley<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The Birmingham food and drink scene has really expanded in
the past few years - mostly through the efforts of obsessives and enthusiasts
taking matters into their own hands and doing it themselves - whether it's
organising a street food event that's now a regular occurrence (<a href="https://twitter.com/DigbethDiner">@DigbethDiner</a>),
offering something new in wine shopping (<a href="https://twitter.com/lokiwine">@lokiwine</a>), delis and food stores (<a href="https://twitter.com/AndersonandHill">@AndersonandHill</a>) and
bakeries (<a href="https://twitter.com/YorksBakeryCafe">@YorksBakeryCafe</a>), great coffee (<a href="https://twitter.com/urbancoffeeco">@urbancoffeeco</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/SixEightKafe">@SixEightKafe</a>), improving and adding to the beer range in bars
(<a href="https://twitter.com/TheVictoria">@TheVictoria</a>), nurturing fantastic craft beer off licences (<a href="https://twitter.com/StirchleyWines">@StirchleyWines</a>
and <a href="https://twitter.com/CotteridgeWines">@CotteridgeWines</a>) or bringing ramen to the people (<a href="http://www.facebook.com/MinMinNoodle?filter=3">Minmin Noodles</a>). These are just some
prominent examples, and as a result I've been able to try a wider range of
foods and beer than seen before in Birmingham, and make some new discoveries.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The start of December saw a <a href="http://popstrami.co.uk/">Popstrami</a> pop-up event take place in
Stirchley, at the recently opened Loaf Community Bakery and Cookery School,
which brought something new to the city – in the guise of the “Breuben” – a Brummie
take on the Reuben sandwich which is most famously found in Katz’s New York
Deli, but I’ve seen appearing on London-based food blogs in recent months too -
succulent, eye-wateringly thick-filled meaty delights.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The team behind Popstrami all have solid gourmet credentials
and are scarily passionate about what they do – Tom runs <a href="https://twitter.com/loafonline">Loaf</a> and has
revitalised the food scene in Stirchley, with a vegetarian co-operative shop
Stirchley Stores operating alongside his bakery premises; <a href="https://twitter.com/domjclarke">Dom</a> works the night
shift at the bakery, turning out inventive baked goods at an alarming rate; <a href="https://twitter.com/smokeandumami">Nick</a>
is a home-smoking and curing obsessive and writes food blog <a href="http://smokeandumami.com/">Smoke and Umami</a>;
and <a href="https://twitter.com/oishinboy">Lap</a> is the “Rebuen sandwich fascist” who carries out all manner of
impressive cooking feats (smoking an eel from scratch being one he’s
recently written up). They’ve collaborated before in
various combinations – including a previous Popstrami pop-up American Deli
event at Leverton & Halls in Bournville, and the <a href="https://twitter.com/BackyardBrummie">Backyard Brummie</a> barbeque
team participating in Grillstock in Bristol.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">So when I heard via Twitter that they were hosting another Popstrami event, I was keen to get down there and enjoy some good foods. This would take the format of a set menu for £10 published in advance: Jewish chicken soup with giant matzoh ball; (B)Reuben with pickles; Baked cheesecake to finish.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Even better that the event was Bring Your Own and Loaf HQ is just 5 minutes down the road from Stirchley Wines, meaning I could pick up some decent beers to complement the foods. I think Krishan did a fine trade that night as several people in attendance had clearly visited to browse his shelves and choose some beers to bring with them, including a group collecting a crate of Aventinus!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">On walking in I was greeted by a room full of friendly faces and Nick ladling the unctuous, bubbling chicken broth into cups, and dolloping in a matzoh ball and a sprig of dill. He handed it to me with a grin, declaring "it's rich with chicken fat!" - and slurping it was like an enveloping hug as you warmed up from the sub-zero temperatures outside. The dill cut through the fattiness with a bright aniseed note, while the matzoh gave a bit of texture to chew on.</span><br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidp585CMADk8PBH46O4bOhO6S3IZkms6RBiNLIy_G6aHEpcw8QpN-73epaZAIFr-1N-e8F2zJwIrdSaHk-kIG7uWBvvYNXhRg_J7Z1E79NRtbLmYRt1E4N08U7xlHrPQ5_cusgIuk6Dj7p/s1600/Tania+198.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidp585CMADk8PBH46O4bOhO6S3IZkms6RBiNLIy_G6aHEpcw8QpN-73epaZAIFr-1N-e8F2zJwIrdSaHk-kIG7uWBvvYNXhRg_J7Z1E79NRtbLmYRt1E4N08U7xlHrPQ5_cusgIuk6Dj7p/s200/Tania+198.jpg" width="150" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Then there was a wait with anticipation for the Breuben to be prepared - we each had numbered tickets, and our number would be called from the end of the production line once the order was ready. Here, Lap, Dom and Tom worked the line - first preparing the layers of meat onto rye bread, then adding sauerkraut and Swiss cheese, and finally some "special sauce", before the outsides of the bread were brushed with melted butter, and it was cooked on a griddle until nicely toasted, and the cheese had melted a little to hold the whole thing together. Then it was cut in two, arranged so you could appreciate the sheer amount of meat filling it was stuffed with, and served with Nick's homemade pickles - salt-cured, naturally fermented gherkins preserved in both a half-sour and a 3/4 sour marinade (depending on the length of time they'd been curing for), and pickled radishes.</span><br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKkpfLOYexVJ0Bio8Ni_hl9_xtPHq-Npsjr5YgF31sTye7tXUv-lRFRmUG2v19LFLQH6xWcLgB-iZ5nuAqHW6Gmljm59HhZaTfPdF1ycTyyBMebic6L11Cat1R3m0iIWCR9hBQ-XsRMzF2/s1600/Tania+203.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKkpfLOYexVJ0Bio8Ni_hl9_xtPHq-Npsjr5YgF31sTye7tXUv-lRFRmUG2v19LFLQH6xWcLgB-iZ5nuAqHW6Gmljm59HhZaTfPdF1ycTyyBMebic6L11Cat1R3m0iIWCR9hBQ-XsRMzF2/s200/Tania+203.jpg" width="150" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I carried mine off to the seating area and pulled up a chair beside others who were digging in, and opened the first of my beers - I'd picked a Brooklyn East India Pale Ale to go with the Breuben, needing something fairly hoppy to cut through the fat and salt richness, but not so hoppy that it would compete on my tastebuds. I saw other diners had gone for a similar tactic - John from <a href="https://twitter.com/BrewDogBirm">BrewDog Birmingham</a> had chosen the same beer as me, and another chap had a bottle of Stone Levitation Ale, while others opted for crisp German lagers.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwjjabn69JJXmCpgQ2HlPKN-9grcKV6GKcJtsn94Gl7nxnn3XM9NdcFL4XS0mwWiFM8uiMsubyLi3LxusEktH3KhtmdEgtK5B5VW-KFORY_8ri50c6NLEnhlgjIpncZALvJkpEUFusNEIL/s1600/Tania+201.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwjjabn69JJXmCpgQ2HlPKN-9grcKV6GKcJtsn94Gl7nxnn3XM9NdcFL4XS0mwWiFM8uiMsubyLi3LxusEktH3KhtmdEgtK5B5VW-KFORY_8ri50c6NLEnhlgjIpncZALvJkpEUFusNEIL/s200/Tania+201.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The Breuben itself was pure indulgent deliciousness - I couldn't help but close my eyes at times while eating it as it was just such a pleasurable, meaty experience, with the pickles providing a great contrast with their crunch and slight sourness, and the generous amount of brined, spiced, smoked ox cheek pastrami providing a big kick of flavour and with a meltingly flaky texture - this was like "beef bacon" according to Dom, but the expression doesn't quite capture it's succulence. The meat would almost have been <i>over</i>-flavoured (if such a thing is possible!) if it hadn't been for the other elements of sauerkraut, sauce and cheese dampening it down a bit and making this a great combination between the lightly crunchy, toasted bread. I was so sorry when my sandwich ended that I almost considered buying another, but I knew I'd not manage the cheesecake if I did, so consoled myself by chatting to other attendees about how amazing a sandwich this was, while I finished off my EIPA.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwgGgUMITY0Ye0lmdezb6F4RsyofxkDVj0nANedfxXCDNNYb6z470-wSJX7pB6IpwzC2pS2WWSL8tkCNX3djNELz6EKR_fxrapSYWyQ8frKeIEdjpN5HsE31fCAc8nqs7PFgs81pUViVub/s1600/Tania+205.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwgGgUMITY0Ye0lmdezb6F4RsyofxkDVj0nANedfxXCDNNYb6z470-wSJX7pB6IpwzC2pS2WWSL8tkCNX3djNELz6EKR_fxrapSYWyQ8frKeIEdjpN5HsE31fCAc8nqs7PFgs81pUViVub/s200/Tania+205.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">After a while, I was ready to seek out dessert - this was a cheesecake flecked through with vanilla, and ingeniously baked in foil 'takeaway' cartons, which could then be cut in half diagonally to give two portions. This was not too sweet and had a <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IfeyUGZt8nk">buttery biscuit base</a>, with a dollop of spiced apple compote on top to lift it slightly. I paired this with a Mikkeller Wheat Is The New Hops, with it's fresh grassiness enlivening the mouth - wheat providing flavour without the high levels of bitterness found in hoppy beers, making it a good foil to a sweeter dish. </span><br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-lp78UybXQGpf1YMnc_niSeXVh5W2SaE4vSBtKQn65LhK28qX7V9SucEs73Y3c8CBBKN0QwqxRHtRcYdoc0WgpOs0we4VGt0OJQ1agfL5viuiCgs7pVbNS_Ml5VAOz3wGe8KT6U0Ce69H/s1600/Tania+206.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-lp78UybXQGpf1YMnc_niSeXVh5W2SaE4vSBtKQn65LhK28qX7V9SucEs73Y3c8CBBKN0QwqxRHtRcYdoc0WgpOs0we4VGt0OJQ1agfL5viuiCgs7pVbNS_Ml5VAOz3wGe8KT6U0Ce69H/s200/Tania+206.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Ox cheek pastrami</span></td></tr>
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<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">As I hung around afterwards chatting and finishing my beer, I did spy one attendee deciding to have seconds on every menu item - that's clearly how good it all was - and as the event didn't quite sell out (I feel sorry for those who didn't make it, though it was an exceptionally cold night), I was lucky enough to have another Breuben made up for me, to take home and have for breakfast the next day, and also to buy a generous portion of the ox cheek pastrami, which I used over the next few days to make my own amateur versions of a Reuben at home.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">This was an excellent event to have ventured out to the Birmingham suburbs for, on a cold winter night, and great to have a source of good beers nearby too, to make the experience complete. I would imagine the <a href="https://twitter.com/Popstrami">@Popstrami</a> and Backyard Brummie team will have more events in the pipeline for 2013 - keep an eye out for them on Twitter so you can partake of the meaty goodness too!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">And for <b>much</b> better pics of the food and event, check out <a href="https://twitter.com/ysl807">@ysl807</a>'s great photos <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ysl807/sets/72157632181441186/">here</a>.</span>tania_nexusthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15170308777551803844noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627855943826479632.post-39055844291564040962013-01-13T15:44:00.003+00:002013-01-14T14:49:07.458+00:00Birmingham Metro pub crawl<style type="text/css">
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</style> <span style="font-family: Droid Sans, sans-serif;">Birmingham has a tram system –
the Metro - that extends up the path of the old Great Western Railway
trackbed, through the satellite towns, and ending at Wolverhampton.
This offers a pleasant way of getting between a few quality pubs
along the route, too many to fit in on one day, but in being
selective you can visit some gems for a relaxed pint or two.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdLIXFRCw0Jadb3skj_Xfy9ckc5CocbHcPFJWTqgE3ZXaZup7X7LusnW0-6QrJHx6WOSyK7_nXE1UFM4GHfQM4WrssClXH3QVAyfaxF8F2wLxM5H6XWPiXC6-vVcXLO1LcCeX5VAZysgU6/s1600/img_6408.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdLIXFRCw0Jadb3skj_Xfy9ckc5CocbHcPFJWTqgE3ZXaZup7X7LusnW0-6QrJHx6WOSyK7_nXE1UFM4GHfQM4WrssClXH3QVAyfaxF8F2wLxM5H6XWPiXC6-vVcXLO1LcCeX5VAZysgU6/s200/img_6408.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: Droid Sans, sans-serif;">We
started by travelling the length of the route from Snow Hill in
Birmingham to St George's tram stop on Bilston Street in Wolves, and
then negotiating the underpasses on a circuitous route to the Great
Western on Sun Street. This seems to me to be one of the most
unspoilt pubs in the Midlands, and worth several visits just on it's
own - it's part of the railway heritage of the area, occupying an
atmospheric spot beside the old low-level GNWR station and goods
yard, and is filled with signage and train memoribilia that fits in
with its old-world character. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgme3AiJmBKiibau0cvrnfjpcYNHjKf7Tx4Q5DnPVflqzo1QuR6CWQ_QEN0RDxQcE3svyT1iTXRjUaTFMy6S2lO8ETCcjDjd6KxP2HB1oNeyZjD7Q-5TGvfV98XeCXvkC42MRzKd5XzzXjn/s1600/img_6410.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgme3AiJmBKiibau0cvrnfjpcYNHjKf7Tx4Q5DnPVflqzo1QuR6CWQ_QEN0RDxQcE3svyT1iTXRjUaTFMy6S2lO8ETCcjDjd6KxP2HB1oNeyZjD7Q-5TGvfV98XeCXvkC42MRzKd5XzzXjn/s200/img_6410.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cozy in winter</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Droid Sans, sans-serif;"> Being owned by Holdens, you can
guarantee pints of Black Country bitters will be flowing, and Bathams
is also regularly found as a guest. You can pick up cobs (filled
rolls) and pork pies for a pound or two, but there's also a
'conservatory' room at the back for more substantial meals and
functions. On our visit, the guests were one from Holdens seasonal
range, "Noddy Holden" (Lucy Holden explained the theme of
this year's Holdens specials, and their artwork, in my earlier post
<a href="http://bafadventuring.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/holdens-ales-and-chamberlains.html">here</a>) and a guest from Derby, and they also had Holdens Mild,
Special, Bitter and Golden Glow. It was easy to get cozy while supping the malty goodness
and enjoying the open fire and the welcoming chatter of the regulars
and locals streaming through the door, but before long we knew we had
to move on or the crawl would be in danger of abandonment!</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPVWnL4lZPrXMxFldWiUM-9_mOfQ7IlPn0Qz_uigYmfqq_Y79Jb6OhoVU6CQ9fuXuL2CnhmgiOQhJMiCmipYUdQ9Zu6uOKihKmidTcEc-t3D52wjmr7O86rTpnf_pFZXRLyjh3PPa9DzUY/s1600/img_6415.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPVWnL4lZPrXMxFldWiUM-9_mOfQ7IlPn0Qz_uigYmfqq_Y79Jb6OhoVU6CQ9fuXuL2CnhmgiOQhJMiCmipYUdQ9Zu6uOKihKmidTcEc-t3D52wjmr7O86rTpnf_pFZXRLyjh3PPa9DzUY/s200/img_6415.jpg" width="150" /></a><span style="font-family: Droid Sans, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Droid Sans, sans-serif;">Next
we walked through the tiled pathway to the train station and up to
the centre of town, to visit the Posada. This is a GBG regular, and
has some lovely old features - a tiled facade, more tiling around the
doors and walls, and some stained glass partitions inside inbetween
the alcoves and nooks. Although we had a couple of draught ales from
the four on offer (Wye Valley HPA, Davenports IPA, Banks's and
Marstons) it was interesting to see a 'craft beer' menu on the
tables, listing 4 bottles from Brewdog at around £3.30 - clearly the
owners have taken note that the beer scene is expanding and are keen
to try offering something different to Wolverhampton drinkers.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqe2VD0TTTCCYm6PTjrU0E-SnYLBNvKyeVWArQ7AH7DO5FkuNW9Q771BFWjVKxFBnGsa5kX4pMJA5UY5PHp6JtCHDQpHP3yVzaV2xhG-vS2ROrSBf8mMRy8V2A_PDn3vQNPKLkcP9tIEK0/s1600/img_6416.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqe2VD0TTTCCYm6PTjrU0E-SnYLBNvKyeVWArQ7AH7DO5FkuNW9Q771BFWjVKxFBnGsa5kX4pMJA5UY5PHp6JtCHDQpHP3yVzaV2xhG-vS2ROrSBf8mMRy8V2A_PDn3vQNPKLkcP9tIEK0/s200/img_6416.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: Droid Sans, sans-serif;">Then
it was back on the tram, and down the line to Bilston. The Old White
Rose is a long-standing real ale pub just a minute or two from the
tram stop here, and very handy if you're on your way to a gig at the
Robin venue a few streets away. There had been a few changes since I
was last in here - notably they have reduced the amount of real ale
pumps on the bar, and taken out the Belgian keg font, perhaps to
improve turnover; they've also extended the opening hours to 11.30pm,
to take in post-gig drinkers. The carvery & dining area has also
changed a bit, which I think creates a more pleasant (less hot &
steamy!) seating arrangement. Ales sampled here from the 8 or so on
offer were from Kelham Island, Ludlow, Sarah Hughes and Cottage. No
particularly exciting choices and condition was just OK rather than
outstanding, but that seems to be the way with some long-standing ale
pubs - something crisp and hoppy would have been welcomed at this
stage. I also noticed they have a function room in the cellar - I'm
not sure if this is a new development - this has an impressive
Lowenbrau banner over the stairs down, and is styled as a Bavarian
bierkeller. It would be great if they staged a festival of decent
German beer here at some point, with wurst and pretzels to go with
it!</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkOMO9Lb3MWUUhC6LpEHrPzpng-yigIqu8en63NIjG68R-CVFgFpEjTfbsa2tZrGCPUqZPayBaidR0TwbXUI44eOR_Dl4-cJqdPt9T9vMlXe0usaUymEzNbT9NoaAjnwQtMq8fhMGhVSdF/s1600/img_6421a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkOMO9Lb3MWUUhC6LpEHrPzpng-yigIqu8en63NIjG68R-CVFgFpEjTfbsa2tZrGCPUqZPayBaidR0TwbXUI44eOR_Dl4-cJqdPt9T9vMlXe0usaUymEzNbT9NoaAjnwQtMq8fhMGhVSdF/s200/img_6421a.jpg" width="168" /></a><span style="font-family: Droid Sans, sans-serif;">Our
next hop on the Metro was to Kenrick Park station, where you alight
in a rather anonymous residential street, for the few minutes' walk
to <a href="http://thevine.co.uk/">The Vine</a>. I hadn't been to this pub before, but had heard they
served good value Indian food all day long, and some local ale to go
with it. I wasn't prepared though for the busyness of the place at
the start of a Saturday teatime - although the rooms towards the
front retained some of the original pub-like character, all tables
were either full of people about to dine, or reserved for those
coming for dinner shortly, and through the narrow corridor bar were
two larger rooms reserved entirely for dining, full of people and
with an air of chaos! However a friendly barmaid soon squeezed us in
to a spare table and we were able to take a look at the curry menu
printed up along one wall while sipping our Blue Monkey BG Tips -
very nice. The back 'BBQ' room features a long cast iron grill,
cooking up marinaded kebabs and skewers which looked mouthwatering,
but on this occasion we decided to try out the curries, including the
spicy goat and lamb with spinach. These were great - just as
good as any found in the best balti restaurants of Brum - and
extremely good value, with our whole meal of two mains and two sides
coming in at under £14. They serve food all day on Saturdays, so I
think I'll have to make a return visit sometime to try the skewers
from the grill as they looked spicy and again great value at about
£3.50. We would have liked another drop of the BG Tips as it was in
great condition, but unfortunately it had run out at this stage.
