...And The Winners Are:

Belatedly, here are the CAMRA Winter Ales Festival/Champion Winter Beer of Britain award winners:






Old Ales and Strong Milds -

Gold- Breconshire, Ramblers Ruin (Brecon, Powys)
Silver- Leeds, Midnight Bell (Leeds, West Yorkshire)
Bronze- Beartown, Black Bear (Congleton, Cheshire)

Porters -
Gold- Elland, 1872 Porter (Elland, West Yorkshire)
Silver- Sulwath, Black Galloway (Castle Douglas, Dumfries & Galloway)
Bronze- RCH, Old Slug Porter (Weston-Super-Mare, Somerset)

Stouts -
Gold - Acorn, Gorlovka Imperial Stout (Barnsley, South Yorkshire)
Silver- Beowulf, Dragon Smoke Stout (Brownhills, Staffordshire)
Bronze- Wapping, Stout (Liverpool, Merseyside)

Barley Wines
Gold- Robinsons, Old Tom (Stockport, Cheshire)
Silver- Kinver, Over the Edge (Kinver, Staffordshire)
Bronze- Otley, O8 (Pontypridd, Mid Glamorgan)

OVERALL -Gold- Elland, 1872 Porter (Elland, West Yorkshire)
Silver- Breconshire, Ramblers Ruin (Brecon, Powys)
Bronze- Acorn, Gorlovka Imperial Stout (Barnsley, South Yorkshire)

A big well done to Elland for thier silky porter. Deserved, I think. Nice to see (blatant nepotism aside) Leeds' Midnight Bell getting kudos. I've maintained since day one that although Pale probably is more popular, Midnight Bell is Leeds' best beer by far. And, for personal taste, I would have rated Otley's masterful 08 a little higher. But that's just me.

National Winter Ales Festival 2010

...Well, a good day was had by all yesterday at the National Winter Ales Fest in Manchester. Before getting into the beers, I'd just like to thank the Venue and the Organisers for such a good festival - it doesn't sound like much to organise the basics such as friendly, knowledgeable staff, a great, spacious venue, and a cracking beer list, but if you go to enough of these events you'll know it is - and CAMRA did really well here. The boys, so to speak, have done good.

Anyway - onto the beer. Despite my initial despair at missing Robinson's Chocolate Tom (but that's what you get for going on the last day - damn having to work!!), my pint of, well, Marble's Pint more than made up for it. I've had this a few times before but I really need to start lobbying pubs in Leeds to get it - such grapefruit on the nose, a burst of tropical fruit on the tongue and a surprisingly restrained bitterness for such a fruity beer. It's wonderful stuff, put a smile on my face, and set the tone for rest of the day.

Despite what you might personally think about Cain's, I am a stickler for their Fine Raisin Beer - so to try it on draught was a real must for me. Dark amber in colour, with an exceedingly malt-cereal body, it's a great beer. The juicy, slightly candied raisin note comes in right and the end, and stops the beer being cloying. A treat.

Other beers to impress me throughout the day were Hawkshead's Organic Stout, which managed to be wonderfully smokey and roasty without being heavy, Bernard's Pilsner, which provided a great, cold zing and cleansed the palate after lunch, and Otley's wonderful 08 - pale, really smooth and refreshing, but then finishing with a big hit of warming alcohol. Perfect for weather like this, and proof that a well-brewed strong golden ale can still be found in the UK.

Odell St Lupulin EPA

...After reading a glowing review of this beer on, amongst many others, Thornbridge's blog, I thought it sounded right up my street and got some ordered. And I'm glad I did.

Not only does the beer look great on the eye - Odell's artwork is wonderful and completley in tune with the breweries' ethos - it backs it up with taste.

St Lupulin (6.5%abv) is an Extra Pale Ale - which to me sits somewhere inbetween and IPA and a full-bodied Pale. Orangey-amber in colour, the aroma is a very sugary, very sweet citrus - I got mostly oranges from the nose. This carries through onto the taste, where you get a lovely hit of marmalade and boiled sweets before the bitterness comes in; lemony and fresh at first but finishing grassy. Despite it's somewhat thick mouthfeel, this is a complex and well-balanced beer, and one that I wish I'd order more of.

Check out Odell's excellent website here.

Haand Bryggeriet Norwegian Wood

...Continuing my recently-sparked love affair with beers from Northern Europe, I got my hands on a bottle of Haand Bryggeriet's Norwegian Wood this week. Apt, it would seem, as I sipped it, looking out across my snow-bound garden and the frozen streets beyond. Hell, the landscape would almost be pretty if it didn't add an hour onto my morning commute.

Anyway, back to the beer. Before reading the label I thought, for some reason, that this would be a pale beer - maybe it was the pine tree on the label. The beer poured russet-brown, and the first aroma lifting out of the glass was smoke - sweet, deep smoke. This carries through to the body, where that smoke - which is much subtler on the tongue - joins up with red fruits courtesy of the Juniper berries added to the beer, and ends with a lingering coffee note. Despite all these heady, strong flavours, NW is not heavy at all - well balanced all the way.

