Christmas comes but once a year and that calls for a special brew. Back in early November Martin and I started thinking about our next brew and with Christmas looming we didn't have much time to brew, ferment and bottle condition for the big day. I put together a new recipe based on our original oat stout but put it on overdrive - we were going big or going home on this one. Opting to brew a 25 … [Read more...] about Christmas Breakfast Imperial Oat Stout
Beer
A pilgrimage to find the World’s best beer
I have a reoccurring daydream that I elaborate on each time I think of it. I find myself walking around an ancient village with cobbled streets and wooden framed buildings, there is the hustle and bustle of people trading from the fronts of the buildings and a mass of people moving from store to store browsing the wares on offer. I ask one of the shopkeepers if he could direct me to a store where … [Read more...] about A pilgrimage to find the World’s best beer
Indicknowle Farm Cider
This is Geoff. He makes cider with equipment that is over 200 years old! The West family have been making cider using the same methods since the 1870's. He wanted me to try most of the different types he makes, there are four types of dry cider alone! Four pints of his 7-8% cider is only seven pounds of your English money. It's delicious! Indicknowle Farm Long Lane Combe … [Read more...] about Indicknowle Farm Cider
His Masters Choice (of beer)
This is what you get when you ask a professional beermonger (It's like a fishmonger, but with beer) to educate your taste buds. I asked Simon Johnson (@reluctantscoop) if he would do the honours and pick out a range of international beers that he felt would be a good selection of tasty beers that I may not of had before. The above picture shows the result in all their glory. This is Simon … [Read more...] about His Masters Choice (of beer)
Thornbridge Hall Garden Party 2010
Yesterday I took the family to the Thornbridge Hall Charity Garden Party in Ashford in the Water, Derbyshire. Now, some reading this (does anyone read this?) may be thinking that this was in fact a selfish act, as we all know Thornbridge also have a superb brewery ... well, I didn’t have a drop of beer .... actually, that’s a massive lie, but the family did have a lot of fun and plenty of money … [Read more...] about Thornbridge Hall Garden Party 2010
#Twissup – Brewing in Burton Upon Trent
These are my thoughts on the recent #Twissup in Burton Upon Trent. This was an event arranged through twitter and was organised in the main by three people; Andy Mogg, Mark Dredge and Kristy McCready. #Twissup followed on from #Beerswap, another initiative arrange by the gruesome twosome Andy Mogg and Mark Dredge and as I was involved in the first #beerswap I was interested in attending … [Read more...] about #Twissup – Brewing in Burton Upon Trent
Wizard Ales Brewery
A couple of years ago a bottle of beer caught my eye in a specialist drink shop in Braunton, Devon. It was called 'Druids Fluid' and was produced by a local brewery called Wizard Ales based in Ilfracombe. I purchased a bottle, took it back to the campsite and predictably sent a picture of it to Twitter. When returning to the area in April this year I was pleasantly suprised to see a couple of … [Read more...] about Wizard Ales Brewery