Never mind - next on was Bathams! Excellent - a trip into the Black
Country would not be complete without coming across this iconic beer,
so we had some for dessert. At £3.76 this was perhaps the most
expensive pint of Bathams I'd ever purchased, but the cost was
mitigated somewhat by the good value food.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Droid Sans, sans-serif;"><br />It
was getting rather dark now so it was good to be heading back towards
the centre of Birmingham - but a Metro crawl wouldn't be complete
without visiting the award-winning <a href="http://www.theblackeaglepub.co.uk/">Black Eagle</a>, just down the hill
from the Benson Road metro stop in Soho. This is another lovely
unspoilt pub, where genial host Tony provides a welcome haven hidden
in the city's backstreets. Although slightly off the beaten track, this pub is
always busy on a Saturday evening with many regular faces, and we
bumped into some friends here, reminiscing about drinking in Belgium
together, while checking out the cask line up. The Black Eagle was
the first place I ever tasted a Brewdog beer, and Tony used to have
one Brewdog on the pumps at all time before they stopped doing cask
beer – so instead he had some from Salopian, Ludlow and others. As
well as being a welcoming venue for a winter night, this is a great pub to
visit in spring or summer too, to enjoy it's pretty beer garden, and
they also have a great beer festival towards the end of July.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Droid Sans, sans-serif;">It
was then back to the tram to return to Birmingham. If time had
allowed, we could have stopped off at the Jewellery Quarter station
to visit the <a href="http://thedropforge.blogspot.co.uk/2011/07/home.html">Drop Forge</a> or the <a href="http://thelordclifden.com/">Lord Clifden</a>, but with Birmingham's
buses being a tad unreliable late in the evening, we opted to return
home, satisfied with our day's exploring. As detailed on <a href="http://www.digitalse7en.co.uk/TCLPC/MMPC/midlands_metro_line_pub_crawl/Midland_Metro_Line_Pub_Crawl.htm">this site</a>, there are several other places we could have stopped too along the
way, but I think it's best on a crawl to pick and choose, allowing a bit of
time to relax and enjoy each pub rather than a 'splash and dash'
approach! The proximity to the tram stops to the chosen pubs had the
bonus of no more than 10 minutes' walk to most of them on a wintery day, but it would
be great to repeat this when the season is more clement, and check
out some of the other Metro-accessible bars too. I think I'll
definitely be returning to the Vine for some spicy skewers when I do!</span></div>
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<br />tania_nexusthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15170308777551803844noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627855943826479632.post-66384204744205650932013-01-06T13:10:00.002+00:002013-01-06T13:10:43.337+00:00Irish Dark Beers & Stout Stew<style type="text/css">
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9JUz5G8XQQ97-rMsBM1M8doxsILRW5L9UIkmaSi5W0xeNZnRxjaYn57zLkrIiVIPtO3tTztyBPP_LTnr06nIyE7-L4wkXCJembjQ_cIhdSznIBpCZGXmdgmLorP9tQibZlOFmzvdWRFPm/s1600/img_6422.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9JUz5G8XQQ97-rMsBM1M8doxsILRW5L9UIkmaSi5W0xeNZnRxjaYn57zLkrIiVIPtO3tTztyBPP_LTnr06nIyE7-L4wkXCJembjQ_cIhdSznIBpCZGXmdgmLorP9tQibZlOFmzvdWRFPm/s200/img_6422.jpg" width="200" /></a>On
a recent visit to Ireland, suitcase space was limited for picking up
some beer to bring home from the burgeoning microbrewery scene there,
and shopping time was scarce. So having to make a snap decision
while in <a href="https://twitter.com/ProbusBeers">Probus Beers</a>
near Trinity College, I decided to just pick up a couple of Irish dark beers, that I could bring
back and have in a kind of “compare and contrast “ session over
one evening with other similar beers I could source in England. </span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">To
go with the beers I wanted to try cooking some beef-in-stout stew. I
haven't made this before (using sausage for stew is the preferred
recipe going back generations in our family for some reason, probably war years austerity!), but I do love a good
plate of warming stew; it's something you can find in many cafes,
bars and coffee shops in Northern Ireland, but not often in England
(although apparently <a href="https://twitter.com/newinnharborne">@newinnharborne</a> do a winter stew on their
current menu). So I dug out a likely recipe, bought in some good
quality beef from <a href="http://www.harbornevillagebutchers.co.uk/">Harborne Village Butchers</a>, and found an afternoon
with plenty of time to get the stew slow cooking in the oven and the
beers lined up to drink.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The
first up was Knockmealdown porter from <a href="https://twitter.com/8degreesbrewing">@8degreesbrewing</a>, a micro that
started in 2011 – I hadn't had much by this brewery before so was
interested to try their dark beer. At first I realised I'd left it a
little too long in the fridge and needed to let it warm up for a bit
once poured, but once that had happened more aroma was released –
and I was surprised to find a slightly sour note in this – reminded
me a bit of Orval, mixed in with some coffee-ish scents. The lactiness was
evident also in the taste, and I'm not sure was meant to be there
(later batches of this beer have been described as having a sweetish
finish); it wasn't unpleasant, but left me feeling unsure of how this
beer should “actually” taste.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRXC0Q0ov0kyR6DxVgmfaev9SKQ7viGQguFmTQxAAmCBhgywUO9SaHbWt4Qzcky5sC3NKdeVGKe5OhRrPOA6cuMt2mEqO5Uofv5G2s8OHgOBEqfYfQzVlU5WuV34UlEZJVVbkqXOs0m4lw/s1600/img_6425.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRXC0Q0ov0kyR6DxVgmfaev9SKQ7viGQguFmTQxAAmCBhgywUO9SaHbWt4Qzcky5sC3NKdeVGKe5OhRrPOA6cuMt2mEqO5Uofv5G2s8OHgOBEqfYfQzVlU5WuV34UlEZJVVbkqXOs0m4lw/s200/img_6425.jpg" width="150" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Next
I poured the Guinness Export – this had more tartness &
bitterness than I was expecting, as I thought it may be more smooth
and roasty. I had used this in the stew as it was the right size
bottle for the recipe, readily available in England, and I didn't want to use one of the beers I'd
brought back from Dublin in the cooking, otherwise I wouldn't get the
chance to properly taste them! I was expecting to like this beer a
little more than I did but it was pleasant enough without being
particularly exciting.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1tIfquh6bdWfrDfTcVYCuNQXeqLr4wqQfJZm3_9EncAhJQYl9dVb7BUeBAbl07Y6t1O_5ghxV5Z5RGXgYtax-bPxD4qlokGxY4jgpsLs_JfzHoWnErZgWdDZ1UfQqXHW_ohq6_9LPgPkr/s1600/img_6427.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1tIfquh6bdWfrDfTcVYCuNQXeqLr4wqQfJZm3_9EncAhJQYl9dVb7BUeBAbl07Y6t1O_5ghxV5Z5RGXgYtax-bPxD4qlokGxY4jgpsLs_JfzHoWnErZgWdDZ1UfQqXHW_ohq6_9LPgPkr/s200/img_6427.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">While
drinking this, I served up the stew that was finally ready after
several hours cooking – thankfully the beef was by now really
tender and tasty and the liquid absorbed. The meat flavours had a
slightly more bitter note than I'd expected, so I may choose to use a
very slightly sweeter stout when I make this dish again. I wished I
had some Irish wheaten bread to go with it, but hadn't had time to
hunt some down in the shops of Birmingham so crusty bread and some
ground black pepper would have to do. After some research, I had settled on <a href="http://allrecipes.co.uk/recipe/11001/beef-and-stout-stew.aspx">this recipe</a> and was
pleased with the results. </span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Once
we'd had the stew, we moved on to the O'Hara's Irish Stout (brewed by
<a href="https://twitter.com/OHarasBeers">Carlow</a>) – again procured from Probus – and this delivered much
more of what I was expecting and hoping for. Sweet roasts on the
nose, like a rich filter coffee with a touch of cream and sugar. That
lovely coffee bean note was carried over into the flavour, with a
silky mouthfeel, but wasn't overpowering – making this more of a
'pintable' stout for enjoyable everyday drinking than something you'd
sip with reverence – but I liked it very much for that aspect and
would hope to encounter this on draught somewhere next time I'm in
Dublin.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXQ5son042CEropE5nCSZsVoIVnK46WDL_FbmyQ15OlIFjTHRz2Tq0qZCrj9NRsDxqr305SN1qvXMVRLGn6kZ6xrYm8ZWf9X8VeusxsbCZoelq6Jb-eIzPsf4PNL0fglZLGfEeIPSVWDER/s1600/img_6428.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXQ5son042CEropE5nCSZsVoIVnK46WDL_FbmyQ15OlIFjTHRz2Tq0qZCrj9NRsDxqr305SN1qvXMVRLGn6kZ6xrYm8ZWf9X8VeusxsbCZoelq6Jb-eIzPsf4PNL0fglZLGfEeIPSVWDER/s200/img_6428.jpg" width="150" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I
then wanted to try the Irish Stout that Carlow Brewing Co produce for
Marks and Spencer. Initially I thought this may be the same beer as
the O'Hara's Irish Stout, but Carlow informed me they are actually
different beers, and this was obvious once I'd poured it. It was much
lighter in the mouth and on flavour than the previous beer, with a
slight effervescence. The pronounced roastiness wasn't there, but the
hint of smooth sweetness made this easy drinking, although not that
memorable. Not a bad beer, but not a particularly distinctive one
either.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn0xHu2bPCR1OuRgs-sRVNgocGWs4UAVAgJuuTS8iw3FbpZ7bRGJOKchwVYwwL48jhFVuqt6SRg2_ouXDe0npdV0jC8aQX-qqueWL8sEpP4ediIsM0PWkDg66KEVEdhjCK13pz1XMCEt_V/s1600/img_6430.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn0xHu2bPCR1OuRgs-sRVNgocGWs4UAVAgJuuTS8iw3FbpZ7bRGJOKchwVYwwL48jhFVuqt6SRg2_ouXDe0npdV0jC8aQX-qqueWL8sEpP4ediIsM0PWkDg66KEVEdhjCK13pz1XMCEt_V/s200/img_6430.jpg" width="150" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Last
of the night was the bottle-conditioned <a href="http://www.porterhousebrewco.com/">Porterhouse</a> Celebration Stout
– this is a beer they produced as a one-off originally, to
celebrate their 10<sup>th</sup> Anniversary, but I now believe is
produced every year as they realised it was quite popular. Although
there was no year of production on this bottle, and it's 'best
before' date was November 2012, I suspect it was fairly recently made
and would have benefited perhaps from keeping for a while. But it can
be difficult to take the gamble of ageing on a beer you don't know
that well, so better to drink it and then you can judge if you'd be
better storing it, the next time you get hold of a bottle. While
this didn't have the full-on richness I'd experienced the first time
I'd tasted this beer a few years ago, it certainly had a velvety texture on the palate,
bitter roasts and sweet, woody liquorice notes. A worthy nightcap,
though I couldn't help wondering what other delights this beer would
have yielded up, given a bit of time resting in the beer cupboard
first.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">An
enjoyable evening trying a few new beers with a theme and learning to
cook a new dish – my overall vote for the evening would go to the Carlow O'Hara's
stout, and I do hope to find bottled and draught versions of this
side by side next time I'm across the sea, for more of a comparison and dark beer session!</span></div>
tania_nexusthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15170308777551803844noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627855943826479632.post-53348680439365041802012-12-26T12:12:00.001+00:002012-12-26T13:11:14.474+00:00Golden Pints 2012<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOme92kGqj-FJTAl_D2kFfgNn1PEx0BXnMPyRjv7_UlTTjqHqNzhN96lyw_P_mpAHiEoLp0FhseYCphP6ZL87ptngsapRXFoYGckbd5fUSSdzjRbwHVAnQZvFxTKgXUVUgeadn0Busalqt/s1600/golden+pints.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOme92kGqj-FJTAl_D2kFfgNn1PEx0BXnMPyRjv7_UlTTjqHqNzhN96lyw_P_mpAHiEoLp0FhseYCphP6ZL87ptngsapRXFoYGckbd5fUSSdzjRbwHVAnQZvFxTKgXUVUgeadn0Busalqt/s200/golden+pints.png" width="150" /></a>The Golden Pints is a round-up of the year's best beers and beery events, organised by <a href="https://twitter.com/BeerReviewsAndy">@BeerReviewsAndy</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/markdredge">@markdredge</a> - the idea being that beer bloggers and tweeters will post up a list of their favourites in various categories, and Mark and Andy will then collate these and declare the overall 'winners' or those with the most votes/mentions among the replies. See Mark's blog post <a href="http://www.pencilandspoon.com/2012/12/golden-pints-2012.html">here</a> for more details.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />I nearly made 2011's Golden Pints my inaugural blog post last December, but indecision got in the way - I find it really hard to state an overall preference for one thing over another, when so much depends on context - such as what style of beer I was in the mood for at any given time, what type of pub best suited the occasion's needs, or just the availability and exposure I have had or not had to certain beers and breweries over the year. But I'll make a stab at it this year and try to put some thoughts down - then I'll have something to agonize over for months to come when I remember other good ales and drinking experiences I neglected to mention!</span>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />The categories:</span>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Best UK Draught
Beer </span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">So many good beers I've had this year, so difficult to choose. I was blown away by my visit to Edinburgh where I got to check out some Scottish draught ale rising stars - <a href="https://twitter.com/CromartyBrewing">@CromartyBrewing</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/AlechemyBrewing">@AlechemyBrewing</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/TempestBrewCo">@TempestBrewCo</a> to name a few - as well as the many great English breweries producing consistently exciting beer, and old favourites such as <a href="https://twitter.com/thebathams">Bathams</a> - but overall, the draught beer I craved the most in 2012, and was always super happy to find available, was <a href="https://twitter.com/Fyneales">Fyne Ales</a> Jarl. Outstanding Citra flavours in a very drinkable 3.8%.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Best UK Bottled
or Canned Beer</span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">No contest - this goes to <a href="https://twitter.com/OakhamAles">@OakhamAles</a> Green Devil IPA. This was definitely the bottled beer I consumed the most of in 2012, because it's bloody delicious. Got another one in the fridge as I type this, and always have a spare in the cupboard in case of emergency!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Best Overseas
Draught Beer</span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The Firestone Walker Double Jack IPA rocked my socks off when I had it at Brewdog Edinburgh; it's the overseas draught that's made the biggest impression on me this year.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Best Overseas
Bottled or Canned Beer</span></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Again a category where it's almost impossible to make a choice from all the rich stouts, hoppy wonders, and everything inbetween I had this year, but I'm going to make a stab at it, and say the Hitachino Nest Japanese Classic Ale from <a href="https://twitter.com/kiuchibrewery">Kiuchi Brewery</a>. I'd first had this in Japan in 2011, and it was great to have more of it when dining at Yamamori Izakaya in Dublin in 2012.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Best Overall
Beer</span></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Going to give this to the Oakham Green Devil IPA - as it's given me the most pleasure throughout the year!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Best Pumpclip or
Label</span></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="https://twitter.com/MagicRockBrewCo">Magic Rock Brew Co</a> have the most lovely intricate label designs and a clear brand identity. Always makes me happy to walk into a bar and spot their distinctive pump clips (so the tap take over at Brodies' King William IV had me grinning ear to ear!)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Best UK Brewery</span></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Again a bit difficult to single out one favourite, as so many established and new breweries have made beers that have brought joy to my palate this year, but I think it will have to go to <a href="https://twitter.com/OakhamAles">Oakham</a> - not just for the beers I've enjoyed at the Bartons and bottled Green Devil, but for being innovative in first bringing over the Citra and Baby Belma hops to England's shores, and continuing this in 2012 with securing first supplies of the Multihead hop - driving things forward hop-wise.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Best Overseas
Brewery</span></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">It might not seem a likely choice, being owned by Heineken, but Paulaner Hefe-Weiss has given me a lot of enjoyment over this year, and having my birthday lunch in the smart Paulaner am Nockerberg brasserie in Munich, overlooking the large-scale Paulaner and Hacker-Pschorr breweries, and then having a nightcap in the Paulanerbrauhaus elsewhere in the town, were special moments, so they get my overall vote.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Pub/Bar of the
Year</span></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I visited many good craft beer bars and ale pubs this year, but my favourite overall is the Barton's Arms. It may not have the widest choice, or crazy Mikkeller and Evil Twin selections popping up on draught, but I craved visits to this pub and appreciated it every time I visited; I love the Minton tiles and elaborate decor, but also the down-to-earth friendliness of the welcome and the reliable <a href="https://twitter.com/OakhamAles">Oakham Ales</a> - always keen to return here. I was also very impressed with <a href="https://twitter.com/TheVictoria">@TheVictoria</a> starting to stock craft beer in bottles too.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Beer Festival of
the Year</span></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Without a doubt, this was <a href="https://twitter.com/IndyManBeerCon">@IndyManBeerCon</a> - which raised the bar several levels for any beer festival to come, in terms of beautiful historic venue, unparallelled beer selection, great food and all-round amazingness. If you were there, you don't need me to explain. If you weren't - you better make damn sure you go next year!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Supermarket of
the Year</span></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Sainsburys was the one I used most, to pick up bottles of Weihenstephaner and Brewdog with my shopping, but my vote goes to Waitrose, for having a much better selection, including Sierra Nevada Torpedo, <a href="https://twitter.com/thornbridge">Thornbridge</a>, and <a href="https://twitter.com/HogansCider">Hogan's</a> Cider and Perry.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Independent