The finish is surprisingly grassy for a dark beer, and that late, warming alcohol note you want in a cold-weather beer pops up late on the swallow as it should.

Wonderful stuff, perfect for this week's cold-weather traumas. Gimme more.

Totally unrelated, but does anyone know how to rid oneself of spam comments? I've been getting loads this week - and I don't know how to block them. It's doing my bearded little head in.

Mussels with Hebden Wheat

With the current cold snap, I've been eating so much heavy food that I found myself craving some seriously tasty, warming, yet light meals this weekend. So, like a comfy pair of old slippers, I turned to somewhat of a classic standby - Mussels steamed in Wheat Beer. Mussels are excellent right now, so get yourself down to the market.

Although Hooegarden is commonly used (unless in Belgium, I would imagine), I've kept things local with Little Valley's Hebden Wheat. Win Van Der Spek creates interesting twists on classic recipes, and I constantly find thier beers intriguing. The award -winning Hebden Wheat is more of a Wit, heavy on Lemon and peppery coriander, rather than the banana and clove accents of German style Wheat Beer. This makes it perfect for this dish.

The recipes is simplicity itself - buy a bag of Mussels, and de-beard and wash them all under a tap, discarding any that are gaping open. While drying in a colander, chop three cloves of Garlic, one medium chilli, and chop a load of fresh coriander. Please use fresh - you won't get the same flavour with dried.

In a heavy pan with a lid, melt a knob of butter, and add the Garlic and Chilli. when just sweated down (not burnt), add about a third of a bottle of Hebden Wheat, and the chopped coriander. Up the heat a little to get it nearly to boil, and then turn to simmer and add the mussels. Bang the lid on, and leave for about five minutes. When they are all open, shake around a few times to coat, and then lift the mussels into bowls. Turn up the heat, reduce the broth down a little, and then pour over.

What you'll get it is tender mussels and a fresh, vibrant broth, with enough kick to it to warm you up. Serve with warm bread for the broth, and enjoy the rest of your beer alongside it.

The Session: New Beers Resolutions

This month's Session is being hosted by those lovely ladies over at Beer For Chicks. Reflecting on the last year and looking forward to the year ahead seems to be the theme, so here's my scribblings and jotted-down-neuroses....

So - what was your best and worst of beer for 2009? Well, as the previous post suggests, my favourite beer of 2009 was a tie between Flying Dog's Raging Bitch (available soon, be still my beating heart...!!) and Nogne-O's awesome IPA. As for the worst beer...well, I couldnt possibly say. Taste is subjective. But i'm not a fan of Badger’s Golden Glory. I think it tastes of air freshener. Which is a shame, because I don't mind Blandford Fly or First Gold.

What beer mistakes did you make?
I planned to do a round up of Supermarket beers during the summer, but with the exception of one or two, they were all so supremely bad that I couldn't bring myself to post about them.
Also, I became too freindly with some Fuller’s London Porter in exceelent condition in York earlier on in the year, and almost missed my train home - which was important as I had a birthday meal to attend. I made it (just), but was so drunk that I could not enjoy the lovely Thai feastthat had been laid on. A shame - and I was well and truly in the doghouse that night.
What beer resolutions do you have for 2010?
One – to drink more in Pubs. Simple as that, to simply drink in pubs more. Not much of a hardship, is it?Also to provide more coverage on the blog for beer festivals and more small brewer interviews. That's what's important - not how many free lunches I've attended.

What are your beer regrets and embarrassing moments?
Beer regrets? Well, simply not doing more! There’s always beer festivals, events and launches that I can’t attend due to short notice or location. Working full-time can really be a bind on your beery adventuring. Embarrasing moments? Not any that I can recall! No regrets!
What are you hoping to change about your beer experience in 2010?
I have a gap in my knowledge when it comes to Italian Craft Beer, and as I'm visiting the North of Italy in September, I'm hoping to find some time out of my honeymoon to try some great beers. I'm incredibly lucky to have a partner who is very open to beer and my passions and is happy to indulge me!! I'm also going to try and see if I can avoid temptation to do the inevitable 'World Cup of Beer' posts in the summer. Really. It's been done. Really Done.

Non-Seasonal Seasonal Beers

....It's always fun to stock up the cellar prior to Christmas (I start using this excuse from about October onwards), but it's always much more of a pleasure to start cracking them open and simply enjoying yuletide drinking. Personally, I think most 'Christmas' beers are overrated, often rebadged (if you're in a pub) or simply 'house' darker beers with a few spices thrown in as an afterthought. The only British Christmas ale that I genuinely like is Bateman's Rosey Nosey, which brings a wonderful toffeeness to the table everytime. So I stay clear in general and reach for some old friends. And, before we get started, my tip to accompany Christmas pudding is....Schnieder Aventinus - everytime.

