Home-Made Fishcakes

Although you need a little bit of forward planning, home-made fishcakes are super-easy to make, and are actually a great little beer snack. Surprisingly, tinned fish makes better fishcakes than fresh, I find. To be honest, you can use any fish you like, I reckon - but here's my version. Be sure to use fresh herbs though - it really does make a difference in the end.

Fishcakes (makes 6-8)
You Will Need:
One tin of Red Salmon
One small tin of Mackerel
150g of potatoes - Rooster's or King Edwards will do fine
2 tbspns Mayonanaise
2 Hardboiled eggs, cooled and chopped
2 pickled gherkins
A small amount of chopped anchovies - about four
Salt & Pepper to season
A pinch of Cayenne pepper
Chopped, fresh parsley and dill - a good fistful of each
A squeeze of Lemon
A dash of tomato puree

1. Boil your potatoes, and mash. Then, in a large bowl, add the mayonnaise a mash some more. Use a fork to then 'whip' it up so it's creamy.
2. From here, all you need to do is add your fish, gherkins, egg, and various seasonings to the potato and fork again - enough to mix but don't obliterate it.
3. Cover, and chill for three hours. This is really important - if your mix is not chilled, it will dissolve in the pan.

Get a couple of plates out and in a bowl crack two eggs and whisk. Place some plain flour on one plate, and some ready-made breadcrumbs on the last one.
In a chip-pan, heat up enough oil to shallow fry the cakes.

When the oil is hot, shape the mix into cakes, then dip into the egg, drain, then into the flour and then roll in the crumbs. Then place the cakes carefully in the hot oil. They'll only take a couple of minutes each side. When cooked, drain on some kitchen paper and serve with a big dollop of tomato or tartare sauce.

Easy enough, but takes a bit of planning for the mix to chill. As for the fish, use what you like. I washed this down with a cold pint of Timothy Taylor Landlord Pale Ale. I chose this great beer because despite being pale, it's got a really bitter edge and a really juicy maltiness that stands up to the oily fish without overpowering it. Lovely.

North's US BeerFest

My drinking has had a distinctly American feel to it this week with North Bar bringing over baskets of US Beers for us to taste. And taste we did.
First up, Flying Dog's In Heat Wheat. This must be one of the few Flying Dog Ales I've not yet tried, to so get hold of it on draught was a great opportunity. Pleasantly refreshing without being cloying, it had a smooth, banana taste at first that soon mellowed even further, leaving a little bit of Marzipan behind. Very tasty, and very moreish. Next up, the much-lauded Dogfish Head 75 Minute IPA - or 'Johnny Cask', as it's more commonly known (Click here to find out more about the Johnny Cask System). I really enjoyed this - yes, it was a blend of the 65 and 90 Minute IPA's so you kind of know what to expect - but still managed to become something different. Smooth, with only a little alcohol warmth at the end, and a balanced (although very fresh) hoppiness running through it. There's a real malty sweetness to it too, but it remains citrussy and not too cloying.

Victory Prima Pils next - although I have to be honest and say I didn't really think it was too Pils-y. It was decent though - lots of earthiness on the nose, and a high, astringent hop bite at the end of a long sip. Again, quite a fresh taste, although quite sweet. Interesting, and something I think I would try again; although I personally thought it had more in common with a Kolsch on steroids.
Sierra Nevada's Smoked Porter finished my week-long tasting, with a subtle smokiness and chocolate to coat the tongue. With a bottle of Rogue Dead Guy Ale waiting for me at home, I will continue my US-Centric drinking well into next week, I reckon.

Honey Chicken, Honey Beer

...Put your chicken pieces onto a baking tray and put in a preheated oven at about 200c. As they cook, blend three large spoons of honey, two teaspoons of Wholegrain Mustard, one teaspoon of dijon mustard and some parsley, if you have it.

After about ten minutes, give the chicken a coat of this sweet gunk, and put back in. Give it another ten, the repeat. Then another ten, and repeat. Keep coating, and you'll end up with great glazed chicken. It's like continual hopping that Dogfish Head do, but with food.

Serve with corn on the cob, and a cool pint of Cropton's Honey Gold for a quick and tasty midweek TV supper. Now, where's that Charlie Brooker programme I Sky+'d from last night...

Festival Time

It's the season for beer festivals, without a doubt. Here's a quick roundup of the ones that stand out for me. If you're near any of these you should check them out - there's nothing like a good fest to try something rare, hard-to-find or new.

The wonderful beer-hall at Hawkshead hosts their annual beer festival, 23rd & 24th of July. Hawkshead are, in my opinion, a great brewer, and their beer-hall will provide an excellent backdrop to beers from Palmer's & Arkell's to name a couple.

Breweries from the Kent area get centre-stage at the Kent Beer Festival (16-16 July), with Hopdaemon and Ramsgate among the treats. For Yorkshire treats, North's American Beer Fest and the highly-rated Harlequin are good starters for ten. The Harlequin's a great spot in Sheffield, and although I can't find a beer list (help, anyone?), I'm sure it'll be worth a visit. The Ship and Mitre are holding a Belgian Beer Festival on the 29th July, and the Reading Real Ale & Jazz Festival sounds like a decent weekend, too - with beers from Oakham's, Elgoods and Hopback on for your delectation. Beer and Jazz. Love it. And for steam enthusiasts, there's the Poppy Line Beer Festival at Sheringham Station (17th-19th July), featuring beers from the East Anglia area, food and entertainment.