Retailer of the Year</span></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">This has to go to Birmingham's two amazing craft beer off-licences, which both have friendly proprietors who are genuinely interested in engaging with their beer geek customers and have all striven hard to push exciting beer availability in Birmingham beyond the boundaries this year - hats off and a big thank you to <a href="https://twitter.com/StirchleyWines">@StirchleyWines</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/CotteridgeWines">@CotteridgeWines</a>!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Online Retailer
of the Year</span></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I don't think I actually ordered any beer online this year, but if I had, it would have been from <a href="https://twitter.com/AlesByMail">@AlesByMail</a> or <a href="https://twitter.com/beermerchants">@beermerchants</a> as I've had good service from both in the past.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Best Beer Book
or Magazine</span></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I was pleased to see <a href="https://twitter.com/ArranBrewery">@ArranBrewery</a> bring back "Beers of the World" magazine as I used to enjoy picking this up as something with a wider beer focus than What's Brewing and BEER from CAMRA. Book-wise, the <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Beer-Drinkers-Guide-Munich/dp/0962855537/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1356468597&sr=8-1">Beer Drinkers Guide To Munich</a> was invaluable and much-used on our trip to Bavaria for mine and <a href="https://twitter.com/dave_car">@dave_car</a>'s birthdays in April.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Best Beer Blog
or Website</span></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I've thoroughly enjoyed reading lots by <a href="https://twitter.com/BoakandBailey">@BoakandBailey</a> this year - they always have something interesting to convey, on a diverse range of beery subjects, and it's a blog with real personality. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Best Beer
Twitterer</span></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">So difficult to pinpoint someone out of the many, many people I've enjoyed following and conversing with on Twitter this year, but if I have to choose, then it might have to be <a href="https://twitter.com/OkellsAles">Mike</a> from Okell's Ales, for tweeting consistently interesting links to lots of beery news.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Best Online
Brewery Presence</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Apart from following breweries on Twitter, I haven't viewed a lot of online brewery content this year, but I like the <a href="http://www.williamsbrosbrew.com/">Williams Brothers</a> website redesign and have enjoyed their emailed newsletters throughout the year.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Food and Beer
Pairing of the Year</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Pulled pork and any decent IPA. I forsee more of this in 2013...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">In 2013 I’d most
like to...</span></b></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Learn more about hops. A lot more. And attend the <a href="http://beerbloggersconference.org/europe/">European Beer Bloggers Conference</a> in Edinburgh, 12-13 July 2013.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Open category –
you decide the topic</span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Difficult one this - where to start? My topic is "what would I like to see happen in the beer world in 2013"<b> </b>- I'd like there to be more hop innovation, particularly in England - it was very heartening to see English hop growers rallying and stepping up the campaign to keep the industry going in this country, and to follow people like <a href="https://twitter.com/Britishhops">Ali Capper</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/CharlesFaram">Paul Corbett</a> on Twitter, and hear about new English varieties such as Jester being used by <a href="https://twitter.com/drinkmoorbeer">Moor Beer</a>. I look forward to more progress on this front in 2013.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span dir="auto">Sláinte</span></span>, and a good year of beer to all! </span></span>tania_nexusthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15170308777551803844noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627855943826479632.post-43133352613391706662012-12-23T21:49:00.000+00:002012-12-28T17:01:56.122+00:00Brum #twissup on 30th December<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">A plan is afoot to have a Brum #twissup on 30th December, for the opportunity for Birmingham and Midlands-based (or further afield) Twitter-ers to meet up in the flesh, and imbibe a few quality ales at three of the best beer bars in Birmingham.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The rough plan as proposed by <a href="https://twitter.com/CarlDurose">@CarlDurose</a> is:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">- Meet at 2pm at the <a href="https://twitter.com/bartonsarms">Bartons Arms</a> in Newtown. This is probably my favourite pub in Brum - beautiful Minton-tiled Victorian interior with etched snob screens; now run by <a href="https://twitter.com/OakhamAles">@OakhamAles</a> and featuring their beer range - I usually make a bee-line for the Citra or one of their seasonal beers and hop experiments, but they have the usual Oakham range and Belgian bottles available as well. There is also excellent Thai food, so I'll be having lunch here while the #twissup attendees gather, and I'm sure others may want to join me in that to give them a good <i>fond</i> - which a Belgian friend told me is their term for lining your stomach - i.e. a meal that creates a good "foundation" for an evening's drinking! The Bartons is an easy 5-minute bus ride out of the city centre - either the 33 or 51 from near Rackhams, or the 7 from Colmore Row.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><b>*UPDATE: </b>I have reserved an area of the pub for us to meet in - just past the staircase in the dining room - and asked for 14 places to be set for dining. So far (as of wed 26th) we have 12 people signed up for lunch - going from the comments on this post - and I'm due to confirm numbers on Friday - so if you are coming for lunch but haven't said so in the comments yet, please do so soon!</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><b>*UPDATE 2:</b> Bar manager Jamie has said he will try to have a cask of Oakham's Vagabond on in addition to the usual ale lineup, which sounds pretty tasty! </i> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">- From there we'll then move on to <a href="https://twitter.com/TheVictoria">@TheVictoria</a> - a bar run by the Birmingham independent Bitters 'n' Twisted group, and which has had some real ale available on handpumps since it's relaunch, but in 2012 has upped its game by starting to stock craft beer in bottles - often featuring <a href="https://twitter.com/tinyrebelbrewco">Tiny Rebel</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/kernelbrewery">Kernel</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/SWBrewery">Summer Wine</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/ArborAles">Arbor Ales</a>. On cask, there might be <a href="https://twitter.com/Darkstarbrewco">Dark Star</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/tobymckenzie">Red Willow</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/thornbridge">Thornbridge</a> or others - fingers crossed for something interesting!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><b>*UPDATE:</b> The Victoria have set aside a couple of tables for us, so we have an area to congregate in, from about 5pm. They've also had some new craft beer deliveries - <a href="http://twitter.yfrog.com/es3ojgunj">photo here</a></i></span>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">- The plan is then to visit <a href="https://twitter.com/BrewDogBirm">BrewDog Birmingham</a> - not sure whether this is a wise idea or not, bearing in mind the average ABV of the draught beer, but it is surely the only logical choice for an end to the #twissup! Just hope we bear this in mind when we start our first pint, that it may be prudent to pace ourselves and leave some capacity for whatever unmissable guest beers might be on the blackboards here from <a href="https://twitter.com/MikkellerBeer">Mikkeller</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/RogueAles">Rogue Ales</a> or others, never mind the Brewdog beers on draught & bottle themselves, which I have to say have all been on great form in my 5 visits so far since their opening night.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><b>*UPDATE: </b>Brewdog have kindly reserved the downstairs 'snug' area for us to congregate in, from 7pm, as the bar may be busy on a Sunday evening. This is the tasting area under the stairs in the basement, and has room for about 14 people to sit / plenty of standing around space, so if you are joining us later in the day, come and find us here!</i></span> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">So if you are planning to join us, please leave a note in the comments below and say if you're intending to have lunch at the Bartons as well - if there are several people eating it may only be fair to them and us to give a bit of advance warning, and ask for a corner to be set aside for us to congregate and munch some quality Thai foods while sipping on a Citra! If you need any info on buses (tickets, where to find the bus stops etc.) or directions to the pubs then I'll be happy to help. Should plans change or become more defined (e.g. what time we might aim to be at The Victoria), I'll update them here nearer to the time. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Hope to meet up with many of you for a few fine pints on the 30th!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>tania_nexusthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15170308777551803844noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627855943826479632.post-80173406862208988942012-12-13T21:26:00.000+00:002013-01-28T12:00:18.656+00:00Brewdog comes to Birmingham<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">So – <a href="https://twitter.com/BrewDogBirm">Brewdog Birmingham</a> is finally here! After an interminably
long wait – first for them to decide on Birmingham as a location, then to find
a suitable place, then get through the planning applications and refit
processes – it finally opened its doors on Tuesday evening this week for a “soft
launch”, and on Wednesday with a full-fanfare party night.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">My first experience of Brewdog was also in Birmingham, in
2007 – at the <a href="https://twitter.com/BlackEaglePub">Black Eagle</a> pub in Hockley, where some dedicated volunteers put
on a cracking beer festival in the lovely garden each July. They had selected a
cask of Punk IPA from this brand new brewery – they’d only started producing
beers commercially in April of that year – and I thought this was a pretty
outstanding and revolutionary beer at the time. It was a 6% pint of one of
the hoppiest real ales I’d tasted, and with the careful cellarmanship of the
pub & volunteers, the perfect cask conditioning and assertive hops meant we
kept coming back to this beer during the festival, and it sold out pretty
quickly. I made sure I ordered some in for the CAMRA beer festival I was
running in September that year to bring it to a wider audience in Birmingham,
and sure enough, it was one of the first to sell out there too. So I’ve always
watched what they’ve been up to with interest – and it’s been entertaining and
frustrating in equal measures!</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN82uub56sbG14rxLLltysIpJ6Qj_xHGXffnjsdkxFOFpyg1GAjExr_qLcdy4IJRlgY1qa5nbG968C-6b9NBC4zWGVC6H7XLKs3KsNqBdzLz8TSYkA4mRHFFNzpTNBvtZdwNupxZ-s3BMa/s1600/img_6389.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN82uub56sbG14rxLLltysIpJ6Qj_xHGXffnjsdkxFOFpyg1GAjExr_qLcdy4IJRlgY1qa5nbG968C-6b9NBC4zWGVC6H7XLKs3KsNqBdzLz8TSYkA4mRHFFNzpTNBvtZdwNupxZ-s3BMa/s200/img_6389.jpg" width="150" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Over the years, Brewdog’s company philosophy and beer
production has gone through many shifts – they’ve certainly deliberately stoked
up controversy and chased column inches, and hardened their branding along an “attitude
heavy” stance, and made the decision to phase out cask beers in 2012. Their
marketing may annoy the hell out of me at times with it’s silly posturing and “punk,
yeah?” sloganeering, but it’s the decision to drop cask that’s the most
upsetting as my tastebuds tend to tell me that for certain beers, you’re only
going to get that lip-smacking satisfaction and complexity when it’s from a
well-kept cask, rather than keg. But criticisms aside, I still like an awful
lot of the beers they make, and enjoy checking out the new ones they produce at
an alarming rate.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>But</b> – and this is the key thing when it comes to Brewdog
Birmingham’s opening – Birmingham has not had any bar like this before. We do
have some great pubs offering cask ales and craft bottles – <a href="https://twitter.com/TheVictoria">The Victoria</a> and
the <a href="http://www.oakagroup.com/bartons/bartonabout.asp">Bartons Arms</a> being my personal favourites, and this isn’t meant to do them
down at all – but Brewdog Birmingham does bring something entirely new to our city’s
beer party.</span></div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIzbaKwzQ9rgSPVCo12coQkdrHtfb7rVVkLgi3LVRGapzjFl1L4OhudBMYhsiyhk4DcBH3vbJcZ9G_eDTWg6Cyf3rZRxJbG0UgZpYdEELMZgYKN4BdA9Wuh6z9V60-bq7SpE8bPHJJGsMG/s1600/img_6398.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIzbaKwzQ9rgSPVCo12coQkdrHtfb7rVVkLgi3LVRGapzjFl1L4OhudBMYhsiyhk4DcBH3vbJcZ9G_eDTWg6Cyf3rZRxJbG0UgZpYdEELMZgYKN4BdA9Wuh6z9V60-bq7SpE8bPHJJGsMG/s200/img_6398.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Enticing list</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">If you feel cynical about this, and are ‘up’ on craft beer –
just ask yourself, what other major English or Scottish city hasn’t got one
single “craft keg” font to be found? We had none in the centre of Birmingham,
until this week. So it’s not just the Brewdog beers I can now buy on draught
within 5 minutes of my bus stop that are exciting me, but the prospect of a
whole new wave of draught beer coming to the city – to be able to order a Rogue
Morimoto Pilsner, or a Mikkeller Til Fra Via, or a Firestone Walker Union Jack,
in the middle of Birmingham, is definitely a revolutionary change to the current
beer scene, and hopefully soon we’ll see guests from some of England and
Scotland’s keg-producing breweries too (a big vote here to <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">please</b> get more Scottish craft beer into the city!).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">So I checked out the beer range over the Tuesday and
Wednesday this week, and it was easy to sample a large range as the staff were
keen to give out a taste if there was something you fancied trying at the bar,
and friends were happy to pass their beers around the table so we each had a
taste of most of the draught offerings. I enjoyed the refreshing and easy to
drink Juniper Wheat 5%, the well-balanced Dogfight 8.5%, and sought a Simcoe
hit with the Hardcore IPA 9.2%. The darker beers were good too – particularly the
Chocolate & Coffee Stout (an Imperial Stout at 9.5%), but with this and the
Alice Porter, the cold temperature at which they were served did dampen down
the flavours a bit, and we had to nurse them to a more welcoming temperature
before getting the most out of them. In bottle, I tried <a href="https://twitter.com/RichTheVillan">@RichTheVillan</a>’s Never
Mind the Anabolics but it didn’t do much for me – however the Hoppy Christmas
was right up my street – a single-hopped Simcoe beer, which had all the resiny
and piney notes there, like it had been stirred with a fir tree – but also
bringing out a lot more sweet tropical fruit than I’d experienced from this hop
before. One I’ll definitely revisit, while stocks last; it’s a very drinkable
4.2%. It goes without saying that I loved the Mikkeller and Firestone Walker
too – I hope they get in some Firestone Walker Double Jack at some point, as I tried
that in Brewdog Edinburgh and it blew me away. I even enjoyed the Morimoto Imperial
Pilsner from Rogue, which is single-hopped with Sterling; pilsners and lagers
are a style I just struggle to like, but I’d certainly be happy drinking this
again – maybe it’s the hop choice that made the difference? Strangely though I’ve
yet to try the Punk or 5AM Saint on keg here, but I’m sure that will be rectified
within a couple of days.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBtSihJV_AUsHJF68D3pRWjdX3u_HSxO1gq2QkEMnbrHy0AICiZXS3mhYGVVZMAKf0Ca6-wU1R4V4fhfF751cZimcAsZYAIizXmVear9cwoUpnEVxgSkNQ16cjgHo2oQB6iTtsL6az3aXP/s1600/img_6399.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBtSihJV_AUsHJF68D3pRWjdX3u_HSxO1gq2QkEMnbrHy0AICiZXS3mhYGVVZMAKf0Ca6-wU1R4V4fhfF751cZimcAsZYAIizXmVear9cwoUpnEVxgSkNQ16cjgHo2oQB6iTtsL6az3aXP/s200/img_6399.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">On the “official” opening night, they had a few extra treats
on the blackboard – a slightly framboise-sour Raspberry Revolver 4.1% which had sold
out by mid-evening, and Dog A – another hefty Imperial Stout at 15.1%. We
happened to be standing by a group of lads who had bought a round of this for
the bravado, but it was funny to watch their faces as they took a sip and
decided it was not for them. I guess they were lager drinkers who were lured in
by the shininess of a new bar, but it all worked out fine as they decided to
donate their Dog A measures to our party instead, so we could check it out
without denting our wallets further. This conjured up marmite, liquorice, cigar
tobacco & treacle toffee in my mouth, and was definitely a sipper which
needed some savouring. They also sell small measures of the ridiculously strong
beers for a more pocket-friendly price than buying a whole bottle – so a good opportunity
there if you want to try Tactical Nuclear Penguin at 32%, or the 41% Sink the
Bismark, to see if they stand up taste-wise to the marketing bluster. I’d
recommend the TNP as a whisky-tinged warmer to sip at the close of the evening
before heading out to the sub-zero streets.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">There was certainly a buzzy atmosphere, but more than that,
it felt like the people of Birmingham were there to celebrate their luck in having
a big slice of the beer pie now on their doorsteps. I was so busy chatting to
the many Brum beer Twitterati that were there, that I didn’t have time to check
out the fridges and bottle list, other than to spy a line of Kernel in there,
and some Alesmith too. I’ll hopefully visit soon at a quieter time and have a
good read through what’s on offer. Sadly it was also just too busy to consider
ordering food, so that’s something else I’ll need to work on. I do think cheese
and meat tasting platters are a good foil for a session sipping high-flavoured
beers, but I’d like to see what other more substantial meals are on offer too.