Robinson's Old Tom (8.5% abv), for me, is a bit of a Christmas tradition, and seems way more seasonal than 90% of the rubbish out there. Tons of red, jammy fruits, a slight hint of smoke and a warming alcohol touch as it slips down. Wonderful, especially with a few shards of dark chocolate.

Another big beer that feels seasonal is Ringwood's Old Thumper (5.6%abv). I'm a fan of most of Ringwood's output but OT is a big, big beer with a deep red colour, with a lot of biscuit in the body, but a sort of spice on the aftertaste that I can't quite place. I do love the stuff, though.

Finally, JW Lees' Brewer's Dark (3.5%abv)marries those roasted malt flavours that you crave this time of year, along with a nice, bready, yeasty note, but with a much more restrained abv. It is a little thin, but I think it's got enough about it flavour-wise to get away with it.

But you can't drink heavy beers all the time - when at a friends house to get some boxing day footy in, he'd bought some of Marks' 'Belgian Lager', so we got stuck into those. Brewed by Haacht, I was fearing the worst, but it came through OK - a pleasant surprise, actually. Clean, spritzy, and with a very pleasing, ever-so-slight hint of Brett on the nose, this lager was actually way more palatable than the one we put alongside it - an (entirely pointless) new 'blonde' version of a well known lager which shall remain nameless at this point. I'd probably try this again, actually - but not until the summer.

Christmas Muffins!!

Righto chaps, just one last chance to get a post in before the Christmas break. Here's one I actually did for Leeds CAMRA's New Full Measure Magazine this month, but thought I'd share it for those of you who don't get it in your part of the world. They don't take long at all to make, and once you've got the hang of it, you can tweak the recipe as you see fit.

Christmas Muffins (makes 9)
You will Need:
200g plain flour
3tspn baking powder
½ tspn Bicarbonate of Soda
75g Demerara Sugar
Pinch of Nutmeg, pinch of cinnamon
An orange
50ml Milk
60g Unsalted Butter (melted)
1 large egg
200g Sultanas & 25g chopped Glace Cherries
A Muffin Tin

1. Preheat your oven to 200c
2. Combine the flour, baking powder, bicarb, and sugar. To this, add Nutmeg and Cinnamon. Melt your butter and leave to cool. Get your orange, and squeeze the juice into a jug, then add milk until you get about 150ml. Add the (cooled) butter, milk and orange to the mix and then add the egg and beat. Don’t be worried about lumps in the mix – this actually makes better muffins!
3. Fold in the fruit and scoop into muffin cases.
4. Sprinkle a little Demerara sugar onto the top of each muffin and bake for about 20 minutes.

These muffins can be a great accompaniment for warming, fruity beers such as Theakston’s Old Peculier. I've also enjoyed these (or variations of) with Brooklyn Chocolate Stout, Chimay Red and Moorhouse's Black Cat. The spices in the muffins perfectly compliment the complexity of deeper, richer beers that are abundant at this time of year. And, when baking, the house smells great.

Have a great Christmas and a wonderful New Year, guys. Cheers.

Sierra Nevada Hook Up with Homebrewers To Mark 30th Anniversary

Great news for Sierra Nevada acolytes - to coincide with their 30th anniversary next year, they will spend 2010 collaborating with other major US craft brewers to create some special beers. All proceeds will go to charity.

In line for collaboration will be Craft Beer gods Fritz Maytag (Anchor) and Jack McAuliffe (New Albion), along with homebrewing trailblazers Charlie Papazian and Fred Eckhardt. As a nascent all-grain homebrewer myself, I think that this is a really nice touch; there will be many people (including me) who have spent hours poring over notes from these two guys. Also, it’s great of Ken Grossman to acknowledge how Papazian and Eckhardt have done more than their fair share to contribute to the Craft Beer boom of the last 15 years.

Keep an eye on the website - the beers will be released throughout the year, starting with the first release in March. Sierra Nevada’s 30th Anniversary will come out in November. God only knows how we in the UK are going to get out mitts on them, but I’m sure we’ll try. We can be a resourceful lot when we want to be!

2009 Review

Well, it’s that time of year when I cast my mind back to what we’ve tasted, seen, and cried our way through in 2009.


My Blog of the Year spot goes to Thornbridge's brewer’s blog. I like the simple design; the articles are always interesting and present a nice mix of brewing inside-knowledge, know-how, and personal experience. As a budding microbrewer myself, this aspect really interests me - I've really enjoyed following thier exploits in brewing and running a growing business throughout the year. For me, Kelly and the gang are always happy to share their experiences, which is again sometimes lacking in the brewer/blogger relationship. Blogging should be embraced by brewers – we are, after all, the beer drinkers that take time to shout from the rooftops our love of their product. And I do love Thornbridge’s beers – to me, they represent a vibrant, young, questing set of brewers who represent this country at the highest level. British Brewing dull? Not these guys. So well done, Thornbridge, and I look forward to drinking in 2010 with you - mine's a pint of Kipling.


