a swift one...

Navvy festival this weekend

2012-01-28T08:46:00.000Z

One of the local festivals I usually try to get to is at the Navigation at Mirfield, for some reason this weekend's festival seems to have slipped under my radar and I have not managed to trip across, but 'The Bloke From Hull' has managed it and provided us with a beer list. He says all beer is £2 a pint, so that seems a good enough reason for calling in for a start.

Last time I went across, Kev, the licencee, was struggling with his knee and had to cancel the previous festival so it must be good news that he is well enough to do another. He has sourced beer from all over the country, from Kent to Scotland, and plenty breweries in between, with a smattering of new beers rubbing shoulders with old favourites so that there is beer there to suit everyone's taste.

So should you have a spare few hours this weekend, get over there and see what's on offer, and enjoy one of the friendliest festivals about.

Happy Birthday John

2012-01-25T08:50:00.000Z

If you are about in the next few days and see a Mallinsons pump clip for 'JMY 70' take a look at the faces on the clip. Well, that's not strictly correct, all the faces are the same bloke, Elaine Yendall's dad, John.

Its possible that some will not know John, or why he has a beer brewed specially for him. The simple answer is that John will be 70 on Friday, a good enough reason for any one to have a beer brewed, but John, who lives in the West Midlands, is an integral part of Mallinsons success. I don't know him well but well enough to know what a good bloke he is. And he is a guy that makes people like me very envious. He can make anything out of anything.

Much of the interior of the brewery has been custom made by John to make Tara and Elaine's life easier, from air vents to hoists. He has been working behind the scenes to help make the brewery the success it has become.

So when you see it, raise a glass of 'JMY 70' to John. One man who really reserves the accolade. And a Happy Birthday from all at 'A Swift One'.

Roosters - a blast from the past

2012-01-19T08:27:00.000Z

Years ago, it seems like a different time, when beer dinosaurs roamed the country and the big breweries dominated, a small group of men, each with their own ideas of how beer should taste, started to bring the taste of hops to the masses. One of those men was Sean Franklin.

He started brewing initially as 'Frankins' brewery (remember them?) at the back of a pub near Harrogate. He and his wife Alison then moved to new premises and Roosters brewery was born in October 1993 at an eight barrel plant. His knowledge and use of hops quickly made his beer sought after as something different to the normal fayre and the brewery went from strength to strength. Over time Roosters, and their experimental brewing arms Pioneer and Outlaw, introduced the discerning drinker to all sorts of tastes and the wonderful world of American hops.

However eventually other breweries started to get the hop bug and Roosters, in my opinion, became just another brewery. Good, but not exceptional, it did brew some beer I especially enjoyed but mostly the beers failed to stand out from the crowd. In the recent past it seems to have regained it's mojo, and is brewing beer as good as anyone at the moment. Maybe the use of hops is not as innovative as before, or maybe we have other breweries who have taken over the mantle in the hop stakes, but it's core range of beers are wonderful session ales. Possibly better suited to a warm summer day than a freezing day in winter, but nevertheless still very good.

Now brewed on an industrial unit, with Sean taking more a back seat in the brewing, Roosters goes from strength to strength. Most of it's regulars fall into the 3.9% to 4.3% range, and are light and hoppy - Roosters traditional territory. Wild Mule mirrors the subtle taste of Sauvignon grapes, Yankee is softly bitter with a hint of lychees, YPA is made with Styrian Golding hops with their fruit flavours, and Leghorn is made with four aroma hops for an interesting collection of gentle tastes. There are other beers too, including occasional specials. Cream for example, weighing in at 4.7% and blending US Liberty hops with the softness of Yorkshire water, being one.

So if you are one of those people who like their beer light and hoppy but subtle and well crafted rather than 'in your face', then Roosters could be the brewery for you. Let's face it, any brewery that once brewed a beer called 'Tachy Tim's' can't be all bad!

Beer through a font - the shape of things to come?

2012-01-15T09:05:00.001Z

The Grove has never been afraid to try to be a little different to other pubs in the town. They have key kegs for one thing, and lots of bottles for another, but this week thy have tried something a little off the wall, even for them.

They have Abbeydale 'Transformation' on the bar. Nothing unusual in that I hear you say. The method of dispense is though. Instead of coming through the usual beer lines, it is served through one of their 'lager' fonts for need of a better description. In the interests of science I thought I would give it a go and see what the difference was.

Before I go on, I should explain that I don't know the science that actually gets the beer from the cellar to the bar, but the beer was served without the carbonation that goes with lager, and the beer is from a cask, not a keg, so to all intents and purposes it is a cask beer. Onto the beer itself. It is a light, hoppy beer, typical of the Abbeydale stable, their tasting notes say it has a biscuit base, with a generous amount of hops from America, Australia, and New Zealand giving tropical fruit notes and a hint of toffee. What did I find? Well to be perfectly honest, none of these came though. The font dispense means the beer comes through a chiller, making it colder than your average cask beer, and the temperature of the beer seems to kill the subtle flavours there. I could tell it had hops, but would struggle to get any defined flavour from it and the background maltiness that ought to be there was missing. My half was enough, I would not have wanted any more.

So a bit disappointing. It was interesting to try it, but I do not think it worked, and it certainly did not do justice to what sounded like a good beer. Admittedly, I have not tried the beer in its 'proper' cask form yet, so cannot compare it (though it is on the taunting pole at the Star so I will have a chance soon), and to make a true comparison it may have been better to put one of the regular beers through a font. But there again, if you get chance, try it and see what you think.

I actually managed to get the beer served through a hand pull at the Star yesterday, it did taste different to the font version, the malt and hop flavours, although fairly subtle, did come through and the beer was well balanced. May be if the Grove want to try again, a more hoppy beer may do the trick, possibly one they have regularly so we can contrast with what we are used to.

Revolution Rock

2012-01-12T11:56:00.001Z

Since the move to new premises in Castleford, the Revolutions Brewing Company has increasingly been catching my eye. Clearly someone there has a very similar taste in music to my own, and their ability to produce pump clip artwork very close to the original album sleeves has become a cause for comment, and not a little nostalgia, whenever encountered.

I recall being especially excited when The Scream appeared on the bar at a Huddersfield pub not too long ago, instantly transporting me back to my first hearing of Metal Postcard on the John Peel show in the late seventies. Unfortunately my beer appreciation wasn't challenged in the same dramatic fashion that night as my musical perspective had been some thirty-odd years earlier, but nevertheless - thanks for the memory!

The latest batch of beers to be launched include The Clash, Joy Division and Kraftwerk inspired brews, and these will be appearing at the brewery's next gig, namely a mini-festival at Mr. Foleys in Leeds on Friday 10th February (with accompanying soundtrack). I shall hopefully be giving them all a spin, whether in Leeds or elsewhere, and whilst previous offerings from Revolutions have yet to really hit the mark with me, I'm expecting nothing short of absolute masterpieces where London (Calling) Porter & Unknown Pleasures are concerned.

Special thanks to Leigh at The Good Stuff for bringing the festival to our attention.

The Star has regular Mallinsons Now

2012-01-11T08:44:00.000Z

Huddersfield has another pub with a regular Mallinsons pump with the Star at Folly Hall introducing one at the turn of the year. This is in addition to the Sportsman who have had one for some time.The Rat and Ratchet, although not having a dedicated pump due to the output of their own beers often has Mallys on the bar as well.

It is obviously great news for supporters of the Lindley brewery, and a testament to the hard work put in over the last 3 years by Tara and Elaine. We wish them every success for the future.

Minimum pricing - the shape of things to come ?

2012-01-10T08:13:00.000Z

I have heard, although seen nothing official to confirm it, that one of Yorkshire's councils has finally bitten the bullet and imposed a minimum pricing policy for beer across the pubs within their jurisdiction. Is this a case of where one goes, the rest will follow ?

As of yesterday, all pubs or bars in Doncaster, will be selling their drinks at a minimum of £1.20. Obviously a bargain if this is a pint, but not so good if the pub sells thirds or halves. Presumably this is an effort to prevent binge drinking but again seems to hit at the wrong people, and takes the initiative away from publicans to charge what they want. Let's hope its not the shape of things to come.

Black IPA - Why ?

2012-01-09T09:14:00.000Z

With apologies to Buxton

A trip yesterday to one of our local hostelries, which had 4 'Black IPA's on the bar, started me thinking. What is a black IPA ? And what is the point ? Before I start, let me say that I have no problem with the beers themselves, even though they vary between the excellent and the average, its just the term 'Black IPA' that I take exception to.

I have always thought an IPA, by its very definition, should be light. Why else should it be called an India Pale Ale ? A black beer is not pale, and never can be. I have explored the provenance of India Pale Ale in a previous post, and will not bore you with it again, except to reiterate that I expect IPA to be what it says on the pump clip, i.e a pale ale. However in recent times, there has been an outbreak, mostly from brewers who consider themselves part of the English 'craft brewing' fraternity, of these black IPA's.

I assume the term has come from across the water in America which is well known for butchering the English language, and our brewers have latched onto it for some reason. As far as I understand, beer styles, are named after two things, that being tradition or ingredients used. I have touched on the tradition question earlier, an IPA should be light, or pale, in my opinion. A black IPA is an oxymoron that bucks two centuries of brewing tradition for no apparent reason. Many have other names. Surely calling a beer 'Imperial Black ',or 'West Highland Black' gives the drinker enough information to know he is drinking a black beer, why add the additional rider 'IPA' to the name ? Are they just jumping on a bandwagon ? Does it give the drinker any more information? I personally think not after drinking several of them.

The other side of the coin relates to ingredients used. I accept that to use the hop character of an IPA and adding darker malts creates some sort of hybrid , but is that enough to justify a new genre of beer ? It could just as easily be a bitter stout, or hoppy porter. I am of the opinion that it doesn't. I am not even sure that the balance of hops and malt in this hybrid are often right, and it seems that often one or the other dominates the taste, dark malts and resinous hops do not seem to blend well to my taste, and I have yet to find one that I am totally happy with.

Maybe I am being pedantic, (who,me !), but for me, an IPA will be forever Pale, and the 'Black IPA' maybe just a passing phase, the sooner the phase passes the better as far as I am concerned. Or may be in years to come I will be proved wrong and the 'Black IPA' will be a recognised name in English brewing. Only time will tell.

The picture is no reflection of Buxton brewery, and its beer, it merely illustrates a point.

That old chestnut again !

2012-01-05T08:28:00.000Z

One of the things that concerns me as a beer 'ticker' but not necessarily as a beer drinker is the provenance of certain beers, and only a few days into 2012 another has raised its head on another beer forum. It has been suggested that Meantime 'London Pale Ale' is not actually brewed by Meantime, but is actually brewed miles away from London in Suffolk, at Adnams.

As a drinker, this makes no difference to me, it is a fine beer, and if it is brewed at Adnams, they are a fine brewery, and I will continue to enjoy it when I see it. Result. If it is a good beer most beer drinkers will have no issue with who brews it, just that they like the end product.

However, 'Tim the Ticker' has a slightly different view. I often drink beers and have no idea who actually brews them. I take it from the pump clip, and accept that information at face value. I do not usually have the chance to scrabble about in a pub cellar to check on the cask to verify the information, and even then, that is not always a definitive answer to the brewer or the beer. If I do find a beer has been brewed at somewhere other than the brewery I assume then I do feel somewhat cheated.

I possess a GOBBS guide, and thanks to Alan's dedication, I can often trace a beer I have drunk through that, but not always, and it is a time consuming project.

Would it not be better, and fairer for everyone, for the pump clip to show where the actual beer was brewed to save anyone any confusion ? Those in the know can read a 'Steel City' pump clip and know exactly where their beer has come from. Why do other breweries not follow their example ? As I have said, it will make no difference to the many drinkers who just drink the beer because they want to, whoever may brew it, but to those of us who are 'anoraks' it makes a real difference. And if the brewery has nothing to hide, why should they not be transparent. It will not make a good beer less good, just because it is brewed somewhere else.

Rat Beer Festival

2012-01-04T16:33:00.004Z

The Rat and Ratchet in Huddersfield will be hosting a mini-beer festival from 10th - 12th of February 2012.

A brewery viewing session will be held between 2pm and 5pm on Saturday 11th of February, when you are invited to meet the brewers and ask questions about the beers and brewing process.

A discount of 50p per pint on Rat beers will be offered to card carrying CAMRA members.

The usual range of Ossett and guest beers will also be available as well as ciders and perries.

Showcasing their own-brewed Rat beers, at least ten will be available on the bar at any one time, with as many as 15 different Rat beers appearing over the course of the weekend.

Draught v Key Keg

2012-01-03T08:07:00.001Z

It is not very often that one gets the chance to sample, side by side, the same beer dispensed both on draught and from key keg at the same time in the same pub. Yesterday was one of those occasions, so in a totally non scientific experiment, I set about doing it; these are my non scientific results.

The beer I chose was Magic Rock 'High Wire', not difficult to choose since it was the only one available in both forms in the Grove. I have had it several times before on draught but never on key keg, and I must say the draught version was on form. It is a 5.5% American style IPA, bitter yet with a subtle malt base and crammed with tropical fruit flavours. The draught version did not disappoint, living up to everything I expected. But what of the key keg ?

The first thing I noticed was it was considerably colder that the draught, obviously from the method of dispense, and that seemed more carbonated, with a slight fizz on the tongue when I drank. To make sure that the test was as fair as possible I let it warm up as much as I could, but even then it was cooler. The problem with that seemed to be that it killed the taste to a certain degree. Whereas it was easy to taste the subtle notes in the beer in the draught version, the key keg version seemed to mask them, none of the hops came to the fore, and the background seemed almost non existent. Worryingly though, it did not drink like its strength, more like a 4% beer than a 5.5%. In short, it could have been anything, certainly not the classic I expected.

I am not averse to drinking key keg, and I understand there is a certain market for it, but on this small experiment (and it is one I hope to repeat with other beers to confirm, or negate my findings) I have to say that the draught version is a far superior beast, and slightly cheaper too.

This is not a criticism of Magic Rock, nor their brewing methods, but merely that it was their beer that allowed me the chance to contrast the styles, and I thank them and the Grove for the opportunity to do so.

A Quartet to make the Mouth Water

2011-12-29T08:30:00.005Z

As we were sitting sampling the 'APA' in the previous post, we got to thinking how we would mark the end of the beer year. Instead of our usual beer awards we decided to put our heads together and reflect on the new breweries that had made the greatest impression on us in the last 12 months. These are the 4 we chose.

Locally we were impressed by the great strides made in a short time by Magic Rock. They only started brewing in May but have attracted plaudits from drinkers far and wide, and their beers have travelled the length and breadth of the country. They basically brew a core range, but each one is excellent, from the 3.9% 'Curious' to the 5.5% 'High Wire'. They certainly know how to brew hoppy beers, and are not afraid to experiment as their 'Curious NZ' proved. This is not the only string to their bow however, and their 'Surreal Stout' at 6%, is a classic of its style, although hard to find, and if you like a red ale then 'Rapture' could be the thing for you, even though I have found it a little variable in the recent past. Magic Rock have also entered the key keg market, and some of their stronger beers are available in this format. An excellent addition to the Huddersfield brewing fraternity.

Another fairly local brewery that has impressed is Buxton. Again, good enough to warrant its own pump at the Grove, and a consistent range of beer that covers every type and style. The brewery actually started in 2009 but moved to its home town in 2010, and this year have got the brewing right. Their basic bitter 'Moor Top' is 3.6% but I have come across their beer up to 9.5%. I am particularly impressed by their IPA's., 'Axe Edge' and 'Wild Boar' being the light versions, and 'Black Rocks' being their take on a black IPA, all are excellent. They can also brew decent black stuff too, try their 'Kinder Stout' at 4.1%, or if you feel really adventurous go for the 'Tsar' at 9.5% , packed with flavour.

Another 2010 brewery that has made great strides in 2011 is Redwillow, who brew in Macclesfield, which I admit is somewhere I have never considered a hot bed for decent beer. Seems I have been mistaken. They are another brewery that can turn their hand to everything and anything, may be even more so than the previous two. Light or dark, I have never found a beer of theirs that I did not enjoy. Their dark beers encompass a smoked porter 'Smokeless', and an oyster stout 'Fathomless' (brewed with the assistance of Brian from the Grove), and their light beers cover every style imaginable , including some I could not even imagine. Their 'Faithless' range started as single hopped beers, but by the time they had reached 'Faithless 7' the hops had changed into a wheat beer, one version dry hopped with Nelson, and another with lemon grass and Thai ginger. So look out for the teardrop shaped pump clips, and give them a try, you will be in for treat.

The final brewery in the quartet is one that had been previously brewing but changed its identity in 2008, but only this year have I come across their beers outside London. Brodie's are based at the William IV pub in Leyton, who have a massive range of their beers on. Again they are a brewery that can turn their hand successfully to every style of beer, from a 12.1% Russian stout 'Romanov' to the 3.1% 'Citra' and take in everything in between. Every beer I have come across from the brewery has been excellent, and different. 'Californian' is a good an American IPA as you can get, 'London Fields' is superb version of a traditional English IPA, and 'Superior London Porter' is about the best porter I have come across. Lets just hope more of their beers make it north in the coming months.

So there you have it, our choices for the new(ish) breweries of the year. Of course, you may disagree, and have your own list and your own favourites. But all we can say is that 2011 has been a great year for beer, and hopefully 2012 will continue the trend and we can have lots more good beer to sample.

American Pale gets even Hoppier

2011-12-29T08:27:00.004Z

Yesterday a new Dark Star beer appeared on the bar at the Grove, nothing unusual about that you may say, they do turn over regularly, and had it not been for Will's eagle eye, (note the bird connection ?), it was one that would have passed me by. 'American Pale Ale' is fairly often seen there, so I have had it on several occasions, but the little green logo, 'Harvest Hop' was new to me, and what a difference it made.

