tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8513191721621312752024-03-13T18:08:23.765+00:00Beer TwaddleAlex Routledgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14401220744099603705noreply@blogger.comBlogger24125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-851319172162131275.post-79290907504845720402013-11-17T12:20:00.001+00:002013-11-17T12:27:19.930+00:00Barngates Brewery<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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As a brewer (maybe 'former brewer' would be more appropriate), one of
the first questions you're asked when you meet someone new is "Go on
then, what's your favourite beer?"<br />
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Of course, we all have our classics that we return to time and again,
there are a certain number of beers that will always hold a special
place in my heart, for sure. However I spent yesterday with a little
concept bubbling in my mind; having a crush on a beer, so to speak.<br />
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A couple of weeks back, I visited <a href="http://drunkenduckinn.co.uk/" target="_blank">The Drunken Duck Inn</a>, between
Ambleside and Hawkshead up here in the Lakes. The Duck is known locally
for three things; firstly, top quality food and hospitality; secondly,
one of the most rewarding and beautiful views in the entire county
(maybe even country) and thirdly, <a href="http://barngatesbrewery.co.uk/" target="_blank">Barngates Brewery</a>. John Lloyd began
brewing 16 Years ago in the out buildings of the pub and slowly built
demand for his range of flavoursome and consistently well-brewed beers
from the outset. The kit has grown considerably in the intervening time
and now John, together with partner Lucy, has a core range of seven
beers ranging from renowned premium ale Red Bull Terrier (4.8%) to the
newer additions to the range Goodhew's Dry Stout (4.3%) and the superb
Pale (3.3%), which is the beer that has me smitten...<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TeHfbLultUo/Uoixv6AZRqI/AAAAAAAAAN4/rvrrLKdF0M0/s1600/IMG_1831%255B1%255D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TeHfbLultUo/Uoixv6AZRqI/AAAAAAAAAN4/rvrrLKdF0M0/s320/IMG_1831%255B1%255D.JPG" width="240" /> </a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">My own picture. Remind me to clean the camera lens on my phone...</span></div>
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On the occasion of my visit back in October, I was shown around the
brewery and given a brief potted history, as well as the ambitious
future plans that John and Lucy have for evolving the brand. This
included developing this year's new beers as mentioned above. I was
fortunate enough to try Goodhew's Dry Stout on cask that day and even
more fortunate to try the new Pale in the form of a couple of bottles,
given to me by John.<br />
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This really is one of the finest low ABV beers I've tasted. The
bitterness is present but restrained, it's crisp and refreshing without
drying the palate too much, it has an overall air of delicate
transatlantic hoppiness which doesn't club you to death with a full on
citrus and tropical overload nor leave you wanting more, it strikes a
beautiful balance. If you like Thornbridge's Wild Swan and Hawkshead's
Windermere Pale (and let's face it, who doesn't?), this beer should be
right at the top of your must-try list.<br />
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I was invited back up to the Duck yesterday for Barngates' celebration
of their re-launch, which also includes fantastic new branding from <a href="http://www.plain-creative.co.uk/" target="_blank">Plain Creative</a>. A free bar was very kindly laid on for those
attending from neighbouring CAMRA branches and other fellow beery types
in the area. Pale, Goodhew's, Red Bull Terrier and Cracker, their
traditional bitter (4.0%), were all in great demand and on stunning
form. I managed to polish off the best part of a gallon throughout the
afternoon, mostly comprised of Pale, it must be said. My beery crush
became a fully fledged romance.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MASWksRL9Y8/UoixhkXRTxI/AAAAAAAAANw/pY40BU5ucvY/s1600/Barngates1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MASWksRL9Y8/UoixhkXRTxI/AAAAAAAAANw/pY40BU5ucvY/s320/Barngates1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Picture nabbed from<a href="http://t.co/5Ck70fppfH" target="_blank"> Barngates' tweet.</a></span></div>
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All present were tipping Barngates for greatness over the coming year, myself included. Well-deserved it would be too.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Disclaimer, while the samples I've mentioned and described above were
all given to me for free, I've since purchased a case of Pale. I
couldn't resist it!</span>Alex Routledgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14401220744099603705noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-851319172162131275.post-57239793288256519062013-07-26T09:04:00.000+01:002013-07-26T09:04:08.177+01:00Bradford's Bouncing Back.As you may have guessed from my <a href="http://www.twitter.com/AlexTheTyke" target="_blank">Twitter handle</a>, I'm a proud Yorkshireman. Over and above that, I'm a proud Bradfordian. My home city suffers a degree of ridicule in the national recognition, as the poor neighbour of Leeds, as a<a href="http://www.fairuk.org/docs/FAIR%20Bradford%20Report%202003.pdf" target="_blank"> failed example of multiculturalism</a>. If that is your impression of the place, I'd urge you to visit. It isn't the vibrant, northern urban centre that the likes of Leeds, Manchester and Liverpool have come to represent, but it teems with glorious architecture, all hewn from true Yorkshire sandstone in the traditional fashion. The place still has a buzz I remember from my youth, a sense of pride that stems from its previous life as Britain's richest city, home to the wool trade, a time dominated by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samuel_Lister,_1st_Baron_Masham" target="_blank">Samuel Lister</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Titus_Salt" target="_blank">Sir Titus Salt</a>.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-m64xpofOGx0/UfIljgzi0uI/AAAAAAAAAMQ/oif-jONALQw/s1600/Salts+Mill.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-m64xpofOGx0/UfIljgzi0uI/AAAAAAAAAMQ/oif-jONALQw/s320/Salts+Mill.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Salt's Mill, from the northern bank of the Aire. Photo by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jonfarman/4531896357/" target="_blank">Jon Farman</a> via Wikimedia Commons.</span></div>
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The visit I paid to Bradford recently was enlightening, even to me. There are Subways and Tesco Express stores where I remember pubs and independent stores.* There are housing developments where I remember open fields, even as recently ast 13 years ago, when we left Bradford for Cumbria. But beyond that, and much more importantly, there are the fruits of the new Bradford, borne of seeds laid long ago in the hearts of men and women like me, who wanted more for their home town. My priorities were somewhat changed when I moved away, but there has been some amazing work done in Bradford recently and not one but two of these examples were the very reasons I was in town.<br />
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The Sparrow Bier Cafe, on North Parade, recently celebrated its second birthday. There's much I could say about the short history of the place, the drive and commitment of its owner-operators and what a great place it is to go and drink in general, but much of this has been said already by the great Leigh Linley, over at <a href="http://goodfoodgoodbeer.wordpress.com/2013/07/04/the-sparrow-bradfords-fledgling-bar-grows-up/" target="_blank">The Good Stuff</a>. In the interview he gives Leigh, Mark (Husak, co-owner) states his passion for the city and upon meeting the fella, which I have done on a few occasions now, this becomes abundantly clear.<br />
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The vision for the Sparrow is clearly rooted in the long-established craft bar scene. The size of the place brings to mind <a href="http://northbar.com/northbar/" target="_blank">North Bar</a>, or <a href="http://www.utobeer.co.uk/aboutus_rake.html" target="_blank">The Rake</a>, with a beer selection that was well-judged, well kept and sold by knowledgable and friendly staff. Even the soaring temperatures on the evening I was there didn't affect my enjoyment, it was simply a case of ordering another pint of Bernard Light, Pivovar's stunning 3.8% pilsner.<br />
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The reason I had made this pilgrimage was for the launch of a new brewery, <a href="http://www.northernmonkbrew.co/" target="_blank">Northen Monk</a>, and their first beer, New World IPA. Northern Monk is the highly anticipated arrival on the commercial brewing scene of Bradford's own David Bishop, multi-award winning homebrewer, who is now working with business partner Russell Bisset on this new venture. I've only had the pleasure of one of Dave's beers before, DamNation, a Belgian-style strong golden ale. Needless to say it was brilliant, understated with a lovely balance of light, wispish malt, bold (without being aggressive) hopping and a luscious estery yeast, in perfect complement to the style. All of this prior knowledge made it essential for me to attend on the night and taste the new output for myself.<br />
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<a href="http://www.northernmonkbrew.co/new-world-ipa" target="_blank">New World IPA</a> did not disappoint. The malt character provides a strong backbone for the generous amount of hops, which effused tempting aromas of mangoes, gooseberries and freshly cut limes. I found it to be brief but full on the palate, while being cleansing, refreshing and all too drinkable (especially in the heat!). The bitterness was low and gentle, wringing the most life out of aroma hops and delivering a resolute, fruit-laden flavour that is well deserving of that same hallowed ground currently trodden by Jaipur, Dobber, High Wire and Diablo.<br />
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Much like The Sparrow, I suspect these Northern Monks will be around for some time to come.<br />
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*<span style="font-size: x-small;">Here I was ready, to lament the demise of Frizinghall Model Railways, a place where many happy hours were spent with my Dad in my childhood looking at the beautifully made up displays and set-ups, only to find that no such demise exists. It isn't where it was, but that is because <a href="http://www.modelrailshop.co.uk/" target="_blank">FMR</a> has moved into larger premises and has established a thriving online shop, truly bringing the business into the 21st century. More power to them! </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">If you're a tweeter and not already doing so, may I recommend following <a href="http://twitter.com/TheSparrowBd1" target="_blank">The Sparrow</a>, <a href="http://twitter.com/NMBCo" target="_blank">Northern Monk Brewing Co.</a>, <a href="http://twitter.com/NMBCoDavid" target="_blank">David Bishop</a> and <a href="http://twitter.com/NMBCoRuss" target="_blank">Russell</a><a href="http://twitter.com/NMBCoRuss" target="_blank"> Bisset</a>. There's more reviews of New World IPA out there by Simon at <a href="http://www.camrgb.org/2013/07/northern-monk-brew-co-new-world-ipa-6-2/" target="_blank">CAMRGB</a>, Nick at <a href="http://beerprole.wordpress.com/2013/07/20/northern-monk-brew-co-new-world-ipa-6-2-abv/" target="_blank">The Beer Prole</a>, Leigh at <a href="http://goodfoodgoodbeer.wordpress.com/2013/07/24/getting-to-know-the-northern-monks/" target="_blank">The Good Stuff</a> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=561427763914201&set=a.511795112210800.1073741828.503354156388229&type=1" target="_blank">Boak and Bailey</a>.</span>Alex Routledgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14401220744099603705noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-851319172162131275.post-37448435339276962472012-12-23T08:21:00.000+00:002012-12-23T08:26:06.197+00:002012...That was the year that was, eh?<br />
