New Brewery Taproom near Rye opens 29th October!

I've been looking forward to writing this blog, and today is the day when David's brewery taproom opens to the public (details further down), that is, the Rye Waterworks micropub (website), which has already been brewing its own ale as a 'cuckoo' brewery, will be opening its own microbrewery and taproom! But, of course, I had to visit the pub itself earlier this week, so I shall start off with a chat about that visit. If you know nothing about the Rye Waterworks (above), and the building's 300 years history, please read a blog I wrote soon after the pub opened 4 years ago, oh yes, and the address is Tower Street (corner with Rope Walk), Rye, East Sussex TN31 7AT.

You will notice I drank some cider (above), but I started off with 3 local pale ales, and I say local because all 10 beers, and more than that number of ciders, sold here are locally produced! I drank 2 session ales, the 3.7% Three Legs Pale #3 (website), brewed with Columbus and Cascade hops providing a citrus aroma and taste, and the 3.8% Romney Session IPA (website), brewed with Simcoe, Citra and Mosaic hops, surprisingly malty considering the hops used! My favourite ale of the day was the stronger gluten free 'vegan friendly' 4.6% Gun Project Babylon APA (website), brewed with a "combination of American Hops" to produce a clear pale ale, despite what the blurb says, zesty citrus aroma and taste, refreshing, and very good indeed!

To the cider, well I didn't drink any of the stronger ciders this time (up to 8.4% - blog), nope, I left the place relatively sober. 😉 But I did have a pint of the excellent cider in the photograph above, as you can see, pale and very clear, the mere 5.8% Earl's Reserve Still Cider, made from Russet apples grown on their own 100 acre farm in Matfield, near Tonbridge in Kent, where they've been growing apples since 1964, that is Charrington's (website). What can I say, crisp and refreshing and so easy to drink, now this is apple juice!

So, to the promise suggested in the headline, and a taproom for the Rye Waterworks Microbrewery opens today, just outside Rye at The Old Dairy, Rye Road, Playden, East Sussex TN31 7UL. The photographs above are shared from their facebook page, and are of the bar, you may have guessed 😏 and they shall be selling their own session bitter URYEnal, a pun on the pub's history, and which is very drinkable and was brewed at Romney Brewery, plus other drinks of course! They should be brewing at their own brewery within a couple of weeks, and...

They will be open from 2.00-7.00pm today (29th October) and 12.00-5.00pm tomorrow (Sunday).

Then, Fridays 3.00-7.00pm; Saturdays 2.00-7.00pm; Sundays 12.00-5.00pm.

My best wishes and good luck to David and Ulla and their colleagues, cheers!

'tis the Season for Green Hopped Ales!

If you aren't already aware, green hopped ales are brewed using fresh hops, ideally picked and added to the brew on the same day, and thus usually very seasonal, unless someone like the excellent Oakham Ales (website) pull off a masterful plan (blog)! But not this October, not for me anyway, however, I have had 3 green hopped ales so far, and all very good too...

I think Ilkley Brewery up in Yorkshire (website) narrowly was my favourite, but a miniscule difference between the 3 very good ales! This was their 4.3% Harley Quinn, with Harlequin hops added to the mash on the 23rd of September, the day after they were picked at Charles Faram of Malvern (website) who developed this hop, bred from Godiva hops, with the Charles Faram Hop Development Programme. They suggest peach, pineapple and passion fruit in the aroma and flavour, and I certainly noticed the peach and pineapple, my notes say "tropical fruit flavours" and a bit sweetish at first taste, but drying out with a nutty bitterness to finish. Oh yes, it is a pale ale, 'Green Hop Pale' noted on the pumpclip, and was very pleasant indeed!