The regular beer is 4.7% and does what it says, it is a pale ale, crammed with American hops. This time the beer had been brewed with fresh Chinook and Centennial hops, airfrieghted from the USA. It gave the beer a wonderful aroma, full of freshness and hop character, and a clean, sharp taste. The original APA is an excellent beer in its own right but the use of fresh hops takes it to a new dimension. My intention of a quick half soon expanded into three times that amount it was so good.

So if you do see APA on a bar, just check the clip for the small green logo, you may be in for one of the beers of the year.

Collaborations

2011-12-27T08:36:00.000Z

It seems that one of the things that 2011 can be remembered for in the beer world is collaborations, every one seems to be at it, from Marble to Fullers, from Dark Star to Brew Dog, from Thornbridge to Raw, and plenty others in between. May be everyone is an overstatement though, I can't see Glentworth teaming up with Skinners, or Northumberland with Allgates in the near future, but who knows ?

The one thread that seems to run through the breweries that involve themselves in collaborations are that they are what are classed as 'craft' breweries. That again is a bone of contention for me, what makes one brewery a 'craft' brewery when another isn't ? I know that the Americans have a definition for such a thing, but we English don't, so why do we use it ? What is apparent is that the 'craft' brewery collaborations seem to appear in more exclusive sort of pub, those that are disposed to American beers or key keg.

Before I continue I ought to make it clear that I am not anti 'craft' beers, nor collaborations per se. Its just that I cannot really see a point in some well known brewer, joining up with some other well known brewer, and producing a beer, when often the sum of the parts does not produce the goods. It seems to me that often the brewer's skills cancel each other out rather than complement them, so that one is left with a vague feeling of disappointment. That's not to say all collaborations are a failure, they aren't. But a large number do not seem to work, in my eyes.

And how does a collaboration of brewers actually work ? Who has the say in which style of beer they brew ? Who chooses the hops, or malts ? Who has the final say on the recipe ? Unless they are happy to let one lead and the other follow, I can see problems arising. And often the one's I have tried do seem to taste more like one brewery's beer than the other.

Often beers are produced by a collaboration of brewers anyway. In the larger breweries it is not unusual for a group of brewers to work in unison to produce a beer, and because they are from the same stable, they maintain the standards they have expected from the brewery, when someone from outside gets involved I find their standards often slip.

Maybe the way forward would be to brew on the lines that Wetherspoons use for their beer festival specials, a foreign brewer using his recipes to brew on British brewer's plant. I assume that the foreign brewers get advice from the local brewer, so is that technically a collaboration ?

But at the end of the day, does it really matter ? The idea of brewing beer is to make something that people want to drink and that will sell. I cannot deny either part of that statement in respect of collaborations, may be its just me pedantic....no, surely not !!

Merry Christmas to All Our Readers

2011-12-24T09:12:00.003Z

We want to thank all our readers over the last 12 months, we hope we have entertained,and informed, you all and will continue to do so next year.

Thanks to all the brewers, and pubs who have provided us with the material to write 'A swift one'.

We have enjoyed doing it, and hope you have enjoyed reading it, and we will be back in the New Year with an even better 'Swift One'.

All that remains is for us to wish you all a Happy Christmas and a great New Year to all of you, and to hope Santa brings you everything you wish for.

Star reaches 10 years

2011-12-21T07:52:00.002Z

Today The Star Inn at Folly Hall is 10 years old. I know its hard to believe, it seems to have always been an integral part of the town's drinking scene. But its true, it must be - Sam says so. She, and her then partner, Tyrone transformed a basic back street boozer into one that has become a classic 'must visit' beer house.

It has a range of 10 interesting beers always on the bar (many rarely seen elsewhere), with over 6600 served over the years and is famous for its thrice yearly festivals. Sam has retained her policy of no music and no games machines, preferring to base the pub's success on the craic around the bar from its loyal band of regulars. It even achieved the accolade of 'CAMRA Yorkshire Pub of the Year' in 2002, and has won a host of other awards in its lifetime.

If you have never visited, why not? Get down and try it out. I am sure you will be impressed. Happy Birthday Star, wishing you plenty more. And many thanks to Sam and the team for all your efforts over the years.

Some Christmas Day Openings

2011-12-20T19:57:00.000Z

In town The Star Inn will be opening 12:00-14:00 but not the Rat & Ratchet or The Grove, which is also closed Boxing Day. The Sportsman is also closed Christmas Day. The Cherry Tree is open 1100-1500.

These Ossett Group pubs will be opening Christmas lunchtime if you are within walking distance: New Albion at Alverthorpe, Tap at Ossett, Old Vic at South Ossett, Kings Arms on Heath Common and Shepherds Boy at Dewsbury.

You definitely won't get a train but the West Riding Licensed Refreshment Rooms at Dewsbury opens 11:00-15:00.

Lisa at the Cricketers Arms in Horbury says she's open 12:00-15:00 and there'll be a cask of Black Sheep Russian Imperial Stout (8.5%ish) that's been quietly maturing in the cellar since early this year.

The Reindeer at Overton will be open from noon until around 17:00. The Little Bull at Middlestown is opening 11:30-14:30.

Boons in Horbury is open 12:00-14:00.

The Brewers Pride in Ossett is opening 12:00-14:00 with the restaurant 13:00-15:30.

On Boxing Day, the Star and Grove are both closed, but the rest of the usual suspects are open with the Rat opening earlier than usual at 1200 noon.

2 Bobs Brewing Co. Update

2011-12-20T10:43:00.001Z

"This micro has been brewing in Oxenhope for a while and is the project of Rob Bradley and Bob Walker. The plan in the new year is to start brewing "near Ossett". This is actually at Shaw Cross, so it's in the Heavy Woollen branch area by a few hundred metres. They are looking at installing a 15 barrel plant in a factory unit already being used by one of the partners.

The local launch of their beers took place at the Unicorn at Carlton near Rothwell (not Carlton near Carlton Towers or Carleton near Pontefract). The Unicorn pub is next door to Carlton WMC a few metres from where the 444 bus cuts left on its way along Westfield Road past the Rosebud towards Rothwell using two sides of a triangle, as buses do. The house beer which they've made for the Unicorn is called Horny Unicorn a very pale session bitter at 3.8%. On the pumpclip there's the head of a donkey (a bit like the one in Shrek) with a unicorn horn between its ears.

A second beer, gold in colour from their portfolio called Legless Blonde at 5.5% would have gone on, but they felt that the mix had been boiled to too high a temperature causing some of the sugars to caramelize. There are brewers who would have re-named it and passed it off as an unusual brew with a touch of smokiness. I thought from a small sample that it was nevertheless quite drinkable, but perhaps not a full pint of it. Another beer in the portfolio is Strawrunner also 3.8% but more beer-coloured than Horny Unicorn. They will be packaging their beers in steel firkins obtained when Tetleys closed down in Leeds."

BOB WALLIS (Wakefield CAMRA)

Saltaire Brewery

2011-12-19T09:18:00.001Z

One of the most successful breweries in Yorkshire at the moment, although one we rarely see in our part of the world, is Saltaire. They are actually based in Shipley, rather than Saltaire, which is just up the road admittedly and were established in 2005, brewing on a 20bbl plant.

The brewery only uses local malts and full hop flowers in their brewing process, brewing a wide range of regular beers and specials. The ones I see about most often are their 'blonde' beers. 'Saltaire Blonde' is the 'straight' version, brewed with a mixture of German and Czech hops, at 4.0%. However, it is not uncommon to find their fruity or flowery beers, 'Elderflower Blonde' is a wonderfully aromatic summer beer, infused with delicate elderflowers, and 'Raspberry Blonde' likewise with a subtle raspberry flavour. On the dark side comes 'Cascadian Black', which the brewery call a black IPA, but I think of it more as a stout with the underlying taste from the cascade hops blending with the roasted flavour imparted by the malts.

I am more interested in their range of specials though. In the recent past I have encountered 'Trio', with citric bitterness coming from a flavour of three American hops, 'South Island Pale, 3.5% and using New Zealand hops, and 'Stateside IPA', a 6% beer, using Centennial, Cascade and Amarillo hops to impart a massive hop hit in a flavoursome IPA.

The beers that they are really remembered for though are two of my least favourite in their range (as regular readers know I am not really a fan of coffee or chocolate in beer), but I cannot deny they certainly do what they say on the tin. 'Hazelnut Coffee Porter' is 4.6%, rammed with nutty and coffee flavours, and if chocolate is your thing I have never found a more chocolatey beer than their 'Triple Chocoholic' made with chocolate malt, chocolate syrup and real chocolate. It even comes in bottles. Both are award winning beers with Chocoholic being SIBA's 2010 Supreme Champion Beer.

Locally, as I said they are not the easiest beers to track down, may be the best bet is the Cherry Tree, but trip across to Shipley and you will find plenty. Or call down at the brewery and pick up some bottles.

White Stout? You cannot be serious!

2011-12-15T08:38:00.000Z

Visitors to The Grove may be amazed to see a beer called 'White Stout' lurking on one of the pumps on the main bar. White Stout? Surely not. Is this Durham's way of reacting to the wave of black IPA's that have suddenly flooded the market? Appears not, according to their website.

I finally managed to sample some yesterday after it had been sitting on the taunting pole for a while, and it was a good, nay even, a great beer. It was light coloured, more like a wheat beer than a bitter, certainly nothing like a stout colour. The taste was soft, without any noticeable hop character, but did not drink like its 7.2% strength.

Time to check out what the brewer was really thinking when he brewed it. It seems historically that a stout need not be black, any strong beer qualifies, but a stout needs a 'body' whereas often IPAs are thinner and obviously hoppy. The base is pale malt, wheat malt and flaked barley, none of the darker malts we normally associate with stouts, and this gives a 'thicker' base than we often find in light beers. There is no reference to the hops used in the brew on the website, but they do not give either the aroma or taste that one would associate with a light beer or beer of this strength. Notwithstanding, it is excellent and something different, an example of what can be achieved by thinking outside the box. Well worth a visit to The Grove to check it out.

Two New Breweries

2011-12-14T07:13:00.002Z

Recent new additions to the local brewing scene include Pennine and 2 Bobs (haven't we been there before?). Details of beer availability will appear on our Facebook page soon.

Wetherspoons do Christmas

2011-12-13T09:29:00.001Z

If you are a lover of Christmas beers and are having problems finding some to satisfy your craving this year, then may be a trip to you local 'Spoons will solve the problem. This year there are 50 festive beers on offer in what is effectively a mini beer festival.

The list is sourced from around the whole of the country with offerings from Scotland and Wales as well as England, with a combination of old favourites and beers that are new to me. I have sampled a few and fortunately for me, none have had the spicy, fruity taste I usually associate with the festive season.

There are plenty to go at, but as is usual with Wetherspoons festivals, not all are available at once, so its luck of the draw as to what you find, and where you find it.

Start of the Silly Season

2011-12-10T08:36:00.001Z

Christmas is coming, and with it the usual groups of once a year drinkers who only venture into a pub because it is a prelude to their works party or whatever, clogging up the bar asking for halves of something that they feel comfortable with because they have seen it before, or see it advertised on telly. And last night I heard a classic from one such, and as far as I can remember this is how it went!

Man, with silly hat, walks into a real ale bar with several excellent beers on offer. With him is his female partner who orders a half of lager.

Man "Pint of smooth please"

Landlady " Sorry, its a real ale pub, we don't have smooth."

Man "Anything like smooth?"

Landlady " No, sorry, just real ale"

Man " Ok, a pint of whatever is the darkest beer you have........and can you put some ice in it"

Landlady raises eyebrows!

Man, aside to partner," Its always too warm without ice".

With 16 days to go until Christmas, if this is the standard of drinkers, we could be in for a classic. Bet he would n't have tried it in the Slubbers when Dave Green had it, or he would have probably found himself sitting in Bradford Road!

Will the Bubble Burst?

2011-12-08T08:04:00.001Z

On reading that another new brewery was to open in Knaresborough, I gave a sharp intake of breath and wondered. A bit of research revealed that this year alone we have 117 new breweries from all over the country, following on from 107 the previous year. That is one hell of a lot of breweries, and a lot of new beer to shift. In these times, with everyone saying that money is tight, can the market actually support all these new initiatives?

I know some will be older breweries renamed or which have moved to new premises and the like, and I assume they will already have a faithful following. Others are brew pubs who will brew mainly for themselves or just send a small amount into the free trade or festivals, and they too will have a ready made market. If you drink at pub A, and they start brewing, most of their clientele will drink beer brewed on site, and they may even gain a small trade in passing beer 'tickers' wanting to try beer from a new brewery. Possibly a few may move on because they do not like the beer, but many of us are faithful to a pub, rather than the beer, and will adapt our taste in time to the new product.

What that leaves is the vast majority of new breweries, so what of them? Although there has been a rise in the number of outlets for cask beer, are there enough to support the great increase in new beer on the market? Of course some are supported by good marketing campaigns (Magic Rock for instance), others by making their mark in the more specialist markets (Brewdog spring to mind), but the rest still have to sell their beer into the free trade. Initially this should not be a problem. Everyone wants to sample beer from a new brewery. But gradually this interest will wain and the brewery will need a consistent source of drinkers to support their endeavour, some times this will work (as with Mallinsons), but not every brewery will manage.

However, when I checked my source (actually Quaffale) to compare closures with openings, I discovered that less than 25 have closed in the last two years, which surprised me somewhat. Looking closer, only two have closed within two years of opening, and several have closed to reopen under different names, or at different locations (or possibly relocated to provide more brewing capacity). Maybe my pessimism was misplaced, maybe brewing is one of the few industries on the rise in these difficult times. If this is the case long may it continue, and lets get out and support these new breweries. I am more than happy to give my money to a small cask ale brewer rather than spend it at a supermarket on a cheaper, and usually, less good product from a large multi national. But that is another issue for another time.

Thanks to Will for tidying this post up.

That old pump clip whinge again

2011-12-06T08:03:00.003Z

Readers of 'A Swift One' will be well aware of one of my pet hates, and that of other readers too, and this weekend I have found a couple more examples that just go to prove the point.

On the previous entry I referred to By The Horns producing a dead simple, easy to read pump clip. Great you may say, but how did someone at the brewery manage to release it without any reference to the abv on it. A simple, school boy error, and possibly illegal. Not much help if you have never encountered the beer before and have no idea what strength to expect.

If you take a look at the previous post, Will has kindly added a picture of the Fullers pump clip for the 'Black Cab Stout', nothing wrong with that you may say looking at it. Everything you want is there, it is attractive, easy to read and makes a good point of sale. Where the post picture and the actual clip differ is only slight, but in my opinion somewhat annoying. The lettering on the clip that looks grey is actually silver, and unless the light shines in the right place, it makes it very difficult to read - 'Cab' and 'Stout' are especially hard. Maybe I am being pedantic, but it makes an excellent clip less than perfect, and does tend to confuse the punter, or maybe its just me.

What I am in favour of, and wish all brewerys did, is something similar to the clip on the left. All the information I require is there and is easy to read on a crowded bar. Its not too much to ask for, or is it?

Save yourself a trip to the capital

2011-12-05T08:51:00.001Z

Usually all us northerners get in the way of beer from London are those offerings from Fullers that are readily available in the free trade. 'London Pride' and 'ESB' are not hard to find but rarely seem to taste the same as they do in their home city, so do not often appear in my 'must drink' list. However yesterday must have made Huddersfield seem like a home from home for any exiled Londoners, with a new Fullers beer at the Grove and beer from two of the more recent breweries to open in the capital at The Star Inn.

Fullers 'Black Cab' is a dark, (obviously!) beer of 4.2%. More of a bitter in my opinion than a stout or porter. Smooth, yet hoppy, without the roasted or malty background sometimes associated with dark beers. A pleasant drinking, session strength beer, well crafted by one of the better breweries about.

However, what of the new kids on the block? 'East London' Foundation Ale has been around for most of the year, and is again 4.2%. One of only two beers brewed by them, and what I would class as a typical London beer. Well balanced without the hop characteristics I often prefer in my beer, it is an inoffensive, although unspectacular drink. I assume, although cannot confirm, the beer uses English ingredients, and has all the hall marks of a traditional English best bitter.

The other new brewery is one I had never encountered before, and was keen to try. 'By The Horns' Pale Ale is 3.9%, although for some strange reason there is no gravity on the pump clip. It is pale(ish) by London standards but again there seems to be something missing. The taste is very similar to that of the East London beer although is slightly more bitter to my palette, even then it is balanced rather than hoppy, and a beer that one could happily have a session on.

The real star of the day, if you forgive the dodgy pun, is from a brewery that, although not in London itself, often has its beers on sale there. Adnams seasonal beer 'Old Ale' is on the bar at the Star. For some reason I thought it stronger than its 4.1%, but everything else I remember in the beer is still there. As dark as night, and as smooth as silk, it is superb. Again without a distinctive hop character, it relies on the malt in the brew to bring out the subtle flavours of chocolate and red berries, and maybe a touch of toffee to blend into a magnificent winter warmer. Well worth searching out, and lets face it, the bus fare to Lockwood is far cheaper than the train fare to London!

What of 'Rock Star' ?

2011-12-03T08:32:00.001Z

It is not uncommon these days for breweries to collaborate to produce beer, in recent times I have come across Marble, Ramsgate and Brew Dog, doing so, to name but three. This week the collaboration between Dark Star and Magic Rock, aptly named 'Rock Star' was launched. I had chance to sample some at The Grove, so how was it.

The blurb on the website says it is a 'American Brown Ale' both malty and hoppy giving aromas of lemongrass, strawberry and pine giving a background flavour of hazelnut, caramel and summer berries, 'balanced, moreish and crisply classy'. It is certainly not a beer for the faint hearted, being 7%, but I was, to be frank, a little disappointed. I got some of the flavours mentioned above, but I did not think they worked together, I found the hops and fruitiness overshadowed by the maltiness in the brew, and the predominant taste for my pallette was that of the hazelnut. I expected far more of a hop background and this failed to materialise.

To be honest, I was not thrilled by it, which was a shame for the two breweries are two of my favourites. If you want to try ,t, it is on cask, and key keg at The Grove, to give you a chance to compare and contrast the two different types of dispense. I admit, I have based my opinion on the cask version, so may be the key keg version does bring out all the flavour but that will have to wait for another day,.

