All Things Beer!

Spent yesterday in a tiny little pub in Musselburgh, just the other side of Edinburgh, which has been in the same family for 150 years, at their annual Remembrance Sunday beer fest.  All their keg beers are off, as are bottled... on this day they only sell cask ale, wine and soft drinks... so not a day for the lager louts to come out for a wee jolly. 

Absolutely brilliant day... after the hour-long journey, we arrived just before opening time, but were let in early to claim our seats (some of the locals weren't happy, but ...talk to the landlord, pal.)  My favourite beer, Ossett Excelsior, wasn't on when we first got there, but came on a few hours later, to my delight! 

Had my first taste of a Geeves beer, Clear Cut, which was lovely.  Also Acorn Bishops IPA, Great Heck Citra, Oakham Bishops Farewell, and a couple of others I can't remember... all of them were nice.  I didn't have a poor beer all day, apart from a sip of my pal's after she claimed it tasted of Stilton.  It did... awful!!!

The polypin came into use on the journey home, but I can't for the life of me remember what we'd had it filled with!

And I managed not to break any bones.  (endless teasing, as this was the site where I broke my arm in May!)

Nice to see you had a couple of Barnsley beers there. On Sunday afternoon I went to the Old No. 7 in Barnsley for the presentation of the CAMRA Yorkshire pub of the year award. A really good turnout whilst still being able to move. Had a chat with the owner of the pub and of Acorn Brewery, Dave Hughes. I even managed to get myself in the background of the photo! 
For the day their 2 standard beers that are always on, Acorn Barnsley Bitter and Acorn Blonde were just £1.50 a pint (10% discount card didn't apply on these 2 understandably!)
I had a Barnsley Bitter as not had one for a while, Acorn Agnus IPA (their latest one, they change it every 2 months - the Bishop was the previous one which I've had before), Acorn Darkness (a mild) and also a Dark Star brewery beer, I forget which one it was.
They had free pork pie and mushy peas as well, and a Celtic music jamming session which they do once a month and they had to move into the cellar bar because it was so busy!

Okay, beer people, help me out please!! 

Any great not-to-be-missed beer festivals in Yorkshire/Manchester area coming up in the new year, for like Jan/Feb time? Just brainstorming on Christmas ideas for my mister who loves beer even if I do not. 

Okay, beer people, help me out please!! 

Any great not-to-be-missed beer festivals in Yorkshire/Manchester area coming up in the new year, for like Jan/Feb time?

The National Winter Ales Festival was always held in January in Manchester, but this year has moved to Derby.
However, Manchester is still having a fest in late January (I'm thinking it's the week of the 20th sometime... a bunch of us are coming down for it!)... just not sure if it's a proper CAMRA one or not.

Okay, beer people, help me out please!! 

Any great not-to-be-missed beer festivals in Yorkshire/Manchester area coming up in the new year, for like Jan/Feb time? Just brainstorming on Christmas ideas for my mister who loves beer even if I do not. 

http://www.camra.org.uk/beerfestivals, maybe?

However, Manchester is still having a fest in late January (I'm thinking it's the week of the 20th sometime... a bunch of us are coming down for it!)... just not sure if it's a proper CAMRA one or not.

Hmmm, that might be a good bet - I found that one online, a beer & cider festival!

http://www.camra.org.uk/beerfestivals, maybe?

Thanks! 

I'm also seeing a Sheffield event called BeerX or something like that early in the new year - thinking it said Feb or Mar. Anyone know if that's any good?

There doesn't seem to be many Yorkshire area ones announced just yet for early in the year. Our little local fundraiser one is always the first weekend of March, but it's no big deal except that we can walk there, lol! 

However, Manchester is still having a fest in late January (I'm thinking it's the week of the 20th sometime... a bunch of us are coming down for it!)... just not sure if it's a proper CAMRA one or not.

We're doing it! Just booked the hotel. It's not going to be his Christmas, however, because he's such a nosy Parker - he'll have easily found out and overall trip a bit pricey for a Christmas thing anyway. He was so excited about it when I suggested it, lol! 

Maybe we'll see you there? I imagine we'll just stay in Manchester though - I know your group tends to go gallivanting to Huddersfield, Stalybridge, etc sometimes. If he can get the Friday afternoon off, we'll head over Friday afternoon & probably do the beer festival that afternoon. If not, we'll do it Fri night or on Saturday. Booked Fri/Sat over there - we always have such a good time on a Manchester weekend. 