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I decided not to do a Golden Pints this year. I haven't blogged much at all this year, not for lack of inspiration, but because I didn't feel I could do myself justice.<br />
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The European Beer Bloggers Conference, held in Leeds in May, was a bit of an eye-opener for me. Being in the company of writers I've held in very high esteem was great, but when it came down to brass tacks, I realised I don't have the commitment to writing that they do. I'd love to be able to write 80,000 words a year and make cogent and reasonable arguments to join the debate, but I just don't feel like I have the skill or the time.<br />
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So, a brief post on what I've enjoyed this year and so forth...<br />
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Professionally speaking, brewing with <a href="http://www.twitter.com/FullersJohn" target="_blank">John Keeling</a> was fantastic. He has a friendly and open nature, and we found him keen to share his not inconsiderable brewing knowledge with us. Not only was the day informative, it was fun too. Signing the wall at <a href="http://therakeblog.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">The Rake</a> was amazing too.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_lu1xKMMThQ/UNa8jxO88_I/AAAAAAAAALE/EbOgrqJh4Oc/s1600/IMG_0973%5B1%5D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_lu1xKMMThQ/UNa8jxO88_I/AAAAAAAAALE/EbOgrqJh4Oc/s320/IMG_0973%5B1%5D.JPG" width="239" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">The Rake - now cosiderably less valuable than it was on 5/8/12</span></div>
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Event wise, Hardknott have been to <a href="http://www.portstreetbeerhouse.co.uk/" target="_blank">Port Street</a> a couple of times this year and I was lucky to go along on both occasions. I also went down for the Roosters night. All three were marvellous occasions. PSBH is the without doubt my favourite place to drink here in the UK, my only regret is that I can't get down there more often.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Zw9j-deeZ1Q/UNa9g8UMd5I/AAAAAAAAALQ/NdXUJAoWjWo/s1600/IMG_0816%5B1%5D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Zw9j-deeZ1Q/UNa9g8UMd5I/AAAAAAAAALQ/NdXUJAoWjWo/s320/IMG_0816%5B1%5D.JPG" width="239" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Port Street - n</span>ice bit of chalkman<span style="font-size: x-small;">ship</span></span></div>
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I've already mentioned EBBC, add to the list a jaunt to Leeds for the International Beer Festival in September, with the notorious <a href="http://www.twitter.com/tkiley1" target="_blank">Tyler Kiley</a> as my guide, discovering Friends of Ham and Whitelocks as well as the excellent Festival itself. I'm definitely looking forward to Leeds in 2013.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_zbyqTSNPYg/UNa7EK6FA3I/AAAAAAAAAK0/vyzmjGUU2Z4/s1600/IMG_1010%5B1%5D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_zbyqTSNPYg/UNa7EK6FA3I/AAAAAAAAAK0/vyzmjGUU2Z4/s320/IMG_1010%5B1%5D.JPG" width="239" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Tyler and Leigh - besht m<span style="font-size: x-small;">aytsh</span></span></div>
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The last event of the year for Hardknott was the Taste Cumbria Christmas Fayre at Muncaster Castle. We ran a Beer Hall in the Old Laundry function room, which was great. We served six beers, all on keg, blew a few minds, and enjoyed some of the best weather of the winter.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_UTC1cwtnGA/UNa6kk0HBgI/AAAAAAAAAKs/2DQrGsi9cA8/s1600/IMG_1070%5B1%5D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_UTC1cwtnGA/UNa6kk0HBgI/AAAAAAAAAKs/2DQrGsi9cA8/s320/IMG_1070%5B1%5D.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Muncaster Castle and the lower Esk Valley - beautiful in the winter sun</span></div>
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Beers of the year... the big one... In terms of what I've made myself, the new Hardknott Azimuth has become a personal favourite. I was also very proud of my homebrewed IPA, "Fitzroy", which people have been very kind about. Going beyond the narcissism... Buxton Axe Edge, Hawkshead NZPA, Stringers Mutiny and Furness Abbey, Dogfish Head 75 minute IPA (thanks to the good folks at North Bar for sharing with us at the time!), Coniston No.9, Roosters Baby Faced Assassin, Duchesse de Bourgogne and Lovibonds Dirty 69. All beers that have, at various times, floated my boat. All exceptionally well brewed, all packed with flavour. Special mention should also go to Dave Bishop, Broadford Brewer, who very kindly gave me a bottle of his DamnNation Belgian golden strong ale. This was every bit the equal to Duvel and Delirium Tremens, it was difficult to believe I was drinking a homebrewed beer at times. The end of the year has brought the sad news that Dave has been made redundant from his day job. He's an extremely talented brewer and would be an asset to any brewery who are looking to hire someone.<br />
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One thing I'd like to see less of in 2013 is the emergence of "craft" microbreweries that are owned and operated by larger, regional brewers*. The dull, piss-boring dishwater you peddle at £43 a firkin is the reason there is a craft movement in the UK now. You are akin to a horse who wants to hitch a lift in the carriage you're meant to be pulling. Cos y'know, that happens all the time.<br />
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Turned into a bit of a rant, hasn't it. What doesn't, I guess!<br />
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The warmest of seasons greetings to all and I wish you the very best for 2013.<br />
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*A little disclaimer, not all regional brewers are turning out the kind of beers I described above, Fullers and Adnams are producing some great beers and some of Jennings offerings are quite palatable. But there some terrible beers we have to put up with here in the Lakes, simply because they are too cheap for the landlord to ignore. Only my opinion, but there you have it.Alex Routledgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14401220744099603705noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-851319172162131275.post-22284538757067848092012-07-19T15:27:00.002+01:002012-07-19T15:27:47.693+01:00Desk JobI'm now the proud owner of my very own desk, in an office, at my place of work. As if the occasion wasn't momentous enough, <a href="http://hardknott.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">HardknottDave</a> has very generously now also furnished it with a working computer too.<br />
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I thought I'd mark this turning point in my career by writing a blog.<br />
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Anyway, I haven't a right lot to say just now, as I'm supposed to be writing a HACCP plan.<br />
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So that's it really. Toodle pip.Alex Routledgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14401220744099603705noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-851319172162131275.post-68994334781810416912012-05-19T17:00:00.001+01:002012-05-20T08:48:43.147+01:00Live Blogging #EBBCI live-blogged the speed tasting event on Twitter, so below is a collation of all those tweets in one place.<br />
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"Beer 1. #EBBC12 Otley Oxymoron. Light and slightly citrus aromas, the Sorachi hops jump out at me, pleasant malt backbone."<br />
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"Oxymoron: bitterness is very pleasant, lingering and nice back-of-the-tongue bite. #EBBC12"<br />
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"Beer 2: Brains Dark. Hints of chocolate and coffee on the nose. Slightly caramel-tinged. Understated hops, in style for a mild."<br />
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"Beautiful tobacco smoke hint and tasty liquorice. Liking this. #EBBC12"<br />
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"Beer 3: Marble/Emelisse Collab. Aroma is minimal but fruity & pleasant. Medium bitterness and a really nice bergamot-tannic flavour. #EBBC12"<br />
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"Made with tea, this fact is very evident! Really nice, full flavoured. #EBBC12"<br />
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"Beer 4, Roosters Baby Faced Assassin............. #saynomore beautifully soft, fragrant, served from cask this is an absolute winner."<br />
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"Beer 5: Great Heck Stormin' Norman, nice aromas, good fruit and tasty lingering yeast notes. Really drinkable for 6.5%..."<br />
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"Beer 6. Slater's Top Totty. Slight lemony touch, but an overall malt-led affair. Not as bitter as I'd like. Well brewed but not for me."<br />
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"Beer 7: Camden Hells USA... Unfiltered, lovely light flavour, malt shines through with the gentle balance of US hops. Superb. #EBBC12"<br />
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"Beer 8: Adnams Ghost Ship. Fruity Caramel nose. Nice malt character, really full & lingering, balanced beautifully by new world hops #EBBC12"<br />
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"Beer 9: Innis & Gunn, Scottish pale oak aged. Pine and toffee nose, fully hoppy flavour, but the oak aged, vanilla and toffee notes dominate"<br />
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"That's not my bag (in a pale beer) I'm afraid. Sorry I&G."<br />
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"Beer 10: Leeds Hellfire. Pleasant nose, nice body but it feels a bit beaten up. Bitterness doesn't jump out like I'd hope. #EBBC12"<br />
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"I get the feeling this would be a great beer if BC'd."<br />
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"I admire Leeds Brewery guy's marketing outlook, he's got it right. But pasteurising hasn't treated this beer well, IMHO. #EBBC12"<br />
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The event was great and it was superb fun to meet the guys from each brewery, hear their stories and learn a little bit more about what motivated them.<br />
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Alex Routledgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14401220744099603705noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-851319172162131275.post-68123934473660406002012-05-19T09:23:00.001+01:002012-05-19T13:18:52.632+01:00Beer Glasses - why it matters.For me, one of the most interesting sessions at EBBC so far has been the beer tasting with glass comparison, hosted by Spiegelau. Our hosts clearly know their stuff when it comes to glassmaking, but they've only been at it for 500 years or so, deep in the heart of Bavaria.<br />
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My time working behind bars made me well aware of the fact that a certain type of beer needs a certain type of glass. This was especially true of my time at The Masons Arms, where our range of 60 different beers tested the knowledge of our bar team daily.<br />
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However, as much as I have always stressed to people how much the shape of the glass matters, I was completely bowled over by Spiegelau's presentation. Taking as an example Camden Brewery's excellent Wheat beer, a sample was poured into each of Spielgelau's tall wheat beer glass, their tall but slender pilsner glass and finally the joker glass, a tulip pint such as those found in nearly any pub in the UK.<br />
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The wheat beer glass really accentuated the nose of the beer, the subtle notes that define a good Hefeweiss drifted gently from the glass. A good, soft head was well retained in this glass.<br />
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The pilsner glass, while not dissimilar in shape to the wheat beer glass, is a more narrow, slender affair. The aroma was present, but much more concentrated. It was a sudden burst of atonal noise, rather than all the notes playing out their gentle melody in turn. Again, this glass gave good head, but the mouthfeel was more aggressive, the carbonation was fuller and tighter.<br />