What else does Huddersfield have to offer ?

2011-11-29T07:49:00.001Z

When it comes to local pubs I am as guilty as the next man for only using certain ones and not trying something different, so when I had a free day it seemed a good idea to have a wander around and see what else was available. My route, or more precisely, mine and Robin's, went from north to south, and started and finished at the Bus Station. All the pubs we called in were open at 1200 noon, and are are open all week should you wish to replicate our trip.

The first pub was the Slubbers, on Halifax Old Rd. The easiest way to get there is to grab a 363 bus,(every 20 mins) from the bus station, get off at Hillhouse and walk the 100 yards or so to the pub, otherwise its about a 15 mins walk. The pub is still the iconic place it has always been, now under the ownership of local Camra member Bill Brogan, and he has a range of 8 beers on offer. Thwaites, B & T mild, and Conwy were all available, alongside Taylors and what we tried were in good nick. The pub also has 'Steigl' lager on offer, rarely seen in our parts.

We took the short walk back into town and the Vulcan at the bottom of St Peters St. This is a pub that is not unknown to visiting 'tickers' and alongside their cheap food menu there are often 4 beers, sometimes locally sourced, (on this occasion Mallinsons, Summer Wine, and Copper Dragon) but in good condition and cheap at £2.10 a pint. The pub was the busiest we visited so they must be doing something right.

Then it was time to venture into the unknown and sample those near the Kingsgate centre, which are usually the haunt of students. Herberts Bar is on Cross Church St, and used to be the Minstrel in my day, but has been totally revamped into a cafe bar with stripped back bare walls and wooden furniture. 3 hand pulls were on offer, Taylors, Deuchars and a guest from Brass Monkey, with bottles of Brew Dog in the fridge. Again, a swift half and onwards. The Lord Wilson at the bottom of King St is a Wetherspoons outlet, with 3 basic beers on offer, and due to the slow service we gave up and went elsewhere. We put our head around the door of the Warehouse, on Zetland St and were surprised to see a draught beer on offer, Pedigree being available, but we did not linger. Likewise at the Varsity next door, but they had a bigger range with Taylors, Pedigree and Dogs B*llocks on the pumps there.

Next stop was the strangely named Rhubarb, but better known to us geriatrics as the first Yates, on the ring road across from the university. This is another pleasant conversion, and is light and airy, with a central bar and seating around the outside. There are 6 beers available here, but strangely 3 clips were turned round, and since Tim's Law applied, the beer we wanted was one of those. However, Golden Pippin, Golden Sheep and a Phoenix beer were available, and what we tried were in good condition.

Next stop was the Albert, which we reached by way of the steps from Queensgate, on Victoria Lane.The pub still has all its old character, but only standard beers on offer, so another swift exit to the County on Princess St at the side of Wilkinsons. This was another busy pub, again with a cheap food menu, but with a bar man, who would have won no prizes in a customer service contest, begrudgingly pulling our halves of Hobgobin and Pedigree. Again, Golden Pippin was on offer as well. We skipped the Commercial on New St, the clientele outside putting us off what may have been an excellent Sam Smiths but we never found out. Both the pumps in Molly Malone's in Albion St were turned round, and a quick call in the Plumbers where we had hoped for better, just revealed 2 pumps, John Smiths and Theakstons, which was off, so we said thanks but no thanks. And returned to the bus station.

Our wander round was very much like the curate's egg, good in parts, but I must say that although I may visit the occasional one again, it seems unlikely I will be revisiting many in the near future. It did, however, give us an idea what else was on offer in the Town Centre and gave a pointer as to where to while away some time if her indoors goes shopping in Kingsgate. A useful, but not all together, successful experience. Thankfully we ended the tour at the Grove, where we found the usual selection of interesting and well kept beers, and no Golden Pippin in sight !

It shouldn't work but it does !

2011-11-27T09:06:00.001Z

After having my fill of the beers on the festival bar at the Star Festival, I went down yesterday in the hope that things had changed on the bar, and how they had changed. Since I left on Friday, all but two of the 9 beers on the bar were different, and provided a great contrast in taste and style, from traditional dark beers, to vanilla porters, from spiced ale to best bitters, and there were two of the best beers I had had in some time lurking there.

Firstly there was Pictish 'Starkers', a 4.5%, festival special. Light and clean, hoppy but balanced, my sort of beer and a really stunning effort. It was going to take some beating, but.....I know I have written before that I am not really a fan of brewers messing about with beer; to me beer should be beer, malt and hops and all. I usually prefer ginger, vanilla and the like to be in my food, not in my drink. However, after coming across Church End 'Lemon, Lime and Chilli' I may have to make an exception. It was 5%, so had plenty of strength as a background for the flavours, and the hit of citrus in the beer was superb, it did mask the hops in the beer to some degree but made for a most refreshing taste, and a super palette cleanser.

Chilli seems to be the thing to add to beer at the moment, but usually in a darker brew. This was light, and the chilli was just a very subtle background flavour, and just hit the back of throat without overpowering the taste which came predominantly from the balance of fruit flavours. It blended perfectly, I must admit, it was a beer for a warm summer's afternoon, not a wet and windy evening, but was certainly my beer of the festival.

Star Festival - the review

2011-11-24T08:23:00.001Z

At least this year the Star Winter Festival went ahead without the deep covering of snow that greeted last years, which was a great plus for everyone, staff and customers alike. At 5pm the usual crowd of the usual suspects were snaking down Albert St awaiting the doors opening. And as usual everyone had his or her own agenda, whether it be local beers, new breweries, halves or pints, and soon the marquee was filling with punters.

For those who have been to the festivals here before the system was the tried and trusted one, 46 beers in the marquee bar, and 10 ever changing on the main bar. The only problem being where to start. There were plenty of beers to cater for all tastes, from light and hoppy, to dark and fruity, coming from breweries near and far, new ones and old favourites. I have a system at the festivals here, allegedly, so I started with Mallinsons ' Kiwi Classic Extra' at 4.4%. A good start, a beer packed with New Zealand hops.

Then it was time to hunt down some new breweries. Field Marshall, from Hull's Wellington Inn was next, a dark bitter, lacking a hop bite in my opinion followed by Brewshed's (from Bury St Edmunds) 'Best Bitter' which did what it said on the clip, but again lacked something. The next two beers were stronger and both were IPA's, the first from Scotland, Barneys of Falkirk weighed in at 5.3%, and Shottle Farm from Derbyshire, was 4.5%. Both beers were decent examples of the style, but neither really hit the spot for me. Back to the old favourites, and Pictish. Their 'Startled' at 4.2% certainly did not skimp on the hops, and tasted like I had hoped. The real star of the show from what I drank however, was 'Hylda's Flycatcher' from North Riding in Scarborough who are rapidly becoming one of my favourite breweries. It was full of flavour and hop character, and a sensible drinking strength at 4.2%.

Of course, there are plenty of beers still to sample, and I still have to visit the dark side, but I heard good things about Boggart 'Walnut Porter', which sounds weird, but tastes good. Mallinsons 'Hot or Not?' was a chilli chocolate beer, apparently more chocolate than chilli. Two Roses ' Glorious' had its supporters, as did OMB ' Decaduck' and both are on my list for tonight.

This is only my opinion so get down and try some of the beers, you may think differently. As I said, there is beer for every taste and Sam has done a fine job in sourcing so many interesting ones that are rare to these parts. And if cheese or pickles or chocolate are your thing, then they are there as well. Looks like another Star success .

Star Inn Winter Festival List 2011

2011-11-22T20:15:00.001Z

Starts 5pm Wednesday and 5pm Thursday, all day (1200) Friday, Saturday, Sunday

Marquee beers

Mallinsons - Kiwi Classic Extra - 4.4%
Ilkley - Mary Christmas - 4.7%
Brightside - Solstice - 4.8%
Mallinsons - Hot or Not - 4.1%
North Riding - Neilsons Sauvin - 3.7%
OMB - Decaduck - 3.6%
Blackwater - Pre Raphelite - 4.5%
Brew Co - Cinnamon Coffee Porter - 3.9%
Wellington Inn - Field Marshall - 3.8%
North Riding - Hylda's Flycatcher - 4.2%
Boggart - Red Robin - 4%
Yard of Ale - Surtess Gold - 4%
Dancing Duck - Dark Drake - 4.5%
Wellington Inn - Eagle - 5%
Church End - Single Speed - 3.5%
Wharfebank - Nightshade - 4.9%
Cambrinus - Deliverance - 4.2%
Goose Eye - Ganders Guzzle - 4.2%
Flipside - Golden Sovereign - 4.2%
Enville - Cherry Gothic - 5.2%
Iceni - Saxon City - 3.8%
Liverpool Organic - Jade - 4.4%
Brew Shed - Best Bitter - 4.3%
Flowerpots - Bates Better Bitter - 4.3%
Crown - Chilli Stout - 5%
Flowerpots - Cheriton Porter - 4.2%
Crown - Primrose Pale - 4.6%
Wharfebank - VPA - 3.6%
Boggart - Walnut Porter - 5%
Milton - Prometheus - 6%
Barneys - Jaggery IPA - 5.3%
Wincle - Wibbly Wallaby - 4.4%
Brew Co - Cascadia -4.3%
Yorkshire Dales - Worton Warrior - 3.9%
Piddle - Thunderbox - 4.5%
Pictish - Startled - 4.2%
Brew Co - Showdown IPA - 4.8%
Maypole - Little Weed - 3.8%
Bank Top - Piet Heyn - 3.9%
Shottle Farm - IPA
Two Roses - Glorious - 4%
Gates Burton - Reservoir Premium - 4.6%
Worthington - Winter Shield - 4.5%
Elland - Beyond The Paler - 4.2%
Goose Eye - Into The Abyss - 4.2%
Junction - Runaway Train - 3.9%

On the inside bar (not all on at once but ever changing)

Magic Rock - Curious NZ - 3.9%
Brew co - Starburst - 4.3%
Abbeydale- Dr Morton's Rubrication - 4.0%
Pictish - Starkers - 4.5%
East London - Foundation - 4.0%
Southport - Dark Night - 3.9%
Black Hole - Metropolis - 5%
Wincle - Undertaker - 4.5%
Piddle - Jimmy Riddle - 3.7%
Adnams - Spiced Winter - 4%
Adnams - Old Ale - 4.1%
Worsthorne - Old Trout - 4.5%
Brightside - Darkside Stout - 4.5%
Yorkshire Dales - Isles Best - 4.4%
Fulstow - Autumn Gold - 3.7%
Kellham Island - Stockwell Rock - 4%
Prospect - Pickaxe - 5%
Flipside - Flippin' Best - 4.6%
Church End -Lemon, Lime and Chilli - 5%
Liverpool Organic - Empire - 5.3%
Cambrinus - Endurance - 4.3%
Botanist - Humulus Lupulus - 3.8%
By The Horns - Pale Ale -
Roosters - Jaks - 3.9%
Leyden - Christmas Cracker - 3.7%

Farewell Innspeak

2011-11-22T08:04:00.001Z

One of the things that you could be confident of finding lying about in local pubs was a copy of 'Innspeak', the little magazine that was full of tit-bits of beer, quizzes, jokes and reviews. I had not seen one about for a couple of months admittedly, and when I discovered one in a local pub hidden under a pile of other stuff it explained why.

Sadly due to the editor John Gray's ill health he has had to stop publishing it, September's being the last issue. It first came out in September 1993 in a newspaper style and lately has been a glossy A5 magazine. I, for one, will miss it. Thanks to John for all his efforts over the years. Just hope some one else sees fit to take up his mantle.

However - just as I find a copy saying that the September issue will be the last one, I get an e mail from the 'Bloke from Hull' telling me that he is reading the November issue. Seems that the demise of Innspeak may have been premature, will keep you posted.
Seems I was wrong, I have just got my hands on the November issue, so despite rumours to the contrary it seems to be going strong. Long may it continue !

Some Like it Strong

2011-11-21T08:15:00.001Z

Yesterday I made my usual Sunday trip to the Grove, with the intention of checking out the Magic Rock 'Curious NZ', to see if my expectations for the beer could be met. Fortunately it was still on the bar, and lived up to everything I had hoped for; a wonderful blend of New Zealand hops made a very flavoursome, very drinkable session beer. I found it more to my taste than the usual 'Curious' (made with American hops) which I find a little harsh in comparison now, but there again that is just my opinion, both are excellent beers from an excellent brewery. The problem came when trying to work out what to try next !

I know the Grove often sells strong beers, but this time all the beers I fancied were super strong, thankfully they do serve thirds so I could manage a few without causing myself too much harm. Dark Star 'Oktoberfest' was there, but not really to my taste, the blend of German malts being a bit overpowering for me. Better was the Marble/North Bar collaboration 'Little Jim', this weighed in at 6.9%, so was hardly a session beer. However, recent Marble beers have not really hit the spot, and after the initial taste promising much it turned into something a little ordinary despite its strength. I followed this with the slightly less weighty Buxton 'High Tor', a 6.3% red ale. Red ale is not my favourite style of beer, often finding the malts overtaking the hop flavours, and sadly I found this to be the case here. Lots of strength in a beer was proving that lots of great taste does not necessarily follow. But then I found the perfect antidote to all the malty beers I had come across.

One of my favourite breweries of recent times is Redwillow from Cheshire, never afraid to experiment, they have made some weird and wonderful beers, one of their best was 'Faithless VII' which was a wheat beer, the version I sampled being dry hopped. This time it was the bog standard version, and it was exceptional. 7.9% is a high strength for a wheat beer, but this time the strength is not compromised by the taste. Everything I want in a wheat beer, and more, a superb way to end a session of thirds. All that left me was a Thornbridge/Kernal collaboration at 7.2% to sample at a more sensible time. Guess where I will be this afternoon !

The Star Winter Festival Approaches

2011-11-18T08:38:00.001Z

Just in case it had slipped your mind, the Star Inn Winter Beer Festival will be opening its doors next Wednesday evening. The set up will be same as usual for those who have visited before, and if you haven't you have missed one of the best pub festivals around.

There will be 46 beers available in the marquee with an ever changing list on the 10 handpulls on the bar as well. Open from 5pm on Wednesday and Thursday and all day Friday, Saturday and Sunday, it is a great place to find those rare beers, bump into old friends and generally pass a few days of your life. We will be there, hope you will too. Just hope the weather is better than last time, unless you like snow of course!

Slaithwaite Moonraker Festival

2011-11-18T08:12:00.001Z

This weekend sees the annual Moonraker Festival at Slaithwaite. It will be on Friday from 6pm and all day Saturday starting at noon at the Slaithwaite Conservative Club on Britannia Road. If previous festivals there are anything to go by it is a good place to while away a few hours in good company with a good selection of beers to choose from.

This year their provisional beer list shows plenty of interesting stuff. With beers from near and far, there should be something for everyone's taste. Local breweries, Magic Rock, Riverhead, Milltown, Empire and Golcar are all making appearances along with Fuzzy Duck and Robinsons from the other side of the Pennines. From further afield there are beers from Dorset Piddle, Goffs, Tring, and Oxfordshire. There is also a chance to sample the 'Curious NZ' from Magic Rock and even a rare barrel of Halifax Steam 'Jamaica Ginger' that has escaped the brewery. Seems like a chance not to be missed.

One to look out for this weekend

2011-11-18T07:53:00.001Z

If you are out and about this weekend one beer to look out for is Magic Rock 'Curious NZ'. The guys at Magic Rock have decided to brew their 3.9% session beer a bit differently. Usually it is made with American hops and pretty good it is too, but this time they have changed the hops and used those from New Zealand to flavour the beer. Knowing their track record, and the what New Zealand hops bring to a beer I am expecting great things from them.

It is easily recognisable by its green pump clip, and I have seen it on several beer lists. York Station Tap has had it, it has turned up in London too, but closer to home it is on the taunting pole at The Grove. Just hope that it is still about when I can get back there, sounds like one of those 'must drink' beers. I will let you know.

Yorkshire Cider of the Year

2011-11-16T07:44:00.001Z

Not only does Huddersfield produce some of the best beer about but it has now triumphed in the cider field as well (or should that be orchard!).

Yorkshire's 'Cider of the Year 2011' has been named as 'Udders Orchard - 'Whisky Cask Cider'.

You can congratulate Dave Kendal-Smith in person for his achievement when the award is presented this Sunday (20th) in The Rat & Ratchet, Chapel Hill, Huddersfield at 3.30pm.

Wakey festival thoughts

2011-11-12T07:22:00.001Z

Add caption

The 11th day of the 11th month of 2011, was once of those days that doesn't come around very often, (don't ask me, I am no mathematician !), so it was just a question of where to be at 11;11 on the day. Since Wakefield Beer Festival opened its doors at 11;02 (it was Rembrance Day after all) it seemed a good a place as any to mark the event.

For the last few years it has been held at the Light Waves centre, convenient for the bus station, and with a large sports hall converted for to beer hall for the weekend. There was plenty of seating in the hall with the beer stillaged around the outside. Most beer was served direct from the cask, with some on handpull. My only problem with the venue is the lack of toilets which does become more crucial as the session wears on. Being a Camra run festival did mean that beer was served in thirds, as well as pints and halves so it gave the opportunity to sample plenty of the beers on offer. They were reasonably priced, most being £2.60 a pint.

Armed with a glass, and a list, I set about trying some of the new breweries that had previously eluded me. First up was Cap House. Based in Batley but with connections to the Reindeer at Overton, I always managed to miss them at previous festivals, and had heard good things about them. 'Miner's a Pint' was a good introduction to their range, a nicely balanced session beer, followed by 'Love At First Brew', a more traditionally English style beer but quite acceptable. Big River from Brough was next up, with their 3.5%,'Ropewalk', another decent session beer for its strength, and my third new brewery was Brass Castle from Pocklington with their refreshing 'Cliff Hanger'. Three new breweries and all brewing good beer, things were looking hopeful for the rest of the session.