Maybe we'll see you there? I imagine we'll just stay in Manchester though - I know your group tends to go gallivanting to Huddersfield, Stalybridge, etc sometimes. If he can get the Friday afternoon off, we'll head over Friday afternoon & probably do the beer festival that afternoon. If not, we'll do it Fri night or on Saturday. Booked Fri/Sat over there - we always have such a good time on a Manchester weekend. 

I am sure we will be at the fest from opening time on Friday, so will likely see you then!  Saturday will possibly be Sheffield (as we will have just been to Huddersfield at new year), and Sunday will probably be a tour of the pubs of Manchester before our train home.

I am sure we will be at the fest from opening time on Friday, so will likely see you then!  Saturday will possibly be Sheffield (as we will have just been to Huddersfield at new year), and Sunday will probably be a tour of the pubs of Manchester before our train home.

Sounds like we might see you the Friday afternoon/evening then, and/or possibly on Sunday as well! 

It's going to be a very beery weekend!
Tonight we are going to a barrel party at a friends house...he's got a barrel of Andechs Bergbock Hell (7%).

Tomorrow we are going to Carlisle to another friend's pub... he's putting on a couple of beers especially for us... Hawkshead NZPA (which I hate, but everyone else loves), and Hawkshead Great White, which I tasted recently at the brewery, and is lovely.

Went to Tesco at the weekend to check out what Xmas ales they had. 4 for £6 and got a few more different ones - St Peter's Christmas Ale (7%) is priced at £2.50 a bottle but in the offer, so got 2 of that, plus Brains Santa's Beard and Thwaite's Yule Love It.
So now my collection is up to 11 different Xmas ales, and most of them I've never had before including these 3.

They also had quite a range of US beers - Goose Island IPA and 312, Brooklyn Lager, Shipyard IPA and Porter. Some were in a 4 for £6 offer but not all.

Was out in Halifax on Saturday evening and the Wetherspoons had White Horse Brewery's "Rudolf The Red Nosed White Horse", had it in bottles last year but on cask is even better - lovely pint. Another pub has Acorn's 11th Noel. 5.7%. They do it each year, the name incrementing by 1 and the strength going up by 0.1%, it's going to start getting messy in a few years!

Envious of your Christmas beer stash, Tykeman!

Here, it's the start of amateurus drinkerus season, where every office party and group get-together ensures the pubs are completely full of idiots, cretins, arseholes and fan-dans, so we tend to drink a lot of bottled beer at home in December!  On Saturday we're going to our friend's to tap a barrel of... I can't remember, and next week after I get paid, will visit the Hippo beer shop to see if there's anything worthy of being a stocking stuffer for my man.

Envious of your Christmas beer stash, Tykeman!
 

I shall have a photo call once the final lineup is determined! 

Here, it's the start of amateurus drinkerus season, where every office party and group get-together ensures the pubs are completely full of idiots, cretins, arseholes and fan-dans, so we tend to drink a lot of bottled beer at home in December! 

We refer to that as when all the part-time drinkers come out!

Not sure if they do it up there but the last Friday before Christmas is Mad Friday, when all the office parties take place and the town is just mental! There's about 4 of us who make a point of meeting up around Christmas as we hardly even see 2 of them so at least to know we'll get together. Last year we went to Wakefield on the Sat afternoon before Christmas, you'd think it would be packed but the pubs were surprisingly quiet, probably because people were at home nursing hangovers! So Sat 21st it is again, might even do Leeds this year if the guys fancy it.

Not sure if they do it up there but the last Friday before Christmas is Mad Friday, when all the office parties take place and the town is just mental!

Our Mad Friday is actually this week, 13th.   
Not sure what it is around here, but it could be because of using up holiday time, or if needing to organise gifts or family commitments before Christmas, but our night of craziness in town always seems to be around the 13-14-15th. 
I personally have my night out this Friday, but I won't be going too mad myself, as I have several hours of Christmas caroling on Saturday morning and then have a great-fun- big-posh-long 1920s gig to play on Saturday night, so I can't be hungover that day. Still, looking forward to finding out what Christmas beers I can find around town!