They seem keen to make friends with local burger supremos <a href="https://twitter.com/themeatshack">@themeatshack</a>, so
perhaps we’ll see something with a Brum twist on the menu sometime soon.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB5lf0KrbGBPJ_pMBatOatuOSUe9GCghhVFyaqgZsiSlGcOLR6cvwvQL2tzFKMJC-QiVXxa-hZFT_BckhcrHyVbvlPIcaMUDYkuSPxBDZ50IxjsdJ3cpjqJ4VJSXUYI-2rNdMbnfTj-61n/s1600/img_6392.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB5lf0KrbGBPJ_pMBatOatuOSUe9GCghhVFyaqgZsiSlGcOLR6cvwvQL2tzFKMJC-QiVXxa-hZFT_BckhcrHyVbvlPIcaMUDYkuSPxBDZ50IxjsdJ3cpjqJ4VJSXUYI-2rNdMbnfTj-61n/s200/img_6392.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Overall then a very positive move for Birmingham’s beer
scene, and there’s a tingling in the air that other craft beer ventures will be
opening over the next year, so it feels like we’ve finally arrived, and can now
start experiencing all our pocket money being handed over in large amounts for
the pleasure of a properly hoppy beer on draught.</span></div>
tania_nexusthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15170308777551803844noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627855943826479632.post-59705241394259562772012-12-07T17:36:00.000+00:002012-12-07T17:36:04.151+00:00Holdens ales and Chamberlains hospitality<style type="text/css">
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="https://twitter.com/chamberlainsB68">Chamberlains</a>
is a fish & chip restaurant in the west of Birmingham – along the
Hagley Road – and in the past 20 months since it's been open has
gained a great reputation for it's quality food, enthusiastic
welcome, and the many different events they run, such as gluten free
evenings, '2 for £10' Tuesdays, and charity lunches.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">When
I'd first visited, <a href="http://bafadventuring.blogspot.co.uk/2012/02/fish-chips-and-black-country-beer.html">back in February</a>, I really enjoyed the food but
felt there was one thing lacking – some good Black Country bitter
to go with it. I suggested to Simon, the co-owner, that <a href="http://www.holdensbrewery.co.uk/index.asp?loc=home">Holdens</a> would
be a good match, knowing they had a range of traditional bitters and
golden ales in bottles that might suit various tastes, and suggested
they perhaps just try a case or two and see what their customers
thought. I didn't realise at the time that the Holdens site was just a few
miles up the road, and is in fact the nearest brewery to
Chamberlains, making this a perfect local partnership. Since then
I've been back a few times to enjoy sampling their beers with a
hearty meal, and other customers seem to have appreciated the beer
choice too.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I
found out via Twitter that Chamberlains would be holding a food and
beer sampling event, including a meal and a Holdens beer for £10 on
the night. I was very keen to go along to check out what was on
offer, and I was long overdue some of their great battered fish
anyway, so meeting <a href="https://twitter.com/rich1875">Richard</a> in town first we were soon on a bus (number 9 or 126 from the city centre) that
would take us and our appetites almost to the door.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_OxejK4TpPHj0EaYHt12ozcfhvPubEkmaoiJOo8J1gD8hZCJ1w810So077_SdTcUqbUcAmkRtLezFnaynG0njzqcl1cQmPKXKYKoevCSbc_Ylmg4rvHIrs7TCT2CegOj2EpGUr_PYic4d/s1600/IMG_20121112_185004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_OxejK4TpPHj0EaYHt12ozcfhvPubEkmaoiJOo8J1gD8hZCJ1w810So077_SdTcUqbUcAmkRtLezFnaynG0njzqcl1cQmPKXKYKoevCSbc_Ylmg4rvHIrs7TCT2CegOj2EpGUr_PYic4d/s200/IMG_20121112_185004.jpg" width="150" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Once
there, we met Lucie Holden, one of the Directors of this family
brewery, and James Froggatt, who were pouring out samples of a range
of their beers. This included several I am familiar with – the
award-winning 3.9% Golden; the smooth and slightly floral Golden Glow
(4.4%) - a particular favourite of mine; the 5.1% Special bitter,
which is a bit weightier in mouthfeel; and the fantastic Mild with
it's assertive nutty and bitter roasty flavours, that give way to a
caramel and chocolate sweetness. I hadn't had the Mild in a while and
had forgotten how rich this was in flavour. The bitters all have the
distinctive Black Country flavour profile of a refreshing start
ending with a smooth malty finish, very moreish. </span>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Lucie
introduced a few other products outside the core range. Firstly, in
2012 the brewers had embarked on a programme of monthly specials, on
a theme of “Holdens Rock Gods”. Each month a new beer was
produced for cask and bottle, with the brewers able to play around
with different malt and hop combinations – mostly traditional
English varieties – while artist Joe Goode designed labels
celebrating the likes of Jimi Hendrix, Andrew Eldritch, Robert Plant,
Ozzy Osbourne, Mick Jagger and others. The bottle available to sample
tonight was the August brew – Buffalo Soldier – named in honour
of Bob Marley – which had a delicate citrus note. Next year, their
specials will be named along the theme of World Leaders – so I'll
be looking out for perhaps a few controversial heads of state popping
up on the pump clips.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Next
I tried this year's bottling of the Holden's Old Ale – a real
winter warmer at 7.2%, which has been matured for at least two months
in cold storage, although this example was over 8 months old. Lucie talked us through the process and said they had wanted to produce a beer for the end of the year, but
didn't want to go down the route of a spiced ale.
This won a Gold in the Champion Winter Ales category in 2011, and is
complex with tannic notes giving way to raisiny fruits and a warming
finish.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyYAU2AIyk9SPuCwQWIlOTcJXWgT2ruI4vMc6zx1ecJv_5oV53skoygpvXc2N-a5Cd3U1Z93v3a9xeW945yofF9rRcFOBLhKbqHdN2ybe00M7ipCrI7D0zR7h5FdVsq21W99YjpXszIZqI/s1600/Holdens2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyYAU2AIyk9SPuCwQWIlOTcJXWgT2ruI4vMc6zx1ecJv_5oV53skoygpvXc2N-a5Cd3U1Z93v3a9xeW945yofF9rRcFOBLhKbqHdN2ybe00M7ipCrI7D0zR7h5FdVsq21W99YjpXszIZqI/s200/Holdens2.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo from <a href="https://twitter.com/rich1875">Richard</a></td></tr>
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I
was also surprised to see a Holdens own-label cider, called “<a href="http://www.holdensbrewery.co.uk/index.asp?loc=productview&bid=92">Summat Else</a>” at 4.5%, which was very drinkable; fruity but with a dry
finish, and not over-carbonated like some other ciders sold by
breweries. Lucie explained they wanted to sell a cider, but had taken
their time choosing a small producer in Ledbury to create the perfect
blend for them, with a definite bittersweet character to it. Richard
was particularly taken with this, and very keen to plan a return
visit so the Mussels in Holden's cider and cream sauce from
Chamberlain's current menu could be tried too.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Holden's
are currently brewing at capacity at 50,000 pints a week, and are
currently working through expansion plans to double this, to keep
their pub estate watered and to take advantage of their own
bottling plant, which also contract-bottles for several other UK
breweries. Hopefully brewery tours will start up once the expansion
is complete, but in the meantime they have a new shop onsite, and the nearby brewery tap – the Park Inn, is open and
serving the range of beers and pub meals.</span></div>
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</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwCR8L7gSKwveKGtqHi-0IfiYVoJqpyAgOBtRm4QiLRWRQ6ueCN99k90cdCGaJY3VHVUoXg21kWseFkf2aVp0_CvCFYVx7MbdWTO1akde4hyphenhyphenb5su6WLY9sESgKsVEU29NlM780ByfaoijL/s1600/IMG_20121112_190557.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwCR8L7gSKwveKGtqHi-0IfiYVoJqpyAgOBtRm4QiLRWRQ6ueCN99k90cdCGaJY3VHVUoXg21kWseFkf2aVp0_CvCFYVx7MbdWTO1akde4hyphenhyphenb5su6WLY9sESgKsVEU29NlM780ByfaoijL/s200/IMG_20121112_190557.jpg" width="150" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Once
we had worked our way through the beer samples, it was time to turn
our attention to what Chamberlain's co-owner Dan, the chef, had to offer. This was
an opportunity to try a range of flavours from their
repertoire as a starter, before sitting down to our choice of fish
and chip meals. Our plates included smoked salmon with cream cheese
on melba toast and a pesto dressing, which was very flavoursome;
delicate grilled plaice with black pepper; breaded haddock goujons;
battered cod; and a light and delicious combination of
tempura-battered hake with sauteed onions and zingy chilli slices,
which I could have eaten all evening!</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">But
it was time to relax and enjoy a proper plate of fish and chips –
either haddock, plaice, cod or hake - and choose a Holdens beer to go
with it. I'd normally have a Golden Glow but decided to go for the
Special on this occasion, with the battered hake to go with it. This
was on top form as usual, and I enjoyed helping Richard out with his
enormous portion of haddock too. Afterwards I had a bottle of the
lovely Mild for 'dessert', and picked up some of the Old Ale to take
home with me.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">When
I came to pay, Simon came over to say he had waived the cost of my
meal, as a thanks for supporting them and suggesting they stock
Holdens – but I hope they are the ones picking up the thanks from
customers now enjoying the benefits of two local and family
businesses combining their efforts and making this a 'destination'
restaurant where you can relax with a choice of Black Country beers during and after your meal.</span></div>
tania_nexusthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15170308777551803844noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627855943826479632.post-2503708118036158832012-11-30T20:21:00.000+00:002013-01-08T14:03:33.698+00:00Lost and Found in Birmingham<style type="text/css">
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<span style="font-family: Droid Sans, sans-serif;">It's
not that often that a new bar opens in the centre of Birmingham, so
when details started to trickle through on Twitter from various
sources that Bennetts Bar on Bennetts Hill had closed, and was being
refurbished and opened as <a href="https://twitter.com/hettiegwatson">The Lost and Found</a>, it certainly generated
a lot of interest. As any new venture must do these days, the team
behind the opening quickly established an online presence, engaging
with the local twitterati and cocktail-imbibers, releasing a few
photos and snippets of information, while aiming to keep a sense of
'mystique' about exactly what would be on offer until the opening
week revealed all.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Droid Sans, sans-serif;">As
someone who used to drink in Bennetts fairly regularly in it's
heyday, and still admired the building itself, I was certainly
intrigued to see what would be done with the place, and what kind of
bar this would turn out to be, as these days to appeal to drinkers
with money to spend and an eye on the 'vibe', you have to offer more
of an all-round package than just giving somewhere a lick of paint
and hoping for the best.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Droid Sans, sans-serif;">The
events manager for the L&F, <a href="https://twitter.com/Bea_Elmer">Bea Elmer</a>, had a well-organised
opening campaign – for two days a 'soft launch' trial would take
place, with those on Facebook and Twitter invited to win tickets for
either lunch or dinner – this I think cleverly combined creating an
opening buzz, with many people having the feeling of a privileged
'first peek' at the interior and the warm glow of trying out the food
and cocktails, while allowing the service and kitchen staff to see
how they coped with a full house and iron out any last-minute niggles
before it fully opened to the public on Friday 30<sup>th</sup>
November. So having secured some tickets, myself, <a href="https://twitter.com/nebolland">Neil</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/rich1875">Richard</a> and
Mike met on the Tuesday evening to check it out.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit5K2PYXYP-6jfHQ7wYzBoW1Mp4XlEVES_jklMdviuv7gIt4Qe49hfoz5LMOqwXKRerxvYlf0PlElkhb7NiX2TFX4KjJyeqpsx02Gwl3YGjGF9LvdVQxboK38KsxbLm55W8mZeFTI-wc5q/s1600/img_6207.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit5K2PYXYP-6jfHQ7wYzBoW1Mp4XlEVES_jklMdviuv7gIt4Qe49hfoz5LMOqwXKRerxvYlf0PlElkhb7NiX2TFX4KjJyeqpsx02Gwl3YGjGF9LvdVQxboK38KsxbLm55W8mZeFTI-wc5q/s200/img_6207.jpg" width="150" /></a><span style="font-family: Droid Sans, sans-serif;">On
walking in, I was immediately impressed by the welcoming ambience and
soft but plentiful lighting, and the sense of the new and shiny
mixing with the old and characterful. Bea explained they had been
aiming for 'Victorian botanical hideaway' and this theme was carried
through with trailing greenery, a raised conservatory area, a
forested wall and lots of little touches such as plant specimens in
bell jars along one wall, bird motifs, and leafy pictures of the
“patroness” of the bar, Hettie G Watson. The large space is
divided up with a library section to one side, and two mezzanine
areas and seating booths; some of the floor plan from Bennetts Bar
has been retained but given slightly differing identities within the
whole. Where Bennetts suffered a little from identity crisis, and at
times could be simultaneously very busy while seeming like an
unwelcoming barn of a place, now the low-slung soft lighting dotted
around the room has really broken up the space without compromising
the grandeur of the high ceilings, and has created a warm atmospheric
touch. There is absolutely amazing attention to detail in the décor
– from the dainty light fixtures on the way to the restrooms, the
shelves of little cosmetic jars and bone-handled combs in the
ladies', to various ornaments and objects scattered around subtly and
in keeping with the theme of each area.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-3Uh8TwVDhYgYwwgFX5CwY5qOk4Exed7XguLoiUmzaHS3rK1AnNIYWzFqucfGPssNiiCLaKcxSbTnkQXD6owfjkmH9md1CQvHWkJcOwqQHvhxYJYs6rm3KQmygjKErLsmSZ12i8aAwIQn/s1600/img_6204.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-3Uh8TwVDhYgYwwgFX5CwY5qOk4Exed7XguLoiUmzaHS3rK1AnNIYWzFqucfGPssNiiCLaKcxSbTnkQXD6owfjkmH9md1CQvHWkJcOwqQHvhxYJYs6rm3KQmygjKErLsmSZ12i8aAwIQn/s200/img_6204.jpg" width="150" /></a><span style="font-family: Droid Sans, sans-serif;">The
building itself dates from 1869, and was the former National
Provincial Bank of England, with a beautiful domed entrance, and the
ground floor is on a long-term lease to <a href="http://www.marstons.co.uk/">Marstons</a>. Therefore the time
period chosen for the character of the bar is very fitting, and it
was wonderful to see the architectural features inside allowed to
shine through, with the high Corinthian columns smartened up, and
understated wall art in some areas allowing the building to feel
lofty – the eye is drawn upwards – while intimate at seating
level. Even the interior dome over the side door seems fitting in
style to the leafy theme. So a very sympathetic renovation that has
created a lovely environment to settle into for the evening, and
definitely something different for the centre of Birmingham.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOv2442FmnQTbRtxd2qGpxDOjGvmBTmT2G50xEDoxHpGpNP5O_mV5otPw2acebM1dQE875Il8UPM8MgS3wk1L8DoeSi1ErU6Z-sietbGmIYqs1G19IvFHoC9DNZic-73tT48q_YjPZGMd6/s1600/img_6213crop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="125" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOv2442FmnQTbRtxd2qGpxDOjGvmBTmT2G50xEDoxHpGpNP5O_mV5otPw2acebM1dQE875Il8UPM8MgS3wk1L8DoeSi1ErU6Z-sietbGmIYqs1G19IvFHoC9DNZic-73tT48q_YjPZGMd6/s200/img_6213crop.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: Droid Sans, sans-serif;">The
trial offer was for a main course and drink, and a sample menu had
been chosen to showcase the range of dishes offered and give an idea
of the cocktails – general manager Kate explained they have an
extensive cocktail list that will tinker with botanical infusions and
signature concoctions as well as classics, and they have employed
several bartenders with a pedigree of working in cocktail-led
establishments to bring their own ideas and expertise. Luckily in
dining with three companions, we were all able to sample the three
different mixes on offer – Cosmo Daisy, which was wonderfully
fruity without being too sweet; a Citrus Britannica to wake up your
mouth; and a pineapple and black pepper margarita, which made me purr
like a happy cat.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLg63F9aHLS2yrSAXhNNcISRaY3fdJWj6LaEvZQYthRk0PImJgOTMKcFx4C-PmXAIDpFHJW_pwUUi9HVmno0Jx_smpTH95K4WV1Y63jM3_8oVgJ2tvm3ZwIEE29m2KcQes7C3qhSMy7M80/s1600/img_6216.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLg63F9aHLS2yrSAXhNNcISRaY3fdJWj6LaEvZQYthRk0PImJgOTMKcFx4C-PmXAIDpFHJW_pwUUi9HVmno0Jx_smpTH95K4WV1Y63jM3_8oVgJ2tvm3ZwIEE29m2KcQes7C3qhSMy7M80/s200/img_6216.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinbT6qnfw1u1fdsbVlFSr1xS63sM5GUYRifF8YrvMu0sjJ2XuRlBsptApmPThJ3eEgvcE7qabMTmHlFQGL6odiFpOETF289MyS6XVJMYwExPZboeZQ5q1M7wm01jZvAoose7BqXcKrMCNQ/s1600/img_6214.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinbT6qnfw1u1fdsbVlFSr1xS63sM5GUYRifF8YrvMu0sjJ2XuRlBsptApmPThJ3eEgvcE7qabMTmHlFQGL6odiFpOETF289MyS6XVJMYwExPZboeZQ5q1M7wm01jZvAoose7BqXcKrMCNQ/s200/img_6214.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: Droid Sans, sans-serif;"> </span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Droid Sans, sans-serif;">We
tried a range of mains between us – sirloin steak, scallop &
pancetta salad, fish pie and swordfish. My sirloin steak was cooked
well – rare but with a lovely searing around the outside for
flavour, and served with fluffy chips, sweet tomato, mushroom and a
watercress salad, and a little pot of flavoured mustard. The fish pie
impressed, coming out in a large cast iron dish and filled with
salmon, haddock, mussels, leek and scallion in a flavourful sauce.
The swordfish was good too, topped with a finely chopped tomato and
onion salad. There were some niggles with the food, but as this was a
'trial run' I won't detail them here, as the purpose of the event
was to gather feedback and hopefully iron out any problems before the
bar 'went public' – so we duly completed feedback forms and hope
the particular issues we had will be picked up by the team. Overall
though we agreed we'd certainly enjoy a return visit to dine again –
and probably order more of the luxurious fish pie!</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI4Ahe9zQZWix-owYGfWUqu7JlBEMlL9t6Ha-QbRB1-CS5gzluDJbh4Buh0o5lqAd4iEYF6jm1C5rINf9TDcgXLoZy1qAIfPwOA5XimstZsttjiG6azExL4a1X5ADiuX22QRG-YZUvNMXE/s1600/img_6220.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI4Ahe9zQZWix-owYGfWUqu7JlBEMlL9t6Ha-QbRB1-CS5gzluDJbh4Buh0o5lqAd4iEYF6jm1C5rINf9TDcgXLoZy1qAIfPwOA5XimstZsttjiG6azExL4a1X5ADiuX22QRG-YZUvNMXE/s200/img_6220.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: Droid Sans, sans-serif;">After
a pause to order another cocktail, we decided to try the pudding menu
– around £5-6 each. These were all very well executed and
presented, and we passed them round the table so we each got to try them all. My personal favourite was Richard's lemongrass crème
</span><i><span style="font-family: Droid Sans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">brûlée</span></span></span></i><span style="font-family: Droid Sans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Droid Sans, sans-serif;">with chilli
shortbread; Neil liked the honeycomb with lemon curd, dark chocolate
mousse, fresh raspberries and chocolate soil; we also tried the
custard tart with candied lemon and vanilla cream; and the pistachio
brownie fingers, served with hot chocolate fondant and raspberry
cream.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiudGT748jkkdT9V3O52cxtZXdBVgFi-N8avqqDxmbVOCpjZzUiW8xhEn-Q132p1hrq0SxmrONpXbLA6BbRAVhArzkN5HVMPoVpoQi4KeR6ivCh7UFsVnI8W5uVjM86gWTGgILl9_7ko4vZ/s1600/img_6219.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><span style="font-family: Droid Sans, sans-serif;"> </span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Droid Sans, sans-serif;">There
are a rather promising six handpulls installed on the bar, but as the
trial events were a limited run, no ale was available on these
evenings as turnover would be low – so I'm keen to see what beers
will be served once they're fully open. I imagine these will be from
the core Marsons stable, and the bartenders believe Jennings Cocker
Hoop and Ringwood Boondoggle will be on regularly; perhaps these will
be joined by something dark and roasty, like the Ringwood Porter or
Marstons Oyster Stout, or the experimental Marstons Single Hop
series. It would be great if interesting guest ales also make an
appearance – and there are many out there that could be chosen to
fit the 'botanicals' theme – such as zingy Enville Ginger,
Ilkley's Siberia (a rhubarb saison), Williams Fraoch, brewed with
heather and honey, or the Victorian-recipe Kernel Export Stout. Some
of these are available year-round in bottles, so a rotating guest
bottled beer along these lines would also make a fine addition and
offer something different to beer already available in the city.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Droid Sans, sans-serif;">Before
we left, Bea introduced us to “the secret of the Lost & Found”
- which I couldn't possibly divulge but I will say I found it rather
exciting! We all had a great evening and marvelled at the beautiful
surroundings, and hope to return soon to check out the ale and the
rest of the menu!</span></div>
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</style> tania_nexusthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15170308777551803844noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627855943826479632.post-25645193745739428912012-11-26T13:43:00.001+00:002012-11-28T20:21:58.312+00:00Food & Drink highlights at the Birmingham Festive Markets
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=2627855943826479632" name="lblMarketDescription1"></a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=2627855943826479632" name="lblMarketDescription"></a></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=2627855943826479632" name="lblMarketDescription1"></a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=2627855943826479632" name="lblMarketDescription"></a>
Every November
Birmingham plays host to a <a href="http://www.birmingham.gov.uk/frankfurtmarket">German festive market</a> - this is now in
it's 10<sup>th</sup> year and arose because the city is twinned with
Frankfurt, and is now considered the "<span style="color: black;">largest
authentic German market outside of Germany and Austria"</span>.