I first became aware of green hopped ales because of the annual Kent Green Hop Beer Festival (website) that I keep promising myself I should attend! So why am I including a photograph, incidentally shared on the Angels & Demons facebook page, of a Hukins of Tenterden (website) hop field? Well, on that facebook page they state that they collected fresh Challenger hops on the 6th of September from Hukins to add to the brew mashed in that morning, so I'm guessing! To the ale... This was their 3.2%, so very much a session ale, Lillibet, and the photograph is of hop fields because I could find no photograph of a pumpclip anywhere! Lillibet is a dry pale golden ale with a hint of fruit to the taste, and I added a question mark in my notes as I couldn't state specifically the flavour, but with a particularly dry bitter finish, nice one!

The third green hopped ale was from the very local to me, Lakedown Brewing of Burwash in East Sussex (website), using freshly picked Bramling Cross hops from A Bushel of Hops (website), whose family have been growing hops 'for generations' in the High Weald of Sussex and Kent. Bramling Cross hops are described as possessing hints of lemon and a spicy blackcurrant main taste, and again I had trouble picking out the precise fruity aroma and taste; using freshly picked, not dried, hops provides a wholly different perspective! Kicking Donkey, a 4.8% 'Green Hop Pale' with hints of fruit and a dry bitter finish, was pretty good indeed, maybe this was my favourite of the three really? Shame I didn't try them all on the same day...

Oh well, research is a hard job, but someone has to do it, cheers! 😉

Pale Rider back at the Fat Cat very soon!

OK, I have been going on about this quite a bit lately, but no surprise really, I was in Sheffield last week, used to work at Kelham Island Brewery (website) when I was a postgrad student studying and living in Sheffield, have brewed, delivered and drunk Pale Rider, indeed I lived in Sheffield for 16 years and still return regularly! So it is a big thing to me, and for many others no doubt, that Pale Rider (5.2%) will be on sale again from next Wednesday the 19th of October 2022 at The Fat Cat, 23 Alma Street, Sheffield S3 8SA (KIB facebook), nice one, cheers! 🍺

Autumnal Sheffield Day 2

After a morning walk, and before heading off for lunch, I visited 2 pubs where I used to be sure I would meet someone I knew, staff and customers, the KitCat that is. First the Kelham Island Tavern, 62 Russell Street S3 8RW (website). Built in the 1830s, the Kit was a derelict building when Trevor and Lewis took it over, refurbished it, and reopened it in 2002, and it became the 'best real ale pub' in the country. Indeed, they won the National CAMRA Pub of the Year in 2008 and 2009, and have won many other awards before and since! Although now retired, I believe Trevor still owns the property, but now managed by others, and still winning awards.

I wasn't that surprised not to know any of the regulars present when I walked in, nor the barman, as it's been a few years since I lived in Sheffield.  Anyway, I was there for a pint, so had a great ale from the local Blue Bee Brewery (website), their Triple Hop (4.3%), brewed with Citra, Mosaic and Ekuanot hops. It was hoppy, with a citrus aroma and taste, pale golden, with a very dry and bitter finish, great stuff! Indeed, when I was here earlier this year (blog) I had their American 5 Hop Version 53 (4.3%), hard to go wrong with Blue Bee Brewery! 

Just around the corner, and the second pub was the Cat, or The Fat Cat (website), 23 Alma Street S3 8SA. The pub was an original in Sheffield when it was bought as the Alma in 1981 by Dave Wicket and his business partner Bruce to provide an alternative to the big brewers, providing an outlet for independent brewers. After separating their business interests, Dave continued with the pub and set up a microbrewery in a shed behind the pub in 1990, Kelham Island Brewery (see my blog from yesterday). I didn't see anyone I know there either, not staff or customer, though I believe Di still works there and looks after the cellar.