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The joker glass, with it's rolled lip, thicker walls and slight discolouration, gave very little - if any - aroma. The head disappeared almost immediately and the taste was metallic and ever so slightly sulphurous. I wondered if the glass I had was in need of renovating, the difference was that marked.<br />
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It's worth noting that the joker glass would retail ordinarily for between £1-2, where the Spiegelau glasses would retail for at the very least £7 each (the glass set we were very kindly given would normally retail for £30). The ordinary tulips, while thickness is part of the problem in tasting beers, is obviously more hard-wearing. Spiegelau's technique of blowing the glass, rather than moulding, results in a thinner, clearer glass, which is cut with a laser for a finer finish. The official line is that these glasses are built to withstand 1500 dishwasher cycles - 4 years if used everyday - however I would be surprised if they weren't broken before then, even by the most careful of beer geeks.Alex Routledgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14401220744099603705noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-851319172162131275.post-49098208006791551872012-05-18T15:57:00.001+01:002012-05-18T23:10:50.853+01:00Free BeerThe subject came up briefly during the second session of EBBC, in which Adrian Tierney-Jones and Simon Jenkins were offering generous advice on how to improve beer writing.<br />
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It's a hot topic at the moment and has led to Dave running the little "competition" in which a number of lucky bloggers who responded to our Rhetoric with reasonable integrity are taking home a bottle.<br />
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I was chatting with Neil Walker of Eating isn't Cheating yesterday in North Bar who provided the best example of how to go about requesting beer from a brewery that I've encountered so far.<br />
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"If I know I can't or won't be able to get hold of the beer in question locally, I simply send a polite email asking that should the brewery happen to be sending out beers for review, please would they consider sending me one."<br />
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As Adrian said in his talk, it's up to the blogger as to how they conduct themselves and indeed up to the brewer to decide how they'd like to respond.<br />
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Our point of view has been made clear by Dave, who believes that - as it stands - bloggers make up a large part of our target audience, it doesn't make any sense in business terms to give your product away that easily.<br />
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I'd certainly be more open to requests, were it to come down to my decision, if the requests were as polite as those outlined here.Alex Routledgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14401220744099603705noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-851319172162131275.post-72630241292066794632012-05-18T11:49:00.001+01:002012-05-18T11:51:41.480+01:00EBBC - Day 1.Coming back to Yorkshire is always a fun experience for me. I was born and brought up in Bradford, moving up to the Lakes with my family when I was seventeen. So arriving into Leeds for an almighty pub crawl was always going to be an exciting time for me, regardless.<br />
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I wasn't to be disappointed.<br />
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Leigh put together an excellent night, taking in the true high spots of the Leeds pub scene. Modern, contemporary places such as Mr Foley's, North Bar and The Midnight Bell were counterbalanced with the wonderful, traditional layout of The Grove and - to a lesser extent - The Cross Keys. <br />
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I managed to try a reasonable selection of both cask and keg beers ranging from local brews from Leeds and Saltaire breweries, to such exotic treats as Stone Old Guardian and Tipopils. The quality of the beers, in all pubs, was second to none. There was only one questionable pint which was happily substituted with good grace. <br />
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Of course, the main idea behind this evening was a miniature twissup, bringing people together who may have only ever spoken via twitter. To this end, I had some great conversations with more bloggers and fellow beer crusaders than I can mention in such a brief post. Needless to say, Leigh himself, who was very kind about a post I did over on my homebrew blog (http://1248brewery.blogspot.com), did an incredible job of putting the whole thing together. Cheers Leigh!<br />
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I'm now looking forward to getting started with the conference proper, first on the agenda being the distribution of the Rhetoric and FitzRoy. Here's to a great weekend ahead.Alex Routledgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14401220744099603705noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-851319172162131275.post-75384554533892431262012-05-05T01:23:00.001+01:002012-05-05T01:23:12.564+01:00Spring at HardknottIt's been ages since I blogged and look, its all changed. Blogger is trying to be Facebook it seems.<br />
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I thought I'd just jot a quick note down with some of the things we've been up to over the last couple of months. Some exciting times have been enjoyed and thanks to a new account with Ales and Co in Italy, we're busier than ever. The popularity of our mid-range beers, Code Black and Infra Red, has soared, in cask, keg and bottle too. To the point where we're brewing them more or less non-stop now, a tricky task with only 3 fermenting vessels....<br />
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We held a highly succesful Meet the Brewer evening at Cask Pub & Kitchen in Pimlico back in early March, you can see the video of Dave's shenanigans <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HAhUZbHEijA" target="_blank">here</a>. I was left at home to babysit the beer on that occasion, it has to be done!<br />
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Towards the end of March, we made a brand new prototype beer, completely off the wall. I can't say much more than that just now, needless to say keep your eyes on our twitter accounts, you'll know when it happens...<br />
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The next excitement was brewing with John Keeling, in early April. John and his wife, Simone, came up to visit the Lakes and John was keen to come and see our setup and make something new with us, which was incredibly cool. He is a very genial chap, keen to share his knowledge with us and develop a really special beer for the occasion.<br />
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The beer we brewed together has matured very well and was tasting great this week when we bottled the first half of the batch. Again, keep your eyes peeled for news on our twitter feeds.</div>
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Lately, just last weekend in fact, I had the pleasure of <a href="http://kirkstile.com/" target="_blank">The Kirkstile Inn</a>'s Beer Festival. The Kirkstile is by far my favourite pub in the Lakes, amid stiff competition from pubs such as <a href="http://www.swaninnulverston.co.uk/" target="_blank">The Swan Inn</a>, <a href="http://www.ainscoughs.co.uk/The-Derby-Arms/the-derby-arms-home.html" target="_blank">The Derby Arms</a> and <a href="http://thequeensarmsbiggar.co.uk/The_Queens_Arms_Biggar_Village_-_A_Biggar_Experience.html" target="_blank">The Queens at Biggar</a>. Set against the beautiful backdrop of Loweswater in the northern Lakes, the building is a 16th century stable housing to serve the neighbouring church (kirk-stile or church-stalls). It has a cosy bar with gently glowing fire, low beams and historic photos and artefacts adorning the walls. I was apprehensive about coming as it involved a steady, 14-mile cycle from Whitehaven up into the Lakes, however I was pleasantly surprised at how easy, dare I say it, even enjoyable, I found the ride.</div>
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Roger Humphreys, owner of both the Kirkstile and Cumbria Legendary Ales invited me up to the pub and kindly offered me a bed for the night. Extreme generosity from one of the gentlemen of this business. Roger knows good beer and had one hell of a selection lined up, in addition to his own superb range of beers, he had procured casks from Thornbridge, Red Willow, Highland, Magic Rock, Marble and Hawkshead. He had also put on CLA's own superb doppelbock Croglin Vampire, served from cask. Having already polished off 8 pints of beers ranging from 3.9% to 6.0%, for some reason I thought the 8% Vampire would be a good way to finish off the night... a whole pint of it to be precise. I have no memory of leaving the bar and going back to my room...</div>
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What I do remember though, a great chat with Roger and his head brewer at CLA, Hayley. A great example of friendly beer folk within Cumbria and the industry at large. I also remebered the 14 mile cycle back to Whitehaven to catch the train home the next morning. That was "fun".</div>
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No sooner had that hangover subsided then did I find myself on a train bound for Manchester on Monday afternoon. Another Meet the Brewer event loomed, this time at one of my favourite drinking establuishments I've yet had the pleasure of, Port Street Beer House. A great bar, chock-full of great beers. In addition to our contributions of Cool Fusion, Continuum, Code Black and Infra Red (all on cask) and Colonial Mayhem (on keg), I got to try some amazing beers from Summer Wine, Nogne O, and some more Magic Rock. </div>
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The night descended into general mayhem when Dave produced a 3-litre bottle of Infra Red's predecessor from the Woolpack days, Zippy Red Ale. This behemoth had been aging since 2009 and had matured beautifully, the hops had mellowed and rounded into a subtle fruity, slightly sweet, slightly sharp combination. It was amazing.</div>
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But (in my opinion) it was topped, incredibly. Some young chaps we were speaking to by the names of Jack, Clifford and Liam (sorry, didn't catch any last names) very generously shared a bottle of Goose Island Lolita with Dave and I. At £22.00, this was a serious chunk of cash and we are ever so grateful to them for sharing. Aged in wine barrels with raspberries, this is an absolute beast of a sour beer. Dry as a bone with the gentle tartness of the raspberry to give it an irresistable edge.</div>
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It was really cool to meet Gregg Irwin (<a href="http://www.twitter.com/dredpenguin/" target="_blank">@dredpenguin</a>) this week, we gave him a quick brewery tour, and of course got him up the ladder, helping out. He very kindly left us some beer to try too, something we shall be investigating soon, I'm sure.</div>
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So now, apart from my bad back, the reason I am writing this now, you're up to date. I'm now very much looking forward to the summer, primarily the Beer Blogger's Conference in Leeds and finally getting back down to London for GBBF (at least). Not to mention a great time ahead brewing more great beer and breaking new ground for Hardknott.</div>