Oh, and there's something called the GBBF going on too.

The Week So Far in Beer

With the weather being so damn humid, the pull of the quick beer after work has seemed stronger this week. What better way then to let the rush hour pass sipping a decent pint, so that you can enjoy a much less stressed journey home?

First up, Shepherd Neame's Whitstable Bay Organic Ale. A beer I've tried in the past in bottled form, and been fairly unimpressed. The draught version is a little creamier, but still doesn't have a lot of body. Some would say perfect for this kind of weather! It's got a great colour, though, and a really peppery hop nose.

Next up, St Austell IPA. Again, I expected a little more from this in the way of hops. However, it does have a nice, biscuity body and a refreshing, sweet aftertaste. I could probably drink a lot more of this, and I don't see it often in Leeds.

Sleeman's IPA on the other hand, is a different beast. Since being permanently installed at Foley's Cask Ale House, I've been drinking a lot of it. Sweet, but with a bitter hop bite, it's a wonderful, frosty friend in these climes. My personal nadir of Sleeman's IPA worship was taking three colleagues to Foley's post-meeting, all self-confessed Lagerheads, and convincing them all to try one. They did, and declared it 'Fucking nice, that, man'. And my work here is done, as they say.

Red Squirell's Conservation Bitter is another solid, sweet, easy-drinking beer that further enhances my respect for them, and Cairngorm's ludicrously named Nessie's Monster Mash kept up the standards too, although this ruby-coloured leviathan was a little heavy for the weather.

All in all, a good week so far. Bring on the weekend!

These fine beers were sampled in The Palace, Mr Foley's Cask Ale House, and The Scarbrough Taps.

Rogue Brutal Bitter & Amber Ale

Ok. The sun’s shining, there’s a smell of barbecue in the air, I’ve looked at about as many wedding venue brochures as I can take and i’m going to see Fleet Foxes in a couple of hours. Time, I think, for a beer. So it's out into the garden I go with a brace from Rogue.

I do like Rogue's beers, even if they do have a habit of tasting similar. Saying that, I don't drink enough of their stuff to really get a hold on 'their signature', so maybe that last comment was unqualified.

Anyway, it's a taste I like and the intriguingly named Brutal Bitter (6.5abv). You wouldn't get an English brewery deeming their bitter 'brutal', would you? It'd be something like 'Morally Questionable Bitter', or 'Bitter That's A Lot Nicer Once You Get To Know It'. It's not that brutal either (Those playful Americans!) - it's a nice beer, albeit a standard US Pale amped up to 11. Bitter, in the traditional English sense it ain't, but it does have a nice creaminess to the body that is sometimes missing from the more hop-leaning US brews. Copper in colour, and with a massive, high bitterness, it's a refreshing, decent beer despite being a little thick - it's surprisingly balanced, too.

Next up, American Amber Ale (5.6abv). One of my favourite styles; and it doesn't disappoint. Lighter in colour than the Brutal Bitter, but much sweeter, and with a less pronounced malt backbone. The hops come through on the nose and at the end of the sip, leaving a slight pepperiness. Ultimately, for me, it'd be too sweet to drink a lot of, but for lovers of US Crafts (ie Me), it's a pleasure to drink.

I like Rogue. I like their beers (a lot of them; over 150, I reckon), their image, their ethos. I liked them even more after finding an enlightening profile of Rogue Leader Jon 'More Hops' Maier on Youtube. Still hands-on despite his age, Jon embodies the spirit of American Brewing - especially for Rogue. Check it out.

The Unexpected - Or Was It?

Don't you love it when you buy a mixed case of beer, and one totally surprises you? Maybe one that you would have normally passed up, in other circumstances? This happened to me last night, with Young's Special London Ale.
As I drunk this nectar, it occured to me that maybe I shouldn't be surprised. After all, the last three bottled offerings I had tasted from Young's had also been brilliant - Double Chocolate Stout (A classic), Kew Gold & Waggledance - so why not this?
Special London Ale reminded me of Sierra Nevada Pale Ale - don't scoff; hear me out. A gorgeous copper colour, and a fruity, peppery hop presence in the nose. The malts were nicely balanced, all candied sweets and caramel. I also thought that for all its sweetness, Special London Ale had a surprisingly long bitterness - closer to an IPA in those terms. For a beer sitting at over 6% abv, it was surprisingly easy to drink; so I drunk it. And I will go buy more.

Anyone know where I can get this gem on draught?

Tomato and Feta Prawns

...A variation on an old Mediterranean classic; sort of a tapas dish. Just something we knocked up with what we had, and eaten in the garden on a surprisingly warm afternoon. Nothing fancy:

Heat your grill. Slice two large tomatoes and lay in a pan with a good glug of Olive oil and some black pepper. Slowly simmer so that the tomatoes soften but do not lose thier shape. Add a splash (not too much) of balsamic vinegar over the top.

Whilst they are softening, crush two large Garlic cloves and sling in a warm pan with another teaspoon of Olive Oil and about 250g of Prawns; the bigger the better. Flash fry, and when done whip off heat to prevent overcooking.

In two bowls, pour your tomatoes and then your prawns. Crumble some Feta cheese over the top, and place under the grill to soften the cheese a little. Finally, shred some fresh Oregano and Basil over the top. Serve with Crusty Bread for mopping up the tomato juices.