Other honourable mentions go to the ever-excellent Boak & Bailey, Zak Avery’s YouTube Vlogs (still effortlessly head and shoulders above the rest - and apologies for not making the TNP tasting - I was busy failing my driving test) and The Beer Nut, which is consistently engaging and honest.
My Beer Venue of the Year award goes to Pivo, a great beer bar in the middle of York. I’ve always said that York is a real hotbed of great, solid English pubs and beer – and having a little slice of international craft beer on the scene ices the cake, really. It’s very small, but perfectly formed. I’m going to find it hard to visit York without dropping in from now on.
Kudos to Leeds Brewery for opening The Brewery Tap, which brews its own Leodis Lager on site. I’m not massively enamoured of the beer, but I like the idea. What about a Koelsch for the summer, guys?

Beer of the Year – always a tricky one. This year I’m copping out with a tied #1 spot for Flying Dog’s Raging Bitch – which managed to be the hoppiest beer I think I’ll ever drink and yet retain excellent balance – and Nogne-O’s IPA – another masterclass in balance between hops and body. Thanks for the memories, guys.
Also memorable were Dark Horse’s Hetton Pale, Orkney’s Red Macgregor, Dogfish Head’s Johnny Cask, Taddington’s Moravka, Sleeman’s IPA, Stone's Levitation Ale ,Meantime’s London Pale and Young’s Special London Ale, which I am finding is taking my addiction to one type of beer to a whole new level. Wonderful beers, them all.

Beer Event of the Year goes, without a doubt, to Flying Dog’s tasting, which happened at The Cross Keys in September. The full post is here but it made such a nice change to go a well run event, with great hosting by James Brophy, and meet so many great people who are passionate about beer. Thanks again to all involved. North’s Orval & Cheese day was random-yet-inspired, and The Barge and The Owl in Rodley ran their annual beer & music festival to even greater numbers than last year, proving that the appetite for family-oriented community beer events is still there. Well done, lads.


Next Year? Well, more of the same I hope. I’m getting married in September, and my honeymoon will take in Milan, Florence, Venice and Verona – so I’m hoping to finally fill that black hole I have in my knowledge about Italian Craft beer. If anyone has any pointers for me, drop me an email. Can’t wait.

The Hop to open in Leeds

Just time for a quick one. The Hop, Wakefield's music and beer joint, is to get a twin here in Leeds, which will open in the Dark Arches area in March next year. The Hop is the brainchild of Ossett Brewery chairman Bob Lawson, and will boast excellent live music served alongside some great beer. Sounds good to me.

Tetley's To Go, Tetley's To Stay

...An interesting piece here from the Yorkshire Evening Post about Tetley's. Although it's been confirmed that the brewery will now be closed in Summer 2011, it would that Tetley's Bitter and the Tetley's brand will not.

Looks like those rumours that have been bubbling away in recent months about covert Tetley's test-brewing in some of Yorkshire's larger breweries may have been true, after all....watch this space.

Lunch at Sandinista

One of the downfalls of being someone who writes about beer and food in their spare time is that sometimes it's hard to switch off. It's hard to simply 'have a pint' sometimes - you may think that you're relaxed and chatting to your mates, but in reality that pint in your hand is being sniffed, examined and the details are being stored in that vault inside your head so that the next time you log onto Blogger you can tell the world what that beer was like, so that other can follow you and create a shared experience via the wonder of the internet.

It creeps up on you in other ways, too. Simply planning somewhere for lunch - especially if it's somewhere you don't know - becomes less of an off-the-cuff thing and more of a military operation. There's news places to go to, your mind implores. Research tells you this place does this beer on tap, or this places' noodle soup or home-baked bread is out of this world. And forget 'The Perfect Hand-cut Chip'. You forget that food and drink blogging is subjective, and all of a sudden you can find yourself in a strange place, ordering strange food for the sake of it and not really having fun. In fact, it all seems a little like work. Switching off, I am recently re-discovering, is fun.

On Friday we decided to do a little Christmas shopping. It was a fine, bright but cold winter's day in Leeds, and we did well to avoid the dreaded 'Christmas Market', fast becoming a temporary Sodom for Loiners. Laden with goodies, and feeling very satisfied with ourselves at a stress-free morning, we popped in to Sandinsta for lunch.

I can't even count the amount of times I've been here - it's a standard - that's why I don't write about it. Sandinista's warm atmosphere, spot-on staff and familiarity was the equivalent of taking of my shoes and putting my feet up in front of a roaring fire. Sierra Nevada Pale Ale on tap. Yes please. A quick peruse of the menu flashed up the words 'Pork Belly Bocadillo' and I read no more. One of those for me, thanks.