<br />Alex Routledgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14401220744099603705noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-851319172162131275.post-22914731631911291522012-02-11T20:21:00.003+00:002012-02-11T21:44:48.501+00:00Beer FestivalsThis post started out as a write-up of my experiences at Dickie Doodles beer festival in Kendal last weekend, but the more I've thought about it (especially given the events of the last week or so), the more its turned into a more general musing on beer festivals as an entity.<br /><br />Firstly, Dickie Doodles. Tucked into one of Kendal's many 'yards' (alleys), Dickie Doodles is a small bar, with a big reputation for its live music nights. Walking in, I was greeted to the sounds of Sergeant Pepper, remade lovingly, track-for-track, in a reggae style. Bare-stone walls, adorned with local artwork depicting classic motorcycles (including a magnificent rendering of an Indian Scout), provide an excellent acoustic and make it plain why this is such a magnet for the local music crowd.<br /><br />The bar was sporting 6 handpull beer engines and a further two beers were available via gravity on the back of the bar. I was immediately heartened to see our own Katalyst on the bar, its probably my favourite cask beer of ours.<br /><br />The format was the same as many CAMRA-run festivals, you buy a card for a fiver with 5x50p, 10x20p and 5x 10p squares to be crossed off as they are spent, with the beers being sold at either 80p, 90p or £1 per third. This caused me a problem right away as I was encouraged to drink in thirds. I haven't a problem with that as a rule, especially when there is a wide selection of beers, or everything available is of a high ABV, however the strongest on offer was Coniston Blacksmith's, at 5%. As it was, I had 6 thirds over the course of an hour or so, where I would normally have had 3-4 pints. Bad news in terms of stock management.<br /><br />I don't want to decry the chaps at DD's though, this was their first festival and they had a nice list put together. On the bar when I was in were; Stringer's Yellow Lorry (a classy pale beer, grassy bitterness with nice fruity notes too), the afore-mentioned Blacksmith's (malty sweetness and nutty with a full-bodied mouthfeel), Pennine Amber and Real Blonde (lager-y sweetness, an unquarrelsome pale), Dent Aviator, Cross Bay Winter Moon Porter (I did try this, but I wouldn't want to publish my thoughts on it), Hawkshead's classic Brodie's Prime (stunning porter with a nice gentle, rolling bitterness) and Katalyst (with all its bits in the right places, to my satisfaction). All the beers were in great condition, even those served on gravity from the bar top, complete with their frozen towels to chill them! The blackboard proclaimed such delights as Saltaire's Elderflower Blonde and Hawkshead's super-special NZPA as 'Coming Soon'.<br /><br />I did call back in later, as the band were warming up, and was served a couple of pints, rather than going back on to thirds. Unfortunately, the weather had closed in all day, leaving the bar rather empty and forlorn at the time they should have been busiest.<br /><br />All in all, a good first fest I'd say, but there was a definite feel of a CAMRA run festival about it, which to me spoiled the atmosphere a bit. I expect next time around, the management team will be wanting to keep the event more in line with its regular trading pattern, perhaps introduce some more exotic beers (maybe including bottles) and give people the option of a pint or even a half on the more sessionable beers right from the outset.<br /><br />Fans and followers of the Hardknott blogs/twitter feeds may be aware of the <a href="http://hardknott.blogspot.com/2012/02/queboid-too-strong-for-siba.html">controversy</a> we courted following the SIBA National Keg Competition, held at The Barrels in Hereford last week. I don't need to remind you of all the grisly details, needless to say we were all pretty incredulous at what we had been told.<br /><br />What really got me thinking though, as someone who has both organised and patronised a fair few beer festivals, is what we were told by the manager of The Barrels after the event. Their decision to not serve Queboid, at 8%, and Mutiny, at 9.3%, was based upon the grounds of the 'responsible retailing of alcohol' and that they would not ordinarily serve beers of over 4.5%. This last fact is the decision of the licensee and as such is fair enough, I'm certainly not going to tell him how to run his business, but this claim of the 'responsible retailing of alcohol' sticks in my throat somewhat.<br /><br />When I was running the bar at the Masons Arms, Strawberry Bank, I would regularly have beers such as Coniston Infinity IPA (6%), Hawkshead NZPA (6%) and Citrillo (5%) (or Cumbrian Five Hop as it is now) and Hardknott Infra Red (6.2%) on the bar on cask, we periodically sold Leffe Blond (6.6%) and Duvel Green (6.8%) via keg and had many bottles at way over 10%, including Tokyo* and Tactical Nuclear Penguin. The Masons, much like the Barrels we are led to believe, is a place that must be driven to for 95% of its clientele. It isn't on a bus route, in fact the nearest bus stop with a regular service is over 4 miles away. I never once stopped to think that I wasn't retailing alcohol responsibly. I wonder if <a href="http://rabidbarfly.blogspot.com/">Glyn</a>, <a href="http://thecraftbeerco.com/">Tom</a>, <a href="http://www.mrfoleyscaskalehouse.co.uk/">Dean</a>, or <a href="http://www.portstreetbeerhouse.co.uk/">Will</a> have ever had that doubt? My guess is their response would be the same as mine, 'Of course not, particularly strong beers come in shorter measures.'<br /><br />The fact is, if someone has had enough, they don't get any more. It's the basic principle of innkeeping that goes back centuries, if not millenia. If I was a regular, I'd be unhappy that my beer selection was being censored on the basis that the landlord didn't want me getting a bit pissed of a Saturday night. It makes even less sense to me that he wouldn't even serve halves of an 8% beer, when he's quite happy to dish out pints of 4.5% beer. Simple maths tells you there's something wrong there.<br /><br />I had my first experience of GBBF last year, I have to say I was unaccustomed to drinking anything less than pints at that stage, especially as a first drink. I arrived a tad late and whilst looking around to find Ann and Dave, I decided a beer would make the search easier. Arriving at the BSF American bar, virgin pint glass clasped in hand, I asked for a Lagunitas IPA, at around 5.5% as I recall.<br /><br />"A half or a third, sir?"<br /><br />"Errrr, pint???"<br /><br />"Oh, er, yes, of course, er, right away."<br /><br />It seems my request was somewhat foreign to the bar tender. Perhaps my ideas of strength are askew? I'd regard anything up to 6% as 'sessionable', depending on style somewhat. But that's just me and it's all subjective, something we'd all do well to remember once in a while.Alex Routledgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14401220744099603705noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-851319172162131275.post-10404985200566918852012-01-26T22:16:00.004+00:002012-02-03T21:45:40.308+00:00Burns Night at The Derby ArmsI've never even been to a Burns Night dinner, let alone hosted one.....<br /><br />But there I was, stepping into the breach. The Hardknott van had failed its MOT on Monday, and then been troublesome enough as to reject the donor parts transplanted into it on Tuesday. Which put vital deliveries to Newcastle back 2 days already. Therefore, when the van passed its MOT on Wednesday afternoon, Dave and Ann had to shoot straight over to the north-east, pretty much right away.<br /><br />The upshot of all that was the Burns Night dinner, which was to be hosted jointly between myself and Dave, was now going to be hosted by, err, me. Luckily, <a href="http://jeffpickthall.blogspot.com/">Jeff</a> stepped in at the last minute to help with proceedings, so some moral support was the very least that was on hand, not to mention the wealth of experience he commands.<br /><br />The night itself had actually been planned as a little promotion for our role as Brewdog wholesalers, so using the Scottish connection it seemed natural to make it a Burns Night event. The four-course meal consisted of Smoked Salmon with a sweet lime dressing, paired with Punk IPA, Haggis with neeps and tatties (naturally), paired with both Alice Porter and 5AM Saint, <span style="font-style: italic;">Cranachan</span>, paired with both Bitch Please and Hardcore IPA and finally a cheese platter served with a <span style="font-style: italic;">wee dram</span> of Tokyo*.<br /><br />Generally, the matches worked well. We had tried to pair each course in such a way that one beer would contrast the flavour of the food, where the alternative would compliment. Our downfall was possibly the dessert course. The rich creaminess of the <span style="font-style: italic;">Cranachan</span> was undermined by the Bitch Please and somewhat overwhelmed by the Hardcore. It was the only downside to an otherwise successful beer matching event. The star of the show, as it quite often is, was Tokyo*. This is an immense beer on its own, but paired with cheese it takes on a whole new dimension.<br /><br />The Derby Arms, in Witherslack near Kendal, is a stunning pub, located just off the A590, the main road through the south of the county. It is now being run by one of my former colleagues from my days at the Masons Arms, Strawberry Bank, A<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Vc000rSMXmo/TyHZMp2Pr1I/AAAAAAAAAGE/8hsE984il8s/s1600/IMG_0644%255B1%255D.JPG"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 312px; height: 233px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Vc000rSMXmo/TyHZMp2Pr1I/AAAAAAAAAGE/8hsE984il8s/s320/IMG_0644%255B1%255D.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5702077414642790226" border="0" /></a>dam Thorpe. Adam shares my passion for decent beer, but is more sensitive to the needs of higher management shall we say. He's clearly making an impression in his new job too. The quality of the food at the Derby has always been high, but the meal prepared for us was stunning, full rich flavours and rustic, yet comely presentation. All this says nothing of the rooms, the example I was treated to, Room 4, was very grand, with the biggest bed I've ever seen, let alone slept in.<br /><br />The Derby will hopefully be the venue for a proper Hardknott night in April and we are also hoping to play a part in their inaugural beer festival in June. Personally, I'm excited to keep my ties with my old partner in crime as strong as possible and to make The Derby Arms a destination for fans of top quality beer, served in relaxed and friendly surroundings, whether Cumbrian themselves, or a visitor to our realm.Alex Routledgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14401220744099603705noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-851319172162131275.post-78843744377259874202012-01-22T09:41:00.003+00:002012-01-22T10:01:00.176+00:00Inspiration...One week later, I've learned so much.<br /><br />No doubt my tweets from the Brewlab course may have been picked up by one or two of you. They probably weren't entirely representative of my overall experience. There was the minor inconvenience of Kevin, interrupting procedings and generally not getting stuff the rest of us were completely familiar with. On the whole, however, the course was very informative, I learned a great deal, particularly in the areas of liquor treatment and yeast culturing.<br /><br />Over and above all that though, it gave me inspiration. As most folks will know, I've done a bit of homebrewing (I still hate the term, but for convenience, it'll do) before, in fact I blogged about it last time I did a little brew. People who have tried my beers have been relatively impressed with them, in fact I'm confident in saying they were pretty good, considering what I knew then compared to what I know now.<br /><br />So I'm also confident in saying I could produce some kick-ass beers at home on my small kit with the commercial knowledge I've picked up in the last week or so, combined with the practical experience gained at work. I'm actually quite excited about it, to the point where I have a theme and basic branding worked out. Too far, too fast, I know, but when the mood takes me I tend to crack on with these things.<br /><br />Next job is to clear out our old shed and fit it out with power and water so I can actually brew in there. So please excuse me, I must be on my way...Alex Routledgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14401220744099603705noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-851319172162131275.post-67288807946192496722012-01-15T10:37:00.002+00:002012-01-15T10:58:03.653+00:00Progress...It's been a pretty mental couple of weeks over at Hardknott towers. The new year saw us with orders for pallets which we are still attempting to catch up with. Dave and Ann have been shooting off around the country sealing deals and bringing back exotic items from the far north.<br /><br />All of this has culminated in me checking on my blog, rather belatedly, and finding that I've gone past 1000 page views in the last few days. (I've also found a draft I started on New Year's Eve and had forgotten all about, but we shall gloss over that...)