It was then down to selecting beers that were new to me. Most of the beer on offer was from fairly local breweries and many I had previously encountered so that narrowed my choice down a bit but Foxfield had sent a couple down and their 'Blurred Encounter' was another good beer from a brewery who always impress me. I rarely see anything from their sister brewery, Tiger Tops, brewed in Flanshaw, so I tried a couple of theirs, 'Orange Order' with real orange peel did not really do it for me, but 'Black Arts' at 4.5% packed a lot of flavour into a beer that leaned more towards a black bitter than a porter or stout. I had never managed to sample Sportsman 'Beautiful Blue' before but I found it too thin for my liking, with little hop flavour. It was time to stop experimenting and find something I knew I would like. Mallinsons 'Take Your Aim' was what I expected, pale and plenty of hops; Dark Tribe 'Captain Floyd' a traditional English bitter; and East Coast 'Hoppers no18' was full of Cascade hop bitterness.

From my point of view, the star brewery of the show was 'North Riding' brewery from the pub of the same name in Scarborough. 'Maori Magic' set the tone, with its blend of New Zealand hops, but my beer of the festival was their 'Neilson Sauvin'. Only 3.7% but it showcased the use of the hop superbly and left me wanting more. So instead of trying another new beer, that was where I finished, with another. For a fairly new brewery it was excellent, the best example of a Nelson beer I have ever had, and that is some praise.

As always, Wakefield Camra, put on a good festival, and it is good to meet up with old friends. I was a little concerned when I saw the list, but with a couple of exceptions it showcased what excellent breweries we have in Yorkshire, and what superb beer they brew. Long may it continue.

Brambles Opens its Doors

2011-11-08T07:56:00.002Z

Holmfirth has been one of those places I rarely visit, especially for beer. I have found the pubs there uninspiring and the beer range equally so. However when I heard The White Hart had closed and been taken over by Jonny Holmes, late of the Swan and Commercial at Slaithwaite, I hoped for better things, and a trip up there to check it out proved I was right, Holmfirth now has a pub to be proud of.

It is situated in a prime position in the town, just across from the bus station and a small car park, ideally placed to take advantage of the hordes of trippers who come to the town.

It actually opened its doors for business last week after a complete refit and renovation, but I thought I would give it a few days before I visited. I cannot remember the pub in its old state, but can recall it was not the sort of place I would want to drink, Jonny has changed all that. It is now called 'Brambles' and has the feel of a cafe bar rather than a pub. Outside it looks welcoming, and inside does nothing to dispel that. It is light and airy, plenty of glass and steel, and exposed stone walls in some parts reinforce the contemporary feel. The decor is sympathetic and understated but just adds to the ambience of the place. It is a large space that is naturally divided into different areas, with plenty of seating and small tables geared up to cater for all sorts of tastes.

I called in around midday, and it was fairly full already with a mixture of people, either drinking, drinking coffee, or sampling the food. I discovered it opened at 10am, and according to Jonny does good business from the time the doors open. Most of the early trade come in for coffee, but the food and drink picks up during the day. The food menu is interesting and different and from what I saw coming out of the kitchen looked and smelled superb. The central bar serves 8 real ales, one house beer from Empire on my visit, and others from Phoenix, Brew Co, Milltown, and Great Newsome, that were reasonably priced and in good nick. There is a selection of lagers and foreign beers available too.

All in all, this is what Holmfirth has been lacking for years, and is a great credit to Jonny and his team, I can only see it going from strength to strength as word gets about. I will certainly be returning before long.

Another excuse to visit York!

2011-11-07T08:25:00.000Z

Not that you really need an excuse to visit one of the most beautiful cities in the North, but next week (Wednesday 16th November to be precise) sees the long awaited opening of the 'York Tap'. The bar is at the railway station, so is handily placed to attract passengers, as well as those dedicated souls who make the journey purely to visit the pub. It is housed in the old tearoom at the station that dates back over a century and has been renovated, but retains its stained glass and skylights which will be on public view for the first time in years.

But enough of the history, what about the beer? Those of us who have visited the group's other three pubs will know roughly what to expect but not to the extent of what 'The York Tap' intends. 32 beer taps are promised on the circular central bar with 18 dedicated to 'real ale'. But not just any real ale. The owners promise plenty of interesting beers from interesting breweries. Already in the pipeline are specials from Ilkley brewery, and Magic Rock who are brewing a version of 'High Wire' with New Zealand hops. There will be other rare beers too, with collaboration beers from Thornbridge with both Kernal and Dark Star, plus beers from Hardknott, Tempest and Black Isle. There are even beers promised that will be brewed exclusively for the pub by some of the best brewers around.

If you are a lover of the foreign stuff then you are catered for too with fonts dedicated to 12 of the best the world has to offer, with American and Belgian beers both featuring as well as a massive range of bottles. No doubt a trip across will be in order very soon, it may even be one of those occasions where I never even leave the station - it might even be worth the train being delayed! (website)

Manchester - the good and not so good

2011-11-05T08:12:00.000Z

Manchester is somewhere I have always found to be a good drinking city, and for some reason, somewhere that I have not been round for a while, so yesterday, myself and 'The Train' decided that a revisit was in order.

Our trip started at the Microbar, in the Arndale Centre. It opens at 11am and is a good place to while away a few minutes a work out a plan of campaign for the rest of the day. Ridgeside 'Stargazer' was the choice of beer here, from the three available, and set the day off well. It is easy to go down to the Northern quarter from here but we decided to leave that till later, and set off towards Salford. A swift half of Stonehenge ' Eyeopener' in the Bank, at the back of Piccadilly Gardens, (part of the Nicholsons chain) and then a short bus ride on the no3 Freebus took us to Salford Central.

A short walk up the road and we were in the New Oxford. This has always been one of my favourite pubs, both for ticks and atmosphere. The atmosphere was still there, and the craic, and the eclectic juke box,but the ticks were missing. Out of 12 beers only 2 were new to us, and neither of these would be classed as exciting, the rest of the beer range was ordinary, but maybe we had just chosen a bad day to visit. However, this gave us more time to explore elsewhere.

Next on the list was the 'Mark Addy', a pub I had visited before just after it had opened earlier in the year, and one we had heard good things about. It is a few minutes walk from the Oxford up the road from Salford Central station towards Manchester on Bridge St, on the right down some stairs, overlooking the river. It was busy when we arrived, with plenty of people eating and sampling the 6 beers on the bar, (well actually 3 as they were running off rapidly). Here, an IPA from Allgates was the choice, hoping something interesting may appear from the taunting pole to fill the gaps. Unluckily for us, they didn't, so it was back out into Bridge St and our next pub.

It is easy to miss the 'Gas Lamp' (50a Bridge St), which is another downstairs pub on the right, with just the small entrance visible from the street. The pub itself is small, but comfortable, with the white tiled walls giving it the feel of a public toilet to some extent, but it was not the worse for that. Here there are 2 beers but we could not complain about the choice with a beer from Geeves and Brodies 'Californian IPA' on the bar. It was one of the beers of the day, a proper Ipa but a bit expensive at £3.80 a pint.

Back into the daylight, and a short ride took us to the northern quarter. First stop was the 'Angel'. This is a pub I cannot make my mind up about. The beer range is ok, but was not exciting yesterday, but it often gets beer from unusual breweries so is worth a call. Here I tried 'Saddleworth Mild', in good nick, but hardly mind blowing. Next was the 'Smithfield' in Swan St. Again a pub that used to be a must visit. Not any more. Even though the place has been decorated, and lost its smell of chip fat, (the kitchen has been made into a seating area), the beer range was average, and the clientele left a lot to be desired. Never mind, we may fare better across the road in the Bar Fringe. But no, another iconic pub for tickers that seems to have gone down to the average beer range. Another swift half and onwards. I did find a cask from the long defunct 'Kitchen' brewery hiding in the beer garden though !

The 'City Arms' on Oldham St did not detain us, their 3 beers not required, and on to the 'Castle' across the street. This is the only Robinsons outlet in the city centre, and has been recently and tastefully, refurbished. Plenty of rooms at the back of the front bar gives the feel of a tardis, and with the full range of Robbys beers on offer we settled with a couple of their specials.

One pub I had not visited but was keen to do so was the 'Port Street Beer House' a mere stones throw from Piccadilly Gardens. I had heard great things about the place, it only drawback is is 4pm opening during the week. The doors duly opened and we were greeted with a range of beer to gladden the heart of any beer drinker. It was just a problem of what to choose from the 8 on offer. I went for Hardknott 'Atomic Narcissus' and East London 'Foundation' - both beers rare around our part of the world, and both in excellent form, although not cheap. The only drawback in the place are the toilets, 3 storeys up ! not so good if you had a few. It is only a 5 minute walk back to Piccadilly station from the pub, so is a good place to finish a wander about before catching a train.

It was quite an eye opener. Some of the pubs I had previously considered 'must visit' places had fallen down the pecking order, to be replaced by other, newer pubs. But, nevertheless, Manchester is still worth a visit, I will be back before too long to sample them again.

Beer is a personal thing

2011-11-04T08:29:00.000Z

Reading the comments on the previous post made me think a bit. We all have our own likes and dislikes in all sorts of things, and beer is no different. What Leigh liked, Alison didn't and vice versa, and neither agreed with the vote of the festival which selected a totally different beer.

People who know me know that my preferred sort of beer is a light, hoppy number, even though I do try all sorts of styles. Is that down to my upbringing, where I live, or is it just me ? I can discount the first, I was brought up drinking keg Bass products, or the odd pint of Tetleys. so that has hardly set up an interest in hops. Maybe where I live has been a factor. We are lucky to live in Huddersfield where there is a great choice of all sorts of beers from all sorts of breweries to keep us entertained, but this is a fairly recent development. Would the same have happened if I had been brought up in deepest Dorset, or on a Scottish island ? I doubt it.

This was reinforced by a chance conversation with a friend from the former, who likes the darker, maltier beers because that is what he was used to in his youth He spends his time trying to find them on our local bars, preferring to drink bottled beers rather than hoppy beer if his search is unsuccessful. If I go down south, then I am sure I would be spending time trying, probably equally unsuccessfully, to find something to my taste.

Another factor could be the taste of our favoured brewery. If the brewer favours light beer it seems we, as the consumer will be treated to light beers, or alternatively if he,or she goes for the more malty beers our taste will reflect that too. Of course, the more pubs available, the more different choice available. So obviously, the less number of pubs, the less choice. In a village of one pub we are only treated to what the pub owner, or the owning company think we will drink, or what is available from their list, so we are forced to drink their choice, or travel to another pub.

Or may be it is personal taste. Does a light beer suit my palette better than a dark beer? Who knows? All I know is that those people who chose Boggart 'Rum Porter' as the beer of Huddersfield Festival must have different tastes to me, I cannot stand the stuff.

It looks like a great subject for a Ph.D, and I am sure there is no definitive answer. Some people are happy to drink the same beer day after day, without any complaint; others like to change beers every pint; and there are even people out there, (they must be aliens or just not blessed with any sort of taste) that drink lager. All I can say, drink what you like,so long as it keeps the pub's till full, and your pub open.

Beers of the Festival - Huddersfield

2011-10-31T07:45:00.001Z

For those of you who have been unable to sleep without knowing the results of the beer of the festival at the recent Huddersfield Oktoberfest, I can now put you out of your misery.

Mild - North Riding Brewery - Fat Lads Mild
Bitter - Mallinsons - Citra
Strong - Summer Wine - 7Cs of Rye
Stout/Porter - Boggart - Rum Porter
Speciality - Ascot - Oktoberfest
Cider - Udders Orchard - Whisky Cask
'Charlie' Award for Beer of The Festival - Boggart - Rum Porter

An interesting selection I must admit, and not quite what I would have chosen, but there again, each to his own.

Pictish does it again

2011-10-30T09:12:00.001Z

As regular readers will know I have a soft spot for Pictish brewery, almost everything they brew hits the spot with me and this this weekend I have been treated to three of their classics.

Their 'Brewers Gold' is always on at The Star, and often at other pubs in town as well and a the moment is in exceptional form. Since it is there all the time, I usually overlook it but after several encouraging comments I tried some and realised what I had been missing, a real winner. A single hop beer that many breweries brew, no one has reached the peak that Richard Sutton has achieved with his version. The same can be true of his 'Sauvin Blanc' that appeared on the bar at The Rat & Ratchet on Friday. Another single hopped beer, this time with Nelson Sauvin, it weighs in at 4.8%, slightly higher than the usual strength of session beers but this is a beer that just demands another,and another...you get the picture. It is not a typical Nelson beer, but uses the hop with more subtlety and with an appealing malt background to make a rounded beer with less harshness than is often the case with New Zealand hops.

This was followed on Saturday by their 'Stella' in the Star. Another light beer with a pleasant hop character, and another single hop variety beer. I must admit, I have never knowingly come across the hop before, but I will certainly be searching it out again. This time a more quaffable strength of 4.2% and again very moreish.The way Pictish use their hops never ceases to amaze and intrigue me, and this time I found a pleasant bitterness, but underscored with sweetness and again a very rounded beer. The hop itself does not possess the aggressive citrus notes often found in Southern hemisphere hops, coming from Australia rather than New Zealand, although still high in alpha acid at 15%. It gives a flowery, rather than fruity taste, but is none the worse for than. Definitely one to look out for in the future. It does have a drawback through, you feel a right prat ordering a pint of 'Stella', it goes completely against the the grain ! Nevertheless, guess what I will be drinking this afternoon ?!!!!

Sheps Festival this Weekend

2011-10-26T07:54:00.005+01:00

A local festival that seems to have slipped under the radar opens this Thursday (27th) and runs through till Monday (31st) at The Shepherds Boy, on Huddersfield Road, Dewsbury. Thanks to 'Bloke from Hull', firstly for reminding me about it and secondly for providing a preview of the list.

If you don't know it, the pub is one of the Ossett chain, and stands by itself on Huddersfield Road, about half a mile from Dewsbury centre and is well served by bus if you don't fancy the walk. It is worth a call at any time, but the additional beers added for this festival makes it even more appealing.

The beer list is very Yorkshire biased, only two coming from over the border to break the monopoly, and is a mixture of old and new. No new breweries but plenty of beers to suit every taste. It promises the first appearance of the new Rat beer, 'Ratcatcher', and seasonals from Bradfield, Phoenix, Dr Mortons and Revolutions, (Bradfield 'Poppy Ale', is the best beer they brew in my opinion), and plenty of other old favourites to whet the appetite. It is well worth an afternoon of anyone's time to call and check out.

An excuse to take the kids out

2011-10-24T08:09:00.001+01:00

As those of you with children will know, this week is half term, another week when the delightful little creatures should be at school and aren't and will spend the week getting under your feet. I have a suggestion that may help, and possibly win you some brownie points into the process from 'er indoors.

Why not suggest a trip to Blackpool ?

I know, you think I have finally lost the plot. But bear with me. Leave the little darlings somewhere in Blackpool, I would suggest chained to some railings or the like, and get yourself down to the beer festival at 'The Shovels'. The pub is down the South end of the town, on the B5261, Common Edge Road, which is not far from Squires Gate airport, and easily accessible from the Town Centre by bus. Its yearly beer festivals are legendary, and one of those must visit events in the beer ticking calendar. There are loads of beers on offer, and having seen a beer list, plenty from breweries I have never heard of, coming from near and far. Not all are on together but the selection there should guarantee something unusual whichever day you go. The festival runs all day, all week so there is plenty of opportunity to make the necessary arrangements. You will not be disappointed

If you cannot make it this week then add the pub to your memory bank for places to visit next time you venture to the West Coast. It usually has half a dozen beers on offer, at sensible prices, and a large food menu, and is a vast improvement on the rest of the pubs in the town, even if it is a bit off the beaten track.

Just a hint if you do intend to go, and are travelling from Huddersfield by train, go via Halifax. The train is direct and is cheaper than changing in Manchester, and there is not much in journey times.

Look out for Conwy

2011-10-23T08:31:00.007+01:00

A chance chat with one of our local club representatives revealed an interesting snippet of information over the weekend. Conwy Brewery of North Wales are intending to make deliveries themselves into the West Yorkshire area, presumably instead of having their beer delivered direct from wholesalers. Not very exciting you may say, but have you tried their beer?

As the name suggests, they are a brewery from Conwy, (or Conway to those of us who prefer to speak English and not sound as though we are gargling as we hold a conversation!), and started brewing in 2003 on a 5.5 barrel plant. Success soon followed and they moved premises in 2007 and increased their plant to 12 barrels. They are a regular supplier to the 'Monkey Club' at Armitage Bridge, so you can guess who gave me the story. Their beers are usually well received there and if they are going to deliver direct, no doubt their beers will appear more often on our local bars.

Their output is generally regulars rather than specials and the ones that I have tried have always been excellent. 'Clogwyn Gold' is 3.6% , and is an easy drinking session beer, well balanced and golden in colour, obviously. 'Welsh Pride' is 4.0%, and has more of a citrus, hoppy zing to it. Their 'Cwrw Mel' is one of the better honey beers around, clean tasting rather than 'sticky', and at 4.5% it has enough strength to bring out the subtle flavours of the honey in the background. The real star of the their portfolio is 'Shipwrecked IPA', at 5% not over strong, but again with a good balance of hop and malt, and being triple hopped with Goldings it is far too drinkable. One is never enough.

I am not really a fan of Welsh beer, breweries like Brains and Felinfoel do very little for me, but North Wales breweries seem to have got it right, and Conwy seem to be in the vanguard. It will be good to see it more readily available in our area.

Bloody electronics

2011-10-21T10:08:00.001+01:00

In case I don't get chance again, I apologise in advance for the lack of blogs that may occur in the near future. My lap top has developed a mind of its own and may have to go to the lap top hospital to be made well again. Some days it works perfectly, other days not at all. Will try and manage the best I can for as long as I can, but if you don't hear from me for a bit, I haven't fallen out with 'A Swift One', just been hijacked by technology. Timbo

Another Coup for The Grove

2011-10-17T08:20:00.003+01:00

As regular visitors to The Grove in Huddersfield will know they often have some interesting beers from unusual breweries on the bar. But not only that, they are able to source some fairly unique beers from more common breweries too. That was the case on Sunday.