Some Brum inhabitants may feel a little shortchanged by this, as
several of the stalls carry similar stock, and many feel it is
overpriced and an unnecessary nuisance of crowds and noise when
trying to go about your normal business - plonking a double line of
stalls down an already busy pedestrian thoroughfare can bring out the
festive rage in the best of people. But there are good things to be
found if you can get past the irritation and mellow out (the <span style="color: black;">glühwein</span>
mit rum helps with that), and in recent years there has also been the
addition of a 'craft market' of English-based stalls to take the
enforced revelry all the way up to the Symphony Hall area.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">If you can steel
yourself against the crowds - or pick a quieter time to go - and can
justify spending a bit of cash on yourself, my recommendations follow
for the best food & drink options to check out. These are based
on my personal taste, so more meat than sweet, and washed down with
something tasty too.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">1. <a href="http://www.hoganscider.co.uk/">Hogan's Cider</a></span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsoLf3qJlw7c6CznHMrZN_pxFpwU-Lbn2w5toJ3fEcruRFrnwUL4U4xNPksuLC6dUECo1FWcQYnj5dMEVLp6S3W19sgTiWrr87wEWmKQQiRYbcEa4XAvCuN2dHRJF02FlMM5I_spHtjyXb/s1600/img_6199.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsoLf3qJlw7c6CznHMrZN_pxFpwU-Lbn2w5toJ3fEcruRFrnwUL4U4xNPksuLC6dUECo1FWcQYnj5dMEVLp6S3W19sgTiWrr87wEWmKQQiRYbcEa4XAvCuN2dHRJF02FlMM5I_spHtjyXb/s200/img_6199.jpg" width="150" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">This is the best
thing about the festive market, from my point of view! Hogans now
have a corner of the Craft market up by Baskerville House/Broad
Street firmly marked out for themselves, with wooden picnic benches
and some cover from the cold and rain providing the perfect
environment to get stuck in to some quality cider and perry. <a href="https://twitter.com/HogansCider">Allen Hogan</a> will often be behind the bar, ready to dispense great drinks
and cider wisdom to those with a keen thirst. This year the range on
offer is bigger than ever, on draught, keg and bottle, and includes
mulled cider; Panking Pole 6.2% - slightly hazy but very
smooth-drinking; Pickers Passion 5.3%; and Hazy Daisy 3.9%. Some
traditional cider makers dilute their cider down with the
quaintly-named 'brook apple' (i.e. water!) – dilution helps to
obtain a lower ABV, make the crop go further, and to bring down the
tannins, to make a more drinkable product. Allen's version is diluted
with fresh pressed English apple juice, which gives a sweeter edge
and a full juicy flavour, for a very slurpable cider without the
higher alcohol content. Conversely, due to the high quality extra juice
used, this makes Hazy Daisy more expensive for Allen to produce than
the other ciders in his range! But if you're planning a bit of a
session, I can recommend you start with this delicious drop before
moving to the six-percenters.</span></span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitD0gRMGY5oLYGBhqO7miLdNH9sjSd6leBXFYbu4v87hg4f-DlWiEx66-epTwQH3lUNLSKU1NFfKLlUPXYYi9ibyaQLEjub_JbgPYjJnxZ6bJokolhpkAi1JrpVvidzTciCo4X6xG3ZUMg/s1600/img_6197.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitD0gRMGY5oLYGBhqO7miLdNH9sjSd6leBXFYbu4v87hg4f-DlWiEx66-epTwQH3lUNLSKU1NFfKLlUPXYYi9ibyaQLEjub_JbgPYjJnxZ6bJokolhpkAi1JrpVvidzTciCo4X6xG3ZUMg/s200/img_6197.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Hogan's stall
also stocks <a href="https://twitter.com/Purityale">Purity</a> Mad Goose ale, <a href="https://twitter.com/FreedomBrewery">Freedom</a> lager, and some warming
spirits, with bottles of cider and perry available to take home.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">My personal
favourite is the Vintage Perry - and I'm happy to brave the worst of
the winter weather to huddle under a heater and enjoy a pint of this
with other cider and perry loving chums.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">2. Pork with
dumplings and red cabbage</span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrho6KlG4Cskg8Vsa1h9_XhvQnIkSGQkaNtizZ-Eh0t8Dr5YqVL5G3ZyQVRZYF2bfeRx3vZxntMm_cuOV-bIbmhJu9R9-FayuG7CTsQzkBx5n51R0UeCTcnzrm1ZMXvay8AuYmDYFmQKLX/s1600/img_6192.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrho6KlG4Cskg8Vsa1h9_XhvQnIkSGQkaNtizZ-Eh0t8Dr5YqVL5G3ZyQVRZYF2bfeRx3vZxntMm_cuOV-bIbmhJu9R9-FayuG7CTsQzkBx5n51R0UeCTcnzrm1ZMXvay8AuYmDYFmQKLX/s200/img_6192.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">This can be found
at the beer chalet nearest the Museum, at the side of the Town Hall.
They offer roast pork ("with cracking") or pork neck
("without cracking"), served either in a bap, or - the best
plate in the market, IMHO - with a potato suet dumpling and red
cabbage. The pork is plentiful, the dumpling stodgy enough to soak up
the gravy, and the red cabbage sweet and subtly flavoured with
juniper. It may not seem cheap at £7.50 for this plate, but that's
pretty comparable to what you'd pay in a Munich bierkeller for a
similar meal, and matches any pub lunch in town. Washed down with a
half of weissbier, if you love pork as much as me, this will put a
big smile on your face and set you up for further market exploring. </span></span>
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">3. <a href="http://www.woodbrewery.co.uk/index.htm">Wood's real ale</a></span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpeLKXWN89XGYWHYskxBuzGLX0vnOVb5oUvDQPJDCxV2rD-zf-bitJCfquLgyIULZ6zoF3ZRsD3M1Vvj8KTH6nCSVw5u57__V_rFe_5odQuaufAISBX9l5Mf8Vp7XIo1WZpQlW6Co7fODR/s1600/img_6189.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpeLKXWN89XGYWHYskxBuzGLX0vnOVb5oUvDQPJDCxV2rD-zf-bitJCfquLgyIULZ6zoF3ZRsD3M1Vvj8KTH6nCSVw5u57__V_rFe_5odQuaufAISBX9l5Mf8Vp7XIo1WZpQlW6Co7fODR/s200/img_6189.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Real ale at a
market is a bit of a rarity, but Woods appeared at the Craft Market a
few years ago, and now offer three ales on handpump, <span style="font-size: small;">with</span>
several bottles and packaged gift sets available. There seems to be a
fair turnover of the draught ale, so the exact beers on offer may
vary each time you visit, but the condition of these when sampled on
Saturday last was all spot on, and I'd happily spend a while drinking
their signature Shropshire Lad bitter (4.5%), or for something more
robust, their seasonal Cracker at 6%.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span></span>
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">4. Stein of
weissbier</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Sadly this isn't
*quite* as exciting a treat (for me, personally) as it used to be -
as up to a few years ago they served the more enticing Paulaner
Hefe-Weiss for £3.50 a pint - a bargain for one of the
quintisentially clove and banana-accented Bavarian weisses. In recent
years, they've changed to Franziskaner - not quite as much happening
flavour-wise, and this year on sale at £4 - but still, it's a pretty
nice experience to grab a heavy glass halbe-stein of German weiss
while you mull around or munch on some porcine treats, for less than
the price of a non-imported beer in many London establishments - even
better if you have the time and capacity on your hands to enjoy a
whole stein! (though best to have worked out where your toilet
options are beforehand, otherwise you'll have to endure the dire
festival-style cubicles... be warned!). If you can squeeze into one
of the wooden drinking huts that have covered tables in the back, the
press of bodies will keep you warm while the cold beer goes down and
you plan your next tactical move through the throngs.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">5. Roast hams</span></span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipkiDh0V98giABiAgTXfzAFawW3CM_vT6S-rXZCMmfN9xKCP8tXWEf1G9ZiZLRmnjglKVZnIZO67_0-xgZjkPzWY9got6t_zuzHL6L9aYuU0mY9qhQY9bQYvp9JFpIXdSAgymDkeT0IXou/s1600/img_6179.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipkiDh0V98giABiAgTXfzAFawW3CM_vT6S-rXZCMmfN9xKCP8tXWEf1G9ZiZLRmnjglKVZnIZO67_0-xgZjkPzWY9got6t_zuzHL6L9aYuU0mY9qhQY9bQYvp9JFpIXdSAgymDkeT0IXou/s200/img_6179.jpg" width="150" /></a><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Right at the
busiest point of the market, where there's a pinch-point for
pedestrian traffic going in two different directions through the main
drinking and gawping area, is a stall selling roast ham. Huge banks
of hams rotate on spits at the back, while surly-looking staff carve
off chunks and stick them into buns. For ham-in-a-bap at £4.50 this
does seem a little expensive, but as the price hasn't changed in many
years, and with the rise of street food in England at similar costs,
it doesn't seem that unreasonable these days. You'll be rewarded with
hot, rich, salty, thick ham goodness – just the thing to act as a
restorative between steins.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">6. Hot cider from
<a href="https://twitter.com/Orchardpig">Orchard Pig</a></span></span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-M5Gz-dOwMWCegi_85CEyn46STZ4IWoe9xdD8iSdpdBjUznGjSdxQtmbtjzKvvz3NMKnio6M-hqJpZuWt3cMu-3nocZlDqARAP8o_WG_U7J11N8BKsdiTU9qIiIVypMMQ3umjkv_SDYAp/s1600/img_6186.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-M5Gz-dOwMWCegi_85CEyn46STZ4IWoe9xdD8iSdpdBjUznGjSdxQtmbtjzKvvz3NMKnio6M-hqJpZuWt3cMu-3nocZlDqARAP8o_WG_U7J11N8BKsdiTU9qIiIVypMMQ3umjkv_SDYAp/s200/img_6186.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">This producer is
based in the Somerset area, but have had a stall at the Craft Market
for the past few years. This year they have some smart new branding
and a range of products on offer - from sweet/dry ciders to
horseradish liqueur - but my recommendation here, as well as their
draught still cider, would be to have the spiced, mulled cup of cheer
- it will warm you up and soothe away any of that lingering hatred of
the crowds and bustle. Well, until you stop drinking it and try to go
anywhere, that is. </span></span>
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">7. Many flavours
of Wurst</span></span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdukyurpOG5nZ7TVcXuZ5xzENpS2n8IO0u7rspjZTyz-dAMcyzPwzT7ZPuOx7eKKEnBcEzM74gc6rSzfe0BYbWgR8NwQ1lr0HX4jmVCuK_3kFV1YXd_p32in0Cugp-R1kfLPv_zvEkU_SW/s1600/img_6180.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdukyurpOG5nZ7TVcXuZ5xzENpS2n8IO0u7rspjZTyz-dAMcyzPwzT7ZPuOx7eKKEnBcEzM74gc6rSzfe0BYbWgR8NwQ1lr0HX4jmVCuK_3kFV1YXd_p32in0Cugp-R1kfLPv_zvEkU_SW/s200/img_6180.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Everyone likes a
sausage! Well, mostly ... There are several sausage-merchants at the
market, as you'd expect, though sadly the little Nurnberger variety
are missing (I guess to be expected as it is nominally a Frankfurt
festive market). If you have a large enough mouth for this kind of
endeavour, then go to the sausage stall with the large circular
grill, between the Council House and the Floozie in the Jaccuzi
fountain - they have fast turnover and about 3 different types of
sausage (Bratwurst, Weisswurst, and 'Spicy' sausage) and you can load
it up with sauerkraut, senf (German sweet mustard) and ketchup before you
bite in and get it half in your mouth and half all down yourself.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">8. Mead</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">There are two
different mead sellers at the market - an Eastern European stall,
selling bottles of mead to take away, and some
mead-based liqueurs, as well as honey with different flower accents;
and a drinking-stall further down New Street towards the Bull Ring,
where plastic 'Viking horns' will be used to dispense hot or cold
mead to shivering consumers. I'd recommend the European mead stall
for bottles to take home and enjoy with friends and family at the
turning of the year, but if you need a quick, hot, honey-based
pick-me-up, that you're guaranteed not to find in Birmingham the rest
of the year round, head down for the horn!</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">9. Meat Stall</span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7FejgkxZYHHqCdg4n_iKkdjA6t6XiZxUp8YkPGhN0KMuCdnrAwEBuxHX36AHsV29s6Cu2K9zicp0rl4o6jYu_0gY98yL8AK7qlfB3CzqcRcycxuTLHGhX9FrsUfni0MJEyQjf11iDXM0E/s1600/img_6173.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7FejgkxZYHHqCdg4n_iKkdjA6t6XiZxUp8YkPGhN0KMuCdnrAwEBuxHX36AHsV29s6Cu2K9zicp0rl4o6jYu_0gY98yL8AK7qlfB3CzqcRcycxuTLHGhX9FrsUfni0MJEyQjf11iDXM0E/s200/img_6173.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">A stall selling
meaty goods to take home has been at the market for several years,
but each year it changes location, so I have to hunt around anxiously
until I've found it and know my supply of pig-based treats is secure
for another festive season. The range here keeps expanding, and seems
to have several new additions this year – so as well as different
types of cured salamis (with chilli, herbs, nuts, garlic, pepper etc.), and
sides of bacon and cured ham, there is also a chilled sausage cabinet
with cook-at-home weisswurst and frankfurters, and meat </span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span class="st">pâté</span> and
spreads. Another rare thing you can find here is “schmalz” - a
lardy spread that the Germans love to eat on bread, and is best
topped with some crispy fried onions. I'm sure it's terribly bad for
you but as a once-a-year treat in small doses, it would be pretty
tasty washed down with a rauchbier or bock.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">10. Hot chestnuts
</span></span>
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0iNcFWhCitly1OcOvpByIIEyXnWQObMlzEOSoUe0crJh-2lIo_-HKZwODSvTUeUGTGnh99UzODcTHOgm3fodk07NPTCeaXjLna5t3YWuV7QSpFQgfOPunrtvmvEyL_rdJpu8Rh7jZYpVK/s1600/img_6135.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0iNcFWhCitly1OcOvpByIIEyXnWQObMlzEOSoUe0crJh-2lIo_-HKZwODSvTUeUGTGnh99UzODcTHOgm3fodk07NPTCeaXjLna5t3YWuV7QSpFQgfOPunrtvmvEyL_rdJpu8Rh7jZYpVK/s200/img_6135.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Something simple
to finish – a bag of hot chestnuts with a sprinkling of salt. We
ate these all the time in winter when I was growing up – the
benefit of having an open coal hearth to cook them in – so there
may be a bit of nostalgia creeping in here. But I've noticed that
chestnut seller carts are commonly found in parts of London like
Covent Garden, and wondered why they never appear in Birmingham. But
at the market, here's your chance to grab some. They make a good
snack to pick up at lunch and take back to the office, acting as a
handwarmer in your pocket. And (depending on how much s<span style="font-size: small;">alt you like) p</span>robably one of the healthier things
to be found among all the beer, meat and sugary foods lining the
streets.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Normally the
stalls at the market are reliably/disappointingly* (*delete as
appropriate) the same every year, so it was a pity to discover my
most frequent lunchtime haunt, the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tarte_flamb%C3%A9e">flammkuchen</a> stand, wasn't selling
any this year, and indeed hadn't brought their usual lovely German
wine selection with minerally Rieslings, elegant Sylvaner and rich
Spatburgunders. This would definitely have taken up two of my top
ten. But instead they are offering some 'lachs' - sides of smoked
salmon, which are finished off by hanging on a wooden board over a
roaring brazier, to absorb a little more smoky flavour before being
sliced - so I'll have to give this new offering a go while mourning
the lack of flammkuchen this year.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">There are plenty
of other food & drink options if the above don't appeal:
pretzels, doughnuts, frankfurters, sweet and savoury crepes, fried
cheese croquettes, fat pieces of garlic bread, fried potatoes,
schnitzel, elaborate cakes, and many things in between, and the
market is open from 10am to 9pm daily until 22nd December. So if you
can put that 'Winterval' misanthropy to one side, I'll maybe see you
there for a pork and cider feast!</span></span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</div>
tania_nexusthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15170308777551803844noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627855943826479632.post-81856300464729406532012-11-16T20:09:00.001+00:002012-11-28T20:22:28.862+00:00Adventures in Sunday Roast<style type="text/css">
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I have a difficult
relationship with the concept of a Sunday Roast – which still seems
to be a strong tradition in England; certainly lots of pubs offer it
as an enticement to spend a lazy afternoon with them, and from
scanning Twitter it seems a lot of people still do it at home as
well.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">When I was growing
up, it seemed to me to symbolise the tedium of childhood Sundays,
where nothing was open, everything moved at a slower pace, and the
television schedule was terribly dry and religion-oriented. Although
I always ate it up and asked for seconds, the roast was kind of the
antithesis of food I would actively seek out, preferring more exotic
flavours from round the world, preferably with a bit of spice and
garlic.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">In addition, something which has coloured my view of it ever since, when I
was about 11 I was called to the kitchen and told I needed to learn
how to make a roast dinner, so I could “make it for my husband” -
I took afront to this, thinking firstly, I may not want a husband,
and secondly, if I did, why wouldn't they be making the roast? So
since then it had been a point of principle not to learn how to make
a roast – a small act of anti-genderisation politics against a meal
that wasn't my favourite anyway!</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">But I have been
treated to many lovely meals made by <a href="https://twitter.com/dave_car">@dave_car</a> that just happened to
involve a roast element – pheasant, partridge, quail, grouse – so
in an effort to return the favour, and feeling inspired by a chicken
and garlic dish I'd had recently at <a href="https://twitter.com/DraftHouseUK">@DraftHouseUK</a>, I decided I'd