<br /><br />Anyway, thanks to all who've popped by. My aims for blogging in 2012 are threefold:<br /><br />a) I'd like to do more of it;<br />b) I'd like to get better at it;<br />c) I'd like to learn how to more carefully tread that line between interesting and controversial.<br /><br />I hope that meets with everyone's approval!<br /><br />In the meantime, I'm driving across to Sunderland today in preparation for taking the Brewlab Brewing Skills Development course ovedr the next 4 days or so. This will, all being well, improve our consistency of putting great beer out there (which I'm told is already pretty good anyway), as well as help me sharpen up my practices and make us a bit more efficient.<br /><br />So here's to a year of great beer, great company and great fun.Alex Routledgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14401220744099603705noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-851319172162131275.post-74398927681956311572011-12-23T07:24:00.000+00:002011-12-23T07:55:28.927+00:00Corporate responsibilityI wrote a blog last night. You might be aware of that.<br /><br />But I also wrote some disparaging tweets on the same subject. The blog was, to quote bloggers I have a lot of respect for, 'well written' and 'crystal clear that it was my opinion', which is very gratifying and thanks to all who have tweeted me. The tweets I wrote were not so objective, to the point where, taken alone, I'm just slagging off someone else's beer.<br /><br />What I failed to grasp at the time was that my twitter account is viewed under the Hardknott banner, I hadn't even put a disclaimer in my twitter bio. I have always viewed it as my own personal venting outlet, whether venting an immature joke or my displeasure at a beer.<br /><br />Publicly, I want to apologise to Dave and Ann for any possible sullying of the Hardknott name. Obviously this wasn't my intention, I'm committed to building our brand and working with all of our brand partners in Cumbria and beyond. I'd also like to make public my apology to James and those at Brewdog, I acted unprofessionally in terms of my responsibility to Hardknott.<br /><br />I'm slowly realising now that the blog, if re-posted wouldn't be offensive, it would still be a bit of a dig, but I think it was balanced and clearly my opinion. However, being such an incompetent blogger, and being half asleep when I took the decision to remove it, the post is now lost. If anyone, by some stupidly remote chance, got a screen cap, I'd certainly be grateful.<br /><br />I've tweeted to say that I'm off twitter until the New Year. I may be back before then but with a different username/bio. Likewise with this blog, I'll have a play with the name and change things around to make it clear its not affiliated with Hardknott.<br /><br /><br />Merry Christmas.Alex Routledgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14401220744099603705noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-851319172162131275.post-19578248506057075112011-12-14T22:21:00.000+00:002011-12-14T23:03:35.809+00:00Golden Pints 2011<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1Ca6JXCVbms/TukquOVTMTI/AAAAAAAAAFI/5PwFXdmZ-A8/s1600/golden-pints-225x300.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 225px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1Ca6JXCVbms/TukquOVTMTI/AAAAAAAAAFI/5PwFXdmZ-A8/s320/golden-pints-225x300.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5686122978141745458" border="0" /></a><br />This is the first time I've done a Golden Pints list and after what has been a pretty tumultuous - but utterly satisfying - year, I think I'm in a good position to answer as objectively as I can. I've tried to be as professionally modest as I can be with Hardknott beers, but Infra Red has found its way in there purely as it remains one of my favourite beers since the first time I tried it a little over a year ago.<br /><br />Apologies, I'm not the type to take proper notes when tasting beers, so this may be a little more sketchy than I'd actually prefer. Hey ho....<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Best UK draught beer: SWB Cohort.</span><br />Sampled on cask at the Free Trade Inn on twissup, then again on keg at Port Street Beer House a couple of weeks later, this is one of the highlights of my beery year. Honourable mentions: Hawkshead NZPA, Magic Rock Human Cannonball.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Best UK packaged beer: Stringers Furness Abbey. </span><br />Jon and Becky are good friends and practically neighbours, brewery-wise. Their Belgian-style beer has the hallmarks of a true great in its style. Honourable mentions: CLA Croglin Vampire, Hardknott Infra Red.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Best Overseas draught: Duchesse de Bourgogne. </span><br />I had this at Port Street Beer House in November. What an absolute stunner she is too! Honourable mentions: De Molen Vuur & Vlam, Galway Hooker.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Best Overseas packaged: Maui Big Swell IPA.</span><br />First had this at Mr Foley's on IPA day and I've sought it out ever since. Honourable mentions: Goose Island Matilda, Schneider Tap 5 Hopfenweiss.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Best Overall Beer: SWB Cohort. </span><br />Honourable mentions: Magic Rock Human Cannonball, Hardknott Infra Red.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Best Pumpclips: The Kernel</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Best UK Brewery: Summer Wine. </span><br />Honourable mentions: Magic Rock, The Kernel.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Best Overseas Brewery: Goose Island.</span><br />Honourable mentions: Sierra Nevada, Schneider.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Pub/Bar of the Year: Tied between </span><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://www.portstreetbeerhouse.co.uk/">Port Street Beer House</a><span style="font-weight: bold;"> and </span><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://www.mrfoleyscaskalehouse.co.uk/">Mr Foley's</a><span style="font-weight: bold;">.</span><br />Honourable mentions: Free Trade Inn, Bacchus.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Beer Festival of the Year: IPA Day at Mr Foley's.</span><br />Honourable mentions: GBBF, <a href="http://www.kirkstile.com/">The Kirkstile Inn</a> Summer Beer Fest.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Supermarket of the Year: Booths.</span><br />Honourable mentions: Morrisons, M&S.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Independent Retailer of the year: Beer Ritz.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Online Retailer of the year: Beer Merchants.</span><br />Honourable mention: SWB online shop.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Best Beer Book/Mag: haven't had time to read any!</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Best Blog: </span><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://ghostdrinker.blogspot.com/">Ghostdrinker</a><span style="font-weight: bold;">.</span><br />Ghostie always gives an honest and refreshing outlook, tries things other beer geeks wouldn't dream of and makes me laugh every time. Good work fella! Honourable mentions: <a href="http://www.reluctantscooper.co.uk/">Reluctant Scooper</a>, <a href="http://www.boakandbailey.com/">Boak and Bailey</a>.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Best tweeter: @BeeryMatt.</span><br />Honourable mentions: @Ghostdrinker, @SimonHJohnson.<br /><br />Best Online Brewery Presence: Magic Rock.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Food and Beer Pairing of the Year: </span>Tied between Hardknott Granite 2011 and Blacksticks Blue Cheese & Hardknott Vitesse Noir and Rich Chocolate Tart, <a href="http://www.fayrergarden.com/">Fayrer Garden</a> style! Apologies for picking two Hardknott beers in this category, but its obviously what I've been most involved with at matching dinners.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">What I'd like to do in 2012:</span> Make more awesome beer, drink more awesome beer, continue to meet more awesome beer mates!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Open Category:-</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Best online spat:</span> Hardknott Dave and Tandleman. <a href="http://jeffpickthall.blogspot.com/2011/12/heresy-hardknott-dave-avert-your-gaze.html#comment-form">I think we're all glad that got sorted out...</a><br /><br />Ok, so let the arguments and/or derision commence...<br />Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to beer geeks everywhere!Alex Routledgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14401220744099603705noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-851319172162131275.post-66146366148092371782011-11-26T08:07:00.000+00:002011-11-26T08:34:10.451+00:00Port Street Beer House, 23/11/11In the run up to Christmas, dark is the thing. Dark nights, dark beers, this match is as easy as it gets. This led to a happy coincidence. Port street beer house, a young - but already iconic - beer haven in Manchester is running an 'Old and Dark' Festival. Hardknott, the steadily growing craft brewery from South Cumbria is looking for somewhere to launch its maddest brew to date; Vitesse Noir.<br /><pre style="font-family: lucida grande;" wrap="">Farrer's Coffee, locally roasted beans sourced from Latin America, Chocolate from expert French choclatiers Valrhona, vanilla beans from Papua New Guinea. Stimulant upon stimulant upon stimulant. When combined with 11% ABV, this beer is both pep- and sleeping pill combined.<br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Gj__wktWddg/TtCiZo76fzI/AAAAAAAAAE8/6bSnRqvtUmw/s1600/IMG_0551%255B1%255D.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 239px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Gj__wktWddg/TtCiZo76fzI/AAAAAAAAAE8/6bSnRqvtUmw/s320/IMG_0551%255B1%255D.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5679217691483340594" border="0" /></a><br /><br />We arrived in Manchester at around 5:30 that evening and, after a quick meal in Chinatown, it was on to Port Street.<br /><br />From here on, I describe the evening through my own eyes.<br /><br />In my 'manor' of Cumbria, craft kegged beer is as rare as hen's teeth. Therefore, if I'm in such a place as Port Street, or Mr Foley's, or Bacchus, or Craft Beer Co, I instinctively gravitate toward it. That's not a denouncement of casked beer, I love cask conditioned beer, but it is all too readily available where I live. No variety.<br /><br />I began with De Molen's Vuur & Vlam, a delicious 6.2% pale ale with plenty of hop character and a nice quaffable body.<br /><br />I followed this up with Summer Wine Brewery's Cohort, a double black Belgian rye PA, an amazing genre-buster, full bodied and thick with a nice over-riding bitterness and fruity top-notes.<br /><br />Other beers enjoyed on the night include Lovibonds Henley Dark, SK1 barley wine (of unknown origin), Great Divide Yeti and Source Deli/Prospect Brewery collaboration 'On The Source', a delicious IPA flavoured with Basil.<br /><br />Which brings me on to another couple of beers I happened to try. On keg was Odell 5 Barrel Pale Ale. I still have a few bottles of Odell's Cutthroat Porter in my beer shed, which is an amazing beer. It's a shame I can't say the same for what I tried that night. While I'm sure it was competently brewed and it's fair to say it could've been washed out by all the amazing full-flavoured beers I'd tried before, it still tasted of sugary tea.<br /><br />In complete contrast, this evening represented my first taste of Duchesse de Bourgogne. Now here was a beer that felt too good to drink. I wanted to lather it over a prime cut of Venison, with a few lingonberries for good measure. Sweet and tangy and full of rich juiciness, what an incredibly complex array of flavours.<br /><br />While I was sampling my way through the entire bar and ogling the enormous range of bottles neatly stacked behind it, Hardknott Dave was doing his thing.<br /><br />He'd earlier spoken for 10 minutes or so, introducing the beer we were gathered to launch as it were. He managed to do this without yelling either, a significant breakthrough in his 'meet the brewer' presentations....!<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rFzYoZvPBvc/TtCgB70k-jI/AAAAAAAAAEY/Fck8Zuv_XxA/s1600/IMG_0547%255B1%255D.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 239px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rFzYoZvPBvc/TtCgB70k-jI/AAAAAAAAAEY/Fck8Zuv_XxA/s320/IMG_0547%255B1%255D.