I was a little disappointed when I ordered a pint of a new Marble beer and it ran off in front of me. However its replacement soon cheered me up. The Grove had managed to secure one of only 3 barrels made of a collaboration between Marble and Fullers breweries. The beer was called 'Old Manchester Ale' and weighed in at a hefty 7.2%. One of the other barrels is at the 'Marble Arch' and the last one at a beer festival in Holland, so the chances of catching up with it are pretty limited to say the least.

The beer itself showed all the talent of the brewers from two excellent breweries. It was chestnut in colour, and tasted like it says on the clip, a rich old ale, a style that seems to have gone out of favour recently. It was heavy and rich and warming, but despite the strength, not sweet, and very moreish, dangerously so. Well worth a call to check it out.

Also on the bar, was a dry hopped version of Thornbridge 'Kipling'. This again surprised me, but not in the way I expected. I really enjoy 'Kipling', with its mass of flavours from the use of New Zealand hops and I anticipated great things from the dry hopping. I was sadly disappointed. The dry hops used seemed to totally deaden the flavour of the original beer and what is usually a beer packed with taste had become very one dimensional sadly. But there again, you cannot win them all.

Huddersfield Beer Festival 2011

2011-10-14T08:19:00.000+01:00

Managing to drag myself away from the 'Spoons festival, last night I made it to the Huddersfield Beer Festival. The venue is one of the better Camra festival venues about, plenty of space and plenty of seating, with the beers racked at one end of the hall, and stalls, including one selling some of the most superb curries available at a festival, at the other.

The doors opened at 6pm and shortly after the usual suspects were gathered around their tables scanning the beer lists for the new and unusual on offer. And we were not disappointed. This years list had a bias towards the South East with plenty of beers that are rarely seen in Huddersfield, including some from London and a good selection of local beers to make up the numbers. There was a decent balance of the old and new too, for those who were not just tickers, but wanted to sample their favourite beer. Admission was £3, or £1 to Camra members, and beer prices were reasonable, at around £2.50 a pint. Beer was available in pints, halves or thirds, which made life a bit easy for those of us wanting to sample a larger selection (over 100 available in all). Cider drinkers were also well catered for with over 50 available.

So what did I find to drink. As usual, my first stop was a Mallinsons 'Munchies Mirlees Tale', (strange name!), and as usual they did not disappoint. A 3.8% beer full of Mallys hop flavours, giving the rest of the list plenty to live up to. It was then time to start sampling the Southern stuff. Abigale 'Samphire' was a typical Kentish beer, brownish and with no disernable hop character, but East London 'Pale Ale' was an excellent beer from a brewery that has only brewing a few weeks. If this is the standard of their other beers, then it looks like London has another great brewery. I followed up with offerings from Canterbury Brewers, and Canterbury Ales, both acceptable but neither outstanding; Botanist 'Humulus Lupulus' was a disappointment; I enjoyed Tonbridge 'Blonde Ambition' and Royal Tonbridge Wells 'Golden Ticket' was a good, stronger beer.

It was heartening to see the venue filling up during the evening, not, as I expected, with the usual local beer enthusiasts, but with plenty of young people, both male and female, eagerly trying out what was on offer, and just as enthusiastically talking about what they had sampled. They are the beer drinkers of the future, and those that will protect the efforts of the brewers into the next generation, I hope they were impressed.

Strangely, throughout the whole evening, I never sampled a dark beer, nor one from a local brewery except for my first, but there is always today to rectify that. Out of the small selection I tried, what was the best? Maybe the Mallinsons but Brodies 'Citra', a 3.1% beer from another superb London brewery ran it very close.

Just a word of thanks to Michael Robinson, the local Camra chairman, Rob Allen, and Carl Brabbiner, for their interesting beer selection, all the volunteers for their efforts in staging the festival, and all at the APNA venue for allowing it to be used.

Sorry there are no photos, but I have discovered it is usually better to charge the camera's batteries before trying to take pictures !!

How is the 'Spoons Fest Going

2011-10-13T09:06:00.005+01:00

Last Wednesday saw the start of the Autumn Wetherspoons Beer festival, and after a week plenty of beers have flowed through the pumps at their many outlets, but what have I found so far to whet my appetite ?

To be perfectly honest, not many have gripped me to the extent that I would go out of my way to get another pint, but that may be more a reflection of my taste than the beers on offer.

The festival is nationwide, and therefore is catering for more than just my taste, and I have found plenty of dark beers, and plenty of southern style beers, (which I have always considered to be more malty than hoppy, and more like a traditional style beer than something more innovative), however many I have tried have just not hit the spot and I have found it hard to distinguish between them.

Many of the breweries are what I would consider 'safe' breweries. Those that are well established and have been producing beer for years, such as Batemans or Banks & Taylor for example, and the drinker knows roughly what to expect; a decently crafted beer, but nothing out of the ordinary. Even some of the newer breweries have played it safe, Thornbridge 'Brother Rabbit' is on the list, a good beer, but one that has been around before, Oakleaf 'Ten Little Acorns' is similar, chestnut coloured and subtle rather than exciting, Double Maxim 'Andersons Best Scotch' likewise, but I suppose the clue was in the name !

Nevertheless, despite some disappointments, I have found some good beers in and amongst. Adnams 'American Style IPA' is well worth a try, with its blend of 5 American hops and citrus overtones;and St Austell 'Proper Black' holds up well with other black IPA's I have come across, (you can see a theme here can't you !). Roosters 'Last Stand', Sean Franklin's swan song, is excellent and reminds me what the more recent beers from the brewery have been lacking.

There are 5 beers brewed by American craft brewers, the one's I have sampled have been OK but again nothing special, except for one, and this is the beer that I consider to be the beer of the festival so far. Stone 'San Diego Session IPA' is a classic. Brewed at Wadworth, even though you would never guess, it is crammed with American hop taste, bitter but not astringent, with plenty of interesting flavours going on. Well worth hunting out and trying, and well worth £2 for the experience.

The festival is still running, and goes on until the 23rd October, so there is plenty of time to get out there and check out the beers, and for me to catch up with the ones I am missing.

Grove World Whisky Tour

2011-10-12T08:18:00.006+01:00

On Tuesday 25th October, the Grove will be hosting its version of a World Whisky Tour. For a £22 ticket you will be treated to 12 whiskies from around the world, along with tasting notes and food to complement them

Sportsman Halloween Extravaganza

2011-10-12T08:08:00.004+01:00

Over the weekend of Halloween the Sportsman are having a series of events to whet the appetite of any passing wizard, warlock or witch, and the odd interested beer drinker too.

It starts on Thursday 27th Oct when the jazz band, the Quarry Hill Hot Club are playing there, with their version of 'swinging gypsy jazz' inspired by Stefan Grappelli and Django Reinhardt .

If this is not your thing then why not try calling round on Saturday the 29th when funk band 'TBC' are making an appearance and Dangerous Dave will be spinning dancebeat, reggae, and dance hall (I cannot wait !).

In between, on Friday, and more in line with 'A Swift One', comes another beer and food evening with 10 beers of all different tastes and from different countries, complemented by home cooked food, no doubt with a beer theme knowing the Sportsman. It costs £20 a ticket, starts at 8pm and the tasting will be done in the cellar to give a proper Halloween feel to the occasion.

Seems like a good excuse to get the broomstick out and celebrate in style.

Yorkshire Dales Brewery

2011-10-08T08:30:00.004+01:00

One brewery that seems to have slipped through the net, when I have written about those that are not afraid to experiment or try something different, is the Yorkshire Dales brewery. They have been producing beers for 6 years now, from their 5 barrel plant in Askrigg in North Yorkshire. I will concede that their beers are not always easy to find but when I see them on a bar I always give them a try.

Their core range has beers to suit every taste, from a light easy drinking bitter ('Buckden Pike', which the brewery website describes as a blonde pilsner style ale, using Saaz hops), to smoked porter ('Garsdale Smokebox') via various other styles between. 'Buttertubs' is perhaps the most commonly seen and is a 3.7% golden beer with plenty of citrus flavours. This is also reflected in' Nappa Scar', which is stronger and brewed with three American hops. My favourite is 'Muker Silver', named in honour of the Muker Silver Band, and is brewed in the Helles style, to give a clean refreshing taste and plenty of taste.

In addition to their core range they produce plenty of specials and seasonals, and they are not afraid to try to make beers of all sorts. They do not always succeed but I cannot deny they are interesting. In the list of beers I have come across they have included Dunkels, Marzens, Rauchbiers, Porters, Stouts, Bocks and several single hopped beers. The only problem for the unwary drinker is that often the beer name gives little information as to what the beer in the glass will actually be, since they name many of their beers after features in the North Yorkshire landscape, so its a case of try it and see. I cannot say that I have enjoyed all their range but I do enjoy the variety they produce.

If you come across their distinctive pump clip on a bar, but are not sure whether to give it a go or not, try a half, it may lead to another, and another.....

Oktoberfest preview

2011-10-08T07:44:00.002+01:00

Next Thursday night sees the opening of the Huddersfield Oktoberfest at the regular venue of the Sikh Leisure Centre in Springwood, just on the far side of the car park behind the fire station.

Information received by ' A Swift One' leads us to believe that there will be the usual interesting selection of beers from our local breweries, with beers from all of them being available, with a mixture of their old favourites and some new beers to tempt the punters.

The major point of interest for me, at least, is the amount of beers sourced from Scotland and the South East. Many are new to the area and should give us chance to sample some of the newer breweries from Kent that are rarely seen north of the M25, along with some beers from the more unusual London brewers.
The Scottish representatives are also from some of the harder to find breweries and should make a good contrast with the Southern beers. There are even a few Welsh beers to tempt us.

Lovers of all styles,and strengths of beer are catered for, with plenty of milds and dark beers available, along with some weird and wonderful speciality beers, and lots of bitters to tempt the 'hop monsters' amongst us. There will also be a cider/perry bar with rare and unusual offerings there too.

The festival starts at 6pm on Thursday, (£3 entry,£1 with camra card) and runs from 1200 noon Friday and 11 00 am Saturday.

Give the Barge & Barrel a miss for a week or so

2011-10-07T07:47:00.002+01:00

Should you have had the Barge and Barrel, at Elland on your list of pubs to visit in the next week or so, I would cancel your trip, the pub will be closed between Monday 10th Oct 2011 and Friday 21st Oct 2011 for refurbishment, with a cost of an estimated 1/4 million pounds. No doubt our editorial team will make a call there when done to give their opinion of the new look.

Wetherspoons Festival Starts

2011-10-03T08:13:00.002+01:00

Wednesday sees the start of another Wetherspoons beer festival, which runs in all of their pubs until the 23rd October. The format is the usual tried and tested one, with their festival beers just replacing the beers usually on the bar, so all are cellar cooled and handpulled. The beer range is about 50, and covers every strength and style, so somewhere amongst the list there should be a beer for everyone - the problem is finding it!

Locally we have 'The Cherry Tree' with its 10 pumps, and the 'Lord Wilson' with its 3, but if you feel adventurous why not jump on a bus or a train and see what is on offer further afield. Leeds, Sheffield and Manchester all boast several outlets, all within easy walking distance of each other. Brighouse has the 'Richard Oastler', which in my opinion is one of their better pubs, both for beer range and quality, and for the building itself. Halifax has one too, and there are a couple in Bradford so there are plenty of chances to hunt down the beers you want.

The breweries represented are varied as well, and again some foreign brewers have come to our shores to brew their favourites on British plants. Some of the breweries are rarely seen in our part of the world, Brains, Wadworth, and Mordue for example; others are more common, Roosters and Moorhouses spring to mind but most of the beers are specially brewed for the festival, or are those more usually bottled.

So, if you get the chance, get out and about and see what you can find, who knows, you may even become a 'ticker' !

Macbeth Comes Good

2011-09-29T07:55:00.003+01:00

I have never really been a fan of Scottish beers. They have always been too malty and sweet for my liking, I know that has been the style of brewing from North of the Border, but it has rarely hit the spot with me, preferring my beers to have more hop flavours. There have been exceptions, Harviestoun seemed to buck the sweeter trend, and 'Bitter & Twisted' has always been one of my favourites, along with 'Schiehallion' but few other Scottish brewers seemed to take the hint. That is until recently, when a wave of excellent beers seem to have come down from the North to prove to us Sassenachs that their brewers can produce anything to equal the English.

I am not talking of Brewdog here, they have always been too hyped for my liking and although the odd beer in their portfolio has appealed, they have been few and far between. However in the last few months I have been able to sample some of the better, up and coming breweries that our local pubs have had on the bar, and my opinion of Scottish beer is gradually changing. No longer do they taste like porridge in a glass but some brewers have started to make use of foreign hops with amazing results.

Take 'Fyne', from Argyll, for example. Their 'Jarl' is a stunning beer for a 3.8% session beer, crammed full of hop flavours, and 'Avalanche' is 4.5% and packed with wonderful citrus taste. They can still turn their hand to the more malty, traditional stuff as well but these are well worth hunting out. Atlas 'Latitude' is another session bitter that appeals, maybe not as hoppy as Jarl but still a clean tasting beer with plenty of hop flavours in the background.

I have managed to catch up with some of the 'Highland' brewery range in the past few weeks (be careful not to confuse them with their fellow brewery on Orkney) and was particularly impressed by their 'Orkney IPA', at 4.8%, a dangerously drinkable beer. Not quite hoppy enough to be an IPA but very well balanced and full of hop and fruit background. Their 'Orkney Blast' is a 6% strong bitter, again with a rich hop background that cuts though the sweetness. I would have tried their 'Island Hopping' but that was so good that it flew off the bar before I could get to it.

The one brewery that I have been unable to sample yet is Tempest, but that will hopefully change in the next few days, as there are some of their range promised at The Grove. I have heard great things of this Kelso brewery, who do not appear to be scared to be innovative with their use of hops. I just hope that they meet my expectations.

Of course there are still plenty of Scottish breweries that brew their more traditional style beers, but gradually the tide may be turning, and their malty beers may be augmented with more hoppy ones, as new innovative breweries come on stream.

All I can say, is that is you see a beer from over the borders on a bar, give it a try, you may be surprised like I have been. Long may it continue.

Apologies

2011-09-29T07:13:00.002+01:00

Have heard from a few of our readers that they have had problems accessing the site in the recent past, this has been due to an unforeseen technical problem which we hope has been ironed out by our highly trained engineer. Apologies for any inconvenience this may have caused.

Get out and about this weekend

2011-09-26T08:03:00.003+01:00

This weekend sees two of the regions better CAMRA beer festivals, at Hull and Sheffield.

The Hull festival starts on Thursday, (12.00-1700,1700-2300), Friday (1200-1600,and ticket only at 1700) and Saturday (12.00-20.00), at the Mortimer Suite at Hull City Hall. The list looks a good one, showcasing two new local breweries, Wellington and Big River. There are plenty of other beers to whet the appetite of the ticker and plenty of ciders, no doubt ordered under the knowing eye of 'Bloke from Hull'. (List is on our Facebook page.)

The Sheffield festival again runs Thursday through till Saturday but 1200 till 2300 each day, with admission free at all but the Friday evening session for CAMRA members. The festival has a new home, no longer in a wet field near a cemetry but rather at Ponds Forge, on Sheaf Street just up the road from the station. I have yet to see the list for the festival but 200 plus beers are promised.

The Rat Brewery Comes On Stream

2011-09-25T08:11:00.000+01:00

Saturday saw the return of one of Huddersfield's iconic brewing names. Some of us who are old enough can recall Andy Moorhouse's 'Rat & Ratchet' brewery that closed when Andy sold the Rat to Ossett Brewery, so this was its rebirth, now simply called 'The Rat Brewery'.

As we have previously reported, Ossett have made great efforts to get both the brewery and the range of beers right and this was our chance to sample the fruits of their labours. I must admit a feeling of nostalgia walking down Chapel Hill and smelling the malts drifting up from the brewery, taking me back years. But enough of my ramblings, what of the beers?

There were five on offer, covering every style, and giving the packed pub chance to sample everything from weak to strong, and light to dark, in fact something to suit everyone's taste (except for the odd person, and I mean odd, drinking lager...at a brewery launch!!). The only beer not from the regular range was 'Lab Rat', a lightish coloured 4.6% beer, not overly hoppy but very drinkable, and well received according to comments I heard. 'Black Rat' was a 4.5% black beer,oddly enough, full of flavours from the four malts used, with just a hint of bitterness in the background .

'Brown Rat' is a typical English style bitter. Darker than some we are used to from the Ossett stable and tasting far more traditional, using English hops at 3.8%. The contrast with that and the 'White Rat' was very marked, as this is a very light coloured, aromatic and flavoursome beer. It is 4% and brewed with American hops to give a fresh, clean taste and a hoppy finish. The final choice was 'King Rat', 5% and full of Nelson Sauvin hops to give it a great hop hit but with a subtle maltiness behind it. All of the beer was on good form and all contrasted well with each other.

The well produced information leaflet gave details of the three core beers that were not featured at the launch. 'Dirty Rat' is a 3.5%, mild; 'Golden Rat' a 3.8% golden session bitter, and 'Rattus Rattus' a 4.3% German style wheat beer. No doubt they will appear on the bar in due course.

For details more details the post of 14th September incorporates the Ossett press release about the brewery.

It is great to see 'Rat' beers on the bar at the 'Rat' again and it is equally good to sample another brewery coming out of Huddersfield, which is rapidly becoming the brewing capital of the North. Long may it continue.

Rat & Ratchet Brewery Launch

2011-09-21T07:31:00.001+01:00

If you are at a loose end on Saturday afternoon about 4pm, we think we may have just the answer for you. The new Rat & Ratchet brewery will be having its launch at the pub about then. There are five of their beers promised on the bar, I am not sure which ones but think 'King Rat' and 'Black Rat' will make an appearance.

All are welcome to attend, and there will be some free beer too to whet your appetite. Why not give it a go, sounds better than shopping in B&Q !!