Easy, fresh and moreish. We enjoyed a couple of chilled Konig Ludwig Weissbier with this. Seafood and wheat beers are my favourite food and beer match by a country mile, and although Konig Ludwig can be a little unsophisticated on it's own, it's smooth sweetness meant that we got through the beer as quickly as the food itself.

Things don't have to be complicated.

Bristol Beer Factory

I managed to try a couple of beers from the Bristol Beer Factory this week, on draught at The Midnight Bell in Leeds. I always enjoy seeing a couple of beers from a brewery I had not heard of - and I liked what I got.

Red actually turned out not to be that red at all in colour - well, not compared to Irish Reds - but was the pick of the two nonetheless. A firm, biscuity backbone gave way to a really pleasant smokiness on the way down, with not a great deal of hop presence overclouding it. Lovers of dark milds should take a detour down this road if you get the chance. Red certainly hit the spot after a day at work, and was finished very quickly indeed.

And so we moved onto Sunrise - and with the name, you kind of know what you're going to get. A lot more effervescent than the Red, and a strong golden yellow in colour, Sunrise was a lot more in-your-face, refreshing and fruity with a massive citrus kick at the end. Sunrise has a big flavour, but despite this it certainly cleared the dust from the throat, so to speak.

Bristol Beer Factory seem to be heading in the right direction, and it was a nice change to see their wares in Leeds. In some ways it makes sense for them to be on sale at The Midnight Bell, a Leeds Brewery pub, because BBF seem to be a similar company - a young, fledgeling brewer quickly establishing themselves as serious players in the beer stakes. They also have a floating barge-bar that is pulled in to action from time to time - which is very cool indeed. According to their website, their Milk Stout seems to be a bit of an award-winner - so I'll be keeping an eye out for that.

Beer & Art, Art & Beer

Whilst reading Ralph Steadman’s memoir The Joke’s Over recently, it occurred to me how much his schizoid imagery is ingrained into the ethos of Flying Dog, the brewer whose beers are advertised by these little works of art. Before you’ve drunk it, you kind of know what you’re going to get.
Steadman leads a tirade against the corporate brewing houses in one chapter, and then gleefully recounts being the guest of honour at a beer festival, along with some prototype artwork for the GABF 2004.
It’s all pretty heady stuff for not only a beer-nerd but an avid collector of all things Gonzo. It didn’t start here - he designed a wine label for Oddbins (which, if I remember correctly had a pirate or a parrot on it?) a few years back, and as you read he turns out to be quite the beer, wine and whisky aficionado; only too happy to lend his images to those he feels a kinship with. And why not? To a design whore like me, the label of a beer can often be the hook that lodges in my cheek, pulling my hand toward that particular beer. And it could just be serendipity that one of my favourite artists happened to hook up with a craft brewer (If only Coop or Jay Ryan would do some labels - I’d be in beer-art heaven).
We lament so many hoary, old-fashioned and formulaic beer label and pump-clips flooding our senses, that when something new and shiny pops into view it invigorates us and renews our fervour. Listen up, folks – This is good. This is progress. Sure, we love ‘Breweriana’ but need something more -and there’s not a lot of it in the UK, I’m sad to say. This is probably due to our proud brewing history –and I’m not for one second berating that. But I can’t help thinking - Did I only buy that Flying Dog beer due to the instantly-recognisable Steadman artwork? Maybe -That first bottle, an outstanding Gonzo Imperial Porter, sits empty in my kitchen, like a proud work of art. So it did its job. I passed up one other beer...for that. A sale for Flying Dog. Hurrah, everyone’s happy.

They (‘They’ being the sinister marketing men - booo) say that you take the first sip of a drink with eyes. If faced with a pump clip of a cartoon hound rutting a leg and had a comedic name like ‘Quickie’ or ‘Knee - Trembler’, you wouldn’t drink it, would you? It may as well be called ‘Trad crap-beer with a vaguely humorous label (if your humour was based on entirely 1943 standards)’.
I’m ranting, obviously, but all I want is good design – not for me; I’m lucky enough to like beer enough to try most things. I’m calling for good design to hook in those who don’t know what they are getting, but simply ‘liked the label.’ The industry needs those new drinkers.


So what appeals to me? I love the Orval label, an exercise in cleanliness and simplicity. Wonderful. Anchor Steam’s cartoony, hand-drawn lines and playful ‘skittle’ bottle-shape always brings a smile to my face. I love the brash colours of Speight’s – but not so much the beer. Ommegang’s Hennepin – now that’s a sexy label. Give me a poster of that for above my fireplace. I love the intricacy and faith to type that Sam Smith's keep going; and Bath Ale's modern way with country themes are great. I could go on, but this is a long enough post already.
What’s your fave? (and please, don’t suggest Brewdog’s Zeitgeist. That’s been done.) Have a think about it.

If you've not been on the Flying Dog site, do. It's very good, and yet again another example of what can be done if you really think about what your customers want.

Foley's Online

I am happy to announce that Mr Foleys Cask Ale House, one of Leeds' best watering holes, now have a blog up and running - and is linked over on the right. Do drop by; there's some details of the new additions to the bar - Sleemans IPA (Very nice indeed, fans of SNPA should give it a whirl) and Taddington Moravka (which I really don't need to say any more that in the last month or so I've converted at least four 'lagerheads' to this wonderful stuff. That's an impressive strike rate!)
...And Congrats from us for winning the CAMRA Pub of The Season. Well deserved.

Thanks, Dean.