finally give it a go and adventure into the world of the "Roast Dinner".</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I knew that the key thing (apart from me not messing it up of course) would be to start with good ingredients - so I visited <a href="http://www.harbornevillagebutchers.co.uk/">Harborne Village Butchers</a>, a newish shop run by two lovely guys who have worked as butchers in Harborne for many years. All their stock is free range and I've been impressed with the quality of every single thing I've bought here since they opened. So I nervously confessed I needed to learn how to roast a chicken, and asked what they had suitable for two people, with leftovers. They fixed me up with a free-range bird, ready for the oven, and a jar of goose fat for the potatoes, and I promised to report back how it all went in return.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGGBGmt5fg6p44C6yWiDfgwQOXp4K-XO2VLIFLR2FMsZVQXWb8_JwC9su_5GecgRaUSB1Lu9o8hZcMcIMVdDj65lF1vYrsvVXh2hO9hpEEGB4mdCBmAw6OmNmp6rgHb0wzmPSE8uS7sLLm/s1600/Tania+192.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGGBGmt5fg6p44C6yWiDfgwQOXp4K-XO2VLIFLR2FMsZVQXWb8_JwC9su_5GecgRaUSB1Lu9o8hZcMcIMVdDj65lF1vYrsvVXh2hO9hpEEGB4mdCBmAw6OmNmp6rgHb0wzmPSE8uS7sLLm/s200/Tania+192.jpg" width="150" /></a> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Next was a trip to <a href="https://twitter.com/lokiwine">@lokiwine</a> in Birmingham's Great Central Arcade, to ask Phil's advice for a decent white to go with chicken, with the caveat 'anything but Chardonnay'. Phil was able to help out with a few suggestions, including a Viognier and a Spanish white, which I mulled over while checking out a few fine samples from his Enomatic sampling machines. Eventually we settled on a <b>Jean Orliac Loup y Es-Tu? Blanc </b>which I think includes Viognier and Marsanne in the mix, so should be zippy and fresh but with a slight honeyed note to balance it out.<b> </b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Preparations started on the Saturday night - as I only have a small oven with one shelf, about three batches of roasting would be needed to assemble a complete meal. I decided to roast some little Chantenay carrots with orange juice and local Rea valley honey (from Stirchley), and these worked out really easy to do - top & tail 1kg of carrots, give them a scrub but don't peel, mix olive oil & the juice of one orange in a hot metal baking dish, chuck the carrots around and then drizzle over about a teaspoon or so of honey and give it all a good mix. Then roast for 20-30 minutes at Gas 6, taking them out and turning over every 10 minutes until they're a bit browned looking and yielding, but still with some texture left. I found these also made a good accompaniment to a range of other dishes like winter-spiced lamb or pork in wine.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCwamrOAmOTqMNQ6AUOVl6aUvZcklt1Tbhhp9JmYlqYRgI5ACZbYJgu25jWMtyHEWP1OS9nbmWomQu69wp9BODidnHmU_oOqUCOtzE1o_1P6SMUWn2lfT6IMTIsGpixMN9KFBfzwGe5WQG/s1600/Tania+188.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCwamrOAmOTqMNQ6AUOVl6aUvZcklt1Tbhhp9JmYlqYRgI5ACZbYJgu25jWMtyHEWP1OS9nbmWomQu69wp9BODidnHmU_oOqUCOtzE1o_1P6SMUWn2lfT6IMTIsGpixMN9KFBfzwGe5WQG/s200/Tania+188.jpg" width="150" /></a><br />With part 1 done, I slept a little easier, and woke up on the Sunday morning ready to tackle the next bit - potatoes. This involved using King Edwards (Delia's suggestion; other good varieties are apparently Maris Piper and Desirée), cutting into equal-sized chunks, par-boiling for 6 minutes and then shaking a bit in a colander to rough up the edges. Meanwhile, I got my baking tray good and hot at Gas 7, and spooned in half the jar of goose fat (around 100g), which quickly liquefied. I tossed the potatoes in this to cover, and then roasted for around an hour, checking and turning them every 20 minutes. They came out nicely golden, so I put them to one side and my oven was now free for the main event.</span>
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzSk7whmuzO5f44zbTWyOXXEoDSWag5-V3lhsE6RtQ0vxRVKp6N8KkvvvmSxD7rgUWjnY2KmVCGPWSHLQjI8Y9Xr0wMUss5xbqWvUYPv_6fQjSmFKGPv9yKWprdpDYztKDwYKt6w4E6a6r/s1600/Tania+193.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzSk7whmuzO5f44zbTWyOXXEoDSWag5-V3lhsE6RtQ0vxRVKp6N8KkvvvmSxD7rgUWjnY2KmVCGPWSHLQjI8Y9Xr0wMUss5xbqWvUYPv_6fQjSmFKGPv9yKWprdpDYztKDwYKt6w4E6a6r/s200/Tania+193.jpg" width="150" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">... and after!</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitfvJzRofgwx5sXkgWXCuTlfjsOUIe5XDJHa_IyfOv8uILtb4Xor2H8KvsIPt41fCBIXOzyxsMMKBpMpDsjM2tGRRDMSVT2rZRC3AnVlE-P3i_tW0k3vRHwY8Rkx22DAvpKY60U-RoVUOZ/s1600/Tania+190.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitfvJzRofgwx5sXkgWXCuTlfjsOUIe5XDJHa_IyfOv8uILtb4Xor2H8KvsIPt41fCBIXOzyxsMMKBpMpDsjM2tGRRDMSVT2rZRC3AnVlE-P3i_tW0k3vRHwY8Rkx22DAvpKY60U-RoVUOZ/s200/Tania+190.jpg" width="150" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">... before ...</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">This didn't involve much prep really - sticking my hand up it to check there were no giblets and shoving some lemon halves, bay and rosemary in there; then rubbing the skin all over with a mixture of olive oil, sea salt and finely chopped rosemary. Lastly, surrounding it with a mixture of stock, white wine and garlic cloves that had been simmered a little, and covering the dish tightly in foil so no steam escapes. Then into the oven it went, and the nervous waiting commenced. Towards the end the foil was removed and it developed a nice golden colour - finally looking like I imagined it should! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I used <a href="http://australianfood.about.com/od/chickenpork/r/RoastChicken.htm">this recipe</a> and was pretty impressed it all went to plan.</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMS85jq6u418MncpQYZNjDlhr3V4xtxIBIYN6aFjwGzfp3r9R23hNgHnsAuerYEaOpf7TKcZ581A7PLz88CG9mLA_I4pnj-ph8jG9JxQGUBxT4fKdB5Kq_87aXcSIiBk4jH5bp66mxWZ6I/s1600/Tania+194.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMS85jq6u418MncpQYZNjDlhr3V4xtxIBIYN6aFjwGzfp3r9R23hNgHnsAuerYEaOpf7TKcZ581A7PLz88CG9mLA_I4pnj-ph8jG9JxQGUBxT4fKdB5Kq_87aXcSIiBk4jH5bp66mxWZ6I/s200/Tania+194.jpg" width="150" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The finished article</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">So finally I plated up with the potatoes, carrots, and some green beans, and the sauce containing about 15 cloves of garlic each, and served it with the wine - and then stared at it for five minutes exclaiming "it worked!". The chicken was beautifully moist and tasty, and most importatly too the sauce was full of flavour, with the garlic cloves soft and squishy to be added to each mouthful. The potatoes had stayed crunchy on the outside and fluffy on the inside, with the vegetables hopefully adding some balance health-wise. It's fair to say I felt rather pleased with myself in my 'new venture'!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5PUaGvFuBDz4g7y9AFXaqWjMxXJhZh0OeU_DoYxuB3dKBM3l4peBIR5S-kOaerCyoVWhtDDG8BIrtGLZz34RiqRvRgYP9zHDbBc2-iRjUozxJ3Et_d_1G9ZhY0vq5G0qKzkqkbNfmyn_m/s1600/IMG_6122.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5PUaGvFuBDz4g7y9AFXaqWjMxXJhZh0OeU_DoYxuB3dKBM3l4peBIR5S-kOaerCyoVWhtDDG8BIrtGLZz34RiqRvRgYP9zHDbBc2-iRjUozxJ3Et_d_1G9ZhY0vq5G0qKzkqkbNfmyn_m/s200/IMG_6122.JPG" width="200" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Credit to @dave_car for this one</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The following week, I was back at Harborne Village Butchers, this time asking for "whatever bit of beef would be suitable for roasting for two people, with plenty left over" - I also wrote down their instructions on cooking the beef just right - i.e. flavoursome but pink in the middle. But on this occasion although I made the veg and potatoes, I did need <a href="https://twitter.com/dave_car">@dave_car</a> to step in - he laid the beef on a bed of shallots, rosemary and sage to roast, and made a great gravy with the meat juices and some Reserve port - and to top it off, some mini Yorkshire puddings. The beef came out perfectly tender and enticingly medium-rare, with lots left over for future meals. So another roast success, albeit not all my own work this time, but still, I can chalk it up as another area now explored in my cooking map of 'unknown places'!</span><br />
<br /></div>
tania_nexusthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15170308777551803844noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627855943826479632.post-48977227827557581112012-10-23T18:37:00.002+01:002012-10-25T22:46:20.363+01:00Coffee Beer Taste-Off<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">I
unfortunately have a predeliction for beer hoarding – gathering up interesting
looking stuff from travels around the world, supermarkets, online and the two
excellent Birmingham beer shops of <a href="https://twitter.com/StirchleyWines">@StirchleyWines</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/CotteridgeWines">@CotteridgeWines</a>, and
then hanging on to them for ages in my beer cupboard until the right
'opportunity' arises to drink them. Now and again I'll have a bit of a poke
around to see what's lurking in there, and if some kind of theme emerges,
perhaps it will prompt me into a spate of 'drinking up'. </span><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf3tgk1tU97UuiPJPiW3IqaTs87BiQ6eKZantF3SkimUvGUuOBFaC4Ws0RLWXt3u0-UZEFFVcuNRoXtlLUmbiWCxdQkc5rS2Irz9ACGk8puPk_IanOzO40CUcdUVqOS_Iw-Id2VtdLbdH7/s1600/IMG_5974.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf3tgk1tU97UuiPJPiW3IqaTs87BiQ6eKZantF3SkimUvGUuOBFaC4Ws0RLWXt3u0-UZEFFVcuNRoXtlLUmbiWCxdQkc5rS2Irz9ACGk8puPk_IanOzO40CUcdUVqOS_Iw-Id2VtdLbdH7/s200/IMG_5974.JPG" width="200" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">The line-up</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">On a recent Saturday,
I realised I’d acquired quite a few coffee beers in the cupboard, and after a
great supper of steak-frites, some after-dinner coffee beers seemed like a good
fit. This would allow me to compare and contrast them, to see which had
elements I liked and what made a ‘good’ coffee beer in terms of my personal
taste.</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">It felt some
kind of food accompaniment was called for, and a ponder on Twitter led to
<a href="https://twitter.com/simonhjohnson">@simonhjohnson</a> suggesting vanilla cheesecake as a good match; so with cake supplies
purchased, <a href="https://twitter.com/dave_car">@dave_car</a> ready to help out with the drinking, and the beers lined
up, we commenced sampling:</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Traditional
Scottish Ales - Double Espresso 6% </b></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTcrpHZvQVnRBmdfL8N5zLGvZvM5b0VWQlxt6K9xUtbqGI83Yjcmbye1cx5d65xpWFH2QNhXz-uPJlx-uhZDEeAESNnse_KNe8CmiVxknW4KcWnw2v89pWmsr8MaK5VxQHXittIAnNbGxb/s1600/IMG_5977.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTcrpHZvQVnRBmdfL8N5zLGvZvM5b0VWQlxt6K9xUtbqGI83Yjcmbye1cx5d65xpWFH2QNhXz-uPJlx-uhZDEeAESNnse_KNe8CmiVxknW4KcWnw2v89pWmsr8MaK5VxQHXittIAnNbGxb/s200/IMG_5977.JPG" width="150" /></a><span style="font-size: small; font-weight: normal;">It would seem this beer is
made for the export market, with labelling on the back in different languages and
“Premio Caffé Birra” on the front, and the label is a stylish matte black with
gold embossing. As soon as the bottle was opened a good whiff of coffee and
dark chocolate ganache was released. It poured very dark and opaque. In the
glass, more chocolate sweetness came out in the aroma but there’s a tiny hint
of something else – something slightly artificial like pots of ‘non-diary
creamer’. The taste was disappointing compared to the initial aromas, a little thin
and watery, but at least no bitter unpleasantness. It was smooth enough but
just not much depth, body or finish.</span></div>
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2ngf8Amoyo19E1JU4OX2vgh9HGXOh83RGmRYSWt4_Tj7GtyU2IFHUdr8AFRoCrKmYeBjK3bo-2Da_gKYqUpqr7O409xenAtGc36nVe0YnsVmdl5b0uune59u4p9u14y7CuSGDnTnMNu_i/s1600/IMG_5976.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2ngf8Amoyo19E1JU4OX2vgh9HGXOh83RGmRYSWt4_Tj7GtyU2IFHUdr8AFRoCrKmYeBjK3bo-2Da_gKYqUpqr7O409xenAtGc36nVe0YnsVmdl5b0uune59u4p9u14y7CuSGDnTnMNu_i/s200/IMG_5976.JPG" width="150" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> </b></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Batemans – Mocha 6%</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Oddly this
was very fizzy when first poured into the glass. Mid-brown in colour, it didn’t
have a lot of discernible aroma, especially when compared to the previous beer.
However it’s ‘lightness’ in comparison perhaps made it a little more gluggable,
if not particularly outstanding flavour-wise. But if you wanted a lighter-style
beer with hints of coffee rather than something heavy, this would fit the bill.</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Hitachino Nest - Espresso Stout 7.5%</b></span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNH_1FYUsRY9HEIg0cvv4VzNe0fSCno75lkol0Pb-durB_yw0GUsnD5dHxRMqYiq-nXIJVgAX-8FXspVHLVIMR_ELySLEhyphenhyphenG5_XuAlBmLDPA2W36HfeccmLM65Kinul3Eum6cmdAbnK09-/s1600/IMG_5978.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNH_1FYUsRY9HEIg0cvv4VzNe0fSCno75lkol0Pb-durB_yw0GUsnD5dHxRMqYiq-nXIJVgAX-8FXspVHLVIMR_ELySLEhyphenhyphenG5_XuAlBmLDPA2W36HfeccmLM65Kinul3Eum6cmdAbnK09-/s200/IMG_5978.JPG" width="150" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">This is
produced by the Kiuchi Brewery in Japan, and was brought back from our trip
there in April 2011. I don’t mind admitting I have a soft spot in my heart for
this beer, as it was the first ever ji-biiru I tasted when <a href="https://twitter.com/dave_car">@dave_car</a> brought me
back a bottle from an earlier trip to the US. I like the description, there's just something about the wording: “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">This
espresso stout is brewed using well-roasted espresso beans. The recipe is based
on the imperial Stout loved by the Russian Emperor. Please enjoy the balance of
its rich taste and coffee flavour”</i> – the last sentence in particular making
me think of <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_saLrADKqNM">Bill Murray's Suntory advert</a> for some reason.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The label
states “Scadenza: Nov 2012” which I imagine means “use by” in Italian, so it was
appropriate to get on with drinking it now rather than further hoarding. It
seemed to me that standing around in a darkened cupboard for a while had
brought out vinous notes in it, almost a hint of barrel-aging character. The
coffee was more muted on the nose, but it was still there subtly in its full-bodied
rich roasty flavour – not as much perhaps as a younger version of the beer, but
I savoured the increased structure that had come through with time, and the
subtle blending of roast malt, coffee, sweetness, wine and oakey tones.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Homebrew – Coffee Stout </b>(about 4.5%?)</span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJIF4M_R4VZMFuPnTkvis1dm9e0B2hqMZSLbeeE9OfOGAp-KPbRQtOV7QMew1nwg-fSC-1Y2p_lZXAQtjM7H8l_Slx9mXlIJOcjIBTSUGadqfA4PNcmEweiQNQPnJfiPr5m2ScLTICpsic/s1600/IMG_5981.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJIF4M_R4VZMFuPnTkvis1dm9e0B2hqMZSLbeeE9OfOGAp-KPbRQtOV7QMew1nwg-fSC-1Y2p_lZXAQtjM7H8l_Slx9mXlIJOcjIBTSUGadqfA4PNcmEweiQNQPnJfiPr5m2ScLTICpsic/s200/IMG_5981.JPG" width="150" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">This was a
bottle from our own homebrew kit – our first attempt at bottling (from the <a href="http://bafadventuring.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/homebrew-drink-off.html">Dark Beer Drink-Off</a> preparations) and had been
stored for around 6 months. We had used a Coopers Premium Irish Stout kit, and
modified it with a litre of fresh-brewed coffee in the FV, and had been really
pleased with how it turned out at the time, drinking most of it fresh from the
barrel with only a few Grolsch-top bottles stored. Just in case, I opened this
one carefully in the sink – and it was a bit of a gusher – but thankfully only
a little beer was lost. It quickly calmed down and was slightly effervescent in
the glass, but not in a bad way. Compared to the taste when it was first made,
I felt it could do with more vanilla and sweetness, as the sugars had fermented
out leaving it quite dry in bottle. But it still had a smooth coffee character with a hint
of roast bitterness, and was very pleasant to drink – it seemed like a
competent enough attempt when in comparison with the other beers we’d had that
evening.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Dark Star – Espresso</b> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">4.2%</b></span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirgtbuYkl0IYEQ42U5szFC9E5lxqx-Ij-2kN45BEoNRepYZ1z1f1NM2fnHGX7mKi836TVNZBgTXmZRPKYdV5xA1DO6Ac35jGIkyuhALlwZ4rYnflZFR7S8Xo1lTbVAeRBo00OcWtF4pV7T/s1600/IMG_5980.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirgtbuYkl0IYEQ42U5szFC9E5lxqx-Ij-2kN45BEoNRepYZ1z1f1NM2fnHGX7mKi836TVNZBgTXmZRPKYdV5xA1DO6Ac35jGIkyuhALlwZ4rYnflZFR7S8Xo1lTbVAeRBo00OcWtF4pV7T/s200/IMG_5980.JPG" width="150" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I’ve had this
beer (and loved it) in cask several times, but not had a bottle in years. It
had a much sweeter milk-chocolate nose than I was expecting, and did have a
full, silky mouthfeel, but disappointingly less coffee than I remember it
having. As it came into contact with the air more aroma was released, but it still didn't give the depth of flavour I thought I’d experienced in it previously – maybe this
is one where the cask version holds all the cards? I’ll certainly be looking
out for it on cask over the next few months to try out that theory.</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Each coffee
beer was quite different to the others, and it was a push to get back to some
more homebrewing, to find that our own-made beer (albeit from kit) wasn’t too
far off the mark from the commercial offerings tasted. I think my favourite
would firmly rest with the Hitachino Nest though – the ‘accidental’ aging gave
it the most interesting and complex flavours of the night; perhaps there is
something to be said for hoarding after all!</span><br />
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</style> tania_nexusthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15170308777551803844noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627855943826479632.post-13165838113865247802012-10-14T23:37:00.000+01:002012-10-15T10:01:47.950+01:00A Visit to Leith
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<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Although
I've been in Edinburgh several times, I had never quite made it out
to Leith, it's port district by the waterside. At one time this had
some notoriety as a red-light area, but recent regeneration has
spruced it up, and I'd hoped to go and have a wander round – and to
find some good ales in the process, of course. </span><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The
opportunity arose for an excursion when I was visiting Edinburgh a
few weeks ago, and so a party of us met to venture out in search of
lunch. So with <a href="https://twitter.com/HillstersBrew">Ian</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/kirsty_black">Kirsty</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/kes1">Andrew</a> and Brendan, we negotiated the buses and headed down towards Leith.