Good Beer Guide 2012

2011-09-18T09:10:00.003+01:00

It is that time of year again, when lots of drinkers around the country get really excited at the sight of the brown package dropping through their letterbox containing their copy of the new 'Good Beer Guide'. Mine duly arrived this week and a quick scan through it at the usual suspects showed no changes around my favourite drinking haunts. This year it seems to have been printed on better quality paper though. The brewery section has reached around 230 pages, about 25% of the guides content, and there is a section on the pubs that have been made 'Pub of the Year' by different Camra regions. But why do I feel it is time for a change?

Really it depends on your use of the beer guide. If you want a copy to carry about in your car (or canal boat!), it is ideal, giving you a heads up about pubs in areas unfamiliar to you. If you work in a pub and want to check on the provenance of that unusual brewery then again, I have no problem with it. It does what it sets out to do, and does it well. There is everything there that you want - area maps, opening times, bus routes and availability of food, and these are all things I have used in the past, and no doubt, will do again. But it is now just too bulky and possibly a victim of its own success.

It does not easily fit into any kind of pocket and constant use often breaks the spine leading to the pages becoming dislodged and scruffy, or even falling out. It is heavy to carry, and for those of us who like to travel light, it usually means taking a bigger bag.

Maybe it could be time to make the guide regional. A few years ago Cumbrian CAMRA produced a wonderful guide, based on the good beer guide but including more pubs and more details, in a pocket sized format that was spiral bound to prevent the spine breaking. It was handy enough to slip in your pocket and very easy to carry about.

So would it not be possible for CAMRA to produce regional guides, still containing all the relevant information, with town plans (how often do you see groups of enthusiasts with print outs from google wandering around town?), with local brewery information, and transport details to serve the itinerant enthusiast, whilst combining them into a large beer guide for home or car use should you want one for the whole country?

No doubt someone will say, why not get the mobile version, or get the e-book format, both will serve the purpose, but I am a dinosaur and prefer hard copy to add my own comments to the Guide. I am not being critical, I still find the guide a useful tool, I could just do with it more Timbo friendly!

Rat Brewing Again

2011-09-14T16:00:00.002+01:00

'Following an interval of seven years, brewing returns to the Rat and Ratchet pub in Huddersfield this September. The brand new plant will have a brew length of six brewers barrels (24 firkins), and with three fermenters the plant is capable of producing 72 firkins per week.

A range of seven core beers are to be produced, supplemented by special and one-off brews as demand dictates. The core beer range includes something for everyone:

Dirty Rat (Mild) 3.5% abv

Brown Rat (Brown Ale) 3.8% abv

Golden Rat (Golden Ale) 3.8% abv

White Rat (Extra Pale, Hoppy Ale) 4.0% abv

Rattus Rattus (Wheat Beer) 4.3% abv

Black Rat (Porter) 4.5% abv

King Rat (IPA) 5.0% abv

The Rat and Ratchet itself will be the primary outlet for the beers, with any excess being sold as guests through the rest of the Ossett pub estate as well as local free trade.

The pub was originally established as a brew-pub in 1994, however brewing had already ceased when Ossett Brewery bought the pub in 2004. In early 2011, with Ossett Brewery nearing full capacity, the Rat and Ratchet with its large and under-used cellars was identified as an ideal location for Ossett’s fourth brewing site.

The Rat joins Ossett Brewery (200 brewers barrels per week), Fernandes Brewery (12½ barrels per week) and the Riverhead Brewery (10 barrels) as the newest brewing site, with an initial capacity of 18 barrels per week. Future expansion to produce 120 firkins per week is possible should the need arise.

Under the supervision of Ossett Head Brewer, Paul Spencer, the Rat Brewery is run by a team of three working in rotation. Lisa Handforth, a Brewster who has worked at the Riverhead Brewery for two years prior to joining the Rat team; Graham Stead, who has been at Ossett Brewery since 2007 as part of the brewing team; and also Rob Allen who became Landlord of the Rat and Ratchet in 2010 and was one of the main drivers behind returning brewing to the pub.'

(Ossett Brewery Press Release - 08/09/11)

Happy Birthday Denis

2011-09-14T07:25:00.001+01:00

It is unusual for 'A Swift One' to do birthdays. But this Thursday sees the 70th birthday of one of the stalwarts of the Huddersfield drinking and jazz scene as Denis Simpson reaches the milestone in his usual unassuming manner. He wanted no fuss or bother. In fact he didn't really want anyone to know. So how could this momentous event be marked?

Well, obvious really. Mallinson's have brewed a beer to celebrate. So Denis, happy birthday from all your mates. Just hope you pass the day in the way you deserve - a nice quiet pub, jazz in the background, the Telegraph crossword at hand and a few ticks on the bar. You are one of the best!

It's getting like Masterchef!

2011-09-11T09:09:00.000+01:00

As regular readers may be aware, one of the things that does not really hit the spot with me is brewers messing about with beer. In my opinion, for what its worth, beer should be made of a combination of malt and hops, and things such as vanilla, mint, sage and chilli are better left in the kitchen. This weekend though, the more adventurous amongst you can try out a couple of attempts at mixing different tastes with beer and see what the brewers have come up with.

Visitors to The Grove can sample Thornbridge 'Summer Ale', nothing unusual about that you may say, until you read the pump clip and discover the beer is brewed with ginger and sage. Ginger blends well with beer, and many brewers brew their take on ginger beers, but to add sage as well....I know Thornbridge are an innovative brewery but I think this is taking things a bit too far. I have tried it, and I don't think it quite works. The ginger is subtle, and not overpowering but the sage seems to be lost in the mix and the beer is not one of Thornbridge better efforts. (Incidentally, if you do make it to The Grove, the excellent Dark Star 'Seville' may still be on the bar, a beer I wrote about a few days ago).

Doing the rounds at the moment, and on the bar at The Star is Wentworth 'Chilli and Chocolate Stout'. Wentworth have previously done a range of stouts, presumably using the same base (at least they were all the same strength) with other flavours added. I have tried liquorice, vanilla, and chilli and I think chocolate orange may have also made an appearance. The previous chilli stout was subtle, with just a hint of chilli in the background. The new one, at 4.8%, certainly does not skimp on taste. A massive hit of dark chocolate, and an even bigger hit of chilli. It is one of those beers that divides opinion right down the middle, you love it or hate it. Yesterday, some raved about it and had a couple of pints, others tried it and binned it. You can guess which category I fell into! If your tastes are Bourneville chocolate and Scotch Bonnet then this is the beer for you.The best suggestion I heard though was to bottle it and marinade meat with it. Now there's a thought for dinner.

Dropped in at 'The Drop'

2011-09-10T08:28:00.003+01:00

It was not really part of my planning for the weekend to call at 'The Drop Inn' Festival in Elland, but circumstances meant I managed a quick visit yesterday afternoon. The pub is one of the Ossett Brewery chain, and probably the one most overlooked due to its location. But this GBG entry is a nice little back street beerhouse, which is larger than it looks from the outside and boasts a pleasant outdoor drinking area.

As for the festival - well I found that a little disappointing. There were around 15 beers available from the list at any one time, all handpulled and served from the bar itself at £2.50 a pint. No entry fee and no festival glasses, but on my visit the range of beers was nothing out of the ordinary for a 'ticker'. It should cover everyone's taste though, from Elland's '1872 Porter' down to Woodforde's 'Wherry' with Kelham Island 'Pale Rider' and Roosters 'Elderflower' thrown in the mix.

I settled down with a Wensleydale 'White Heather', an unremarkable beer, and my companion with the 'Wherry', which I have tasted on better form. I followed this with Mauldens 'Dickens', an old beer that I rarely see, though a little too malty for my taste, followed by Amber Ales 'Summer Bock' which was just weird. Sadly, neither of the Citra-hopped beers from Oakham and Acorn were on the bar, nor the Saltaire 'Cheeky Kriek' which had the description 'pink' in the programme.

All in all, as I said, a bit of a let down, but should you just be visiting to sample a different range of beers then I am sure there would be something to appeal and make your trip out worthwhile. (List) (Map)

Fancy a Trip Out?

2011-09-07T07:28:00.001+01:00

In addition to our local beer festivals, should you fancy a trip up north this weekend, the 'Tynemouth Beer Festival' could be the place to visit.

The list has been put together by Neil Harvey, who can often be found drinking in West Yorkshire and his trips south seem to have paid dividends with his contacts at various breweries. The list has 60 beers on it, with many from our region or Derbyshire. Plenty of beers available are new to me, and I am sure most will be new to drinkers in the North East.

If you want beers from Owenshaw Mills, or Revolutions they are there, rubbing shoulders with offerings from Leeds Brewery Tap, Kirkstall and Burley Street. Locally, Milltown, Magic Rock, Nook, Summer Wine, and The Sportsman Brewery are represented, and Mallinsons have provided Neil with a festival special (lucky man!). He has also made a coup in getting the first Cap House beers I have seen on a festival list.

From Derbyshire come Derventio, Black Iris, Rowditch and Wentwell, and from further afield plenty of beers from the Marstons stable.

The festival is open all day Friday 9th and Saturday 10th at the Tynemouth Cricket Club in North Shields. (map)

More Festivals to Visit

2011-09-06T08:03:00.002+01:00

Even though the summer is drawing to a close, the range of beer festivals in our area is showing no signs of slowing up with plenty to keep us going throughout September. We have selected just a few to whet your appetite.

This weekend sees the Reindeer Festival, at Overton near Wakefield, easily accessible from Huddersfield on the 232 bus. It opens at 5pm on Friday but is open all day Saturday and Sunday. Around 30 beers will be available, mostly local breweries, with some promised from the new Cap House Brewery and the fairly difficult to find Imperial Brewery from Mexborough. (map)

The following weekend promises several festivals. The Navigation at Mirfield, just round the corner from the railway station, starts their autumn festival on Thursday evening with full day opening Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Around 30 beers will be on offer, all handpulled and cellar cooled. (map)

Friday evening and all day Saturday also sees a festival at the Saltaire brewery in Shipley. It starts at 4pm on Friday which is ticket only, but Saturday is pay on the door. The £5 entry fee gets you a glass, programme and your first pint. (map)

Should you wish to stay closer to home then there is a festival on that weekend, (Saturday 17th and Sunday 18th) in the courtyard of the Lawrence Batley Theatre on Queen Street in Huddersfield with 20 beers promised, along with studio tours, artist performances and Caribbean food. This is sponsored by The Sportsman, so expect to find some of their beers there. (map)

If cider is more your thing, The Hop in Leeds is having a cider and music festival between Friday 16th and Sunday 18th with around 25 ciders and perrys on offer. (map)

This is just small selection of what is available, so get out there and enjoy them. I am sure we will.

Empire Brewing

2011-09-04T08:58:00.003+01:00

Courtesy of Empire Brewery (c)

One of the local breweries that often seems to slip under our radar is Empire of Slaithwaite, may be because it was one of the breweries that we have been so used to seeing around our local pubs that we had just become complacent about it. The brews were always competent but rarely hit the heights that other local breweries did. The brewery is never afraid to experiment though, as the vast number of different beers produced goes to show.

Brewing started in premises behind the Fieldhead Pub at Quarmby around seven years ago where the brewer Russ Beverley was also the landlord, before moving to larger premises in Slaithwaite in April 2006 after giving up the pub to concentrate on the brewery. The plant, a five barrel affair, with lots of personal input from Russ, is sited next to the Huddersfield Narrow canal in the village.

Empire still brew some regular beers, 'Strikes Back' (as in the 'Empire Strikes Back') comes around fairly regularly, as does 'Golden Warrior', but most of the beers we find locally are one-offs, often with a military theme at present. Empire are also responsible for the house beers at the Commercial at Slaithwaite, and Dirty Dicks in Halifax to name but two.

I have always enjoyed their beers but often found them a little astringent for my taste, but the more recent ones I have sampled have been excellent. Whether that be due to a change in the brewing process, new equipment, or different ingredients I cannot say but they are becoming a brewery I will actively search out. They are not difficult to find, often on the bar in 'The Sportsman' in town, or a trip out to the aforementioned 'Commercial' will often provide a special or two as well as the 'Commerciale' and the dark 'Moonraker Mild' which are always on the bar (and reasonably priced as well).

So if for whatever reason you have overlooked Empire beer recently, this is the time to give it a go - I don't think you will be disappointed.

Watch out for this one!

2011-09-03T08:25:00.000+01:00

Sitting on the 'taunting pole' in The Grove at the moment looks to be one of those beers that is unmissable. Hawkshead Brewery has always been one of my favourite breweries and seems to be one that can turn it's hand to any style of beer and produce a winner. They can turn out light and dark alike and have even recently brought out a key-keg lager that is excellent (also available at The Grove presently).

The beer taunting us is 'New Zealand Pale Ale'. It promises much, with a strength of 6% and a blend of four different hops, Nelson, Riwaka, Motueka, and Green Bullet. If they get this right, and on past experience there is no reason why they should fail, then this weekend we could be in for a winner. Just cannot wait for it to get onto the bar to sample it.

Strong Beer to Suffer

2011-09-01T10:29:00.003+01:00

Cast your mind back to the Spring Budget, you can't, well you are not the only one. This bit of sneaky taxation had passed me by until a certain Leeds brewery brought my attention to it.

On October 1st there will be an increase in taxation on beers above 7.5%. For those of us who are not accountants, and who is?!, this will lead to a rise of around £10 per barrel in the cost of beers supplied to customers. It is assumed that the price will be passed on to the customer, and then the consumer. So if a usual barrel produces 70 pints, I will leave you to do the maths, but take it from me the drinker will suffer, as usual.

This increase will only affect the stronger beers, but plenty of those brewers in the 'craft' beer market (sorry Elaine!) brew beers of a strength that will fall into that category. It will also hit the foreign bottled beer market apparently. This will obviously impact on the new wave of pubs and bars whose market is primarily based on the stronger, specialist beers, and hit those drinkers who enjoy, sensibly I may add, stronger beer or foreign classics.

Yet another short sighted bit of government legislation that is hitting the wrong people and driving more to the supermarket, away from the pubs and bars just when they are just starting to get their acts together. Thanks a lot Mr Cameron.

Dark Star does it again

2011-08-28T08:06:00.005+01:00

One of the better breweries about is Dark Star from Sussex, I have written about them before singing their praises. Their beers are not difficult to find round these parts, 'The Kings Head' often has 'Hophead' on the bar, and 'The Grove' has a pump dedicated to their beer, which is often their seasonal or special beers.

Recently there I encountered their July special 'Carafa Jade'. I thought it a bit of strange name for a beer so a bit of digging on their website explained all. the name is a combination of the malt and hops used in the beer. Carafa from the German malt used that gives it a rich bronze colour, and Jade from Pacific Jade, the hops from New Zealand, that give it a bit of zing. I must admit it was not my favourite beer of theirs but it was certainly interesting and well worth a pint.

Their August special was a totally different creature. Their first fruit beer. Called 'Seville', the clue to the taste is in the name. Another bronze coloured beer, it makes use of a hop called 'El Dorado' which is new to me, but its real flavour comes from a maturation with Seville oranges. And does it taste of orange! If you like your marmalade rich and chunky this could be the beer for you, rich and powerful. Another classic from an excellent brewery.

In future months there are a couple of IPA's to look out for. September provides the 6.2%, 'India Pale Ale' and November 'Green Hopped IPA' a monster at 6.5%. I, for one, cannot wait.

Bob's Back in The Hot Seat

2011-08-28T07:40:00.005+01:00

This weekend has seen the publication of Huddersfield CAMRA's Real Ale magazine, 'Ale Talk'. Nothing special about that you may say, but actually it marks a watershed in its publication.

Regular readers may notice a few changes. Firstly, it has colour pictures, admittedly only of the chairman presenting awards to Marsh Liberal club, but it is step in the right direction. Secondly, the publication is now based solely on Huddersfield and district, the Heavy Woollen branch have split and will be bringing out their own version of the magazine soon, so there is more room for comprehensive pub news. And thirdly, 'Ale Talk' is back in the safe hands of its long time editor Bob Tomlinson, who a couple of years ago had to give up the reins for various reasons.

It is not a large publication, handy enough to slip into your pocket and carry around on a trip around to give you pointers where to drink, but packed full of useful bits and pieces that are Bob's trademark. It even has a cider section written by Dave Kendall-Smith, complete with a recipe, what more do we need ?

Its good to see 'Ale Talk' back on form. Credit must to due to those who stepped into the breach when Bob was unavailable to keep it going, but hopefully, we can see it going from strength to strength and giving the town a publication it can be proud of. Thanks Bob.

Should you so wish, there is a facility on Huddersfield's CAMRA website to read 'Ale Talk' on line and the picture above comes courtesy of that website.

Another Festival Weekend

2011-08-24T07:22:00.010+01:00

This weekend gives us the opportunity to visit at least three festivals locally and many others, should you wish to travel out of HD.

From 1100 am on Friday The Sportsman on St. Johns Road offers us the chance to sample 10 of their brewery's 'experimental' brews, along with beer related food and brewery tours, according to their flyer. The festival will go on until Sunday.

The Nook at Holmfirth will also be having their Summer Beer Festival between Friday and Sunday, with 40 real ales on offer, with beers from around Yorkshire and Lancashire. Unfortunately we have no details of the Friday opening times at this moment. (list on facebook)

The Durker Roods Hotel at Meltham is also hosting their beer festival, from noon on Saturday through till Monday with 20 ales available. £2 gives you a festival glass and entry with all beers at £2.90 a pint.

If you fancy travelling further afield, there are 60 beers promised at the 'Brewers Pride' in Ossett. This starts at 1730 hrs on Friday through until Monday. It promises live music on Friday and Saturday nights, and Sunday and Monday afternoon. All beers will be cellar conditioned.

A trip across into Manchester will provide festivals at The Smithfield on Swan Street, and at the Mark Addy, down towards Salford.

So plenty to go for to fill in the Bank Holiday weekend. No doubt we will manage some of them and let you know.