'Village' Spaghetti

We've been to Greece enough times now to have a pretty good idea of what food the country has to offer. Imagine my surprise, then, when a dish I hadn't actually heard of turned out not only to be delicious but quite new to us. Immediately after eating, I whipped out my phone and started writing what I thought could be a recipe for it, to try when I got home. And here's the result. Yes, I could have asked the chef how he made it, but that would be cheating, wouldn't it? My version has more Rosemary and Spinach in it for no other reason that I like them both...lots. Anyway, it's named after the restaurant we ate it in, just like they do.

'Village' Spaghetti (serves two hungry people)

Spaghetti

About 10-15 sliced green olives

Four pork sausages, taken from skins and pulled into peices

Three rasher of smoky, streaky bacon - chopped

150ml Double Cream

1 tblspn Tomato Puree

1 tspn Red Pesto

1/2 tspn Dijon (Or good English) Mustard

Pinch of dried Rosemary - or fresh is better

Spinach - a good couple of washed handfuls

Black Pepper

Olive Oil

1. Get your Spaghetti cooking in a deep pan of salted water.
2. With a glug of olive oil, brown your sausage pieces. When browned, add your bacon and turn down the heat to cook through.

3. When the bacon and sausage is cooked through, season liberally with black pepper & rosemary and add the sliced olives.

4. After a further couple of minutes, add the cream, pesto, mustard and puree to the meat and stir through to create your sauce.

5. By now your pasta will be well cooked, so drain it.

6. Stir the spinach into the sauce and let wilt; once wilted, you can pour over your pasta and mix.

7. Enjoy.

This is one of those dishes that looks familar due to the ingredients involved, but turns out to be quite unique. As always, do make sure you use good sausages and bacon - and you must use smoked bacon. So do give it a try, you'll like it, I tell ya.

I paired this (somewhat out of season) with Flying Dog's Dogtoberfest Ale. This Marzen-a-like has sweetness, but enough slightly smoky body to compliment the creamy sauce rather than overpower it.

Cheers!

The Old Village Taverna is on the main street in Skala, Kephalonia. Do try. It's one of the best tavernas in the village, and has great wine and whole fish dishes.

Holiday

Right, that's me done until mid-June. Speak to you all then - and keep drinking.

Spotlight on...Abbeydale

Abbeydale have, for some time now, been one of the most consistent (as in consistently good) beers available in Yorkshire and beyond. Driven by sheer nosiness and curiosity (as all writers are), I contacted them to pick their brains. Luckily, Sue Morton was more than happy to answer my questions, and I share them all with you here.

Leigh: So, how's business?
Sue: Absolutely fine. The brewery has grown, sometimes steadily, sometimes rapidly in its almost thirteen years. It is always necessary to manage the growth so that we maintain the quality of the beers and also continue to give good service to our old customers as well as our new ones. At the moment we are having to manage the orders to stay within our capacity.My husband Patrick started the brewery. He was an enthusiastic and very competent home brewer from when I first knew him. He started his working life in the family scissor-making business in Sheffield, leaving that for a more corporate life in the eighties, travelling the world as a process control engineer. When he tired of that and wanted to start his own business, a brewery was an obvious choice. So he gave up a well paid job, worked for a few years at Kelham Island Brewery and then, with the help of his father who had sold the scissor business and was looking for another project, started the brewery.
Do you remember your first brew?

Yes, I remember it well. It was August 1996, Absolution, the brewplant was cobbled together on the mezzanine floor in what then looked like a huge shed (it now looks like a much smaller and very crowded shed though it is the same place). The beer was fine and the very first delivery of it was made to The Three Stags Heads in Derbyshire which sells Absolution to this day.

So, what are your favourite beers?

So many. We make beers we like to drink (An excellent point, often lost on brewers - Leigh) , . Highlights are always Moonshine and Brimstone. But there are then memorable specials Belfry, Alchemy, Deception are particular favourites.

...And what non-Abbeydale beers are your tipples of choice?

Personally I love Oakham beers - Inferno is a favourite. Anything pale from Marble - especially Janine's One or Pint as it now seems to be called, and of course their Ginger, Allgates beers, Brewsters, Ufford Setting Sun is a favourite as is Severn Vale's Severn Sins. It's also good to try the new micros that come along, some of them are producing splendid beers.

Further afield I love some of the Belgian beers - Pat has a soft spot for the sour reds such as Duchess de Bourgoyne and the Cantillon beers, I prefer some of the trappists especially Westvleteren. We both love some of the North American craft brewery beers. Wherever you go on the States there always seem to be a few local craft breweries turning out lovely beers in keg and bottle. My personal favourites tend to be the IPAs. I could go on but that's probably enough.
What's your proudest achievement?

Can I choose two?

Every year Sheffield CAMRA do a real ale survey in Sheffield, to compete for the honour of having more real ale on offer in the city than any other city. There is a keen rivalry between some of the northern cities. One of the outcomes of the survey, which targets pubs serving real ale, is that they identify the most frequently encountered real ale. In 2007 it was Greene King IPA. In 2008 it was Abbeydale Moonshine. That made us really proud.

And then recently a couple of local cavers, Rob Eavis and Robbie Shone, were exploring a hitherto unexplored part of the enormous Titan cave system under the Peak District when they made a breakthrough and discovered some new caves. The colours in one of these caves reminded them of their favourite beer, Absolution, which they drink at their regular haunt, The Red Lion at Litton. So they named the new cave Absolution. We didn't know the cavers at all but Rob emailed us to tell us so we are trying to get a party together for them. That kind of thing is just wonderful. I have attached the special edition pumpclip we produced which shows Katie Dent, Rob's girlfriend and part-time barmaid at the Red Lion in Absolution shortly after its discovery. Read more on www.peakdistrictcaving.info/cave0901.htm.