I'd been recommended three different ale spots by Scottish
beery-types on Twitter, which seemed like a good basis for a day out.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUAN6PvqXcG-EesQ0cBPwoWga5KYuem2crjzbh_cH6Eu3qDc_czLV6UXE335yw10Fgarv54FwNcwiXHtcpVEQTG0LBy7SmozeXIcwlngKQQVO16mM07nG9UlgzSfV5SIeKGbiGo_tgJIi2/s1600/img_5866.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUAN6PvqXcG-EesQ0cBPwoWga5KYuem2crjzbh_cH6Eu3qDc_czLV6UXE335yw10Fgarv54FwNcwiXHtcpVEQTG0LBy7SmozeXIcwlngKQQVO16mM07nG9UlgzSfV5SIeKGbiGo_tgJIi2/s200/img_5866.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Menu - zoom for yumminess</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I'd
suggested we head to <a href="https://twitter.com/Noblescafebar">Nobles Bar</a>
first to slake our hunger, as I'd been told it did a good brunch (till 4.30pm on a
Saturday), which their website menu seemed to confirm. But before we
got to food, we were all very impressed by the beautiful interior
features – stained glass at the front and back of the pub, alluding
to Leith's shipping role, and a nautical frieze around the top of the
walls. The décor, relaxed seating areas and friendly welcome soon
had us in a chilled out mode, and we got on with the business of
choosing from the extensive menu while sampling some Nobles Pale Ale
– the house beer brewed by <a href="https://twitter.com/BlackIsleBeer">Black Isle Brewery</a>. I was impressed with this - it had a nicely balanced hop character,
very drinkable; there was a second cask ale available, and a few
Black Isle keg as well. </span>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikSN9WKptC-yftzEolmZu_A_h_hqGZhUMqWyufuAGG938oo-6_kFUxiFwDWUPomhJFSxYLQ49-TrNjYBw9HPo3eUvlgV9GTChVLVJJ-l7yGjhCq1DzlwV4JsKkkglzyK86RLudtdEEUCyv/s1600/img_5867.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikSN9WKptC-yftzEolmZu_A_h_hqGZhUMqWyufuAGG938oo-6_kFUxiFwDWUPomhJFSxYLQ49-TrNjYBw9HPo3eUvlgV9GTChVLVJJ-l7yGjhCq1DzlwV4JsKkkglzyK86RLudtdEEUCyv/s200/img_5867.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The menu
was so packed with good things, we took an age to choose – it had
exciting brunch offerings such as as Smoked Salmon Benedict, Croque
Madame, and homemade pancakes with bacon, to the more unusual – rabbit
burger or duck pastrami sandwich. But I settled on the Nobles Full
Scottish to set me up for the day and although many cooked breakfasts
may look pretty similar, taste-wise this had lots of “wow” factor
– the haggis was <i>the best I have ever had</i><span style="font-style: normal;">
– some research uncovered this is made by a butcher (<a href="http://www.findlayofportobello.co.uk/">Findlays</a>) in
Portobello, so I'll have to look into mail order as it was pretty
outstanding. The little roast cherry tomatoes were bursting with
sweetness which Andrew also exclaimed over, and the sausages and
scrambled eggs were also damn fine. Ian and Kirsty both had the
gigantic haddock and chips with a Nobles IPA batter – light &
fluffy, flaky fish, and almost too big to finish.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP3-Rt5SMyifSFhjUYOhXbZatyBifcPC23gGYmWmtavzJ88VmmR30Xg0TgzpDTzZOzi-WtWwu0lJ2O9ECAs_jE2r3501mhbJQzEJRZ05f6LmL6adiK6JpDwa5VPyFuZlF78XQpyWR03cq0/s1600/img_5863.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP3-Rt5SMyifSFhjUYOhXbZatyBifcPC23gGYmWmtavzJ88VmmR30Xg0TgzpDTzZOzi-WtWwu0lJ2O9ECAs_jE2r3501mhbJQzEJRZ05f6LmL6adiK6JpDwa5VPyFuZlF78XQpyWR03cq0/s200/img_5863.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDVVHbjyOe88G_6kkBOtNR6ycQUu0Kn68Q0BF5aDuWWnbMcKaxfn6gYMac44bPXWH-WlDYSjzDf52rnIwzr2btTsa-_otR-eD_DT0-yaqsMrJs5YwAYzZxJWKcSXVtZ_HGiOSSA04Laefx/s1600/img_5864.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDVVHbjyOe88G_6kkBOtNR6ycQUu0Kn68Q0BF5aDuWWnbMcKaxfn6gYMac44bPXWH-WlDYSjzDf52rnIwzr2btTsa-_otR-eD_DT0-yaqsMrJs5YwAYzZxJWKcSXVtZ_HGiOSSA04Laefx/s200/img_5864.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">We were all
very impressed with our first visit to Nobles and I hope to return
sometime to soak up more of it's relaxed ambience.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqskA4jdc2WXtcCddSuFgm7Ay1tcgvmL_xj-t3osJyWy_1WnhpmdEoHwAkgmxGIJCAdnYmHT8ZGOPWN3TDCoP3DawEoBTE-QAT1xs_fGLAzmLLytQ_rpk53mEJerbgltmlpKc3ZMSaO0Vv/s1600/img_5871.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqskA4jdc2WXtcCddSuFgm7Ay1tcgvmL_xj-t3osJyWy_1WnhpmdEoHwAkgmxGIJCAdnYmHT8ZGOPWN3TDCoP3DawEoBTE-QAT1xs_fGLAzmLLytQ_rpk53mEJerbgltmlpKc3ZMSaO0Vv/s200/img_5871.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mini-beach!</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Next
Brendan, Ian and I ventured towards the next pub on my list – The
Malt & Hops – but on the way we passed a a shop window which
drew our attention - this was Beets Off-Licence and Grocers, on
Bernard Street. This was a cave of delights, with lots of local ales,
but plenty from respected breweries of the world to make any beer
geek salivate. And also, a mini-beach with real sand, right there on
the counter! This place would be worth a visit on it's own, and I'm
surprised they don't seem to have any web presence to shout about
their wares.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The <a href="http://www.barcalisa.com/">Malt & Hops</a> is a one-room basic pub, but it's clear it has a great cask ale
focus with 8 handpulls and is regularly in the CAMRA Good Beer Guide.
Here we huddled up to the hearth and sampled a Duke IPA from Highland,
an Orkney Dark Munro, and an Orkney Best, over a leisurely chat about
life, the universe and everything (beer, mostly). The area outside the pub is
attractive too, being at the water's edge, and I would have loved
more time to explore around here a bit further.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6xWMfGaNygLM0_scnud4WzxLIqJCu0UG9HY5RU5pB61SibIuRkfn1QVgWb9nMCRAY0mj1jpyOUS_4xkc0fQi22CJkW2juURJULwA6RA8iJ-QHCjGWtMb51g4M9kJvmHOJobO8S2wjC_lk/s1600/img_5872.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6xWMfGaNygLM0_scnud4WzxLIqJCu0UG9HY5RU5pB61SibIuRkfn1QVgWb9nMCRAY0mj1jpyOUS_4xkc0fQi22CJkW2juURJULwA6RA8iJ-QHCjGWtMb51g4M9kJvmHOJobO8S2wjC_lk/s200/img_5872.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">However the
day pressed on, and we needed to get to <a href="http://www.aroomin.co.uk/slider/teuchters-landing-leith/">Teuchters Landing</a>, the bar
section of waterside restaurant 'A Room in Leith', as I'd been
reliably informed that Fyne Ales Jarl was a house beer there – one
of my favourite Scottish beers. This had a lovely setting,
overlooking some refurbished docks and modern apartments, with some
of the historic quayside winching gear forming part of the beer
garden features. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsQdcn77GBktEZ4qCZ5mlInRYgQIVKHpbTrS97c-vocLCm9AN4DSzyWUHJuHcDtGgDRT3318SvB06LnlX7y5SJBmYV97PWXvnpPH2EdD7EJ0gkULD_xPknDA18VtlM3hlccCvwd9Wcbp3J/s1600/img_5875.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsQdcn77GBktEZ4qCZ5mlInRYgQIVKHpbTrS97c-vocLCm9AN4DSzyWUHJuHcDtGgDRT3318SvB06LnlX7y5SJBmYV97PWXvnpPH2EdD7EJ0gkULD_xPknDA18VtlM3hlccCvwd9Wcbp3J/s200/img_5875.jpg" width="150" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Inside, the
bar was extremely well furnished with beer choices – I was so
pleased to see that cask Jarl was indeed there, and probably
frightened the barman with my enthusiasm to order a round. They also
have a Brewdog font; Orkney, Inveralmond and others on cask; and some
Scottish keg, from WEST, Innis & Gunn, and Black Isle. A huge
blackboard proudly shows off their extensive whisky (and cigar) list
– definitely wroth another visit to explore this some cold winter
evening. The smells from the restaurant part of the operation were
very inviting, and a quick peek showed a bright conservatory-style
room out front, with a ship-like feel to the nooks and crannies
behind, and a menu slanted towards seafood such as sea bream with
Shetland scallops, smoked North Sea hake fillet, and pots of Scottish
mussels. I'd really like to come back here for a proper meal, or
perhaps visit one of their two other “Teuchters/A Room …“
establishments in the city centre, though I doubt any have a setting
to surpass the Leith water front. The Jarl was perfect,
condition-wise, and I was sad indeed when the time came to leave.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">But I
wasn't going to get my pub recce of Edinburgh accomplished unless
moves were made back townwards, so we headed next to the <a href="https://twitter.com/StockbridgeTap">Stockbridge Tap</a>. There's been a real buzz about this bar on Twitter and they'd
had a lot of acclaim for their recent beer festival, so the huge
array of top-of-the-range cask and keg that greeted us was no
surprise. Between the three of us, we tried out a good list of beers:
highlights were Williams Double Joker IPA, Alechemy Cairnpapple IPA
dry-hopped (lots of yum factor!), and bottled Stewart Radical Road
(needed a bit of time to warm up for the flavours to come out).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">After this
there was just time to visit a couple of city centre bars on the way
back home – the <a href="https://twitter.com/bow_bar">Bow Bar</a> for Fyne Ales Avalanche and Fallen Odessy
Blonde Ale, stopping to chat with the bar staff about their bottle
selection (I spotted an AleSmith in the fridge that I hadn't had at
our <a href="http://bafadventuring.blogspot.co.uk/2012/09/alesmith-beer-tasting-evening.html">recent tasting</a>), then on to <a href="https://twitter.com/BrewDogEdin">BrewDog</a>. This wasn't as scarily busy
as I'd expected for the tail end of a Saturday evening, so we had
time to grab a seat and a few more samples – Alice Porter, Hello My
Name is Beastie, Hardcore IPA (need that Simcoe hit!) and a beer that
really wakened up my palate with its rich hop weight – the
Firestone Walker Double Jack. An awesome beer for hop lovers - seriously, if you see this one on offer somewhere, have it!</span>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">A
successful day out for beer exploration, but one which make me
wistful to spend more time up in these parts, as I feel there was
probably more to explore in Leith than we saw, the food at Teuchters
would have been great, and I would have loved a whole afternoon to
sit and sip Jarl, a beer which I never see in Birmingham but which
has been a firm favourite since I first encountered it at the Coach &
Horses in Dronfield. Next time, next time ...</span></div>
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tania_nexusthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15170308777551803844noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627855943826479632.post-80155920292642970962012-10-12T19:04:00.001+01:002013-01-28T12:47:26.709+00:00A Whisky Education<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">While visiting Edinburgh recently I was lucky enough to be invited to a meeting of the <a href="https://twitter.com/HWWhiskySoc">Whisky Society</a> at Herriot-Watt Students Union. I was in the city to visit a friend of long standing, <a href="https://twitter.com/HillstersBrew">@HillstersBrew</a>, who has just started an MSc course in Brewing & Distilling, and it seems the Union has many societies which cater for the eager learners' thirst for knowledge in a friendly, social environment.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Non-society members were welcome, so I caught the bus out to the campus, passing the <a href="http://www.caledonianbeer.com/validate">Caledonian Brewery</a> (do they do tours? Must check for my next visit), to join the queue of people making their way into the meeting room. More and more people turned up, and soon the room was packed out, extra chairs and glasses were being hauled in, and the society organisers were frantically scrawling up “Sold Out” on the noticeboard so we could get the sampling underway.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The format for these evenings is that three or four different whiskies will be tried; once everyone has a measure poured out in front of them, the tasting will be led by a member of the society organising team, who will give some background to the whisky, where it is made, the grain composition, any particularly unusual processes used, and then an analysis of the aromas and flavours to be found. This is very helpful if you're a bit of a newbie to whisky/whiskey, as it helps you to start recognising common flavour descriptors and aspects of the aroma, which it might at first be hard to describe on your own.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The first whisky tonight was <b>Signatory 1997</b> from the <b>North British Distillery</b> based in Gorgie, Edinburgh, quite near the Caledonian brewery site. I was surprised to be told that the familiar smell that hangs over Edinburgh – which always seemed to be a mix of Scotch pie and Caley’s beer brewing – was actually from production at this distillery.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX2ERUQsL9vCNZWul6gvTcBR7fJX4TuVzBeGoI3MwvdMKFTfCYBoLvcDwKXoeaRZwJ0upO6u2CPv2bnjdg228wUQCRLLTSrgXh7TOcJ6xdTNLmGQ7ATOP1r7EZwBk00Hj1MkS5IZHCZdaH/s1600/Tania+092.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX2ERUQsL9vCNZWul6gvTcBR7fJX4TuVzBeGoI3MwvdMKFTfCYBoLvcDwKXoeaRZwJ0upO6u2CPv2bnjdg228wUQCRLLTSrgXh7TOcJ6xdTNLmGQ7ATOP1r7EZwBk00Hj1MkS5IZHCZdaH/s200/Tania+092.jpg" width="150" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">It was explained that this is one of the ‘new types’ of whisky, using 90% wheat grain, and 10% malted barley to make use of a particular enzyme. It’s known as a ‘grain whisky’ – which apparently everyone drank 100 years ago, until the late 19thC when people switched to malt whisky. Simple, uncomplicated, and very drinkable – and is therefore used in blends to bring about more easy drinking character.</span> <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">This had a very sweet nose, with vanilla, honey, and soft fruits. Flavour-wise as well as fruit and Madeira cake, it had a slight creamy, oaky character, and was surprisingly fumey for its’ sweet nose. The short finish made you ready for another mouthful, so I could see what was meant by ‘ease of drinkability’. This type of whisky is generally only kept for around 5 or 6 years in bottle – no long maturation process – so was a good one to start on as it wasn’t palate-clogging.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Next we had <b>Adelphi Private Reserve Blend</b> – Adelphi, based at Glenborrodale Castle, are bottlers and blenders of cask whiskies, but have just been granted permission to build their own distillery onsite, and hope to be distilling by the end of 2013. To me, this had a really floral nose, and I was picking up lavender and a small hint of honey. The blend of grain and single malt whisky together offered a bit of fruit and spice, but not a great deal of finish – it reminded me of the ‘drinking’ (not sipping) whisky produced by Bushmills or Johnnie Walker, to drink quickly or in a mix, rather than one to take your time over. </span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAwB2_T0Cz8Tb7TWQq9ardoFbbIwq2oNpJLf0P_2UmSdFYwxI-OAGIcZkVY87m7HoQVfQW7SyOYZ3wXm5lymXwIK5BT-zSUxgMpn31YMNJnbR0r9QL2-suYUSRgMmVaiDiVF3_AeESIELG/s1600/Tania+096.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAwB2_T0Cz8Tb7TWQq9ardoFbbIwq2oNpJLf0P_2UmSdFYwxI-OAGIcZkVY87m7HoQVfQW7SyOYZ3wXm5lymXwIK5BT-zSUxgMpn31YMNJnbR0r9QL2-suYUSRgMmVaiDiVF3_AeESIELG/s200/Tania+096.jpg" width="150" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The <b>Sheep Dip 2012 Amoroso Oloroso</b> had the most interesting backstory – a blended malt produced in 1999 in Scotland, was then transported to Spain for sale. It was stored in sherry casks, but the distributor went bust, and it lay undiscovered in a warehouse for years until found by the new owner of the property. Sheep Dip then bought it back and found it’s sherry cask-aged character to be rather good!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">This had lots going on in it, as you’d imagine – with rich aromas of rum, vanilla and chocolate, and smooth butterscotch. Although only three years old, apparently it matured faster than usual in Spain due to the hot, humid climate. It had a shorter finish than expected, with hints of bitter orange and burnt toffee. Will any more of this be produced, or is it’s unusual route to bottle a one-off?</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwyQycY1_TQQi3-JjBs8m-DvQ3NURnHgwTKG_BA27cK2oKfD0eEwlgmHcbpDtg4DsXz8DCsjK3Gzswkom2fwBGCYM5YHzDWvpRTAA0hzecUFTUCWxHG_DAB8aanA8B9AW9WFrfhnNZGVbb/s1600/Tania+097.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwyQycY1_TQQi3-JjBs8m-DvQ3NURnHgwTKG_BA27cK2oKfD0eEwlgmHcbpDtg4DsXz8DCsjK3Gzswkom2fwBGCYM5YHzDWvpRTAA0hzecUFTUCWxHG_DAB8aanA8B9AW9WFrfhnNZGVbb/s200/Tania+097.jpg" width="150" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Our last of the night was <b>Longrow “Red” Cabernet Sauvignon Cask</b>, from Springbank, Campbeltown. This is a single malt at cask strength – 52.1% - and had lots of complexity. Quite phenolic (that medicinal TCP note) and peaty, but with lots of vinous, raisin-y flavours coming through. The big flavour notes were really prominent upfront, but it has a persistent finish with a very smooth flourish. As fellow tastee <a href="https://twitter.com/thesmallarms">Gareth</a> exclaimed, “it’s a beast of a whisky!” and was, as you might have expected, our favourite of the very convivial and educational evening.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The Tasting Society’s evenings are sponsored by <a href="http://www.royalmilewhiskies.com/">Royal Mile Whiskies</a>, who provide the rather fine <a href="http://www.whiskyglass.com/">Glencairn</a> sampling glasses – on top of this, they also offer a 10% discount in their shops to any member of the society, so there's no excuse to shy away from learning more about the world of whisky to supplement your studies!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">After the main event, several students normally go for a pint or two in a craft beer bar or real ale pub towards the city centre, and I was secretly hoping they may stop at the <a href="http://www.thecaleysampleroom.co.uk/">Caley Sample Room</a> as they had on their last meet-up as I hadn’t had a chance to visit there yet, but on this occasion after an abortive attempt to visit <a href="https://twitter.com/Cloisters_Bar">@Cloisters_Bar</a> (too busy on a Friday night to cope with a sudden influx of thirsty students) they settled on a walk across the Meadows to The <a href="https://twitter.com/TheDagdaBar">The Dagda Bar</a>. For some unknown reason, I had missed this off my list of “23 pubs to visit while in Edinburgh”, so was a pleasant surprise to find myself swept in there and up to the bar. There I sampled three very fine ales indeed – Tryst Carronade IPA (a hoppy yet sessionable 4.2%), Tryst Raj IPA (a bit more weighty at 5.5%), and the very herbaceous, currant-leaf Cromarty Hit the Lip – at 3.8% a beer you could drink till the cask ran dry, which we promptly did!</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">A great end to the evening</span></td></tr>