IPA or not IPA, that is the question

2011-08-22T07:47:00.004+01:00

One of the most overused terms in the beer drinking dictionary is 'IPA', and now it seems to be spawning even more bizarre offshoots as anyone who has read the previous post may have realised.

Although 'pale ale' has been around in England since the 17th century, the term 'India Pale Ale' was not coined until 1835, and basically described a beer that had been well hopped. The strength was not really a factor, and it is possible that the stories about strong pale ales being brewed to survive the trip to India may just be a myth. It was the hopping, and the greater fermentation of the wort, thereby leaving less residual sugars that preserved the beer, not the strength. It was a beer suited to the tastes of India at the time, hence its name.

The 'Bow Brewery' was one of the first to export beer to the sub continent, benefitting from the brewers connections with the East India Company. Gradually, other brewers became involved and several from Burton also exported their beer to India as other markets declined throughout the 19th century. Other North American breweries were also brewing their takes on the beer style before the end of the century, again using the term 'IPA'.

But what of the 21st century? As I have pointed out earlier, there is nothing in the history to say an IPA has to be strong, so there is no problem with the 3.6% Greene King IPA being referred to as such. Any light hoppy beer can theoretically be classed as an IPA, and plenty are. The suggestion that IPA's should be strong seems to be a product of the American market of the 1930's. These were known in England at the time as 'Double' or 'Imperial' IPA's, but that gradually went into decline through the 20th century and have only recently made a comeback.

So there we have it. At the moment we can find half IPA's, double IPA's, American IPA's, or Imperial IPA'S, and even Belgian IPA's. All they have to do is vaguely fit the original brewing style of the early recipes. I am not so sure about Black IPA though, surely a black pale ale is a contradiction in terms. Unless you know better.

Its a Steel City Invasion

2011-08-21T09:21:00.005+01:00

Well I may have over exaggerated a bit. The lucky drinkers of Huddersfield, this weekend, will be able to sample not one, but two beers from the Steel City Brewery of Sheffield. Based at the Little Ale Cart Brewery in Sheffield, it is not unusual to find their beers in our town, they are sometimes lurking on the bar in the Star or the Sportsman, but this time they have reached the Grove and the Rat.

It is becoming fairly commonplace for some brewers to collaborate over brewing beers, there have been many examples at the Wetherspoons festivals for example. However the two beers that Steel City have in the town are both very different. One a collaboration with one of the best regarded breweries about at the moment, and the other with a couple of guys from Spain.

If you have never come across their beers before (shame on you !), you will soon understand their mantra 'We Know What Hops Are For'. Don't expect a wishy washy subtle brew. What you get is a massive hop hit from their blending of various varieties, usually American or New Zealand to give superbly interesting beers.

This time we have been treated to a 3.2% offering, I know its not their usual strength but hang on. They have brewed this for flavour, not strength. The beer contains Columbus, and Warrior hops in the early part of the brew and later they have added Sorachi Ace, Columbus, Simcoe, and Citra. If they can't get a bit of flavour from this lot then they aren't really trying. They call it 'Blanes Half IPA' and it should be available in the Rat, provided my namesake hasn't beaten me to it and had it all ! This is brewed in collaboration with the 'Marina Cervesa' brewers from the Catalan region of Spain.

When you have had your fill of this then why not trek up to The Grove and see what they made of a collaboration with Derbyshire brewers, Raw. The beer is 6.8% 'Raw Steel Ipa'. This time a totally different hop range has been used in the beer with Nelson Sauvin, Apollo, Herkules and Pacific Gem included, and the beer promises a massive hop kick, with the strength to back it up. They say it is touch darker than their usual brews, more amber-ish than light.

There are only about 20 barrels of each brew around, so get them now before it's too late. Or before little Tim, or big Tim, beats you to it !!

Fat Cat Reaches 30

2011-08-17T07:25:00.011+01:00

One of Yorkshire's iconic and best known pubs reaches its 30th birthday this weekend and has a four day festival to celebrate the fact. The 'Fat Cat' in Sheffield, sitting in the back streets of the Kelham Island quarter, has always been one of the must visit pubs in the city, both for its range of beer and its quirkiness.

The place is a little like a tardis. The bar itself is small, but offers around 8 beers sourced from far and wide, usually with one or more from the associated 'Kelham Island' brewery. It is often full, both of regulars and visitors, but there are plenty of other rooms to sit in and while away your time, and even a large room upstairs to cater for overspill. It is one of those pubs that when you get inside time stands still and you become reluctant to leave. A quick pint becomes two, then three, then .... etc. It is also well regarded for its reasonably priced, home cooked food, and its pies are excellent - almost worth the trip itself without the great beer range.

It has recently been overshadowed in the awards stakes by 'The Kelham Island Tavern', just around the corner, but the certificates on the bar wall bear testimony to the high regard in which the pub is held. If you have never visited Sheffield before and want one pub to call at, this would be my choice.

As I said earlier it has been serving the city's drinkers since 1981, and to celebrate the fact, they are opening the doors on a four day beer festival tomorrow. Thanks to 'The Bloke from Hull' we have been able to see a sneak preview of their beer list, and what an interesting selection they have provided. There are beers on an outside bar as well as in the pub itself, many are unusual or new breweries, and some are one off festival specials for the event. So if your brewery list is lacking offerings from Landlord's Friend, Geeves, Black Paw or Cleveland this is the place to put that right.

It looks the perfect pub to settle down in over the weekend and sample some decent beer, and I will certainly be adding it to my list of places to go. Why not try it too. (map)

PS sorry about the photo, the scaffolding has gone now, but cannot say the same about the punter near the door !!

Is this the first of many?

2011-08-14T07:57:00.006+01:00

It will possibly have not come to your attention that this weekend was the Grantham Beer Festival, to be honest it had slipped off my radar too. However, it obviously was not overlooked by the guys of Magic Rock, whose 'High Wire' was named as beer of the festival there.

I believe this is their first such award and hopefully will not be the last. It just shows how far the brewery has come in a very short space of time. We offer our congratulations.

Give Saaz A Go

2011-08-12T07:16:00.008+01:00

When I managed to drag myself away from the myriad delights of the food and drink festival yesterday and turned up at The Star, I was pleased to find a new Mallinsons beer on the bar there, and what a pleasure it was !

The 21st of their single hopped beers was brewed with Saaz hops, and on tasting it I found it one of their best efforts yet. Their website described the beer as 'pale gold with a fruity nose and a lightly bitter fruity taste and a medium bitter finish'. But this does not do it justice. It is a wonderfully crafted beer, the malt balance is perfect, allowing the subtlety of the hop to shine. Maybe it is not a beer for the hop monster as it does not have the hop character one finds in beers brewed with Citra or Nelson Sauvin. But if you like your beers less aggressive and more rounded then this could be the beer for you. Several people who find Mallinsons beers a little too hoppy for their liking were more than impressed by it.

Saaz hops are rarely found in English beers. It is one of the 'noble' range of hops, and although some come from the USA, mostly it is grown in the Czech Republic - indeed its name is German for the Czech city of Zatec. Most of the hop production goes in brewing pilsners due to it having a very low alpha acid content and therefore is not considered a bittering hop, bringing a herbal and grassy aroma and flavour to the beer. The American version does have a higher alpha acid content, and presumably more bitterness, but the one used by Mallinsons is the Czech variety.

Other breweries have used the hop as well, Pictish brew a single hopped 4.1% version for example, but this version is the best I have come across.

So, if you see it, give it a go. I cannot say it will be definitely to your taste, but it certainly hit the spot with me. I am just waiting till opening time to try it again, and again etc etc !

Huddersfield Food & Drink Festival 2011 starts today

2011-08-11T07:02:00.005+01:00

Should you be visiting Huddersfield by train in the next four days you will probably be amazed to find outside the station a small town all by itself, as the 11th Huddersfield Food & Drink Festival opens its doors for business in St. Georges Square.

There is a mass of small tents (I am told its ok to call these tents!), selling everything from cheese to venison and from honey to curries plus continual demonstrations and sampling sessions, including workshops and entertainment for children.

Our local pubs and breweries have not been overlooked either as stalls from The Star, The Sportsman and The Kings Head rub shoulders with those from The Nook, Little Valley and Elland,all 6 selling real ale through handpumps and selling bottles as well.

So, if you have a bit of time on your hands, get down there and have a wander around, I am sure you will not be disappointed.

The festival runs until Sunday with late night opening on Friday and Saturday.

Rename or not to rename, that is the question

2011-08-07T08:31:00.005+01:00

As a beer enthusiast, one of the things that I find slightly annoying, and somewhat confusing, is the reluctance of certain breweries to call a 'regular' beer a different name when it has clearly been brewed using different ingredients.

Two of the four ingredients in beer are often subject to yearly changes. Hops and barley are both at the whim of the weather, some years they have better harvests than others and subsequently some times there are more available than other years, or the price, in a poor year becomes prohibitive for the brewers to use them. Others are then substituted. Often the beer name is unchanged and there is no information that the ingredients have changed. All we get are drinkers saying that their beer does not taste like it did, either for the better, or worse.

The other ingredients may also change. Yeast is often used from one brew to the next, building up its own taste and giving beers from certain breweries a distinct flavour. To lose a yeast strain is a devastating loss for a brewery, and again the change of yeast changes the beer character.

Water is the fourth ingredient. We all know breweries who have moved brewing a beer from one part of the country to another, and the resultant beer is nothing like the original. No doubt there are changes in the water supply to some breweries too, that may be they are not even aware of, and I have little doubt this will subtly change the taste too.

My concern is mainly with the first two changes that the brewers try to hide from us. Let me try to explain. A beer is made one year with hop or barley 'a', this suffers a bad harvest and is unavailable the next year and 'b' is substituted in its place. Surely this is a different beer, but often they retain the same name. Even without any reference to the change at the point of sale. Is this misleading the drinker? I personally think so. But maybe the marketing man for the brewery has different ideas. He spends thousands of pounds promoting a beer, only for the taste to change. Will he start a new campaign for the new taste? I doubt it.

Is the answer to give every beer in which there is something different a different name? It is not an easy question. It depends on the brewery and their outlook and marketing. Some breweries will name most beers differently, others steadfastly retain their time honoured beer names despite how different they taste. I must admit I prefer the former method, but there again I am a 'ticker'. At least that way it is transparent that the beer is different and it saves any doubt over a change of taste. I suppose the idea of brewing is to make money, and whichever way suits the brewery best is the way they take whilst drinkers have to accept that, no matter what we feel about it.

And please don't get me started on the same beer name with different abvs, or the same name for the beer moved around the country, life is too short!

International IPA Day at The Grove

2011-08-04T10:52:00.008+01:00

Worldwide, today is India Pale Ale Day. And here in Huddersfield, that famous institution of 'if it ferments, we stock it' is marking the very first IPAD with a special celebration.

This evenings promotion at The Grove (7pm) is set to be a sell out with a £5 ticket entitling the bearer to 4 x third pints of the super-strength ale plus food and an introduction to IPA by top producers Buxton Brewery.

The full IPA list is as follows:

Thornbridge - Geminus *new* 8.5% (Rye IPA)

Thornbridge - Raven 5.5% (Black IPA)
Thornbridge - Jaipur 5.9% ('nuff said!)
Buxton - Axe Edge 6.7% (double IPA)
Buxton - Black Rocks 5.5% (Black IPA)
Buxton - Wild Boar *new* 5.7% (IPA)
Quantum - Motueka IPA 5.5%
Gadds - South Pacific IPA 6.5%... maybe
BrewDog - Hardcore IPA 9.2%
Magic Rock - *new* Human Cannonball IPA 9.2%
Flying Dog (USA) - Raging Bitch 8.4% (Belgian IPA)...unlikely
Great Divide (USA) - Titan IPA 7.1%
Beer Here (Denmark) - Dark Hops 8.5% (Black IPA)

Red Willow - Peerless 5.2% (English IPA)

Stone Cali-Belgique 6.5% (Belgian IPA)

Thanks to Groveman Brian Dickson for the list. (map)

CaskFinder App Review

2011-08-04T06:22:00.013+01:00

Having used the excellent mobile version of CAMRA's Good Beer Guide for over a year now I was intrigued to see whether Cask Marque's app for iPhone & Android could offer anything more.

Being free was a good start and the layout and navigation simple to figure out. The mapping of CM accredited pubs on CaskFinder is good on the whole though not that precise in some cases - a concern if you're on foot I would think. The GBG app is not foolproof here either as my searches for Norfolk pubs have often ended in recommendations in Sheffield for some reason!

A Beers & Brewers database is incorporated too, which I thought when loading seemed rather ambitious. In fact just over 200 breweries are featured along with notes on their core ranges but I'm assuming as a brewer you need to sign up and pay for the advertising (it is a free service after all). Still, the larger independents and many newer producers are here and the information is quite adequate with a link to their websites in most cases.

A feature I didn't expected is the Festivals calendar. Although not sortable by region, this seems quite a comprehensive list, not just confined to the larger CAMRA events. A quick tap on the fest that interests you will bring up a map along with details, if available. Some hundred or so were listed for the month of August alone, although I did notice a fair bit of repetition. A very useful service indeed though.

The Beer of the Week function is not, as I hoped, somewhere to note your newly found favourite ale but rather a recommendation by the software. This week it's Harvest Pale from Nottingham. There's a bit of history about the brewery and the beer plus the opportunity to rate it once you've tried it. The only advice you get on your quest is, 'worth a trip to Nottingham!' - but then it can hardly be expected to find the stuff.

Finally the Beer Blog icon. This doesn't unfortunately lead you here, but instead to Pete Brown's musings. This is not a bad idea though and is certainly preferable to reading what Cask Marque have been up to this week!

One other icon I haven't mentioned is the Beer Scanner, and that's because it doesn't work. It appears to be a straightforward bar code reader but unfortunately it wouldn't recognise anything I pointed it at. Perhaps this is in readiness for the new generation of scanable pump clips?!

In conclusion this is a very worthwhile addition to your app collection and, with more functionality planned, is set to become as indispensable as the Good Beer Guide.

For the iPhone version visit the app store and search for CaskFinder, Android users should visit the Android Market and do likewise.

Barred, With Bells On!

2011-08-03T08:06:00.007+01:00

In these days of political correctness, David Litten has brought to our attention what must be one of the daftest things I have heard for a very long time.

Last Saturday the 'Slubbing Billys' morris dancing troupe from Slaithwaite were on tour in Durham when they visited 'The Swan and Three Cygnets'. They were actually dancing in the nearby Market Place and fancied a beer so they retired to the pub, owned by Sam Smiths, for a quick wet. Two of the group were served, but when two of their female members tried, they were asked in no uncertain terms to leave, as the bells on their toes were in contravention of the brewery's no music policy.

Luckily the group managed a pint at a pub round the corner. Surprisingly, no one at 'The Swan' was available for comment. So, if you are around the Sam Smiths pubs of Durham, and start to rattle your change, or your mobile goes off, you could find yourself out on the street - be warned!

A Do at The Shep and IPA at The Grove this Thursday

2011-08-03T07:57:00.004+01:00

If you are in Dewsbury on Thursday evening (4th) and at a loose end, a trip to the Shepherds Boy on Huddersfield Road (right) may be the thing. It is a year since Katie Green took over as manager of the pub and in honour of the event she is a arranging a 'bit of do' there, with food available from 7pm - so why not call in and celebrate her achievement.

Should you be a fan of IPA then maybe an evening at The Grove in Huddersfield will be more to your taste as they celebrate International IPA day. £5 will qualify you for 3 x 1/3rds of any of the draught IPA's on offer, 1 x 1/3rd of a keg IPA, and some food. Also included is a talk from the Buxton brewer on IPA. Sounds like a bargain.

Champion Beer of Britain 2011

2011-08-03T07:28:00.007+01:00

Yesterday CAMRA selected its 'Beer Of Britain 2011' and sprung yet another surprise on us. The winner was a dark mild from Essex. Mighty Oak's 'Oscar Wilde Mild' at 3.7% took the ultimate accolade, with Marble 'Chocolate' runner up and Salopian 'Shropshire Gold' coming third.

Mighty Oak is a brewery rarely seen about these parts and the beer is one I have yet to sample, but it has been around for some 10 years. It is described in the 'Good Beer Guide' as 'a roasty dark mild, with suggestions of forest fruits and dark chocolate. A sweet taste yields to a more bitter finish'. The brewery website calls it 'a mellow, nutty, moreish dark mild, brewed with Maris Otter pale, crystal and dark malts,and gently hopped with Challenger'.

Roger Protz, chairman of the judging panel commented, ‘It’s a beer with great depth of character, and for the style has a lot of hop bitterness as well. It proves that a dark beer can be refreshing even in very hot weather.’

The number of Yorkshire beers in the final categories was disappointing with only two contenders in the running. Both came second. Rudgate 'Ruby Mild' was runner up in the mild section and Salamander's 'Golden Salamander' in the golden beer section.

Nevertheless I am still convinced that Yorkshire brews some of the best beers about, it is just a shame that they have failed to get the recognition they deserve on the national stage.

Where Did All The Pubs Go?

2011-08-01T07:48:00.006+01:00

A few years ago, a good few years ago I must admit, I sat down in one of my quieter moments and worked out how many pubs Huddersfield had within the Ring Road, I came up with 41, which was a fair amount for a town of its size. Strangely, I used to visit quite a lot of them too, but that was before the 'real ale revolution' took off and I was less selective in what I drank.

Seeing the Food & Drink Festival Real Ale Trail pub list set me thinking about how many we have lost in recent years, maybe some were not a great loss but others defined the town centre, and in a way, my drinking history. I know older readers will remind me of the ones that we have lost in the name of progress, with the building of the Ring Road, the Piazza, and the Civic Centre but those are only a distant memory to me. What about the ones I remember ?

What about those that went with the arrival of Kingsgate. 'The Ship' on Bradley St for example, or those on King St, 'The Globe', 'The Royal Unicorn' or 'The Burns Tavern' ? 'The Painted Wagon' on Market St that made way for Sainsburys, or the iconic 'Pack Horse', (the pub in which everyone seems to remember starting their drinking) that was scandalously demolished in the name of progress for 'The Pack Horse Centre'.