I see the brewery is expanding. Any plans to bottle?

Yes - the brewery continues to expand steadily; but no, we don't plan to bottle. For us, beer should be enjoyed in good company in a pub. Pubs are struggling, why would we want to contribute to their demise by making our beers available in bottles and especially cheap in supermarkets. We supply real ale off-licences like the Archer Road Beer Stop in Sheffield who will supply any quantity of take out from 1 pint to 18 gallons and most pubs will allow people to buy carry outs - we have 4 pint containers for that purpose. If you want to enjoy our beers, go to the pub.
Any advice for budding brewers out there?
Talk to lots of brewers before you try to start up, preferably go work for one for a bit. Remember it's about selling beer as well as making it and that it is about consistently making really good beer that helps to sell itself.
What's your fondest beer-related memory?

So many to choose from! Sitting in any pub and just counting the people drinking our beers. But recently some of my best memories have come from the summer beer festivals we have organised at our pub The Rising Sun at Nether Green. We have a large car park at the back so we were determined to run beer festivals there. We do them around the middle of July and are on the third this year (9-12 July). We do 60+ beers and it has proven to be very popular and successful. For me the pinnacle is always Saturday evening when my hard work is all done and I sit back and relax and watch everyone enjoying themselves. Although we have generally had poor weather, both years the Saturday has been quite good or at least dry. I have attached a few pictures, including one of Patrick surveying the festival with great satisfaction.

So, what does the future hold for Abbeydale?
Hopefully lots more beer and fun for all involved. If it weren't fun, at least most of the time, we wouldn't do it.

Abbeydale really do represent a modern, yet tradtional Yorkshire brewery that continue to operate successfully without compromising on thier values. If you see any of thier wares, particulary my favourite, Daily Bread, give them a try.

The Fox & Newt, Part 3

I don't get a day off from work often, so when the opportunity presented itself a few weeks back I welcomend it with open arms. What better opportunity to sample home-brewed beers at the Fox & Newt, a pub I visited late last year, just before the brewery steamed into production? Expecting it to be dead, I was pleasantly surprised to fnd this wednesday lunchtime buzzing, and more importantly, drinking beers from the Fox Brewing Company.

They must have spied me as a hack as I ordered my second pint (I wonder what gave it away: the notebook and pen, the sports pages strewn in front of me) - as a young chap who was sitting at the bar asked me what I thought of the beer. A conversation ensued, and he offered to show me the brewhouse. Turns out he was involved in the brewing, and only too happy to show me around.

Having a quiet beer in that one room that seemed packed with gear, he took me through the origins of the kit and the various pitfalls and pleasures associated with brewing. A faulty part was hindering production at the time, which meant that what we were drinking was more or less the last of that particular batch. But plans are being made for the future, and the Fox Brewing Company seems in good health.
But what were we drinking? Well, first up was the Clarendon Dark Mild; and my favourite of the lot. A moreish, smokey take on the style, this could easily substitute for a well-known stout if you want to go that far. A great beer. Nightshade is a no-nonsense bitter, but with a rich, toffee accent, and the IPA disappointed only in the nose - I expected a more American take on pale ale - instead being a sweet, honeyed golden ale that would certainly deserve more than one pint. Mr Tod was unavailable, but seems to be the most popular of the lot. Add to this roster beers by Leeds, Brewdog (on occasion), and Moorhouse among others an you've got a worthy beer destination.
The good news is that sales of their own beers are admirable, and production should roll on soon enough. That's great news not only for the beer drinkers of Leeds but for the business: the Fox & Newt has been a brewhouse many times before, and never quite seems to bed in. Let's hope the recent owners push this one through.

Rich over at Them Apples was far more on the ball than me and sampled The Fox's range ages ago - for his view, click here.

Leeds's Leodis Lager

I like The Brewery Tap, I really do. The latest addition to Leeds' Brewery's stable, I find it more welcoming than The Midnight Bell, more authentic than Pin. It sort of sits in the middle of those two, not really a bar, not really a pub.
I think it's more of a brewpub - although with only a small brewhouse upstairs, which produces lager. Yep, that's right - Lager.

Launched on St George's Day, Leodis is brewed on-site, and in a lot of ways represents Leeds's ability to tap into what's popular right now. Well, with me, anyway. I didn't really know quality lager existed in the UK (If it wasn't Pilsner Urquell then I wasn't interested) until my head-turning epiphany with Taddington's Moravka, so this came at the right time. And The Brewery Tap is a fine place to drink it in - if you indeed want to choose it over the Midnight Bell.

Anyway, I was here for the lager. Incredibly lively, with a big buttery nose, it certainly smelled interesting. After the big citrus kick, the flavour mellows out somewhat, leaving a flinty, dry finish that reminded me of Dortmunder Union or a much less hoppy Jever. However, I fear that this won't replace the lager-drinker's tipple of choice too soon. Why? This is a big beer. 4.6% abv, there's a lot of flavour packed in there, and it was incredibly fizzy. In short, not something I would deem too sessionable. But then again, like I said above; maybe I don't give 'Lager drinkers' enough credit.
However - that's just me. If people switch from Peroni or Beck's onto Leodis, then surely that is a result. Who knows, maybe they'll go from that to the Leeds Pale, and from then on it's onwards and upwards; and it's not all about 'converting people' either - Leeds are brewing something a little different, and serving it a lot colder than usual. Brewing something new is good.