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5679215085212727858" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br />The beer officially went on sale as soon as Dave had finished speaking and a large queue formed at the bar.<br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FzGUjs2FJwk/TtChoryTyFI/AAAAAAAAAEk/owY-20sQGvE/s1600/IMG_0549%255B1%255D.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 239px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FzGUjs2FJwk/TtChoryTyFI/AAAAAAAAAEk/owY-20sQGvE/s320/IMG_0549%255B1%255D.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5679216850434771026" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Of course, Hardknott officionados and twissupers alike will know that Vitesse Noir has previously been sold in keg at the marvellous Free Trade Inn, but universal beer geek opinion was that while the carbonation certainly lifted the flavours, it was a tad too cold to be brutally honest. The cask version suffered no such problem. Cask conditioning is a great format for this beer, pitched at the perfect temperature to enhance and show off the flavours, but still carrying enough condition to enliven the palate with those flavours.<br /><br />We were heading back to Cumbria on the last train, and it was soon time to make a move. I couldn't leave without a carry-out though, not when you consider the range that Port Street boasts.<br /><br />I'd had my eye on Schneider's new limited edition Tap X: Mein Nelson Sauvin since I'd first perused the online beer list a few days ago. Seeing it there in the fridge, in all it's splendour, I couldn't resist! So coupled with a Birra del Borgo My Antonia and a Victory Hop Wallop, my Port Street adventure was drawing to a close.<br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kPbod0X2mx4/TtCiEFbVJ6I/AAAAAAAAAEw/TZAr_JdpLSU/s1600/IMG_0552%255B1%255D.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 239px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kPbod0X2mx4/TtCiEFbVJ6I/AAAAAAAAAEw/TZAr_JdpLSU/s320/IMG_0552%255B1%255D.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5679217321174181794" border="0" /></a><br />Thanks to Jonny and Will from Port Street and to everyone who turned up on the night.</pre>Alex Routledgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14401220744099603705noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-851319172162131275.post-55157251769776592662011-11-09T20:00:00.000+00:002011-11-09T20:30:58.013+00:00The Session #57: Guilty PleasuresI have a pretty filthy habit.<br /><br />It's not something I'm particularly proud of, but I love it just the same.<br /><br />My guilty pleasure?<br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8nxwGUkC858/TrrdwIi190I/AAAAAAAAAEE/79_KxgIkkY4/s1600/IMG_0519%255B1%255D.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 239px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8nxwGUkC858/TrrdwIi190I/AAAAAAAAAEE/79_KxgIkkY4/s320/IMG_0519%255B1%255D.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5673090499623647042" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Desperados.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Its RateBeer score is a venerable 1. My favourite review on that particular site gave it 0.7, stating: "Completely undrinkable, I'd rather stay sober for the rest of my life." The same review does go on to say "good carbonation" though, so hey-ho.<br /><br />I first drank this beer in a Mexican restaurant called Salsa in the Bournemouth suburb of Charminster. Whenever I would visit a good buddy in that area, we would invariably end up in Salsa until midnight at the very least. We once got drinking with the staff and stumbled out at 5 in the morning, having consumed a bottle of tequila and 4 cases of Desperados just on our table of 6, plus hangers on.... possibly. It's a bit hazy.<br /><br />In terms of its taste, it would be fair to say its pretty rank. Its sweet and perfumed and in no way does it taste of tequila, which is the one thing it's supposed to taste of. But it's light, the sweetness makes it easy to drink - especially when served with the obligatory lime wedge - and its "good carbonation" is beautifully refreshing. Ok, so its in a clear bottle and as such it is a tad skunked, but in goes the lime wedge and it's happy days!<br /><br />When I tweeted out what I was drinking, I attracted much derision from <a href="http://www.twitter.com/ZakAvery/">Zak Avery</a> and el Capitan himself, <a href="http://www.twitter.com/HardknottDave/">HardknottDave</a>. But drinking this beer will always take me back to being 20 years old, without much of a care, long hot weekends in Bournemouth and friends all round the table.Alex Routledgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14401220744099603705noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-851319172162131275.post-10518941491401536222011-10-28T11:41:00.000+01:002011-10-28T12:06:51.131+01:00CBAG rides again at the Faryer Garden...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-eGzj81AvZvA/TqqKbAsfaWI/AAAAAAAAADc/18fDVzX8PgE/s1600/IMG_0669.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-eGzj81AvZvA/TqqKbAsfaWI/AAAAAAAAADc/18fDVzX8PgE/s320/IMG_0669.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5668495277646899554" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">The Cumbria Beer Appreciation Group will be holding its next event this coming Thursday (3rd November) at the <a href="http://www.fayrergarden.com/">Fayrer Garden House Hotel</a> in Bowness-on-Winderemere, overlooking Lake Windermere itself.<br /><br />The menu follows:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">White Onion and Sage Soup</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Loweswater Gold (4.2%), Cumbria Legendary Ales, Hawkshead.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Smoked Fillet of Lakeland Trout</span><br />Coleslaw salad, Citrus dressing<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Hefeweiss (5.0%), Mitchell Krause, Workington.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Pan Fried Cartmel Valley Pigeon</span></span><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dhaQAs_uEyU/TqqLOXvUMpI/AAAAAAAAADo/AE3QuhCKyeg/s1600/IMG_0686.JPG"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dhaQAs_uEyU/TqqLOXvUMpI/AAAAAAAAADo/AE3QuhCKyeg/s320/IMG_0686.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5668496160006091410" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;"><br />Potato Rosti, Parsnip Puree, Game Sauce<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Blacksmith's Ale (5.0%), Coniston Brewing Company, Coniston.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Damson Sorbet</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Damson Beer (6.0%), Stringers, Ulverston.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Pan Fried Fillet of Beef</span><br />Fondant Potato, Green Beans, Wild Mushroom Mousse, Pan Jus<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Furness Abbey (7.6%), Stringers, Ulverston. </span><br /><br /></span><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-unhZT90IgWs/TqqL8ql8gOI/AAAAAAAAAD0/kTy9fVFdBYY/s1600/IMG_0726.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-unhZT90IgWs/TqqL8ql8gOI/AAAAAAAAAD0/kTy9fVFdBYY/s320/IMG_0726.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5668496955341045986" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Rich Chocolate Tart</span><br />Raspberry Sorbet and Spun Sugar<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Vitesse Noir (11.0%), Hardknott Brewery, Millom</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Selection of British Cheeses</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Granite 2010 (10.1%), Hardknott Brewery, Millom</span><br /><br />So the secret is out!<br /><br />Myself, <a href="http://hardknott.blogspot.com/">Dave</a> and <a href="http://jeffpickthall.blogspot.com/">Jeff</a> have all had a run through of the menu and it truly was outstanding, very high quality food and, if yesterday's SIBA north judging is anything to go by, extremely high quality beer to go with it. To book, please call the Fayrer Garden direct on 015394 88195. They are even offering half-price B&B for the night, with lake-view rooms avbailable on a first come, first served basis.<br /><br />See you there!<br /></span>Alex Routledgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14401220744099603705noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-851319172162131275.post-1645301547903718722011-09-20T23:58:00.000+01:002011-09-21T08:07:22.352+01:00Small Batch Brewing...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FlEXl7f20ps/TnmI1FDBbHI/AAAAAAAAADM/Y094PVGPqfs/s1600/IMG_0343%255B1%255D.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 239px; height: 320px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FlEXl7f20ps/TnmI1FDBbHI/AAAAAAAAADM/Y094PVGPqfs/s320/IMG_0343%255B1%255D.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5654701252609666162" border="0" /></a><br />My interest in homebrewing has been resparked by my career move. I've had a few cracks at it before, with a disaster:success ratio of about 5:1, but now it's all different. I'm brewing for a living now, I'm still on the steep side of the learning curve, but the skills and knowledge I've gained already have helped me to pinpoint where I may have gone wrong with my homebrew in the past.<br /><br />The first thing to clear up was the term "homebrewing". I much prefer the term I've used to title this blog, small batch brewing. For no real reason other than it lends a touch of class to a pastime which has been regarded as the domain of a certain type of individual. You know the type, but lets not indulge in stereotypes...<br /><br />On this occasion, I can't reveal a thorough recipe as we may yet upscale it for use under the Hardknott banner. I can't even tell you the name I picked for it, though needless to say it licks... er, kicks arse.<br /><br />So here's HardknottAlex's first small batch gyle, or HKA#1 for short.<br /><br />Malt Bill:<br />Lager Malt<br />Carapils<br />Torrefied Wheat<br />Munich Malt<br /><br />Strike Temp was 75*C and Mash temperature settled out at about 63*C, a little lower than I'd have liked, but for the style it wasn't too bad. This was also the first outing for my new mash tun, an insulated coolbox with a tap and fittings to emulate a false bottom. Previously, I'd used a dual purpose bucket to mash and boil in, using a grain bag, but this made sparging awkward.<br /><br />Along with my new mash tun, I'd bought a proper sparge arm. Unfortunately it is too big for the mash tun, however I decided to use the arm manually to sparge this time and while it wasn't terribly efficient, I still acheived a gravity I'd never managed before. I found that the arm worked quite well on its side, if I positioned it correctly, as shown in the photo.<br /><br />The sparge itself was a little on the short side, 25 minutes from start to finish. I think this will just come down to experience, but I was only 4 points short of my OG target by the end of the boil, so I was happy enough really.<br /><br />The idea being to emulate a Kolsch, I had to go for the German noble hops when it came down to it. Bittered with Hallertau 3.8% and two late additions of Tettnang 2.8% for aroma, totalling around 14 IBU's. Not especially bitter, but in keeping with style.<br /><br />I've used S04 yeast on this batch, as a trial mainly to see if it worked, or whether a more specialised yeast would be better. Having now tasted the beer from the fermenter, the yeast is doing a great job and holds the character of the beer very well. I've transferred to a secondary fermentation in my racking bucket and dry hopped with some wonderful Nelson Sauvin pellets, which is what'll make my Kolsch unique I think.<br /><br />I'm off on my hols now, but when I get back I'm thinking of brewing a stronger IPA, possibly with a special malt bill. I shall be having a think about that...Alex Routledgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14401220744099603705noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-851319172162131275.post-2080663843069522082011-08-26T04:35:00.001+01:002011-08-26T05:57:22.955+01:00Campaigning for a better drinking experience.After the last two blog posts describing events at which I met many like-minded beer folk, I wanted to address an issue which has been bubbling close to the surface for a while now. I doubt I can add anything to the debate, however, I think my own position may need a bit of clarification. So here goes...