Others just did not last the march of progress and either closed their doors or changed their usage. Cross Church St had 'The Minstrel', 'The White Lion' and the 'Ramsden Arms'. Queen St had the brew pub 'The Courthouse' for a short time. 'The Crescent' on Northumberland St has gone too, along with the 'Dog & Gun' round the corner. 'The Shoehorn' on New St is a thing of the past as well.

I know that the town still has plenty of good pubs to offer, the 'ale trail' is testamony to that, but what would the town be like if the planners had not got hold of some of the pubs and razed them to the ground or if circumstances had not forced some out of business. We have lost a major part of the town's history, that can never be reclaimed, the only plus point is that plenty of other pubs have taken their places and Huddersfield is still one of the best drinking towns in the north.

It's GBBF time again

2011-07-29T07:31:00.007+01:00

One festival that I have never been to is the Great British Beer Festival in London, (shame on you I hear you shout!) and sadly this year is no exception. This is just a personal thing though, and I know plenty of people who thoroughly enjoy their yearly trip. This year's festival starts next week and for a change I have seen a preview of the beer list (see our Facebook page), and pretty impressive it is too.

There are 429 beers listed covering the UK from Scotland to the Isle Of Wight, with plenty of Yorkshire beers on offer too. Because of the way the breweries are selected, they are all well established (though some are new to me because their output rarely leaves their immediate area or in some cases the brew-pub itself) and the beers are always ones brewed regularly rather than specials.

Some breweries have several beers on offer, others just have one available. Locally one of our better breweries, Mallinsons, has it's Stadium there rubbing shoulders with some of the larger nationals, a great achievement for them and the brewers will be in London to make sure it's on form. The beer of the festival will be selected early on and Mallys has only another 428 beers to beat to get the crown. Maybe this time next week they can be celebrating another local success story! Huddersfield based Golcar Brewery picked up a bronze last time for their Dark Mild and have sent Alba Rose to do battle this year.

All beer styles are represented at GBBF and all strengths too, so whatever sort of beer you like I am sure something there will hit the spot. Foreign beers also have their own beer bar, and I know lovers of foreign beers who make the journey specially to stock up on them. A full list of these can be viewed on the festival's website.

What Has Happened to Pub Games?

2011-07-28T07:30:00.005+01:00

A chance encounter in a local pub a couple of days ago started me thinking 'Do People Still Play Pub Games Anymore?' I remember my local back in my youth when there were queues of blokes dipping to play dominoes, the dart board was always in use and the old hands had their game of cribbage started as soon as the first pints were pulled.

Gradually pool became popular as well, and no self respecting pub could call itself a pub without a pool table. Local leagues were full of teams playing all sorts of games every day of the week, often travelling miles to other pubs to compete. Those days seem to have gone.

Clubs seem to have continued the trend, with football and snooker teams often based there but rarely do we find a pub involved. All right, snooker tables take up a lot of space that can be better used for other things, but other games often only take up the space of a table top. It just seems that people have stopped playing.

Thinking of the pubs I regularly use, I can only think of one with a dart board, The Rat & Ratchet; there is a pool table in The Smithfield in Manchester and a bar billards table (lovely game), in The Gardeners in Sheffield. I rarely see anyone playing cards or dominoes.

So has time just moved on and pub games become a thing of the past, or does 'real ale' preclude the drinker from playing games, or has pub design designed out the space for games to be played? I don't know. From a personal point of view I was usually so bad it has made no real difference to me, just saved me paying out when I lost - but in the greater scheme of things it is a shame to lose part of our pub heritage. Unless someone out there knows different.

Rat & Ratchet Gets Cider Award

2011-07-25T07:20:00.006+01:00

On Saturday the Rat and Ratchet was presented with it's award for joint Runner Up in the Yorkshire Cider Pub of the year 2011. As Dave Litton who presented their award commented, it is a great achievement in view of there being over 200 Yorkshire pubs that serve cider, and the award is recognition of the pubs' commitment to real cider, with often at least six ciders or perrys available there.

They were also presented with the Huddersfield CAMRA 'Mild Pub of the Year' award for their continuing support of milds, with one always on offer at the pub.

(Photo courtesy of Mark Davies)

Hall Bower Festival - the late show!

2011-07-24T08:00:00.008+01:00

Yesterday while all the other sensible drinkers (in the loosest term!) were enjoying their afternoon in the sun at the Hall Bower Festival, I was otherwise engaged, but after being taunted by some so called 'friends' with the beer list and their tales of good beer, myself and t'other half decided that a trip up the hill could be a good way to while away a couple of hours in the evening. What a good decision that turned out to be. Great beer and good company, in wonderful surroundings, what could be better ?

When we arrived the festival was in full swing. What I like about Hall Bower is the feeling of a purely local event, with a mixture of locals who seem to have taken the festival to their heart, and incomers who enter into the spirit of the occasion. All ages are represented, from young kids to grandparents and all mingle together quite happily. Of course the weather helps, I would not fancy being there in the rain, but sitting outside in the evening sun in the shadow of Castle Hill must be one of the best places around to drink beer.

Ah beer. Almost forgot about that. £1 for a glass and £1.25 for a beer token was an inexpensive way to sample a few on the list. The earlier visitors had made large inroads into the beers available but when we got there there was still beer on each pump, about 14, I think and still interesting stuff to sample. Naturally the Mallinsons special had been and gone, but that had been replaced by their 'Bramling Cross', a truly superb beer made with a much underrated hop, that almost made the trip worth it by itself.

OMB 'HX6' was what it said in the programme, 'a hoppy beer with lots of flavour, a traditional light session bitter'. Upham 'Nectar' was a new brewery to me and a good refreshing bitter, not too hoppy though. Old Mill 'Summer Sunshine' was a 4% beer with a nice malty background, overlaid with a pleasant hoppiness; Battledown is a brewery rarely seen in this part of the world, and their 'Sunbeam' was brewed with lager yeast to give a nicely balanced beer. I finished off with Toad 'Malted In Black ' their first, and last stout, since the brewery's recent demise. Food was also available with plenty of people taking advantage of the pie and peas on offer, I heard rumours of a bbq but that may have been and gone before our arrival.

By this time the weather had become a little chilly so it was off home, with a promise to return at opening time today to see what the punters had left. If you have never been to the festival, give it a try today, or pencil it in for next year, it is not to be missed.

Another Step Nearer For The Rat Brewery

2011-07-22T08:02:00.012+01:00

Last night The Rat & Ratchet brewery came a step closer to reality when Rob Allen, the landlord, opened up his conference room to a group of guests to sample his first attempts at what will be his regular brews. The beers had been brewed at Ossett's Riverhead and Fernandes breweries to allow us to give feedback on what we thought was good or less good about the beers themselves, the names and the pumpclips. I hope we gave them plenty of food for thought.

The first beer was 3.8%, with the proposed name of 'Brown Rat'. Brewed with German Brewers Gold hops, we had to comment on the colour, body, bitterness and hop character. Even though it wasn't brown, it was a pleasant enough session style bitter, but had little in the way of hoppiness.

The second beer was 4.0%, 'Blonde Rat', this time with Amarillo and Galena hops. The intention was to brew a beer with an 'intense aromatic and resinous finish'. In my opinion, for what it may be worth, it was again missing out on hops, both in flavour and aroma, but again was a very acceptable beer.

The strongest light beer was 'Golden Rat', a 5% offering with Nelson Sauvin hops. This time the hops did come through, more in the taste than the aroma and gave us a very acceptable IPA style beer with a nice background maltiness, though listening to other samplers, did not meet with universal approval - I suppose you cannot satisfy everyone !

But then again maybe you can. No one I spoke to had a bad word for 'Black Rat'. A very dark beer, with just a hint of red that could not really be pigeonholed as a mild, porter or stout. It had many complex flavours coming from the blend of four malts used in the brew with the subtle flavour of Bramling Cross hops in the background. At 4.5% this was a super beer, and a worthy addition to any brewers' portfolio.

I was not too impressed with the pump clips, but I seemed to be in the minority here, so we will have to wait and see when the appear on the bar. But one criticism that seems to be justified is that the ABV is difficult to read. All that remained was to return to the bar and sample some of the beer again in the pub and chat to the brewers - what is the name for a group of brewers I wonder ?

A really interesting evening from the punters point of view, and a chance to be involved in the early stages of what promises to be another great addition to the Huddersfield brewing fraternity (or should that be sorority judging by the amount of brewsters we have!). Thanks must go to Rob, for his hard work in getting the event organised, to David, for clearing up our mess, Paul the Ossett brewer, for his input into the evening - and of course to Riverhead and Fernandes for actually brewing the beer. Just can't wait to see them on the bar in the Rat.

Should you wish to sample them yourself then they are all available under their working titles. Fernandes 'Scorcher' is 'Brown Rat' and their 'Nelson IPA', 'Golden Rat'. Riverhead 'Hop Pocket' is 'Blonde Rat' and their 'Black Flood', 'Black Rat'.

Another Festival Weekend

2011-07-19T07:56:00.008+01:00

An incredibly busy weekend looms with no fewer than four beer festivals locally plus a brewery launch! Fitting this lot in will take planning, but if you don't have the time to sit down with assorted timetables etc then here are a few suggestions.

It is entirely possible, given the Milltown Brewing Co. launch is a one day event (noon start on Saturday) and all beer just £2 a pint, that not turning up early will be costly - indeed we could see another Bobtown style ale-frenzy here. Trains are on the half-hour from Huddersfield and take a little under 15 minutes to Marsden, so the 11.30 it is then!

With little helpful info coming from the Rose & Crown at Thurstonland so far, it might be judicious not to rely on another free bus service from town this year. With this in mind, and if attending the launch, why not take the 185 leaving Marsden at 13.40 to Holmfirth (approx 45 mins via 335 from Slaithwaite) connecting perfectly with the 313 to Thurstonland (a further 25 mins). Admittedly not the quickest of journeys but just think of all that great scenery, and you will be at Thurstyfest 3 by 3pm having already helped drink Marsden dry!

Tagging Hall Bower AWMC beer festival on afterwards is possible using the 341 service (16.30) or 911 (17.25) to Castle Hill but this would mean not making the most of the 56 ale Thurstyfest - and that would be criminal. Surely better to save Bower for the Sunday when fairer weather is predicted. The 306 leaves Huddersfield bus station at 11.28 on Sunday morning and takes approximately 25 minutes, alternatively an invigorating walk up Lockwood Scar will earn you your beer (- joke!).

If all this seems like hard work then the on-going festivals at The Cherry Tree (JD Wetherspoons) and The Vulcan in town might suit better, but just think what you'd be missing. Obviously plenty of options are available (probably more feasible than this hurriedly concocted one) for making the most of what looks like being a cracking weekend - and should you come up with something then please feel free to share. In the meantime further bus/train times can be found right here. Have fun!

Milltown Brewery Launch Update

2011-07-19T06:58:00.005+01:00

The Milltown Brewing Company launch at Marsden Mechanics Hall, Peel Street, Marsden will go ahead on Saturday 23rd July at noon until 11pm and Milltown will have their first two brews available. The first is called Golden Hop 3.8% which is a pale golden session ale and the second brew is Slubbers Gold 4.2% which is described as a rich golden ale.

The launch will also feature a further eight ales from various breweries. These include Summer Storm-Empire, Brewers Gold-Brewco, Light Brigade-Leyden, Cascade-Boggart, Anne Bonney-Bank Top plus ales from Cairngorm Brewery, Brown Cow and The Sportsman in Huddersfield. All the beers will be priced at £2 a pint and that includes Carling lager & Magners cider. Food will be available and there is no entry fee or loud music.

Tel 07531 028715 for further details. (map)

Huddersfield Food & Drink Festival 2011

2011-07-18T07:40:00.007+01:00

This years Huddersfield Food and Drink festival promises to be bigger and better than ever. The main event will be taking place in St Georges Square from Thursday 11th August until Sunday 14th August. Here we can expect to find around 70 stalls, including festival bars and food tents, with over 90% of those taking part being from Yorkshire with over 30 cookery demonstrations. There is late night opening on Friday and Saturday and live entertainment both evenings.

Running alongside the festival, there will be two informal but tutored 'Around The World with Wine' tasting events on Saturday 6th August at 12 noon and 1pm at Hoults Wine Merchants, on the Castlegate Retail Park (behind Dominos opposite the Sportsman). The same day has over 10 local restaurants opening their doors for the Taste Trail, between 2pm and 5pm, offering free taster dishes - a roaring success last year, and hopefully just as good this year. Pick up a festival leaflet for full details.

There will be a Real Ale Trail again, between 25th July and 14th August, where, if you get 8 stamps on your festival programme from 12 of the involved pubs, you qualify for a free festival t shirt (subject to availability). Again the full list of pubs can be found on the festival leaflet but includes all the usual suspects plus some others that we tend to visit less. So go get your programme stamped and see what the town's pubs have to offer.

There is plenty for everyone so lets get out there and enjoy it, and make this years event even more memorable. (website)

Festival Beer Lists

2011-07-15T09:06:00.006+01:00

In addition to the up and running Star Inn festival we have added beer lists for The Hop in Leeds (on until Sunday), Bobtown 2 (tomorrow) and Hall Bower AWMC (next weekend) to our Facebook page. Hopefully The Little Bull at Middlestown will follow.

Many thanks as always to David Litten for these.

Yorkshire Post Pub Of The Year 2011

2011-07-15T07:24:00.009+01:00

For the last couple of months The Yorkshire Post has been running a competition to choose Yorkshire's Pub Of The Year, in association with 'Welcome to Yorkshire'. The winner was announced at the Great Yorkshire Show, as was a 'Yorkshire Ale Trail' consisting of those pubs which made it through to the last part of the judging, 30 in all.

'The Shibden Mill Inn' was selected as the pub of the year. Nestling in a valley outside Halifax, it is a 17th century pub, that attracts a mix of regulars and passers by and is a worthy winner of the competition.

Situated in West Yorkshire's picturesque Shibden Valley, Shibden Mill Inn has been at the heart of local life for over 300 years. It remains so today, though its reputation for fantastic food, drink and sumptuous 4 Star guest accommodation now extends far beyond the Yorkshire borders. Open fires and low beams make Shibden Mill a magical place for sharing life's special moments and shaping memories to last a life time.'

But what of our local pubs? Sadly the only one to make it on to the 'Ale Trail' is the 'Grove' which came in 13th on the list.

But should you fancy a trip out in to the far flung bits of Yorkshire and want a decent pub when you get there, pick up a copy of the 'Ale Trail' - it covers pubs from Todmorden in the West, Sheffield in the South, and several in the Dales and East Yorkshire. Or there again, just stay in Huddersfield and sample some of the best pubs around. They may not have won the award, but we enjoy them.

YP article here.

2nd Bobtown Beer Bash

2011-07-15T07:12:00.002+01:00

After the amazing success of the last year’s festival, the organisers are pleased to confirm the second ‘Bobtown Beer Bash’ at Roberttown Community Centre, on Saturday 16th July (noon - 10pm).

Last year’s event exceeded all expectations, and the festival ran dry by 8pm, “We were staggered by the response we received” Robert Knapp, one of the festival organisers explained, “we realised we had something big when we needed to send out for more glasses within two hours of opening”.

The festival raised a significant amount of money for local charities and worthwhile organisations, which was the main aim of the organisers. The Community centre was one of the charities which benefitted, and some of the proceeds from the festival went to a number of improvements the centre has enjoyed since. (map) (facebook)

Latest details & beer list here.

Star Summer Festival Has Arrived

2011-07-14T07:23:00.010+01:00

Last night at 5pm a queue of thirsty beer lovers waited for the doors to open on the 10th Summer Beer Festival at The Star, in anticipation of what treats Sam had laid on this year - and they were not disappointed.

It did not take long for the regulars to suss out where to start their drinking evening and the two Mallinsons pumps took a bit of a hammering. This time their offerings were the 4.1% 'Tizzi's Seat' (I have no idea how they managed to keep Tizzi, the pub cat, still enough to get a picture of her), and the 5.1% 'That's What You Are'. Both were light and hoppy and both attracted plenty of early attention while we settled down and scanned the list for other gems.

There was a combination of old faithful breweries, interspersed with some rarities so I decided to try stuff less familiar to me, with varying results. Llangollen 'The Grange' was a 3.2% session ale, nothing special but inoffensive though a little lacking in hops; Mayflower promised a beer with a citra twist, but 'Lemonhead' again seemed a little short of hops; Wentwell 'Derbyshire Gold' was another session bitter that was pleasant enough but not remarkable.

However, all was not lost, as I returned to the old faithfuls. Pictish 'Northern Brewer' was a 4.6% single hopped beer, that divided opinion. Some thought it lacked any real hop definition, others thought it excellent. OMB 'Duck Star' was a pleasantly quaffable beer from this newish brewery with a growing reputation, and Red Rock 'Lighthouse' was another decent beer. I am not sure whether the combination of elderflower & honey worked in the Itchen Valley 'Hambledon Bitter'. The darker beer drinkers seemed impressed with Ashover 'Liquorice Alesort' and Coastal 'Pier Porter' but I decided to stay on the lights.

Steel City 'Rapture' was as hoppy as I would have expected from the Sheffield boys, but my last beer was a real gem. Great Heck seem to have got brewing wheat beer just right and 'Amish Mash' could have happily held its own against some of the better known of the genre. Full of interesting flavours from the malt and five hops used, it was excellent.

So that was it. I have plenty of other beers to sample over the next few days with 46 available on the marquee bar, along with those in the pub. Another successful start to a Star festival, with visitors travelling from far and wide to get a first try at the beers. This time the weather played its part and did not spoil the occasion. Another great festival and a credit to Sam and her team. Just looking forward to trying it again this evening.

If you happen to be walking past the Rat & Ratchet on your way to the Star Festival over the weekend, then call in. They are having a Fullers/Gales festival and promise five of their beers on the bar at once including Brewers Reserve no.2 in a cognac cask. Also available will be Seafarers, ESB, Summer Ale and London Porter.