Leeds Brewery

The Brewery Tap. 18 New Station Street, Leeds. 0113 2434414

Foley's Beer List Announced

Here's the beer list (so far) for Foley's Cask Ale House's upcoming beer festival, focusing on Northern Brewers. I'm sure there will be additions in the upcoming weeks.

Watermill Inn Brewing Co – A Bit’er Ruff, W’Ruff Nite
Lytham Brewery – Amber, IPA
Prospect Brewery – Nutty Slack, Blinding Light
Outstanding Beers – Ginger, Stout
Allendale Brewery – Golden Plover, Wolf
Fallon Brewery – Red Merkin (what!?!?), Dark Prince
Mallinson’s - Halicarnassus, Let There Be Hops
Leeds Brewery – Midnight Bell, Ascension
Hornbeam Brewery – Bitter, Black Coral Stout
Idle Brewery –The Idle Landlord, Grunter
Yorkshire Dales Brewery – Butter Tubs, Muker Silver
Village Brewer – White Boar, Old Raby
Yard of Ale Brewery –Yard Hopper, One Foot In The Yard, Black as Owt Stout
Cumbrian – Dicky Doodle, Lowes Water Gold

Jarrow – Rivet Catcher, Westoe IPA
Black Hole – Red Dwarf, StargazerSheffield – Paradise Pale, Porter

As you can see, beers from Doncaster, Denton, Cumbria, Hexham, Huddersfield, Askrigg...a fine selection indeed. I'll be heading straight for the near-mythical Rivet Catcher from Jarrow, and have heard excellent things about Hornbeam & Black Hole. Any recommendations, people? Nice to see York Brewery supporting the smaller guys, too.

There will also be a 'Meet the Brewer' Session with the ever-improving Mallinson's. I've not had a bad beer from them yet - excellent for such a new brewer. Also, I hear that the excellent Moravka could be a regular feature at Foley's from May onwards. Definately one to keep an eye out for.

Mr Foleys 'A-Z of Northern Brewers' Beer Festival: 7th - 12 May 2009.

Tel 01904 621162 for more info

Bacon & Cheese Toasts

Ahh...Bacon...Cheese...can't go wrong. Sometimes, you just want something to graze or snack on when enjoying a good pint, rather than a full meal. This easy snack gets rids of those munchies, and really compliments a good, strong bitter.

You will need:
2 large knobs of butter
Bloomer Loaf
Plain flour
Milk
Chopped and fried smoked bacon or ham
Wholegrain Mustard
Cheese of your choice – I would go for smoky or strong tasting cheese. Or more than one kind – the choice is yours!! Manchego is very good with this, as is Lincolnshire Poacher. You want something with bite.

1. Ok – first thing’s first – preheat your grill to about 180c.
2. To make a simple béchamel sauce, melt your butter in a pan, and when melted sprinkle flour over it, slowly, stirring or whisking at the same time. The butter will thicken into a paste. At this point, add milk and whisk; but slowly and a little at a time. You want a thick sauce, so don’t add too much milk.
3. To the sauce add two teaspoons of wholegrain mustard, and the cooked bacon.
4. Stir, and then grate in about 100g of cheese.
5. Leave the sauce to combine whilst you slice some big slices of crusty or bloomer bread.
6. Top the bread with the sauce, top again with more cheese (the more the better!!) and then grill for 5-8 minutes. You want the bread to toast around the edges, and the cheese to bubble and melt on top.

Done. Eat at once, with a good, strong bitter – I enjoyed mine with York’s Yorkshire Terrier - Perfectly robust enough to stand up to all that good smokiness from the bacon and cheese. The addition of mustardy béchamel sets this posh toast -topping apart.

An Easter Treat

...A warm Hot Cross Bun, smeared with a generous helping of Tangerine Marmalade, and a Budwieser Budvar Dark. Although you may think it a little thin, the yeastiness of the bread really works with the lager, and the gentle Saaz hoppiness accompanies those citrus fruits in the bun and the marmalade perfectly. Give it a try.

Nice Pub, But The Atmosphere's Dead...

Regular readers of TGS will know that another passion of mine is local history; and it would seem that recently, I keep coming across stories of haunted pubs in and around the Leeds area. A result of too many pints of Tetley’s, or genuine scary stories? Pubs do seem to attract the odd lost soul.
Take TGS favourite The Palace; a ‘gray lady’ resides there, although no one can really pick out a figure from the pub’s history that would fit the bill whilst they were alive - some even think it's a man dressed as a woman, in fact. Staff of the Queens Hotel in City square tell of sharing their work with a number of ghosts – particularly two men; one victim of a shooting and one hanged man. My favourite inner-city pub ghost tale has to be that of The Old Red Lion, situated opposite The Adelphi. The upstairs rooms there supposedly rattle with goings-on; girls being seen at the windows despite the rooms being empty, and even blood dripping from the ceilings onto drinkers! The doors to these rooms now remain locked. Awesome stuff. The Golden Lion also has reputedly been the site of sightings of a man dressed in Victorian clothes, striding up and down the basement.
My local, The Abbey Inn in Newlay, is a treasure-trove of paranormal activity. It’s even been on the telly for this reason - Bar stools re-arranging themselves, piled on top of one another like Jenga bricks. The rope on the bar-bell swinging when no one is around it; ashtrays and such flying across the bar. Perhaps the most perturbing is the spooks’ habit of making the handpumps keep going once a pint is filled. Its ok poltergeists stacking furniture, but beer wastage is bad enough for a landlord to manage without cheeky spirits emptying casks.
Further afield, The Black Bull in Otley reports heavy footsteps in the upstairs rooms, ‘unpleasant feelings’ and people having their faces stroked by unseen fingers, and the ghost of Branwell Bronte haunts the Black Bull pub in Haworth, another pub that I've sank more than my fair share of pints in. Although these are my favourites, it would seem almost every moderately old pub has a friendly (or not so) friendly ghost wanting to share a pint with you. So beware – that ‘cold spot’ you might inadvertently sit may not be a draft from an open door – you could be sitting on the knee of someone who’s been sitting on that barstool for a very long time...