However, I did have a good chat with the barmaid, a very friendly young woman from Ukraine, good English, and probably happy to improve her spoken English and expand her vocabulary too. Anyway, no Kelham Island ales here yet, so I had a pint from a small Sheffield microbrewer, Grizzly Grains (facebook), their 4.0% Pacifica, a New Zealand Pale Ale, yes, using Pacifica hops (also called Pacifica Hallertau), did what it says, I imagine, but I wasn't too impressed, and was too busy chatting to make any notes, sorry! 😕

I did then eat at Mama's & Leonies again (see my last blog), with the same staff make-up and excellent warm chicken and bacon salad, before meeting up with a couple of great mates, Jeff Macdonut and Lindsay, at the newish Perch Brewhouse, 44 Garden Street SE1 4BJ (facebook). Plenty of blether, of course, and ale too, oh yes, and they have an impressive selection of Belgian beers in one of their fridges. But to their ales, and their brewery is called the Dead Parrot Brew Company, 2 of whose ales I had a pint of:

I had a pint of their very easy to drink Clement, a 3.9% session Blonde ale, brewed with Aurora and Simcoe hops, not bad at all. But their 4.8% Ashen was something else, pretty damn good! Unsurprisingly, with more body and flavour from the hops used, Aurora again, but with Centennial hops too, I must return for more of this when next in Sheffield.

The 3 of us then walked up to meet Will at The Bath Hotel (whatpub - couldn't find a website), 66-68 Victoria Street S3 7QL, my second visit in 2 days and another great welcome from Brian. Obviously more friendly discourse was shared, and more Thornbridge (website) Jaipur (5.9%) imbibed by me, Chinook, Centennial, Ahtanum, Simcoe, Columbus and Cascade. I'm rarely disappointed by this pale, dry, hoppy bitter, quality!

We parted ways with Jeff and Lindsay, and Will, who is more into traditional bitters, not so much pale hoppy bitters, then suggested we visit 2 more pubs to his liking, and 2 pubs that I did used to visit when I lived in Sheffield, notably to watch football on tv. Anyway, the first one was The Grapes, 80 Trippet Lane S1 4EN (website). I didn't make notes of my drinking at either of these 2 pubs, both well known for Guinness, so I obviously knocked back an easy drinking traditional bitter of some sort, cheers Will! 

The second pub Will and I visited was the nearby Dog & Partridge, 56 Trippet Lane S1 4EL (facebook), where we drank beer of some sort. 😉 Afterwards I returned to my temporary abode at The Crow Inn (see previous blog), where, coincidentally, Dave Szwejkowski, aka Dave Unpronounceable (guest blog), was drinking at the bar, small world, good night and cheers!

Incidentally, The Crow Inn is the Sheffield CAMRA Pub of the Month for October, and had been nominated by Dave Szwejkowski, great stuff, congratulations!

Autumnal Sheffield Day 1 PLUS Kelham Island Update

Whenever I visit Sheffield I visit Mama's and Leonies (website), 111/115 Norfolk Street, Sheffield S1 2JE (0114 272 0490), just down the road from the famous, for snooker fans particularly, Crucible Theatre, and around the corner from the Winter Gardens. Again, many familiar friendly faces working there (Kath & John, Tracey, and chefs Jason and James) and pleasant discourse shared of course. Foodwise? Had to have my favourite Warm Chicken & Bacon Salad and a half carafe of red wine of course. Always excellent, plenty of healthy stuff in there, and never fails to please me, well sated, many thanks! Then to...

My abode for 2 nights, The Crow Inn, 33 Scotland Street S3 7BS (website), within walking distance so not far away. The Crow Inn reopened over 3 years ago after quite a few years closure, and has 7 refurbished en suite bedrooms. It also sells quite a few interesting ales. As when I last was here (blog) I had a pint from Abbeydale Brewery (website), a beer originally brewed to be dispensed as a keg beer 6 years ago. I drank cask conditioned ale of course, their Heathen American Pale Ale (4.1%), a very drinkable ale of its style, and just £3.50 a pint.

I returned there at the end of the evening, as one would if one was staying there, like me, and sampled another ale for my nightcap, from the Newcastle brewery Almasty (website). This was their 3.9% Amarillo & Blanc (Amarillo and Hallertau Blanc hops) at £4.20 a pint, pale, fruity and cloudy, presumably for vegans. "Not bad" was how I noted it, but then, I'm not particularly fond of un-fined ales, though many people rave over them.