A group of guys came in, ordered identikit Amstels and settled in for some Friday afternoon half-day working beers, all laughs and in-jokes. A regular followed, sitting at the bar and drinking coffee, lazily making conversation with the barman whilst leafing through The Times. Bob Dylan and Cream lilting over the chatter.

The food arrived with a smile, and it was heavenly. Succulent Pork Belly, crispy at the edges and topped with a sweet apple chutney, pressed into a crisp, chewy Ciabatta. Dutch Patatas - cubes of crispy potato smothered in melted cheese and spring onion on the side. Sierra's legendary Pale Ale giving just the right bite and bitterness to the jammy meat, and all was well. All was very well - the perfect lunch, right there, without even trying. On a whim. Hell, spontaneous even.

I didn't intend to post about this (hence the hastily taken picture), but Friday's lunch made me remember all that is good about food and drink. Place, people, and relaxation; just what happens when you let your guard down.

Satays and Bath Ale's Gem

Ok, if you've never made a Satay dipping sauce, here's how. What I like about it is that it's really easy to whip up but impressively tasty at the same time. If you've got people coming over for something to eat and don't have a lot of time to prepare, this is perfect. The only thing you definitely need - trust me - is a blender.

This sauce serves 4.

For the sauce, you first make a paste by blending one onion, 1 whole chilli (take the seeds out if you don't want it too hot), 3 Garlic cloves, and a tbsp of soft brown sugar. In a pan, heat a tbsp or two of oil (vegetable will do - don't use olive) and add the paste over a medium heat. Stir well, cooking the paste out a bit, and then add 3/4 tin of coconut milk, a splash of Soy Sauce, and a squeeze of half a lime - or lemon if that's all you have. Then, add about 125g of crunchy peanut butter. Stir it all in well over a medium heat, and that's the sauce done.

To eat this with, I usually skewer some prawns and either pork or chicken bits (if using chicken, batter strips out and thread through the middle - it stays moister this way) and griddle quickly over a high heat. You can pre-marinate the meat if you like, simply using a basic oriental marinade of soy sauce, garlic, chilli and ginger, along with a little brown sugar.

I had a bottle of Gem by Bath Ales in the fridge and seeing as though it was cold, opted for this rather than the Gaffel Koelsch that I had planned. It worked out well, that underlying sweetness that Gem has setting off the meats nicely and also quenching the heat more than adequately. The Gaffel followed suit later on in the evening, whilst watching 30 Rock. Sorted.

Arcadia, Headingley - Redux

Market Town Tavern's Arcadia in Headingley underwent an expansion in the last couple of months, taking over the unit next door to it. As the best place to drink in Headingley by a country mile, this was welcome news. It's also heartening to see quality being rewarded - pubs may be closing all the time but when things like this happen you realise that some decent pubs, owned by companies with attention to detail and respect for the trade, are doing ok. Plus, it may be controversial but I'm all for a dead-wood clearing exercise.
Anyway, onto the pub. We chose yesterday lunchtime to pay a visit and see what was going on. The usual friendly, relaxed atmosphere and staff remain, as do the tin beer posters and assorted other breweriana (including a gorgeous plate for Goose Island's Matilda that I simply have to have) that adorn the walls. The extension means that both the ground floor and upper mezzanine area have more or less doubled in size, and it's a tasteful job.
Feeling peckish, we noticed that the food menu had been slightly scaled back, and also in price - which was a nice surprise. Given that I rate the Hamburger as one of my top five beer foods, I decided to give the guys a chance to impress with a Blue Cheeseburger. Excellent it was too, a big, rough, meatball-esque burger and a great cheese that started off buttery and then hit you with that sharpness that you need in a blue cheese. A chewy bun, and slices of tomato rounded it off well. My partner's felafels were also given the thumbs up - as were my other friend's Bean Chili.
From a range that included Saltaire's Winter Warmer, TT Landlord and Copper Dragon's Golden Pippin, I gave Vale Breweries' Vale Pale a go; a very much no-nonsense Pale with a decent floral aroma. A nice alternative to Landlord, I thought. Their Wychert Ale had much more depth, with a fruity nose, a tight, creamy head and a treacle/bonfire toffee vibe in the body which aptly fitted the freezing temperatures outside.
We left happy in the knowledge that Arcadia remains improved, and putting the rest of the Drinking - Pits in Headingley to shame.

The Midweek: Cheddar Ales' Goat's Leap

...I've been wanting to try some of Cheddar's range for a while now, buoyed by hearty recommendations from the likes of Boak & Bailey and others over the last year or so. So when Foley's started stocking, I was quietly happy.

Not only that, but Goat's Leap turned out to be what I hoped it would - outstanding. True to style, it's a big IPA with a sweet, toffee-centric body, but with a light yet astringent 'Green' hop attack going on in the nose, along with a pleasantly long and refreshing bitter finish. At 5.5% it's one to maybe keep your head around, but I could happily drink a lot of this. Kudos to both Foley's and Cheddar. Top marks for pump-clip design, too.