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<br />I'm regarded by certain circles to be staunchly anti-CAMRA, which isn't nessecarily the case. I have been a CAMRA member for the past two years and I'm paid up until October, but I won't be renewing my membership. The main reason for this is a motion that was brought before CAMRA's AGM this year, suggesting that the campaign should lobby against kegged beer on the grounds that the extraneous CO2 is a danger to the public health. In fairness, it was thrown out with very little credibility given to it, but the fact that it could even get to the AGM is laughable. I can't remember which branch proposed the motion, but I wouldn't want to drink in their neck of the woods.
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<br />Cask versus keg is always going to be a touchy subject, but as long as the brewer believes that it is the best form of dispense for his beer, then that should be the end of it. There are certain beers I would love to see kegged, but if the brewer thinks that it is best in cask, I will continue to drink it if it is good.
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<br />A prime example of this would be Coniston Brewing Company's <a href="http://www.conistonbrewery.com/coniston-ales.htm">Thurstein Pilsner</a>. I've had this beer on cask and it was very good, in the bottle it was great, but on keg (as sampled at <a href="http://www.twitter.com/thequeensbiggar/">The Queens at Biggar</a> on Wednesday night) it was at its absolute best. If CAMRA would have their way, this beer would never have made it to keg and that, in my opinion, would have been a loss.
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<br />(Nb. <a href="http://www.twitter.com/conistonbrewco/">Ian Bradley</a> should get more recognition than he does for embracing keg, it's been a few years now since Bluebird won the Champion Beer of Britain award, but there's always something exciting going on at Coniston. For further reference see Infinity IPA.)
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<br />So it would seem that despite the good work CAMRA have done getting us to the stage we are at now, it would be difficult to progress that work without some change of remit. The main problem with the current objective of the campaign is that it is too inclusive. Real Ale doesn't nessecarily mean good beer. I would argue that most people who are looking to try something other than their standard pint of Carling would be swayed to try one beer over another if it had a CAMRA logo present. They therefore equate a CAMRA stamp with a guarantee of quality, which isn't true. All it means is that the beer has been conditioned inside the cask it is currently in.
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<br />The idea that a campaign should be started to identify and seek out good beer is one that has sparked the imagination of many drinkers. My own involvement in this has been via CBAG, the Cumbria Beer Appreciation Group. Together with Hardknott Dave, Jeff Pickthall and Neil Bowness, we devised a way to both promote the great range of beers from within our own county, plus introduce some excellent examples from the rest of the UK (and indeed the rest of the world) which weren't as widely available.
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<br />This culminated in us running a couple of beer-matched dinners, one at the <a href="http://www.strawberrybank.com/">Masons Arms</a> back in March and a second at the <a href="http://www.kirkstile.com/">Kirkstile Inn</a> in May. Sadly, we haven't had chance over the summer to run any more events as yet, but we do have our sights set on an event in November, in conjunction with a top Lake District hotel. Sit tight for that one.
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<br />Another campaign has sprung up recently via twitter using the hashtag #CAMRGB. The <a href="http://camrgb.blogspot.com/">Campaign for Really Good Beer</a> was set up by Simon (<a href="http://www.twitter.com/crayolasarandon/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">@CrayolaSarandon</span></a>) in response to Brewdog's withdrawal/banishment (delete as you prefer, I don't want any arguments!) from the Great British Beer Festival this year. A blog has been set up with numerous contributors posting reviews of beers and mini-interviews with brewers amongst other articles. From what he told me, it sounds as though Simon had come to the same conclusions as me regarding CAMRA, as evidenced further by his own campaign's rules:
<br /><ol><li>Good beer is something to be enjoyed.</li><li>CAMRGB must maintain a lightheartedness and not become overly serious about itself.</li><li>Everyone is welcome provided that a) they enjoy a good pint and b) are willing to have a bit of fun.</li><li>Brewers are like modern day magicians who are to be celebrated and supported.</li><li>Mmmm... beer.</li></ol>I'm not sure about brewers being regarded as magicians, but hey, I'll take it!
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<br />The main point I want to get across is this: CAMRA have done great things for beer in the last 40 years, but as the game has changed so much in the past few years, they haven't kept up.
<br />Alex Routledgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14401220744099603705noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-851319172162131275.post-90791763251384695102011-08-18T07:47:00.000+01:002011-08-18T09:09:31.852+01:00IPA Day at Mr FoleysTwo weeks after the event, I finally find time to write this post. There have been lots of posts on the various events for <a href="http://ipaday.eventbrite.com/">International IPA Day</a>, but I'd like to add my own slant on the incredible offering at Mr Foleys in Leeds.
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<br />Being a Yorkshireman by birth, its always a pleasure for me to head back to my old home county. But the pleasure was doubled by discovering this gem of a pub in Leeds city centre, opposite the town hall. I had been following their twitter account for over a year so I kinda knew it would be good, but I was still pleasantly surprised.
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<br />Dean, the manager, had put a lot of effort into this day. A dedicated beer lover, his passion for serving only the best is something many managers and landlords could learn from. His IPA day offering was nothing short of astounding. Cask offerings included Thornbridge, Buxton, Red Willow, Kirkstall and Roosters, atop some amazing keg beers, Summer Wine's 7C's of Rye (my own personal beer of the night), Magic Rock Human Cannonball (which sold out before I could try it) and Brewdog's classic Punk IPA. Our own Code Black was also on cask and it represented the first time that Dave and I could try our first beer together from the cask.
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<br />Opinions differed...
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<br />When we had tried it from tank, we didn't think that the hops had come through the dark malts the way we wanted them to. It was good, in fact if we'd been aiming for a freshly hopped porter, we'd have been bang on. But to us at that moment, it wasn't a black IPA.
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<br />On cask at Mr Foleys, the hop characteristics were a lot more evident. This worried Dave a bit. We'd just brewed the second gyle of Code Black that very morning with an extra 30% more hops. My own personal opinion was (and still is) that more hops couldn't possibly make it worse, just different. That second gyle is in tank now, due to be racked on Monday, there will be a dozen or so casks, but the rest is going into bottle, probably available some time in late September.
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<br />But I digress, which I do a lot. Once I'd gone through the draught offerings, I decided to try a few of the tempting bottle selection Dean had put together, most of which (if not all) were American. I tried four all together, Sierra Nevada Torpedo, Odell IPA, Victory Hopdevil and a can of Maui Big Swell IPA. The Maui was the stand out of these for me, a 6.8% can of hoppy delight. The Torpedo was pretty good too, but the Odell and Victory beers were a little disappointing. I was talking to Neil (whose blog <a href="http://www.eatingisntcheating.blogspot.com/">Eating isn't Cheating</a> is a great read) at the time I tried the Odell and a discussion ensued about how there is most likely 6-8 weeks between the beer being bottled and it getting to outlets here in the UK, during which time the hop character just drops away. As Neil has since pointed out on his blog, these beers need to be drunk fresh.
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<br />The most innovative part of the night for me was Dean's great efforts to assemble brewers or representatives of 8 or so of the beers available, each given a little slot to describe their beer or talk a little bit about IPA. Well, until <a href="http://www.twitter.com/HardknottDave/">HardknottDave</a> popped up...
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<br />Every other speaker was gently spoken, passionate but struggling to make themselves heard over the hubbub and humdrum of a pub full of people enjoying themselves, even with a microphone and amplifier. When Dave came up to speak, he put the microphone down and bellowed "GOOD EVENING LEEDS!" I can't remember exact words, I so wish I'd been videoing. There follows a selection of rough quotes from Dave's 'speech'...
