Congratulations to the Rye Waterworks!

My last very recent visit to the Rye Waterworks micropub (website) had me chatting to David the publican and discovering that the CAMRA (South East Sussex branch) has voted the Waterworks as their Cider Pub of the Year 2022, so congratulations are most definitely in order to David, Ulla and Eddie (who weren't there whilst I was this time), and all staff, including Lotte and Morganne, who were serving up fine drinks to myself and other customers, cheers!

Before David shared the information with me I had already drunk a pint of the very tasty and refreshing 3.8% Old Dairy Uber Brew (website), which I have written about before, and the (new to me) 3.6% Hopfuzz Fallout (website), described as a "zingy" session IPA, which had a dry bitter finish and an aroma I couldn't work out, but 'twasn't bad. BUT! David had told me about the cider award, so I had to try a couple of the (many) ciders available, luckily I had only tried the 2 weaker session ales so far...

Usually I would post a photograph of the board that tells you what ales and ciders are available, but it is a very shaky image I'm afraid, and I had, beforehand, walked up the hill to the Church of St Mary, and taken this photograph of their Burne-Jones stained glass window (Rye website), and it's well worth a visit! I own up to having an interest in the Pre-Raphaelite artists and Arts & Crafts movement of the 19th century, and it's a beautiful window... 

Anyway, to the ciders... I started cautiously and had a pint of the just 5.5% Nightingale Tenterden Cider (website), a 'wild fermented' cider, that is, the natural yeasts of the apples are used in fermentation, then it's matured for at least 6 months. My notes say "pale, slightly hazy, and very nice!" I liked it very much indeed; I do need to drink more cider. 😉

My second cider, and I was tempted to stay longer, but common sense won the day, anyway, my second cider was the slightly stronger, and crystal clear, 6.9% Double Vision Cider. This was a bit more complex, dry bitter finish, and very good too, although I did prefer the 5.5% cider. But I was taken back to my Devon years (blog). 

And, if you haven't already read it I do give more information about the Rye Waterworks, including historical details, in this blog from nearly 4 years ago, and congratulations again!

Goose Island, Chicago, Shoreditch, and Sheffield!

I recently read, in CAMRA BEER Spring 2022, an article by Matthew Curtis about cask ale in the USA, and very interesting it is too but, sadly, only available to CAMRA members, presumably unless you buy a copy from them. Anyway, it took me back to 1998, when I visited Chicago to deliver a paper to a social science conference at the impressive Palmer House Hilton. On the Saturday I had sufficient free time to visit Goose Island for the afternoon. Goose Island is a brewpub, which is now owned by one of the biggie brewers, AB InBev, but it still brews in Chicago, and since 2018 has had a brewpub in what has become a very fashionable part of East London too (website).

Goose Island, Shoreditch Huigh Street E1

Anyway, back to Chicago, and before I had flown out I was provided with local information from a friend who was married to a lass from nearby in Illinois, and I was very happy with my visit to Goose Island (website). There were quite a number of excellent real ales brewed on the premises, and all types of English styles: IPA, Extra Special Bitter, Porter, Stout, Best Bitter, they had the lot, and very nice they were too! The only error I made there was to order 'chips' with my burger ("How would you like your burger?" was a surprise question too) and being given crisps, oh well, a learning experience. I also found out you could get their beers bottle-conditioned, indeed, I drank a few bottles of their Honkers back at the Palmer House that evening, also very nice. Although this was another learning experience, they DO like their beer ice cold out in the USA, the Honkers was dragged out of a sink full of icy water! 😄

Fat Cat & Kelham Island Brewery

Anyway, I do need to get to Shoreditch some time soon, although I expect prices will be very high, but it has to be done for old times sake. 😉 Oh yes, and Mr Curtis said he drank an ale in the USA brewed by Hogshead (website), which reminded him of Kelham Island Pale Rider, which was "one of the first in the UK to feature" Cascade hops. Now, when I was up at university in Sheffield, and worked part-time at Kelham Island Brewery (website) up to about 20 years ago, I remember brewing Pale Rider with Willamette hops... Did they use Cascade in the early days, or do they use them now? I do not know, but am visiting Sheffield soon, so shall make a point of asking.

Memories, cheers!