I must have been on a Hop mission during last week's session, because I also managed to finally try a beer made with Motueka hops. I confess to a bit of a blind spot - as both a homebrewer and beer nerd - when it comes to NZ hops. Mallinson's Motueka is a single varietal beer, and they've kept the malts to a simple Pale option in order to let the hops shine through. And shine through they do - a smooth pint with a citrussy, distinctly Lemony edge. I was expecting something more floral and maybe even earthy based on what I'd read, but the aroma and finish were pure zest. Very nice indeed. Learning through beer sure is refreshing.

Roosters 2010 Roster

Here's a sneaky peek at what to expect from long-time TGS favourite Roosters (and thier experimental arm, Outlaw) in the first half of 2010.

JANUARY 2010:
HUNTSMAN ALE 3.7% ABV
Very drinkable, copper coloured session bitter. Nice body. Crystal malt and Northdown hops create a balance palate with a nutty finish. Easy drinking.

FEBRUARY 2010:
APRES SKI 4.3% ABV
A lovely pale beer made with a blend of Lager and Simpson’s malts. The addition of Tetnang hops makes this the perfect modern lager. If you had just won Gold in the Vancouver 2010 Olympics this would be your choice at the bar. Pale as the snow, glides down easy, a lager style drink. A winner for sure!
MARCH 2010:
CELTIC CORKER 3.9% ABV
A signature Rooster’s pale ale enhanced with dried shamrock makes this the ideal beer for celebrating St Patrick’s Day. Not wanting to compete with the incredible range of stouts out there we are offering this fantastic alternative to celebrate the day. Golden in colour, moderately bitter and an excellent session ale.
APRIL 2010:
PATRIOT 4.7% ABV
A quintessentially British ale to celebrate St George’s day in style. All the ingredients, from the malt, to the water, to the yeast, have been carefully selected to create a showcase for quality local produce. This a Great British Pale Ale not to be missed.
MAY 2010
MAYFLOWER 3.7% ABV
Ideal summer session beer. Pale coloured beer made with some malted wheat and Chinook hops from the Yakima Valley in Washington State. Grapefruity bitterness. Light and dry and easy to drink.
JUNE 2010

ELDERFLOWER 3.7% ABV

Made with Golden Promise malt, Cascade hops and Elderflowers. Well balanced moderate bitterness, big aromas, long length of flavour.

Nice to see a few variations; Elderflower and darker beers coming through from the kings of Pale Ale. I can honestly say I've never even heard of a beer brewed with Shamrock!

Ilkley Brewery in SIBA Success

Congrats to Ilkley Brewery, whose Mary Jane Golden Ale won Gold in last weeks' SIBA Northern Beer Competition. They'll now go through to the finals, which is a tremendous achievement for a company only 6 months old.

You can find Ilkley's beers at Foleys in Leeds, Bar't'at in Ilkley, The Corn Dolly in Bradford and, recently, the famed Fat Cat in Sheffield amongst others. We'll be running a little piece on Ilkley and their history in the new year. In the meantime, check out their wares. Solid, tasty session beers all round.

You can see the full list of Northern winners here.

...An Accusation

...I'm sure we've all had levelled at us at some time!!

Orkney's Dark Island

Just enough time for a quick midweek post before getting onto some Champion's League action. Last night I had the pleasure of a couple of pints of Orkney's Dark Island at The Victoria, Leeds (Who were playing Fleet Foxes and Neil Young all night- an excellent choice).

Smooth, with a tan head, Dark Island was just what was called for as the rain lashed against the pub windows. There's a slight smokiness in the body, along with some raisin notes and a briny, salty edge on the way out. Very moreish, and well balanced for its strength. Do try.

I've read that Orkney are expanding their brewing site. Given that I've yet to try one of their beers that wasn't top-notch, that's' music to my ears, for one. Bring it on.

For The Veggies....

It's not often at all that I cook something entirely without meat; just call me old-fashioned. But I put this together last night literally using what I had in the fridge and cupboards, and it was awesome, full of flavour and warming on a Halloween night. A tasty happy accident, indeed.

Smoked Cheese & Herb Risotto (Serves 2)

Not much of a recipe, more of a method - simply throw about half a packet of risotto rice (Arborio) into a pan with a large knob of butter - very large. Melt the butter over a low heat and coat all the grains. Meanwhile, make up a pint of chicken or vegetable stock with a stock cube. When all the grains are coated are turning slightly translucent, add the stock slowly, stirring all the time. Leave the heat low, and keep adding stock when the rice soaks it up. When the rice has taken on a much stock as you like, stop adding it.

At this point, you basically season the rice. I added: A grind of black pepper, a large pinch of dried rosemary and a larger still pinch of dried sage.. I also tore up a few spinach leaves and chucked those in. Finally I added about 50gms of Smoked Cheddar, a grate of Parmesan and another small knob of butter to emulsify the whole thing. When the cheese has totally melted, serve.