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<br />"I DON'T NEED THIS MICROPHONE BECAUSE I CAN SHOUT LOUDER THAN YOU!"
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<br />"I BREW CODE BLACK. IT'S A BLACK IPA. THAT'S IMPOSSIBLE! IPA STANDS FOR INDIA PALE ALE, IT'S NOT PALE! I TELL YOU ANOTHER THING, IT'S NEVER BEEN ANYWHERE NEAR FUCKING INDIA EITHER!"
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<br />"WE DON'T USE THE WORD ALE AT HARDKNOTT. ONLY BEARDY-WEIRDIES DRINK ALE, I'M NOT A BEARDY-WEIRDY..."
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<br />At this point there was a slight interjection from the crowd...
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<br />"ALRIGHT, MAYBE I AM, BUT I STILL DON'T DRINK ALE, I DRINK BEER."
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<br />It electrified the atmosphere somewhat, but it got the crowd involved and despite looking a little mad at the time, he definitely got people talking. Which is what we want, right?
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<br />Afterwards, I had opportunity to speak to many fellow beery folk, including <a href="http://www.twitter.com/mrfoleys/">Dean</a>, <a href="http://www.twitter.com/magicrockrich/">Rich</a> from Magic Rock, <a href="http://www.twitter.com/brewdogupnorth/">Josie Ludford</a> from Brewdog, fellow <a href="http://www.halifaxafc.co.uk/">Shayman</a> <a href="http://www.twitter.com/fletchthemonkey/">Mark Fletcher</a> and <a href="http://www.twitter.com/zakavery/">Zak Avery</a> (who was probably sick of the sight of me by this time of the week, having pestered him at GBBF too - Sorry Zak!).
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<br />I'm fairly certain that I spoke to more people than that, if I've missed you out I apologise. The sands of time and the mists of alcohol etc...
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<br />Thanks Dean, see you for <a href="http://www.stoutday.com/">#StoutDay</a>?
<br />Alex Routledgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14401220744099603705noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-851319172162131275.post-56796089992330153172011-08-11T08:27:00.000+01:002011-08-11T09:35:36.169+01:00GBBF week...As I pointed out in my last post, my first official week for Hardknott could not have been timed better - GBBF week. The following is an attempt to thank all the people I met and spoke to...
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<br />Dave and Ann had managed to wangle a ticket to the trade session for me, this being the best opportunity to meet all the people whom I had previously been talking to on twitter as well as following their blogs.
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<br />So it was an early start for me on the Tuesday, catching the train down to London. It seems that half of the brewing community in South Cumbria was gathered on the same train down the west coast mainline. I met up with Ben from Hawkshead Brewery at Lancaster station, and once on the train he was joining up with Matt and the rest of the Hawkshead boys. Roger Humphreys and his Cumbria Legendary Ales team were also on the train already, as we all discovered when we got on the platform at Euston 3 hours later. I travelled across London with the Hawkshead crew, which was a great opportunity to catch up with them.
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<br />Once at Earls Court, it was difficult not to be impressed by the scale of the event. I am by no means a CAMRA supporter - I admire what they have done in the last 40 years, however they seem to be out of touch with the progress made in brewing and the latest techniques and flavours - that all said, the organisation that must've gone into the event would be immense.
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<br />Setting my priorities right, I got a pint first (A Cape Cod IPA from the American bar, very tasty), then set off in search of Dave and Ann. Their advice was to head straight for the Bieres Sans Frontieres bar, a task not made easy by the virtue of there being 3 in total. I wandered round for a full ten minutes, from the American Bar, to the Dutch/Belgian bar, on to the Czech/German bar. It was only when I returned to the American bar, to almost the exact point where I had bought my first pint, that Dave suddenly appeared, chatting with Dean from Mr Foley's in Leeds and Jonathan Queally.
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<br />"Ah," he says, "We're over there, on the table by the pillar."
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<br />Hadn't thought about looking around tables...
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<br />I went and sat down next to Ann and was introduced (by Twitter name) to <a href="http://www.twitter.com/kristym809/">@Kristym809</a> (Kristy McCready), <a href="http://www.twitter.com/robsterowski/">@Robsterowski</a> (Rob), <a href="http://www.twitter.com/aletalk/">@Aletalk</a> (Steve), <a href="http://www.twitter.com/beerreviewsandy/">@BeerreviewsAndy</a> (Andy Mogg) and <a href="http://www.twitter.com/jamesbwxm/">@Jamesbwxm</a> (James).
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<br />As far as what I was drinking, my notes just aren't as comprehensive as they ought to be. I can tell you what I had and I can tell you whether I liked it or not, but for the most part I can't say why (if that makes sense). I tried a variety of the beers on the American bar, the best of which was probably a Lagunitas IPA which I had towards the end (my notes just say "WOW", in quite scrawly handwriting.
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<br />In the meantime, on my travels to and from various bars, I met up with <a href="http://www.twitter.com/zakavery/">Zak Avery</a>, <a href="http://www.twitter.com/rabidbarfly/">Glyn Roberts</a>, <a href="http://brewingreality.blogspot.com/">Stuart Howe</a> and <a href="http://www.twitter.com/doctor_beer/">Nigel Stevenson</a>. Not to mention <a href="http://www.twitter.com/jeffpickthall/">Jeff Pickthall</a>, who was staying studiously close to the Czech bar, particularly the Broumov Coriander beer. It was also great to see the <a href="http://www.cumbrialegendaryales.com/">Cumbria Legendary</a> crowd, especially given their fantastic win in the Champion Golden Ale category for Loweswater Gold. Great beer and great people too, thoroughly deserved.
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<br />I feel like I've waffled enough here, so I'll turn this into a two-parter and tell you all about IPA Day at Mr Foley's next time I think.
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<br />Until then...
<br />Alex Routledgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14401220744099603705noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-851319172162131275.post-89508384246583927762011-08-01T07:22:00.000+01:002011-08-01T07:52:57.131+01:00Last Weekend Behind Bars...As I may have mentioned one or two thousand times, this past weekend was my last as Assistant Manager of the Masons Arms. I'll still be there at weekends for the time being, but it was a strange feeling to be driving away, knowing that my foot was half out the door, so to speak. I've enjoyed a brilliant four years there, made so many great friends and - above all - learned so much about beer.<br /><br />I was tested to my limits on Friday night, however. We had <a href="http://www.hawksheadbrewery.co.uk/news_more.asp?news_id=52">Hawkshead's fantastic NZPA</a> on the bar, which at 6% would normally be a little strong for us, but the amazing flavours from four New Zealand hops carried it out perfectly. Well, apart from one customer...<br /><br />"Is this beer alright? All I can taste is hops..."<br /><br />I thought about this for a split second (I had time because I wasn't serving him, merely a bystander in this exchange).<br /><br />"What has Alex done to it?!"<br /><br />Now I'm getting a bit worried...<br /><br />"I brew beer for a living and I know Alex Brodie fairly well."<br /><br />Phew! I decided to ask what brewery he worked for, just so I knew what to avoid in the future. Obviously, I'm not going to publish what he said here, however it is a well established micro-brewery from elsewhere in the country.<br /><br />"I'll be sending an email across to Hawkshead about this."<br /><br />Now, I'm all in favour of open criticism, if you don't like a beer then fair enough. But to question if it has been conditioned/looked after properly because it doesn't taste like the boring, bland beer you brew on a day-to-day basis is an affront to me as an innkeeper.<br /><br />Later on, I also heard him scoffing about <a href="http://www.brewdog.com/">Brewdog</a>, claiming they "couldn't brew real beer" and that Tactical Nuclear Penguin, Sink the Bismarck and The End of History are all malt whiskies, rather than beers. Plainly not true.<br /><br />I don't want to get into the middle of a fanboys vs critics debate, but I like Brewdog beers, I think they are innovative and tasty. There is also no denying that they are bringing the culture of beer in to the modern age with their marketing and branding, no matter how questionable some of it may be.<br /><br />I decided not to get involved with the gentleman's opinions again. It struck me that if I'm going to aid Dave and Ann in their quest to <a href="http://www.hardknott.com/">change people's perceptions of beer</a>, then the task may start with certain brewers, rather than the drinking public.Alex Routledgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14401220744099603705noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-851319172162131275.post-37297871666568319762011-07-29T09:59:00.000+01:002011-07-29T10:25:51.650+01:00Brand New BloggerDespite having a couple of blogs already pass by the wayside, I'm now endeavouring again to start something convincing.<br /><br />This coming Sunday, I'll be completing my last day as <a href="http://www.twitter.com/BarmanAlex">@BarmanAlex</a> at Strawberry Bank and becoming <a href="http://www.twitter.com/HardknottAlex">@HardknottAlex</a> of the <a href="http://www.hardknott.com/">Hardknott Brewery</a>. I'll still be running both accounts on twitter by the way, BarmanAlex will be my personal account.<br /><br />This is something that has been on my list for some time, I love the life at the pub and the last three and a half years have been immensely important to me in the formation of my career, however ever since my first (disastrous) homebrewing escapades, I've wanted to make beer.<br /><br />I believe I've landed right on my feet as well, <a href="http://www.twitter.com/HardknottDave">Dave</a> and <a href="http://www.twitter.com/HardknottAnn">Ann</a> have created a brand which is one of the most creative and forward-thinking, not just in Cumbria, but in the whole of the UK. Their beers cover an eclectic range of styles, using a mix of traditional and modern, cutting edge techniques. They are not afraid of hops either, using big, fruity American varieties alongside some of the best offerings from England and New Zealand.<br /><br />So, I have a few days left at the <a href="http://www.masonsarmsstrawberrybank.co.uk/">Masons Arms</a>, then its diving headlong into my work with Hardknott... attending the GBBF at Earls Court on Monday, followed by IPA Day at <a href="http://www.mrfoleyscaskalehouse.co.uk/">Mr Foley's</a> in Leeds. It's a dirty job, but you know what? Someone's got to do it.<br /><span style="text-decoration: underline;"></span>Alex Routledgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14401220744099603705noreply@blogger.com3