More Festival News..

....And the fests keep coming. TGS stalwart Mr Foley's Cask Ale House, Leeds, have announced thier first of the year - with the theme of 'New Northern Brewers'. Sounds interesting. 7th - 12 May, it'll be a good lark in pleasant surroundings. North's Belgian Festival kicks off this week (report on by the weekend, I hope), too.

Also, it's National Pub Day on Saturday (as if we need a reason), so if you're thinking about popping open a bottle after lunch at the weekend, get yourself to a pub instead. That's all you need to do.

Onward and Upward.

Saturday Afternoon In Horsforth

...And we begin at an entirely pleasant little beer festival, set up to raise funds for the local church, which is having works done to secure the most eco-friendly future it can have. Given that I live about ten minutes away from Horsforth, it would have been rude not to drop in. Of the few beers sunk, a couple stood out. Firstly, Springhead's Puritan Porter was great - quite smooth, all roast coffee flavours and at 4% abv, dangerously drinkable. The Storyteller's Brewery, out of Terrington (near York), provided a copper-coloured, toffee-flavoured beer called Genesis which was very well-balanced; and 3 Rivers Pligrim's Progress offered a light, floral pale that yearned for slightly warmer weather. Good show, and I hope the beer festival becomes a regular occurance.

It would have been rude not to drop into the Town Street Tavern - the only place worth drinking in in Horsforth these days. Being a Market Town Tavern, you know what to expect, but it really is a little oasis amongst the overpriced and oversubscribed bars - quiet, brewriana plastered everywhere and a good range of beers - Leeds' Pale hit the spot with a somewhat more grapefruity hop bite than usual (change of recipe, lads?) and Taylor's Best on also - not something you see outside of Keighley often these days, with Landlord being so popular.

Overall, a good afternoon's drinking. And Leeds United won too - what about that, eh?

A Week for Stout

...Well, it has been, hasn't it? With St Patricks' day and all, I wonder how much Guinness has been sold in the UK alone?

So, in a strange sort of tribute, I decided to track down some alternative black stuff this week, and came across two gems.

Firstly, TGS stalwart and 'measure of quality' Outlaw had their simply named 'Irish Stout' on tap at Foleys. A great, thick creamy head gave way to an intitally coffee-laced mouthful, but a long, dark-chocolate dominated swallow really surprised. Maybe because it was an Outlaw beer I expected something a little more ...out there, but what I got was a fantastically balanced, dry, stout. Not too sweet, I really could drink a lot of this.

When I got home, I popped open a bottle of Left Hand Milk Stout that Zak had recommended to me on a rare midweek visit to BeerRitz just before Christmas. "Try it", he urged, "it's really quite good." and, being Zak, he was right. I am partial to Milk Stout, but a little cynical about American offerings. But this really was good - creamy, light, and sweet. A little too sweet to drink a lot of of, but surprisingly even-handed. If the Outlaw stout was a lovely shot of espresso, the Left Hand was a latte; to be sipped rather than sessioned.

My mum allegedly craved Mackeson's Milk Stout when she was pregnant with me; I've always attributed by affection for beer as a result of this. Really.

Saturday Night

After sitting in The Scarbrough Taps a few weeks back and noticing a steady stream of people coming out of newly-opened Ephesus Mangal, I resolved to visit - and I'm glad I did, because I suspect that many people simply don't know its there.

Ephesus Mangal is basic; don't get me wrong. But many of the best places to eat are, (Jino's Thai cafe in Headingley is a good example) and you should be visiting for the food anyway - not the location or the decor. The food is basic too - but delicious. Essentially a Turkish grillhouse, the smell of smoke and sizzling meat gets your stomach rumbling as soon as you sit; if you've holidayed in the Med recently you know the scent straight away.

So, onto the food. A mixed salad of olives, bread and a deceptively hot tomato, pepper and parsley salsa sets us off, and the hummus that arrives shortly thereafter is perfect; lemony and garlicy in equal porportion. Filo pastries, rolled and stuffed with feta cheese before being deep-fried, were light despite being fried and incredibly moreish. The main courses arrived presented simply with salad and rice: kofte meatballs and chicken wings, charcoal grilled to perfection. How can you not be pleased with grilled meats?

There's no license, so bring your own (Birra Moretti for me, thanks), and I would advise booking - we were eating relatively early but saw quite a few people get turned away. The meal for two cost £25 in total, which I was more than happy with; the service was a little rushed but seeing as though the waiter was working alone I think he did more than well enough! Ephesus Mangal - recommended.