I was hankering after something Belgian to go with all those herbs, and luckily had a bottle of Brugse Zot to hand. It's an ok beer, but sings a little better when served with food. Brugse Zot has quite a high level of carbonation, which cleanses the palate after the intense, thick risotto, and this also makes it a lighter choice. There's a ever-so-slight citrus on the finish, and the usual Bretty wet-grassiness on the nose. The Rosemary and Sage manage to be picked out by the beer.

Anyway, a simple - and very quick - recipe for darker nights. Give it a whirl.

Copper Dragon's Trueman Ale

Copper Dragon, those stalwarts of the Yorkshire Beer scene, have announced a new, one-off brew to celebrate the birthday of Fred Trueman OBE, who was inducted into the ICC Hall of Fame this year.

Although not a cricket fan, I'm eagerly awaiting this new brew - CD don't veer from their standard range often, if at all, and Golden Pippin will hold a special place in my heart - as I'm sure a lot of Yorkshiremen will agree with - and their Challenger IPA is a firm favourite, too

The first 200 bottles of the ale will be individually signed and numbered by Head Brewer, Gordon Wilkinson and made exclusively available to guests attending a Gala Dinner in aid of the Freddie Trueman statue appeal, created and supported by train operator Northern Rail. Beer and cricket lovers will join stars from sport and showbusiness in the celebrations at The Queens Hotel, Leeds on Wednesday 17 March 2010. So it's not available quite yet, but keep your eyes peeled.

Steve Taylor, MD of Copper Dragon (pictured, along with Gordon Wilkinson and Veronica Trueman), describes the new beer as 'A Golden Ale that brings memories of Cricket Summers' ,and it will be available in Cask as well as bottled via the usual outlets.

Why Bother?

The universe moves in funny ways. Recently, I was asked no less than three times in one week, by three different people in three different pubs, why I write about beer. Given that I’d read a couple of articles in the blogosphere recently along the same lines, I thought I would put together an answer - at least for myself. Why do this?
For me, it’s simple philanthropy. When I enthuse about something, I simply want other people to enjoy it too. Whether it be beer, films, music or books, I simply have to tell people I know about what’s good out there – hence one reason for the name of the blog.

Alongside this, I have somewhat of a social conscience. Our family trade was Butchery, and I grew up valuing ‘the smaller guys’ in terms of food retail. I never shopped for meat or veg in supermarkets until I had to (ie moved out of home, to somewhere with no Butchers, or Grocer’s). This saddened me - and at the same time that I was learning to fend for myself, food-wise. I’ve always been into food and travel, and getting into beer was just an extension of that. I started TGS as a food site, with recipes and supplier profiles, but as the ‘Farmer’s Market’ explosion happened a couple of years ago, so did the number of sites that did what I did, only much better. Then, over a pint, I realised that my twin obsession – Beer – needed the love.

These breweries that I loved were not getting airtime. As simple as that. So I switched focus, and the site remains that today. I wrote my first post proper, and haven’t looked back since.
The only way I know how to do this is to write. I’ve always written in my spare time – mostly short fiction, with a couple of published stories under my belt. But whereas writing fiction is essentially a narcissistic and insular thing to do, blogging about beer and ‘shouting out for the smaller guys’ fills another need; giving me that philanthropic glow.

People may scoff at the odd food/beer matching article. But I really don’t care – the amount of friends and colleagues I have nefariously weaned off cheap lager by serving them great meals alongside a great beer more than justifies it as a going concern. Without it, they would not have made the leap, and that’s what it’s all about.
It’s the same for highlighting the smaller, independent breweries. I know full well that the majority of you who read TGS regularly (ie, my trusted buddies who I link to) are in the same boat, so in some respects I’m preaching to the converted. But for everyone of my fellow beer geeks, there are one or two ‘interested unknowns’ who drop by. And if they go up to a bar and pass over a pint of ‘Italian’ or ‘Danish’ lager brewed in the UK, for an independently produced beer – and enjoy it – then that’s the bullseye. That’s one more customer for the craft guys.

The Micros and Crafts that we all love don’t get into supermarkets; they don’t have publicity budgets or sponsorship deals with Champions’ League football teams. So I will do it for them. For free. Why? Because I want them to do well and not disappear because if they did, I would have one less great beer to drink.

Don’t get me wrong - It’s not all good. For every great beer I drink, I’ll drink two that are dull, plain, boring, or just bad. But I don’t blog about those – because it’s not the point. The blogs’ called The Good Stuff. Plus, taste is subjective, and what I consider pisswater could be another man’s nectar. I will always try to be constructive. As a rule of thumb, if the beer moves me to write, then it’s good. The rest of them – well, if they want to get mentioned on here, they must simply try harder.

TGS is not primarily a beer news site – again, there are tons of sites out there that do that better than I do. I will not wade into arguments about Beer ties, PubCo’s, or Binge drinking. It’s not my place. I may comment on other sites simply to throw my hat into the ring. I’d much rather debate the ‘bigger issues’ over a pint, in person. And, as those who know me will testify, I do, often.

