Golden Pints 2011

1. Best UK Draught (Cask or Keg) Beer - Buxton Axe Edge @ The Sheffield Tap.
2. Best UK Bottled or Canned Beer - Buxton Brewery Axe Edge - Sublime!
3. Best Overseas Bottled or Canned Beer - Stone Sublimely Self Righteous
4. Best Overall Beer - Buxton Brewery Axe Edge again! Perfect bottled or cask. A worthy winner
5. Best Pumpclip or Label - It's got to go to the Magic Rock Labels/Pumpclips
6. Best UK Brewery - Buxton Brewery they are local to me and have made some awesome beers this year!
7. Best Overseas Brewery - Stone Brewery or Maui Brewery (love their branding!)
8. Pub/Bar of the Year - Sheffield Tap & The Coopers Tavern Notable mention goes to the Greystones in Sheffield, It's Thornbridge's flagship pub and offers some great beers and a great view. Well worth the bus trip.
9. Beer Festival of the Year - Brewing Industry International Awards Festival. A day I will never forget!
10. Supermarket of the Year - Tough one as they are all improving but Morrisons have the best selection local to me
11. Independent Retailer of the Year - Brown & Green Derby for a regular supply of Thornbridge & Buxton.
12. Online Retailer of the Year - myBrewerytap for delivering some great beers through the 52wk clubs.
13. Best Beer Book or Magazine - The Oxford Companion to Beer, It's answered a lot of questions I had but didn't want to ask!
14. Best Beer Blog or Website - One from Pencil & Spoon, Reluctant Scooper or Pete Brown's
15. Best Beer Twitterer - Difficult one to choose but as he's my mate @simonhjohnson retains the title.
16. Best Online Brewery presence - Adnams @Adnams & @solebear
17. Food and Beer Pairing of the Year - Pork Pie with Brooklyn Local 2 served by Garett Oliver himself followed by Adnams Solebay paired with a greasy Burger at BIIA
18. In 2012 I’d Most Like To… Drink some more good beer, and blog more. But seeing as though this is my first post since February I doubt that's going to happen. I like to drink good beers and write about them, I however find the 140 characters of Twitter far more appealing than writing on here. Sorry Folks! (plus i'm crap at putting my ideas & thoughts on paper)
19. Beer Drinking Accessory of the year - The Merkin!
20. Worst Bottled Beer of the Year - Anything from Hesket Newmarket. I love the idea of a cooperative brewery with all the locals getting involved but they really have some work to do in the bottling department.

Logo designed by Robsterowski

The International Festival of Beer

This Saturday I will be making the short journey to Burton on Trent for The International Festival of Beer. Held at the National Brewery Centre. Over 770 beers from around the world will feature in the festival which runs from 11th - 13th February.

The programme runs as follows:

Friday 6.30pm – 11pm. £10/person (£12 on the door)

• Beer sampling. Live music from Dr.Busker. Food purchasable from Brewery Tap or BBQ or Hog Roast food kiosks

Saturday 10am – 5pm. £8/person (£10 on the door)

• Beers to sample. Inclusive entrance to all museum attractions. Traditional music from the Ibstock Brass Band and sessions on site by actors. Barrel rolling and craft displays. Appearances by Shire dray horses on site and around Burton

Saturday 6.30pm – 11pm £10/person (£12 on the door)

• Beer to sample. Live traditional jazz. Food purchasable from Brewery Tap or BBQ or Hog Roast food kiosks.

Sunday 10am – 5pm £8/person (£10 on the door)

• Beers to sample. Inclusive entrance to all museum attractions. Traditional brass band. Barrel rolling and craft displays. Appearances by Shire dray horses on site and around Burton.

Additional special events only bookable in advance:-

1. Saturday - Beer appreciation lectures with Awards judges. £5/person
• 10am 'Introduction to beer' by Larry Sidor, US judge – find out why beer is the nation's favourite tipple – as experts enhance your beer appreciation skills.
• 11am 'How to taste beer'
• 1pm 'Introduction to beer' by Bill Taylor, Chairman of Judges, Australia
• 11am 'How to taste beer' by Bill Taylor, Chairman of Judges, Australia
2. Sunday - Beer and Food matching lunch with the experts. £17.95/person:-
• 'How to match your traditional Sunday lunch with a beer for each course'.

Joining me on the day will be Simon aka Reluctant Scooper, the usual 2 rules for the day apply:

Meet at The Coopers Tavern

Drink Jaipur & Bass

Then it will be on to the National Brewery Centre to enjoy the festival.

If you are in or around Burton over the weekend, you know what to do!