Then it was on to North for a cheeky Outlaw Wrangler (on form as usual, very long, bitter and with a tropical fruit hit beyond belief) and then we joined a birthday celebration at The Reform, where draught Anchor Steam flowed copiously and rounded off a very pleasant night out.

Ephesus Mangal

88 Bishopgate Street, Leeds

Tel; 0113 2438567

The Session: Love Lager

When the Beer Nut suggested writing about Lager (or at least pale beer) for this month’s session, my heart sank. Surely I could find nothing to say; given the miniscule proportion of ‘Lager’ I actually drink.
Then I had a think about it. I do drink lager! On holiday!

One of my loves is The Mediterranean. Some of my fondest memories stem from long, long nights in Greece, Spain, and Turkey (when I was younger), and indeed the cuisine informs most things that I cook from April to October. And despite the Med being full of awesome, cheap and mostly bespoke wine, flowing like nectar from numerous visited wineries, there’s something to be said for a lager, chilled the hell out of, and sipped at a beach bar with the sand between your toes.

Glistening bottles of Mythos and Marathon in Greece, getting greasy from the rapidly expanding pile of prawn shells piling up at the side of my plate. Efes Pilsner, Amstel and Heineken in Turkey, washing down the beauty that is the proper Turkish kebab. And huge steins of Kamenitza and Zagorka in Bulgaria, their flinty sharpness cutting through all that heavy, Eastern European food. Hell, the Greek island of Samos had reasonably kept Warsteiner in most bars (seemingly a concession to the amount of Germans that swarm the place in the summer), and that beer in particular underwrote most of my memories of that holiday. And don’t get me started on Spain and Cruzcampo. I could die in a vat of that stuff.

Of course, at night I generally flit back over to wine, but for me, the scorching heat of a typical summer’s lunchtime on holiday does, as much as I wouldn’t want to admit it, bring me memories of a cold, frosty one. So, despite my Beer Nerdism, Lager has its place in my palate after all. Imagine if I finally got around to visiting Czechoslovakia, or Germany!

I recently tasted Taddington Moravka on draught and it was possibly one of the best ‘lagers’ I’ve ever tasted. It certainly got me thinking - am I missing anything else in this area of beer I know the least about? Looks like I’ll be a little more interested in the world of (the palest) pale from now on. It doesn't have to be cheap fizz, and if it does - well, as long as you're in the right place, it can be very pleasant indeed.

The photo at the top is of sunset at an awesome fish joint in Sozopol, Bulgaria. The terrace was on the side of a sheer clifface, the crystal clear Black Sea below. We drank steins of Zagorka lager, and accompanied this with plate upon plate of fried whitebait and mussels and mozzarella topped tomato salad. The plan was to start there and then move on for the evening, but we didn't. We just carried on there. Sometimes there's no reason to move.

The Midweek - Saltaire and Fuller's

...Two great, great pints enjoyed this week at The Palace.

First up, Saltaire's Texas Brown which, ludicrous name aside, is a formidable beer and one that I hope they brew a lot more of - they get through a lot of brews, those Saltaire fellas. A huge, malty, complex bitter, with a toffee and caramel nose and a massive hops hit at the end of the gulp. Verrry nice, verrry moreish - but at 4.7%, very warming too.

Next up, Fuller's Chiswick. Call me slow on the uptake, but this, I liked. I sometimes can be guilty of passing up 'big' brewers in favor of smaller ones just for the ethics of it but I am really glad I chose this. A classic, creamy pale body with a great floral/peppery hop aroma and light enough that it disappeared at record speed. I'll be trying this again, no worries.

Hop Back Brewery

Ah, Summer Lightning. Brings back memories of those days when 'Beer' was something alien to me, but Summer Lightning represented something different, something all together more palatable to my lager-numbed tastes.
Now, years later, I realise the importance of Summer Lightning's advent on the beer scene. Practically cornering the 'Golden Ale' market (Possibly inventing it? Help me out here?), the pantheon of awards it has garnered its brewer, Hop Back, is truly justified.

But what of their other ales?

I realised last week that, aside from a anti-climatic encounter with Crop Circle, I hadn't really got to know some of Hop Back's other wares. As any true beer fan would do, I put that right last weekend.

We all know of Hop Back's mastery of the golden, but what about the dark? Entire Stout (4.5abv) comes with another set of awards backing up its pedigree, and I was pleasantly surprised. Apart from the relatively thin body, the beer is surprisingly well balanced - lots of dry, bitter chocolate, and a slight natural carbonation from the bottle-conditioning. Roasted notes come through at the end, along with a rounded smooth finish. Despite not expecting much, this stout managed to be both a nice example of the style for a bottled beer, and a singular brew at the same time. Will be looking out for it on draught, for sure.

I have an aversion to beers 'with stuff in them' - and Spring Zing (4.2abv) certainly counts as that. "Lemongrass Beer" the label screams; '...Jesus Christ...' my heart groans. However, a broad smile was plastered on my face on the first sip. This is a really, really interesting beer that is super-drinkable. The nose is practically the same as Summer Lightning - all grassy hops and sweet malt. Yes, there is a lemony/citrus kick to the taste- a massive one actually - but it works really well. Again, SZ is a thin-bodied beer that chills down well, that manages to pack in a peppery, ginger note right at the end of a long sip. Its sweet, but has enough hoppiness to cut through and not be cloying. I'd happily drink this again, and I think that IPA lovers in particular should seek this out as a lip-puckering alternative if a change is fancied.

http://www.hopback.co.uk/