Speaking of ‘in person’, another way that blogging has brightened my life is by bringing me into contact with some genuinely great people, and to some great pubs, breweries and bars. We all have beer in common and I’ve yet to meet a fellow beer blogger or beer professional who had turned out to be a complete twat. We all have a common goal, and I think we do pretty well, between us, of championing the right beers, breweries, and issues at the right time – in a much more honest way than the mainstream press. We are the ones at the pumps, buying the stuff. I’m not a journalist; I work full-time, so I do what I can do. I have no ‘party line’ to tow, or editorial bias worries. This is all a hobby and I try to treat is as such.

So there it is. A long post, so thanks for reading, if you did. Here’s to more great beers coming our way. And If I had one piece of advice to give to people who love beer it’s this: Brew your own all-grain beer. You’ll learn more about beer brewing it than any amount of reading or tasting. Not only that, but you become the first rung of a ladder that ultimately provides great-tasting and unique beer to the masses. This is the spirit of truly Independent Brewing.

Nogne - O pt 2: Brown Ale

Ok, I’m continuing my NO love-in with their Brown Ale (Bottle-Conditioned, 4.5%abv). Remember last time - I said that I thought that their tastes lie more US that UK – well, Brown Ale confounded that one. Smooth in the body, dark ruby in colour, and with a gentle, spicy hoppiness rather than a massive kick to the face, this is one subdued, elegant Brown, rather than the steroid-pumped, chest beating US Brown that I expected.
There’s a slight creaminess to the body, and a residual sweetness that makes this one very smooth, drinkable beer, with a whisper of smoke at the end of the sip. This is one beer I would love to try on tap and can imagine many a cold night in Norway was soothed along with such a wholesome beer as this. Again, it’s Brown Ale, but a new version, and I quite enjoyed it. Not as much as the IPA though!
All in all, NO push all the right buttons for me - passionate about beer enough to make a life out of it, and stamping their own mark on styles as they go along. Here’s the second part of Greg Koch's NO video for you to get the full experience; showing off their wonderful looking brewhouse and larder. I’m off to go order some more; from their site, I can see there’s plenty more out there for me to try. Do check the site out, it's full of info for any NO nerd. Recommendations are welcome, guys.

'Spanish' Pasties

Now that Autumn is well and truly here, may I suggest this warming little spanish treat. Loosely based on the Spanish or Portuguese Empanada, these are a typically Yorkshire version; bigger, and with more of everything. They also taste good cold, so bake some up, and take them along to your bonfires next month. I also totally advocate using frozen pastry; the quality is excellent these days - although feel free to make your own, if you like! As usual with me, all measures are approximate - so put more or less in of whatever you like. But here's what I did.

1. Firstly, take one large potato and chop into chunks. Par-boil the pieces until soft enough to put a skewer through. Drain and set aside to cool.

2. Now, make the filling. In a large frying pan or wok, heat up a large glug of olive oil, and add: your potato chunks, 200g of diced turkey thigh, 100g of Chorizo, chopped into small cubes, one large, diced red onion, and one 1 small diced pepper. Fry gently until the veg is soft and the meat browned. When done, add a little more oil, and about 4 tbspns of Tomato Puree. Mix and coat the mixture. Then add 3 chopped or minced cloves of garlic and two chopped chillies. Add a dash of Tabasco, too - it adds a little sweetness. Add a teaspoon of water, and season the filling mix with salt, pepper, and some dried Rosemary.

3. Leave the mix to cool - very important - and preheat your oven to 200c.

4. Roll out your Puff pastry, and re-knead if frozen (I find this just helps it get more pliable). Roll into sheets and, using a saucer, cut out four circles. You should be able to get two from each sheet.

5. When the mixture has cooled, divide it onto the sheets, and fold over and crimp to make pasties. If the mixture is not cool, your pastry Will fall apart, so don't jump the gun here.

6. Glaze with oil, butter, egg or milk and bake for about 20 minutes until crispy.

7. Crack one open, and enjoy.

You can make these as hot as you need, but do add the chilli - it makes them what they are. You could also experiment with the fillings, and add fish or pork, if you like. You'll notice I've used Turkey thigh meat rather than chicken or turkey breast - I find that the thigh is not only tastier, but remains moister much longer. These pasties can be frozen, too, as long as all of your meat is fresh the first time around.

To combat the heat, I washed these down with some of William Bull's Red Angus Pilsener. this chilled Australian offering had a little earthiness in the body, but was certainly crisp enough, and had masses of lemon and lime sherbertiness on the nose and the end of the sip. Very refreshing indeed, and stove off the chillies with no problem at all.

Overall, an interesting beer that I would drink again, if only to give a more serious appraisal. Still a pint of this on a hot day wouldn't go amiss at all.