Anyway, after my early pint there I wandered up into the city centre to meet up with Brigitte, Ian and Noel at The Beehive, 240 West Street S1 4EU (facebook), which used to be a 'Firkin' pub in the late 1990s, then renowned for its excellent milds. stouts and porters. But here I drank ale from the Barnsley brewer Acorn (website), their 4.0% Blonde, which does what it says on the label, well balanced pale and refreshing, I liked it, after that pint we moved on to...

Heading towards Brammall Lane, we popped into The Washington, somewhere it's been a while since I've visited, and once co-owned by the Pulp drummer Nick Banks, 79 Fitzwilliam Street S1 4JP (website). I think I may have had a pint of Abbeydale Moonshine at £3.90 a pint, but don't hold me to that, maybe a guest ale, as I didn't take notes, silly me! 😁

Anyway, after the match, Ian and I walked back up to The Bath Hotel (whatpub - couldn't find a website), 66-68 Victoria Street S3 7QL, now back in the warm custodianship of the great man himself, Brian. Indeed, one of my favourite regular haunts when I lived in Sheffield, and I was greeted by the smiling face of Brian and warm handshakes galore, great that he's back! Obviously warm discourse was shared, live folk music listened to, and a couple of excellent pints drunk too. Maybe I shouldn't have, but I drank the quality ale that is Thornbridge (website) Jaipur (5.9%), packed with hops, ie Chinook, Centennial, Ahtanum, Simcoe, Columbus and Cascade. I wasn't disappointed, pale, dry, hoppy and strong, quality!

Oh yes, and Kelham Island Brewery (website), of which which I recently wrote about it's being saved from oblivion (blog), and I did promise an update when I had more information. Well, they got back in touch with me and explained that the brewery building wasn't included in the deal with the local consortium that is now Kelham Island Brewery, but they will be brewing their ales at Thornbridge Brewery, and, I believe, Pale Rider is already being/been brewed. So look out for it, you lucky Sheffield people you, cheers! 👌

Hastings Tap Takeover 2022 This Weekend!

This weekend, Friday 7th to Sunday 9th, is the 2022 Hastings Tap Takeover (website), which, in effect, means that there is a beer festival, but at 15 different venues in Hastings & St Leonards, East Sussex, with each venue having its 'taps' taken over by a different independent brewery!

I'll list the breweries below in alphabetical order, as the organisers have on their website, with the corresponding bar/pub, opening times will be different so check with the venue. Cheers!

Abyss (website) of Lewes will be at The Piper, 1 Norman Road TN37 6NH (facebook).

Arbor (website) of Bristol at The Tower, 251 London Road TN37 6NB (facebook).

Beak (website) of Lewes at Collected Fictions, Unit 1, 6-8 London Road TN37 6AE (Nicelocal).

Drop Project (website) of Mitcham at The Seadog, 32 Station Road TN34 1NJ (website).

Floc (website) of Canterbury at The Imperial, 119 Queens Road TN34 1RL (website).

Good Chemistry (website) of Bristol at The Jenny Lind, 69 High Street TN34 3EW (website).

Hand (website) of Worthing at The St Leonard, 16-18 London Road TN37 6AN (website).

Only With Love (website) of Uckfield at The Crown, 64-66 All Saints Street TN34 3BN (website).

Overtone (website) of Glasgow at Eel & Bear, 28 Waldegrave Street TN34 1SJ (website).

Pig & Porter (website) of Tunbridge Wells at the Albion, 33 George Street TN34 3EA (website).

Pohjala (website) of Estonia at The Jolly Fisherman, 3 E Beach Street TN34 3AR (website).

Revolutions (website) of Castleford at 1200 Postcards, 80 Queens Road TN34 1RL (facebook).

Sureshot (website) of Manchester at The Courtyard, White Rock TN34 1JA (website).

Track (website) of Manchester at Heist Market, 22-26 Norman Road TN37 6NH (website).

Verdant (website) of Penryn at The Marina Fountain, 26 Caves Road TN38 0BY (website).

Cheers!