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tania_nexusthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15170308777551803844noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627855943826479632.post-90124956561479379372012-09-24T13:33:00.003+01:002012-09-24T13:33:52.886+01:00AleSmith beer tasting evening<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">I've found it frustrating for a little while that I don't seem to know enough people in my local area who are sufficiently interested in bottled beer to want to get together as a group and taste their way through some interesting or unusual bottles - the type of beers that you shy away from purchasing purely for your own speculative consumption, as although you may be keen to try them, you can't be quite sure you'll like them enough to consume an entire 750ml bottle of "Extreme Stout aged over Tarmac and Biltong with a late addition of Poison Ivy and Dragonfruit" (an exaggeration, but it's not that far off a description you may read from Mikkeller or Brewdog ;-).</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">So I jumped at the chance when invited to meet up with some fellow beer-tweeters to sample the range of <a href="http://alesmith.com/" target="_blank">AleSmith</a> beers currently found on the <a href="http://www.brewdog.com/shop/guest-beer" target="_blank">Brewdog website</a> - a group effort meaning we'd all get the chance to try these beers for a more reasonable cost, could move on to the next taste if one wasn't to our personal liking, and of course could enjoy discussing them in the company of other friendly folks.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAaP-B5rBOhGIEwB2SAz67dskM7PBY9U2S_ISeBnDUC88et5Tw0jS0O7RMhZbl-De2N8SF-Whqx_ieGSS-6QUzkGTAva4cDrAdZ8sJUE_KX3Z5MlaVbbAvjnCp56MTpki3mpgptIst2lUC/s1600/IMG_5751.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAaP-B5rBOhGIEwB2SAz67dskM7PBY9U2S_ISeBnDUC88et5Tw0jS0O7RMhZbl-De2N8SF-Whqx_ieGSS-6QUzkGTAva4cDrAdZ8sJUE_KX3Z5MlaVbbAvjnCp56MTpki3mpgptIst2lUC/s200/IMG_5751.JPG" width="200" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Cats and beer go well together</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: small;"> The evening was ably hosted by <a href="https://twitter.com/RichTheVillan" target="_blank">@RichTheVillan</a>, with his cat Oliver making a special guest appearance, and some snacks provided to mop up the beer. Also in attendance were <a href="https://twitter.com/RobertoRossUK" target="_blank">@RobertoRossUK</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/Kaufmanised" target="_blank">@Kaufmanised</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/UncleMuttley" target="_blank">@UncleMuttley</a>, who had arranged the ale purchasing. I'd brought some tasting notes with me in an attempt to work out a suitable drinking order, so we wouldn't have too many clashes on our palates, and so we proceeded through the goodies in the following sequence:</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>AleSmith X</b> - this was listed as an "Extra Pale Ale", and as the lightest-sounding beer we tried this first. This had a good hop nose but a slightly thin body in comparison; however this probably would make it a good 'pintable' beer as it certainly wouldn't clog your palate. I also seemed to detect a slight Saison-yeast aroma, but I haven't found anything online to indicate if a Belgian yeast strain is used in this.</span></div>
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<![endif]--><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="line-height: 115%;">AleSmith Summer YuleSmith</span></b></span><span style="font-size: small; line-height: 115%;"> - apparently this is a beer that is brewed twice a year, but with a tweak so they end up as different seasonal styles. This was the summer version, a Double IPA. It was much paler than expected - I guess I've seen a lot of viscous, murky orange-brown double IPAs recently. Waves of resiny aromas pointed to the probable inclusion of Simcoe in the hop mix , which created a good mix of fruit and bitter flavours without being too cloying or sticky. We all agreed it was alarmingly drinkable for it's ABV (9.5%), with a finish that wasn't too heavy and made you crave another glass.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW5sCE0YvOwJ0RqKwUifoatwQcVLmL1U0nYR_9RVqBlcHB2wgkkGHCq_tYdj3wDtmV3JhgA1ND6hnhiv0NefPbVGKfRmPCRwEmmbAWpsB7PHeq05E_TAjkyRoZEKRG_3VPSXEGLEKgrSqB/s1600/IMG_5753.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW5sCE0YvOwJ0RqKwUifoatwQcVLmL1U0nYR_9RVqBlcHB2wgkkGHCq_tYdj3wDtmV3JhgA1ND6hnhiv0NefPbVGKfRmPCRwEmmbAWpsB7PHeq05E_TAjkyRoZEKRG_3VPSXEGLEKgrSqB/s200/IMG_5753.JPG" width="150" /></a></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="line-height: 115%;">AleSmith Grand Cru</span></b></span><span style="font-size: small; line-height: 115%;"> - as other beers in our selection were mostly darker or sweeter, we opted for the Belgian-style ale next. This is reportedly made using Trappist yeast which contributed definite Belgian flavours, and had lovely muted candi-sugar sweetness, but I wasn't getting much hop complexity from it. It was enjoyable, but I think perhaps I expected slightly more from something called a 'Grand Cru'.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>AleSmith Horny Devil</b> - this also utilizes the Trappist yeast and surprised me in being more of a golden strong ale than I expected, like a Duvel clone (I guess the clue is in the name!) - but it had a very easygoing mouthfeel for 11% compared to it's namesake which can sometimes be a bit overbearing, and everyone round the table seemed to find this very drinkable and moreish.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>AleSmith Wee Heavy</b> - now we moved on to a trio of sweeter/heavier beers, and this one was a take on the Scotch style, which seems to be more widely revered outside of Scotland (in Belgium and America) than by native breweries. This example had that big, thick, B-vitamin packed, Bovril-like richness. It was warming and (true to form) heavy, but despite this, still compellingly sippable. I felt this was a really good example of a Scotch ale, more what you would expect from the style descriptor than any widely-available 'heavy' produced in Caledonia these days. I'm hoping to visit there again soon, so perhaps I'll find something in Edinburgh to challenge this opinion!</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir7neKHH4O9UsAsRsOGqyEQ3-B2wTw1imJiB6W4JU98cCKY4LFF4U-KxGeevKiKm1miExT44Aw6klwKK5UVfJjU3_qV-DL7Cc0UzVWnb2qqvI1G58XO0lm9ZPU1YGT0H6LQ6a3Y-oQd-kJ/s1600/IMG_5757.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir7neKHH4O9UsAsRsOGqyEQ3-B2wTw1imJiB6W4JU98cCKY4LFF4U-KxGeevKiKm1miExT44Aw6klwKK5UVfJjU3_qV-DL7Cc0UzVWnb2qqvI1G58XO0lm9ZPU1YGT0H6LQ6a3Y-oQd-kJ/s200/IMG_5757.JPG" width="150" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Beer of the evening!</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>AleSmith Speedway Stout</b> - we had looked forward to this one with anticipation, expecting it to be the standout beer of the evening - and we weren't disappointed. It's a weighty 12% and has added coffee in the recipe, and the aromas and flavours were a heady mix of smokiness, cherry tobacco leaf, lots of dry cedar wood, and espresso-roast bitterness. Yet it really wasn't overbearing, and there was no 'palate fatigue' despite the assault of flavours and the ABV. It had a long, smooth finish that faded to leave some subtle coffee undertones. Tasting this beer alone made the evening a worthwhile venture, and seemed to make <a href="https://twitter.com/Kaufmanised">@Kaufmanised</a> very happy!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>AleSmith Old Numbskull</b> - perhaps influenced by the name, we had kept this one to last - listed as a "West Coast style barley wine". It reminded a bit of Sierra Nevada Bigfoot and typified the American barleywine form, with it's silky, warm sensations from the first sip. <a href="https://twitter.com/RobertoRossUK" target="_blank">@RobertoRossUK</a> wondered if a Belgian yeast may have been used in this brew also, which could have aided the drinkability despite the heavy malt character. It was like a warm winter-weight duvet in a glass, and an appropriate end to the evening's samples.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs8Mh9a1a-jx3z-4Lye1bvZAIotuPKGXzBCwiF6wic-yte17UCeZhpPVBUKL1z_pXCAlWT6GhL0NuguZs_vZ-K6nogFegaEX_aJxvLDrgINv1a1ype3gd9ZDghksI5Yi_E3EO0fOhxQ6oP/s1600/IMG_5755.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs8Mh9a1a-jx3z-4Lye1bvZAIotuPKGXzBCwiF6wic-yte17UCeZhpPVBUKL1z_pXCAlWT6GhL0NuguZs_vZ-K6nogFegaEX_aJxvLDrgINv1a1ype3gd9ZDghksI5Yi_E3EO0fOhxQ6oP/s200/IMG_5755.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Special guest Oliver</span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: small;">The inaugral 'bottle club' meet-up was an all-round success, with convivial company and a great range of beers; plans were hastily drawn up to hold further sessions to work our way through some Mikkeller, De Molen, Nogne O and De Struisse, kicking off with <a href="http://www.hoppinfrog.com/">Hoppin' Frog</a> in October. Thanks to all for organising & inviting me, and hopefully Oliver the cat will put in another guest appearance at the next one!</span></div>
tania_nexusthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15170308777551803844noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627855943826479632.post-51494156207103781702012-09-15T20:14:00.002+01:002012-10-15T10:01:14.932+01:00Three new Scottish pale ales<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
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The ale scene in these
isles is in a constant state of movement, particularly now with new
micros springing up all the time and many brewers constantly striving
to come up with new recipes as well as perfect the traditional
styles. The Scottish brewery scene is certainly enjoying some of this
vibrancy, with many new breweries and brewing companies forming in
the past couple of years, existing breweries expanding or stepping up
a notch with their product developments, and a constantly expanding
assortment of craft bars appearing to meet customer demand.</div>
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It's difficult
therefore to keep abreast of all the new beers that come out, even
when they're available down here in the Midlands, but a few new
Scottish beers have come my way recently, so I thought I'd try a few
out in one session and see what I thought.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4ct-OARwJVfd8-sSyWYfgJF2XanhCp248VefHSQRcMFt8RRpTdew0qAM0cnv3AFTSa_yxGeFfGR47ztd4-yLMamYWS_qK7teIqVvEtgC49sr5LAMf47emN52Urq26hcDcZK7ZuVyMdTQc/s1600/img_5774.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4ct-OARwJVfd8-sSyWYfgJF2XanhCp248VefHSQRcMFt8RRpTdew0qAM0cnv3AFTSa_yxGeFfGR47ztd4-yLMamYWS_qK7teIqVvEtgC49sr5LAMf47emN52Urq26hcDcZK7ZuVyMdTQc/s200/img_5774.jpg" width="200" /></a>First up was <a href="http://oldworthybeer.co.uk/" target="_blank">Old Worthy</a>
– a sample sent to me by Nick, who is behind the production company
and currently contract-brewing at Isle of Skye Brewery while they
fine tune their recipe and start seeing their beer appear in shops.
This aims to bring something different to the shelves, being billed
as a “Scottish Pale Ale”, but taking the unusual step of adding
peat-smoked malt (supplied by the Ardmore distillery) and honey in
the mix. I liked the sound of this as I'm familiar with the smoked
malt lighter-style beers produced around Bamberg (as well as the more
familiar meaty marzen rauchbiers), and if handled gently, a touch of
smokiness can be great to deepen flavour without making a beer heavy.
At first I wasn't getting much aroma wise, and only a very gentle
hint of the smoke at the end of a mouthful, but as I let the beer
warm up a bit, more appeared on the nose, and while still remaining
refreshing, a lovely rounded peat and honey finish came out. My only
gripe is that for a pale ale, I would like a little more hop
character to be evident, just a little bite of bitterness before the
sweet & smokey hints take over. But overall the subtleties were
an asset in this beer, so if the hops stepped up just a little bit, I
think it would be a beer of interesting balances and one I'd
definitely have again. I see they are already building a following in
Scandinavia and I can imagine this ale going down very well over
there – I expect more people on this side of the North Sea will be
encouraged to try it when it starts to appear in <a href="http://www.whiskyshop.com/" target="_blank">The Whisky Shop</a>
branches now they have finished their first UK production run.</div>
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Next were two beers
from the 2012 Sainsbury's “Great Beer Hunt” - where they run a
competition for regionally-selected beers to be stocked in their
stores for a limited period, and those that prove most popular may be
invited to a national listing.
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD5416TfM6MB2E2MoeBmDE82ysFjxTvYJlDRH7KtypQEZexsT0EX0tPVwZ6GYUDCNoNfA30MZ-XqxUJ6HHCX0-dXIJuTMzkwZ_NGK0I0CBVWEwRYB-f9NmNB1clolx2dVbMc5b6M6y1ZlA/s1600/img_5772.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD5416TfM6MB2E2MoeBmDE82ysFjxTvYJlDRH7KtypQEZexsT0EX0tPVwZ6GYUDCNoNfA30MZ-XqxUJ6HHCX0-dXIJuTMzkwZ_NGK0I0CBVWEwRYB-f9NmNB1clolx2dVbMc5b6M6y1ZlA/s200/img_5772.jpg" width="200" /></a>The <a href="http://www.harviestoun.com/" target="_blank">Harviestoun</a> Wild
Hop Gold might be related to the Wild Hop IPA they've produced in
bottle and cask before, but there's no info on their website so I'm
not sure if the recipes are similar. The label however states it's
made with Citra and Simcoe hops (my two favourite!) so I was really
hoping this would have a powerful aroma and lots of bitter &
resiny flavours. It didn't quite have the assertive hop notes I would
have liked, but obviously wasn't going to be anything like a
high-hopped double IPA; instead it was a really pleasant, hoppy
enough sessionable (4.4%) beer, with a good biscuity smooth malt
character holding up against the citrus notes. It was a great
accompaniment to some American-style pulled pork & sweet potatoes
with a hint of chilli, and a beer I'm definitely looking forward to
buying again before the Beer Hunt ends. Here's hoping it gains a
regular stocking in my local Sainsburys.
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9sT2y0p09RFc3Ks4V8CP5eWOZYumBqHOp7L6dcdIZRRH9CvvTSTlDWcpoiTFTyFmuWNfdfe912Kn3tBChcsGv0JNaDZc2DFfkKw2ogBZqZQ6foJqX0q6sXmGdaGqct7RtPRBjqsYzjiqs/s1600/img_5776.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9sT2y0p09RFc3Ks4V8CP5eWOZYumBqHOp7L6dcdIZRRH9CvvTSTlDWcpoiTFTyFmuWNfdfe912Kn3tBChcsGv0JNaDZc2DFfkKw2ogBZqZQ6foJqX0q6sXmGdaGqct7RtPRBjqsYzjiqs/s200/img_5776.jpg" width="200" /></a>The <a href="http://www.williamsbrosbrew.com/" target="_blank">Williams'</a> Prodigal
Sun was the beer I'd been most looking forward to trying from the
Beer Hunt, as I always expect good things from the Alloa-based
brothers having been checking out their beers since the early days
when their core range were historical ale recipes such as Fraoch,
Kelpie (with seaweed) and Grozet (a gooseberry ale) and and they were
known as Heather Ales. From those beginnings you can imagine they
like to experiment with locally-found botanicals not usually seen in
today's beers, and the Prodigal Sun follows this path, with some
spruce clippings in the brew. There was a fresh, wet, berry aroma to
the beer and an unusual fruity sweetness to it – I would have
expected more of a pine element from spruce, but as I don't know
exactly how it behaves in the brewing kettle, I wasn't sure if the
sweetness & red berry fruit elements may be from this or from
something else. Overall this was a very pleasant beer, though it may
well be at it's best if carefully matched with foods that pair up
with the malt and sweetness characteristics.</div>
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There are many more
extreme and experimental beers coming out of Scotland, but as an
example of new-style pale or golden ales, these three each offered
something different and showed that the desire to keep moving forward
with beer styles is strong north of the border.</div>
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tania_nexusthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15170308777551803844noreply@blogger.com1